Year 8 English Take-Away Homework
Unit 1: Writing Skills
Extra Exciting:
Create and
complete your own
homework task
based on the unit!
Choose your homework from the menu below:
The Peri-ometer suggests the difficulty or challenge the
homework may offer. Every unit you should attempt
at least one ‘EXTRA HOT’ task!
1. Read a short story in the genre of
2. Read a restaurant review such as those by Jay Rayner:
suspense/mystery such as Roald Dahl’s The
Hitchhiker. Write a story in the third person which
begins with someone hearing an eerie and
unidentifiable noise.
You will need to create a plan with 5 clear
components of plot structure, characters, a
place/setting, also consider the time period of the
story. Try to use a range of devices such as similes,
metaphors and onomatopoeia. Aim for two pages
minimum.
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/series/jayrayner
Now recall and write a review of the best meal that you
ever had with a group of people, including details of the
place and the atmosphere, suitable for publication in your
local newspaper. Use a range of imagery – similes,
metaphors and personification to create an experience.
Closely consider your vocabulary choices and sentence
structure – try to create a range.
3. You arrive at an airport or railway station to
discover that there is a long delay.
You are the creator of a popular blog site.
Create a name for your blog. Write a blog
entry of 500 words where you describe your
feelings/thoughts and experiences for the
enjoyment of your readers.
You will need to focus on describing what you
see/hear/smell and touch.
4. ‘Having lots of rules is better than having
lots of freedom.’
Write an article of at least 1 page, for the
school newsletter where you try to persuade
your readers to be for or against this statement.
Really think about your target audience and why
you are writing this as it will inform your
language choices, formality and tone.
5. Do you think that the existence of zoos can be
justified nowadays, when it is possible to visit
animals in their habitat or to see them on
television?
Write an article (1 page) for a magazine with
pictures, where you argue both sides of this
argument. You will need to research the issues.
6. Read a review of a film/play/book/TV
programme or song.
Feeling suitably inspired – write a review of a
film/play/book/TV programme or song, which
you have recently experienced. You are
writing for your peer group. The review will be
published in the newsletter if it is appropriate.
It should be 1 page minimum.
7. You see someone in a crowd whom you
recognise but you can’t think why. On noticing
you, the person moves away, and you
instinctively follow.
Write the story in 200 words. Make sure you
have the 5 components of plot structure.
8. In the form of a poster, create a helpful and useful
guide for: HOW TO EDIT AND PROOF READ MY
WRITTEN WORK. You need to give advice so begin
some sentences with modal verbs such as: ‘you
might, you could…’
9. Write a speech which gives advice to yr6
students on ’10 things which will improve
your writing’. Remember to write in an
engaging and humorous manner.
10. Write 5 tweets which explain key learning
points from your lesson on writing skills today.
11. Create a poster which features a list of all the
possible homophones that people (obviously not you)
make errors with.
12. Create a vocabulary enrichment list of 15
dynamic/powerful/interesting or beautiful
words.