Text for Scotland S1 Teacher Guide
Unit 1 A life’s story
1 A life’s story
Answers
1 Biography and autobiography
Student Book pages 6–7
Activity 1
1
Title / Biography or autobiography? / What are your reasons?Billy / Biography / The author isn’t Billy Connelly himself it is Pamela Stephenson
Voices in the Street / Autobiography / The subtitle is ‘Growing up in Dundee’ which infers that the author is writing about her own experiences
Gordon Brown: Past, Present and Future / Biography / It is written by Francis Beckett about Gordon Brown
Jessie’s Journey / Autobiography / It is written by Jess Smith about her own childhood
William Wallace / Biography / William Wallace is dead so couldn’t have written it himself
Activity 2
1
Welcome to My World blurb
1 a Young women.
b An audience interested in the lifestyle of celebrities as the blurb describes some of Coleen’s lifestyle.
Growing up in the Gorbals blurb
1 a Mature women and men.
b A mature audience because the blurb explains that the book is about Alan’s childhood and he is over 70.
2
Knowledge about language: Nouns and verbs
1 Nouns: story, girl, roots, world, dreams.
2 Verbs: left, become, started, lead.
2 Reading and researching
Student Book pages 8–11
Activity 1
1
Research topic / Useful?a)Facts about Bissett’s professional achievements / Yes
b)Interviews with Bissett / No
c)Information about what Bissett is currently doing / Yes
d)Blurbs from Bissett’s novels for teenagers / Yes
e)Information about Bissett’s childhood / Yes
f) Pictures of Bissett and details about how to contact him / Yes
2
Research topic / What I would click ona)Information on Bissett’s novels / Books
b)Information on Bissett’s favourite films / Faves
c)People and personal contacts that are part of Bissett’s life / Links
d)Examples and cuttings of media articles on the writer / Reviews
Activity 2
2
a His parents live their.
b He used to lecture at the university there.
Knowledge about language: Capital letters and full stops
Hugh MacDiarmid was born in 1872 in Langholm in Dumfriesshire. He became a journalist but, during World War I, he joined the Royal Army Medical Corps and served all over Europe.
He was a strong Scottish nationalist and believed that Scots could only truly express themselves in the Scots language. He began to recreate a written Scots language with words used in different parts of the country. Soon he was publishing his poetry, written in Scots. His most famous collection was A Drunk Man Looks at the Thistle in 1926.
By the 1950s, a number of poets, such as Robert Garioch, William Soutar and Sidney Goodsir Smith were using the Scots language to write modern poetry.
More recently, some writers have chosen to use Scots for writing novels. They include James Kelman from Glasgow, Irvine Welsh from Edinburgh, and Alan Bisset from Falkirk.
3 Note-making
Student Book pages 12–13
Activity 1
Key words / Notesborn / fourth child, in Helensburgh near Glasgow
telephone exchange / achievement for a young boy, linked it to four of his friends’ houses
cab accident / driver had an accident on one of the telephone exchange’s low hanging wires and they had to be taken down
lighting system / he used the wires to set up a lighting system in his parents’ house, the first electric lighting in the town
home-made glider / he was launched off his roof in a hand-made glider by his friend Godfrey, it broke and he landed on the lawn
Activity 2
When? / What happened? / Why?young school boy / connected a telephone exchange / so he could speak to his friends
by the turn of the twentieth century / set up a lighting system in his parents’ house with the wires from the telephone exchange / he had to take down the wires because a cab driver had an accident
the first years of the twentieth century / fell off his roof attached to a glider / he made the glider with his friend Godfrey who pushed him off the roof in it
1906 / started a diploma course in electrical engineering / although his academic record wasn’t good this did not put him off
Knowledge about language: Sequencing
Order / Key words5 / war broke out before he could finish his degree
2 / during World War I
1 / in 1925
3 / after television
4 / four months later
4 Fact and opinion
Student Book pages 14–15
Activity 1
2
Feature of recount text / ExampleEvents written in time order (chronological order) / Three years ago… He entered an enclosure… For the first eighteen months… Eventually…
Connectives related to time (later, twenty years on) / Three years ago… For the first eighteen months… Eventually…
Dialogue or reported speech to reveal information about the character / The 42-year-old-decided the only way to really get to know his beloved wolves… fights with his ‘brothers’… he hopes to put his findings to good use… He feels that working with animals and trying to understand how they live is what he was put on this planet to do…
Specific dates, times, people and places / …an enclosure at a wildlife park in North Devon… areas such as the Highlands
Answers to the questions when, where, who, what, why / When – a long-standing scientific study
Where – North Devon
Who – Shaun Ellis ‘a man in wolf’s clothing’
What – conducts research ‘living wild with [wolves] and talking their language’
Why – living alongside wolves is the best way to understand them ‘the only way to really get to know his beloved wolves was to become one of them’
3
a ‘Explore’, ‘crazy’, ‘wolf-man’, ‘unmissable’, ‘extraordinary’, ‘beasts’, ‘leader’, ‘acts like them’, ‘amazing insight’, ‘unique life’, ‘fascinating’.
4 Text A, because it gives an idea of amount of time Ellis has spent researching the wolves; explains the places that he has visited; explains how he lived with the wolves.
5 Gathering evidence
Student Book pages 16–17
Activity 2
About autism: information for brothers and sisters – gives information about living with autism.
Press releases – should provide reliable information about autism.
Some facts and statistics – gives reliable information about autism.
Is there a cure? – should argue both sides of the case.
Knowledge about language: The past tense
1 ‘Three years ago, I wrote The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, a novel set in Swindon…’ This is in the past tense because it is talking about how long ago he wrote the book.
2 ‘To my continuing amazement…’ This uses the present tense because he is explaining how he feels now.
6 Preparing an essay
Student Book pages 18–21
Activity 1
Childhood / Hobbies and interests· Born in Dunblane, Scotland
· Started playing tennis aged three / · He plays golf and goes to the gym
· Also likes playing football but doesn’t play as much as he’d like to
Sporting achievements / Diet
· In 2004 he won the US Open Boy’s Singles Championships
· 2005 won Glenfiddich Spirit of Scotland Award for sport
· He broke into the ATP singles world top 10 for the first time in 2007 / · When competing he eats lots of pasta
· He likes salad and steak but usually avoids fatty foods
· Doesn’t drink or smoke
Lifestyle / Injuries
· He is still growing and likes to sleep a lot!
· His lifestyle is different from other young people but he still tries to go out with his friends when he can / · Doesn’t worry about them
· By looking after his body he hopes to avoid injury but says sometimes you can’t control these things
Success in 2005 / Family
· Won the Glenfiddich Spirit of Scotland award
· Recent win over Tim Henman / · His mum is his tennis coach
· Has a brother, Jamie, who also plays tennis
· His mother collected an award for him.
How he became interested in tennis
· Mother took him to Dunblane Sports Club
· Got a swingball for his garden
Activity 2
So how many of you dream of being a sporting hero? Andrew Murray is the highest ranked tennis player ever produced by Scotland and, in addition, is currently the highest ranked British player.
So how many of you dream of being a sporting hero? Andrew Murray is the highest ranked tennis player ever produced by Scotland. Currently, he is also Britain’s best tennis player.
While still a teenager he has achieved some remarkable victories over other leading tennis players, including, notably, arguably the world’s best tennis player, Roger Federer
Whilst he was still a teenager, Andrew achieved some remarkable victories over other leading tennis players. One notable victory was over Roger Federer, who is arguably the world’s best tennis player.
Activity 3
Introduction: Andy Murray is the highest ranked tennis player Scotland has ever produced. Currently, he is also Britain’s best tennis player.Murray’s childhood and family: Andy was born in Dunblane in Scotland in 1987.
How he began playing tennis: Andy started playing tennis when he was three.
Tennis achievements: As a junior tennis player, Andy won the US Open Boys’ Singles Championships.
Other sports he enjoys: Andy enjoys playing golf.
His training and diet: Andy pays special attention to his diet.
Knowledge about language: Formal and informal language – contractions
Contractions in Text A: no contractions
Contractions in Text B: didn’t – did not; don’t – do not; can’t – cannot; I’m –I am
Contractions in Text C: no contractions
Assessment task: Reading Activity: Reading for information
Steve Irwin, Crocodile Hunter
Student Book pages 22–29
1
Text / Type / How do you know?A / Billboard poster / Short, to-the-point text, bright colours and an engaging image.
B / Newspaper article / Short paragraphs, punchy points, dramatic text, reported speech, layout in columns, date given at end of piece, byline.
C / Newspaper article / Short paragraphs, punchy points, dramatic text, reported speech, layout in columns, date given at start of piece, byline.
D / Magazine article / More descriptive, longer paragraphs, direct speech, questions given as well as answers.
E / Newspaper article / Students may think this is a magazine article, for example the paragraphs are not as short as other newspaper articles and text is much more descriptive. However, acerbic points made, dramatic text, reported speech, layout in columns, date given at start of piece, byline should indicate it’s from a newspaper.
2 Facts: Steve Irwin died at Batt Reef; Steve’s death was filmed on camera by a cameraman.
Opinions: ‘important and talented guy’, ‘fantastic all-action character’.
3 a Text most helpful: Text B as it gives a clear summary of the whole of Steve’s career and the things he did.
b Text least helpful: Text A as it just gives a very short amount of information about Steve and lots of pictures.
4 Text C presents Steve Irwin in a positive way, because it includes:
· a description implying that although bull rays are usually placid creatures, this one ‘suddenly turned on him and speared him through the heart’.
· phrases such as ‘universally loved’, ‘talented guy’ and ‘passionate conservationist’
· ‘Steve would have been sad if he died and it wasn’t captured on camera’ – this phrases suggests how Steve would have felt about his death and conveys the view that he died happy
5 Text E presents Steve Irwin in a negative way because it includes:
· a quotation from Dr Meredith Peach which implies that stingrays are gentle creatures so Steve Irwin would have had to provoke it for it to attack him
· phrases such as ‘the whole spectacle was revolting’
· brackets to emphasis the phrase ‘(as distinct from zoologists)’ to imply Steve’s fans don’t know anything scientific about animals.
6 You could describe Steve Irwin as a courageous but also flamboyant man.
Courageous: ‘Steve Irwin made his international reputation wrestling crocodiles and snakes.’ Text B
Flamboyant: ‘Steve would have been sad if he died and it wasn’t captured on camera.’ Text C
Further reading/suggestions: Unit 1 A life’s story
Websites
http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/history/burnsnight/biography/index.shtml - online biography of Burns.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/baird_logie.shtml - further information on John Logie Baird.
www.andymurray.com – the official Andy Murray website.
www.sherlockholmesonline.org – the official website of the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Literary Estate, including a biography of the Scottish-born author.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/fleming_alexander.shtml - biographical information on the Scottish bacteriologist.
Books
Andy Murray: The Story So Far (Rob Robertson; Mainstream Publishing)
Title Deeds: Growing up in Macbeth’s Castle (Liza Campbell; Doubleday)
The Life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (John Dickson; Da Capo Press)
From the Allegheines to the Hebrides: An Autobiography (Margaret Fay Shaw; Birlinn)
Night Song of the last Tram (Robert Douglas; Hodder)
Jessie’s Journey: Autobiography of a Traveller Girl (Jess Smith; Mercat)
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Answers