Year 9 HOMEWORK Booklet

AUTUMN 2: Literature
Name: _________________
The benefits of homework
 We develop our time management abilities
 We increase our independence as learners
 We can discuss our learning with people at home
 We apply and practise the essential skills of the subject
 We revise classwork to strengthen and extend our knowledge and understanding

Homework description length submit as due submitted returned

Explain Communism ½ side A4 handwritten 07/11/23
x2
Vocabulary Investigation annotation handwritten 14/11/23
Comprehension of 1928 article varies handwritten 21/11/23
Fight scenes in Odyssey: identifying methods annotation handwritten 28/11/23
& Explain how violence is shown in writing 1 side A4
Improving descriptive writing: fight scene ½ side A4 handwritten 05/11/23
Explore how Orwell uses language to create 100 words handwritten 12/11/23
tension and terror max
Explain how Orwell conveys his message to 2 handwritten 03/01/24
society paragraphs
HOLIDAY CHALLENGE 1 side A4 handwritten 03/01/24
1. Write the opening to a story that includes
a fight scene.
2. Design a front cover for Animal Farm A4 page Design task

How to complete and submit homework

1. Homework is due: Tuesday and returned by Thursday.
2. You have 5-6 evenings including a weekend to complete each written homework.
3. Do one homework at a time. Please do not go ahead.
4. Do your homework by hand, in this booklet, to the best of your ability.
5. Share your homework with people at home and ask for advice with editing.
6. On the due day, hand in your booklet, open on the correct page.
House points will be awarded for high quality homework submitted on time.
A break or lunchtime detention will be issued if homework is not submitted on time.

How to respond to feedback

1. Your teacher will read class homework and give whole class feedback in a lesson.
2. Read whole class feedback and write notes that apply to you next to your work.
3. Make changes to your work in line with the whole class feedback .
4. Share your work with a neighbour and swap supportive comments. Be sensible and kind in
your comments. Point out something great and make a suggestion.

From your English Department, Alderwood Senior School

Week 1 Explain Communism in straightforward, clear language

Use this link to help you understand what communism means https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyKbAF6DhE4

Word Wall for explaining

Communism. Try to use ALL of
these words in your explanation.

Community private property

contribute according to ability

receive according to need

no social class

distribution of wealth

individual freedom centralised

capitalism

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Week 2 Vocabulary investigation: Find out the meaning and annotate the underlined words

Karl Marx: An influential revolutionary thinker and philosopher, Marx did not live to see his ideas carried
out in his own lifetime, but his writings formed the theoretical base for modern international communism.

Karl Heinrich Marx was born on 5 May 1818 in Trier in western German, the son of a successful Jewish lawyer.
Marx studied law in Bonn and Berlin, but was also introduced to the ideas of Hegel and Feuerbach. In 1841, he
received a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Jena. In 1843, after a short spell as editor of a liberal
newspaper in Cologne, Marx and his wife Jenny moved to Paris, a hotbed of radical thought. There he became
a revolutionary communist and befriended his lifelong collaborator, Friedrich Engels. Expelled from France,
Marx spent two years in Brussels, where his partnership with Engels intensified. They co-authored the
pamphlet 'The Communist Manifesto' which was published in 1848 and asserted that all human history had
been based on class struggles, but that these would ultimately disappear with the victory of the proletariat.

In 1849, Marx moved to London, where he was to spend the remainder of his life. For a number of years, his
family lived in poverty but the wealthier Engels was able to support them to an increasing extent. Gradually,
Marx emerged from his political and spiritual isolation and produced his most important body of work, 'Das
Kapital'. The first volume of this 'bible of the working class' was published in his lifetime, while the remaining
volumes were edited by Engels after his friend's death.

Lenin was one of the leading political figures and revolutionary thinkers of the 20th century,
who masterminded the Bolshevik take-over of power in Russia in 1917, and was the architect
and first head of the USSR.

Vladimir Ilich Ulyanov was born in Simbirsk on the Volga River on 22 April 1870 into a well-educated
family. He excelled at school and went on to study law. At university, he was exposed to radical thinking,
and his views were also influenced by the execution of his elder brother, a member of a revolutionary
group. Expelled from university for his radical policies, Lenin completed his law degree as an external
student in 1891. He moved to St Petersburg and became a professional revolutionary. Like many of his
contemporaries, he was arrested and exiled to Siberia, where he married Nadezhda Krupskaya. After his
Siberian exile, Lenin - the pseudonym he adopted in 1901 - spent most of the subsequent decade and a
half in western Europe, where he emerged as a prominent figure in the international revolutionary
movement and became the leader of the 'Bolshevik' faction of the Russian Social Democratic Worker's
Party.

In 1917, exhausted by World War One, Russia was ripe for change. Assisted by the Germans, who hoped
that he would undermine the Russian war effort, Lenin returned home and started working against the
provisional government that had overthrown the tsarist regime. He eventually led what was soon to be
known as the October Revolution, but was effectively a coup d'etat. Almost three years of civil war
followed. The Bolsheviks were victorious and assumed total control of the country. During this period of
revolution, war and famine, Lenin demonstrated a chilling disregard for the sufferings of his fellow
countrymen and mercilessly crushed any opposition.

Although Lenin was ruthless he was also pragmatic. When his efforts to transform the Russian economy to
a socialist model stalled, he introduced the New Economic Policy, where a measure of private enterprise
was again permitted, a policy that continued for several years after his death. In 1918, Lenin narrowly
survived an assassination attempt, but was severely wounded. His long term health was affected, and in
1922 he suffered a stroke from which he never fully recovered. In his declining years, he worried about
the bureaucratisation of the regime and also expressed concern over the increasing power of his eventual
successor Joseph Stalin. Lenin died on 24 January 1924. His corpse was embalmed and placed in a
mausoleum on Moscow's Red Square.
 Whole class teacher feedback
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Week 3 Life Under the Soviets in Moscow by a Wanderer in Russia June 1928
Read this text carefully and then answer the questions that follow
Moscow is still, as it always was, a big village. Only the centre of the town, where the boulevards are, is “European.”
There the streets are well paved; the shop, windows are attractive (although the shelves inside are empty and
dusty). Electric trams and buses are plentiful. Placards and advertisements (some of them very beautiful) are
abundant. Theatre, picture-palace, and music-hall announcements are suspended across the streets like huge
banners. There are loudspeakers in every square. The streets are crowded, and in the early summer sunshine far
more beautiful and heavily rouged women are to be seen than in winter. Foreign newspapers can be bought at the
kiosks, but only such numbers as do not contain any more news than the Soviet press. For example, when the fate
of Trotsky and of the Opposition was being decided we were without foreign newspapers for a week.
Strong drink is plentiful. Wine can only be bought in special shops. Vodka can only be obtained in small quantities
in the centre of the town – but it is abundant elsewhere. It is possible to get vodka of pre-war quality but “plain
vodka” is more usual, although it is a downright poison. The peasants prefer a distillation of their own.

Beyond the Boulevards

Outside the ring of boulevards the city takes on a different aspect. The houses are low, small, and dirty; the streets
are ill-paved and rarely swept and cleaned; there is a vast number of beer and tea saloons. The shops are dirty, the
wares of poor quality. Even the bread is bad.
All round the Moscow railway stations there are all kinds of rough and disreputable-looking people. The thieves
and pickpockets are not too badly clothed. Great care is necessary lest your pockets are picked or your handbag
stolen, and it is always as well to look and see who is following you. All kinds of legal and illegal trade goes on near
the stations, and you can buy all kinds of stolen and smuggled articles. Vodka can be bought at all hours of the day
and night.
The quarters where the working classes live lie towards the outskirts of the city. Amongst the older houses the
newly built, gigantic, barrack-like tenements are conspicuous. On the outskirts and beyond are allotments and
bungalows meant for holiday residence but serving largely to house the surplus population of Moscow. These little
huts are grouped all along the railways. Some 10,000 workmen and employees live 30-10 versts (20 miles and
upwards) from Moscow and travel to town every day. The number of landlords is enormous. Nearly all the former
landlords have retained their houses. In addition to these there are the new landlords – partly Communists who
have acquired the villas and dwellings over which they were placed in charge, and partly persons who have saved
enough to build huts or houses of their own. But most of the houses are in the hands of the administration and of
the “housing trusts.” Theoretically they are let to workmen, especially to railwaymen. But the “housing trusts” are
brazenly corrupt and let the houses to “their own people” – that is to say, to Communists and their relatives.
Thus, in spite of all laws to the contrary, there are many Communists who have a house in town as well as a villa or
bungalow in the country. This privilege is shared by those who have enough money to pay bribes. All these things
are done openly. There is no disguise about the sums that are paid. Only those who have not enough money for
bribery are indignant.

The Communist Elite

The Communists drink more than anyone else – not because they are worse than the others, but because they have
more money to spend. As a rule, it is not easy to distinguish a Communist from an ordinary workman. Yet they do
differ. The Communists are more adaptable and better able to look after their own interests. “They get everything,”
“He’ll get a house now that he’s become a Communist” – such remarks are continually being made by the working
people.
All who join the Communist party do so for the sake of some material advantage or to be one of a privileged set.
Many of the Communists are almost American in their business instincts. Altogether, the Communists in Russia are
a better-situated class. Nevertheless, there is not much indignation felt against them; a little envy, perhaps, a little
contempt. “He will not go under – he’s a Communist,” is what the simple working folk will often say.
1. Circle the correct definition of each word as it is used in the text:
abundant (adjective)
a. Large and imposing
b. plentiful; there are lots of something; everywhere
c. Interesting
disreputable (adjective)
a. Dirty
b. Ugly
c. Not respectable; infamous
conspicuous (adjective)
a. Clearly visible or attracting attention
b. Suspect looking
c. Ugly
brazenly (adverb)
a. Hot
b. Obvious or shameless
c. With excitement
indignant (adjective)
a. Undignified or humiliating
b. Angry because of unfair treatment
c. Not bothered by something
distinguish (verb)
a. Recognise something as different from something else
b. Put out or stop
c. See something that is not obvious

2. Shade the boxes of the 4 true statements. Highlight the evidence in the text for your answers.
a. Orwell could have read this before he wrote ‘Animal Farm’.
b. The shops in Moscow are filled with beautiful things for sale.
c. There are lots of loudspeakers in public areas.
d. There is no control over which newspapers can be bought.
e. The residential areas are well-kept and pleasant.
f. The train stations are safe and mostly free of crime.
g. Most members of the Communist party have a second home.
h. People join the Communist part more for convenience than ideology (belief).

Challenge Task: Complete the table with references to ‘Animal Farm’ that show how Orwell reflected the
experience of daily life in Communist Russia. Super challenge: Use quotations.
Article Animal Farm
There the streets are well paved; the shop, windows
are attractive (although the shelves inside are empty
and dusty).
The quarters where the working classes live lie towards
the outskirts of the city. Amongst the older houses the
newly built, gigantic, barrack-like tenements are
conspicuous.
the “housing trusts” are brazenly corrupt and let the
houses to “their own people” – that is to say, to
Communists and their relatives.

The Communists drink more than anyone else.

there is not much indignation felt against [the

Communists]; a little envy, perhaps, a little contempt.
“He will not go under – he’s a Communist,” is what the
simple working folk will often say.
Whole class teacher feedback
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Week 4 – HW over 2 pages Read the extract below. Read it until you understand it well.
Identify how this translation of an extract from the Odyssey describes the violence of battle.
Word choice = semantic field of
Bk22:68-115 The Odyssey - The battle begins speed: rush, run to the city, With
this… , sprang
can you find more?
At this, their hearts trembled and their knees shook, but Eurymachus spoke
Connotations of or references
again, saying: ‘Friends, since this man will not restrain his hands, but with to weapons:
the gleaming bow and quiver in his hands intends to fire from the smooth  Gleaming bow and quiver
 Swords
sill till he kills us all, to battle! Draw your swords, and use the tables as
shields against his death-dealing arrows. Then let’s rush him together, and Can you find more?
try and push him from the threshold, run to the city and raise the alarm:
then he’ll have shot his bolt.’

Dynamic verbs: rush him,

push him,
sprang,
let fly,
struck him, pierced, sprawling,
spilling,

can you find more?

sibilant sounds emphasising

‘Odysseus kills the suitors with the aid of Telemachus’
speed: swift shaft pierced his
liver
With this he drew his sharp bronze two-edged sword, and sprang
at Odysseus with a great cry. But at that very moment noble Odysseus let Onomatopoeia: rattled the
fly an arrow that struck him in the chest below the nipple, and the swift chair, fell to the ground with a
thud
shaft pierced his liver. Eurymachus let the sword drop from his hand.
Sprawling across the table he doubled over and fell, spilling the food and
Gruesome imagery:
the two-handled wine-cup to the floor. His forehead beat the ground in his
struck him in the chest,
last agony, his feet kicked out and rattled the chair, and the mist poured pierced his liver
over his eyes.
Can you find more?

Amphinomus, now, rushed at glorious Odysseus, attacking him with

drawn sword, to force him somehow from the door. But before he could
reach him Telemachus quickly threw his bronze-tipped spear, striking him
Week 3 continued: Write a full answer explaining how violence is shown in the extract. Use the
structure below to help you organise your answer. Use quotations and name methods.
Thesis statement (we can make 5 points about how violence is shown in the extrAct)
1
The violence of battle is shown in this extract very clearly. There is a sense of great speed and chaos,
2 3
weapons are mentioned throughout, dynamic actions make it feel like so much is going on all at once,
4 5
and the sounds and sights of violence are described for the reader to imagine vividly.

Paragraph 1 The great sense of speed and chaos in the battle is shown by __________________________
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Paragraph 2 weapons are mentioned throughout the description by ______________________________

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Paragraph 3 dynamic actions make it feel as there is so much going on in the fight by ________________
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Paragraph 4 sounds are described for the reader to imagine vividly by _____________________________
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and the effect of this is ___________________________________________________________________
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Paragraph 5 sights are described for the reader to imagine vividly by ______________________________
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 Whole class teacher feedback
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Week 5 Read this boring piece of writing that describes Macbeth’s fight

Macbeth the fighter and bad Macdonwald and their armies were tired. The had been fighting for lots of days. They
had fought really aggressively for a long time. Of course neither side wanted to give up so they just kept on fighting. It
was very muddy and the rain fell nonstop. The soldiers got very dirty and they hated it but they knew that they had to
keep on fighting. They were cold too but they had to carry on. They probably felt like giving up but they didn’t.

Macdonwald had a lot of good swordsmen and they fought a lot, hitting the enemy a lot. But Macbeth had a lot of
soldiers too, and he was strong himself. He was a hero. He was too strong and so Macdonwald and his men got really
badly beaten.

Macbeth’s army beat them by fighting with them with their swords. Huge numbers of people were injured and killed
in the battle. It was really horrible as most battles are. There was a lot of very loud noises, a lot of bad things to see, a
lot of soldiers shouting and horses fell all over the place. Macdonwald was really upset that he got beaten. Macbeth’s
armies were really pleased although they were very tired.

Make it better! Find 20 ways to improve the use of language.

1. Edit the piece above, numbering your changes from 1-20.
2. a) Add better vocabulary choices to make it sound chaotic, violent, frightening.
b) Add similes and metaphors to better describe the action.
c) Describe what can be seen and heard with alliteration, onomatopoeia, imagery.
d) Bring the scene to life by making sure that all the senses are described.

3. Re-write your improved piece below. Take care to make sure all sentences are punctuated.

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Week 6 Animal Farm: Snowball
(If you would like extra support with this task, watch this 20-30 minute teaching video online:
https://classroom.thenational.academy/lessons/snowballs-expulsion-6dk3at)
TASK Re-read the extract below about Snowball’s expulsion from the farm; you have read and discussed this
in lessons. Write no less than 100 and no more than 150 words (avoid going outside the box!) about how you
think that George Orwell uses language to make this passage tense and terrifying for the reader.

Orwell uses language to create tension and terror in this passage by ________________________
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Week 7 Animal Farm: Author’s Message
TASK Re-read the extract below about the moment that Squealer is seen walking on two legs; you have read
and discussed this in lessons. Write no less than 100 and no more than 150 words (avoid going outside the
box!) about 1) how George Orwell makes this moment dramatic and 2) what you think George Orwell’s
message about society is here.
It was just after the sheep had returned, on a pleasant evening when the animals had finished work and were
making their way back to the farm buildings, that the terrified neighing of a horse sounded from the yard. Startled,
the animals stopped in their tracks. It was Clover’s voice. She neighed again, and all the animals broke into a gallop
and rushed into the yard. Then they saw what Clover had seen.
It was a pig walking on his hind legs.
Yes, it was Squealer. A little awkwardly, as though not quite used to supporting his considerable bulk in that
position, but with perfect balance, he was strolling across the yard. And a moment later, out from the door of the
farmhouse came a long file of pigs, all walking on their hind legs. Some did it better than others, one or two were
even a trifle unsteady and looked as though they would have liked the support of a stick, but every one of them
made his way right round the yard successfully. And finally there was a tremendous baying of dogs and a shrill
crowing from the black cockerel, and out came Napoleon himself, majestically upright, casting haughty glances
from side to side, and with his dogs gambolling round him.
He carried a whip in his trotter.
There was a deadly silence. Amazed, terrified, huddling together, the animals watched the long line of pigs march
slowly round the yard. It was as though the world had turned upside-down.

Orwell makes this moment dramatic by _______________________________________________

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Orwell’s message about society at this point in the story is __________________________________
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 Whole class teacher feedback
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HOLIDAY CHALLENGE 1 Animal Farm: Write the opening of a story with a fight scene.
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HOLIDAY CHALLENGE 2 Design a front cover for the book, Animal Farm