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Pre-reading Year 7 homework booklet - Nurture
December 2021
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Contents
Page 3 Introduction and reading rules
Page 4 English
Pages 5-6 Geography
Page 7 Maths
Page 8 Design and Technology
Page 9 Science
Page 10 Computing
Page 11 History
Page 12 Art
Page 13 Physical Education
Page 14 French
Page 15 EBC
Page 16 Drama
Page 17 Music
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Introduction
This homework booklet is designed to encourage you to read and research
the topics you will be studying in each subject next term.
Research shows that pupils who read regularly, achieve higher results in tests.
WPSFG Reading Rules
First reading is understanding
• Highlight any words you do not understand and try to use strategies to
work out what they mean
• Track with a ruler
• Summarise key points
Second reading is zooming in
• Identifying any interesting features
• How does the extract make you feel?
• How might this extract be interpreted by others?
Once you have finished your pre-reading, look for other examples of
research and reading you could do
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English: Wolf-Brother
The first in a series Chronicles of Ancient Darkness. Following the death of his
father, Torak discovers that he must embark on a quest for which he does not
feel prepared, pursued by the enormous bear that killed his father.
Accompanied by a wolf cub, symbol of the clan from which he has been
excluded, Torak’s journey through the Forest is atmospherically and
convincingly portrayed, combining ancient magic with practical details
about how he survives.
Task: Research Michelle Paver’s website and learn more about the world of
Torak!
Question: Would you like to read this book? Why?
Vocabulary: Find out the definitions for ‘atmospheric’ and ‘convincing’
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Geography: Weather
Last half term you did some pre-reading to prepare you for the Weather topic that you
will be starting in January.
Recap:
Weather describes the condition of the atmosphere (the air that surrounds the Earth). It
might be sunny, hot, windy or cloudy, raining or snowing.
Climate describes the average weather conditions of a large area (such as parts of
countries, whole countries, or even groups of countries) over a long period of time (30
years or more).
To prepare for when you start the Weather topic in January, read an extract from the
book below that is based on a storm:
Flash Flood by Chris Ryan
Chapter One
“This is crap, this train,” said the youth with the
pierced eyebrow, and kicked the door next to his
seat. It was one of the old-type trains with doors
that slam shut, and when he kicked it the window
rattled.
…
Like everyone else in the carriage, Ben and
Rachel tried to ignore them. The train journey was
unpleasant enough as it was. Ever since they had
got on at their home town of Macclesfield in
Cheshire it had been stop-start all the way. Now it
was stop. Heavy rain had caused flooding and
signal failures. The carriage smelled of wet
raincoats and damp seats; the floor was wet from
dripping umbrellas. Some people were wearing
wellington boots. You could hardly believe it was
the first week of August.
Everyone was fed up, wondering when the train
was going to move again. Ben Tracey was going
to London to spend the day with his mother.
Everyone in the carriage was sitting and gritting
their teeth, or looking out at the relentless rain, which lashed the windows like a storm at
sea.
…
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The train began to move again, slowly, painfully. The guard spoke over the tannoy.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we are now on the move again. We’re running forty-five minutes
late. But just to cheer you up, the weather in London isn’t any better than the weather
here.”
Around the carriage, people sighed, looking at their watches and flipped open their
phones. They were thoroughly fed up with all this rain.
Tasks:
• Highlight any key words that you are unsure of. Make a note of them and do
some research to help you come up with a definition.
• What is the name of the book that the extract is from? What is the name of the
author?
Answer the following questions using the extract from the book:
• What month is it in the book?
• Where was Ben travelling to?
• How late was the train running?
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Maths: Fractions
A fraction is a portion of something larger. The word "fraction" comes from the Latin word
fraction, which means "to break." When you break something into parts, the parts are a
fraction of the whole. They are used to represent parts in a convenient format in
mathematics and other topics. Proper and improper fractions, equivalent fractions, and so
on are some different classifications of fractions.
Fractions are a type of number that are made up of two whole numbers. A fraction is written
as "a/b" and represents the number of parts in a whole, where a is called the numerator
and b is called the denominator. For example, 4/6 would mean four parts out of a total of
six. Fractions can also be negative. Learning how to work with fractions helps us better
understand division and simplify really big or really small numbers into something more
manageable.
Proper Fraction
A fraction where the numerator is less than the denominator, then it is known as a proper
fraction.
i.e., Numerator < Denominator
Improper Fraction
A fraction where the numerator is greater than the denominator, then it is known as an
improper fraction.
i.e., Numerator > Denominator
Mixed Fraction
A mixed fraction is the combination of a natural number and fraction. It is basically an
improper fraction.
Task: What are the two parts of a fraction called?
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Design and Technology
During the 1970s, Alberto Alessi
began employing product
designers to make original and
fun designs for everyday kitchen
equipment. The bright colours
and stylish designs were mass
produced and affordable to
everyone.
Designer’s you need to know: Choose between Task 1 or 2
Alessi
Task 1: Choose an Item in your Kitchen and redesign it in the style
of Alessi.
William Morris Williams Morris was a designer
and artist best known for his
bold, nature-themed fabric and
wallpaper prints. He was part of
the Arts and Crafts movement,
with a love of craftsmanship and
a hatred of mass-produced
products.
Task 2: look at the examples of Morris’s
work and choose 3 natural object to draw
into a pattern for wrapping paper, in the
style of William Morris. e.g. Bird, leaves
and berries
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Science: Matter
States of matter
Everything is made up from matter. Matter usually exists in one of three states or phases:
solid, liquid, or gas. The chair you are sitting on is a solid, the water you drink is liquid, and
the air you breathe is a gas.
Changing State
The atoms and molecules don't change, but the way they move about does. Water, for
example, is always made up of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. However, it
can take the state of liquid, solid (ice), and gas (steam). Matter changes state when more
energy gets added to it. Energy is often added in the form of heat or pressure. Solid water
is called ice. This is water with the lowest energy and temperature. When solid, the
molecules in water are held tightly together and cannot move around, instead they
vibrate on the spot. Liquid water is just called water. As ice heats up it will change phases
to liquid water. Liquid molecules are looser and can move about easily. Gas water is
called steam or vapor. When water boils it will turn to vapor. These molecules are hotter,
looser, and moving faster than the liquid molecules. They are more spread apart and can
be compressed or squished.
Tasks:
1. Highlight any words you do not know and research their meanings. Write the
meanings in your self quizzing book.
2. Write a summarising paragraph on the text in your self quizzing book.
Particle
diagrams for
solids, liquids
and gases. This
shows how the
particles are
arranged in
these states.
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Computing: Programming
Programming is writing computer code to create a program, to solve a
problem. Programs are created to implement algorithms. Algorithms can be represented
as pseudocode or a flowchart, and programming is the translation of these into a
computer program.
To tell a computer to do something, a program must be written to tell it exactly what to
do and how to do it. In order to do this, you need to know how programs are constructed.
TASK
What is programming?
Why does program need to be exact?
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History: What Was Life Like in Medieval England?
Medieval England refers to the period from 1066 until 1485.
Medieval society was very hierarchical, with the
King at the top and peasants right at the
bottom. Most people lived in villages and were
peasants who worked on the land.
The church was very important to everyone’s lives. People went every Sunday and peasants had
to pay some of their money to the church.
There were not many towns in Medieval England and those that
existed were small. Skilled craftsmen could be found working in
towns, and they were also the main place where people went to
trade. Towns were very unclean. People threw their waste (including
from the toilet) into the street and there was lots of disease. Life was
rather short during the Medieval period, most people only lived until
about 31 years old.
Tasks:
1. Look up and write down the definition of the words that are underlined
2. Summarise what you have read in no more than 50 words
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Art: Vincent Van Gogh
Vincent Van Gogh (1853 – 1890) was one of the most well-known Post-
Impressionist artists, for whom colour was the best tool for expression.
He was born in Holland, the son of a paster, into a
religious and cultured atmosphere. He believed
that his true calling was to preach the gospel;
however, at aged twenty-seven he decided to
become an artist.
He went to Belgium to study art, determined to
give happiness by creating beauty. Van Gogh
met and befriended many other famous artists,
like Pissarro and Gaugin. Having met the new
Impressionist painters, he began to lighten his
colour palette and to paint in the short brush
strokes of the Impressionists ’style.
During his brief career, he did not
experience much success, he sold only one
painting, lived in poverty, was
malnourished, and overworked. Van
Gogh's finest works were produced in less
than three years in a technique involving
heavy brush strokes, symbolic and intense
colour, tension, and the movement of form
and line. Van Gogh's unique style is
powerful, dramatic, imaginative, and
emotional, for the artist was completely obsessed with trying to explain either
his struggle against madness, or his ideas about nature and life, through his
art.
Despite his lack of success during his lifetime, Van Gogh’s legacy lives on
having left a lasting impact on the world of art. Van Gogh is now viewed not
only as one of the greater Post-Impressionists of the 20th Century, but as one
of the most influential artists of all time.
Task – Write a short summary paragraph about Vincent Van Gogh, you
should mention his style of painting, his influences and anything else you feel
is worth summarizing.
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Physical Education
Next term we will be looking at the Main functions of the skeletal system. There are 6 things that
our skeleton helps us with and contributes to.
Each function
1. Support – Keeps the body upright
2. Posture – Gives the body shape
3. Protection – Protects vital organs such as the lungs, heart or brain
4. Movement – Allows you to be able to move and walk
5. Blood cell production – Some bones produce red blood cells
6. Storage of minerals – Stores minerals such as calcium
TASK: Using the above information, make 2 revision cards. Put 3 functions of the skeletal system on
each card. If you do not have revision cards at home, you can make somE using paper. There are
some examples of revision cards below.
Card 1- Short term effects of
exercise
Card 2- Long term effects of
exercise
Only add key information. Use
bullet points or spider webs/
images to display the information.
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French: Identity
Slimane Nebchi was born in Chelles, Seine-et-Marne, France in 1989. Slimane is a French
singer/songwriter and he grew up in the eastern province of Paris. He started writing his own
“chansons” (songs) and uploading them to the internet. Songs like “Nous deux” (Us two). He
entered the seventh season of singing in The Nouvelle Star in 2009. He did not win but he
returned again in 2011. Slimane's version of Vitaa's "À Fleur de Toi" saw all four judges turn their
chairs. He won the series. Several singles appeared before Universal issued his debut album, “A
Bout de Reves”, just a few months after.
Answer the questions below:
1. In What country was Slimane born?
________________________________________________________________
2. How do you write in French ‘Nous deux’ and ‘songs’?
________________________________________________________________
3. What is the name of the song that saw all four judges turn their chairs?
________________________________________________________________
4. Did you like the song “Nous deux”? Write the sentence in French with your
opinion.
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
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EBC: Human Rights
The First World war and Second World War saw millions of people lose their lives.
This led to set up of The United Nations. They are a group of countries who
wanted peace and to make sure that the horrors of the first and second world
wars were never repeated.
The first thing the United Nations did was ask a team of people to think about
what makes humans happy, healthy, and safe.
This team was led by an American, Eleanor Roosevelt, and they created the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In 1948, 48 countries who were members
of the United Nations signed up to this declaration.
Here are the reasons why it was written:
❖ Because respect for the equal importance of every human being is the
only way the world will have freedom, justice and peace;
❖ Because ignoring the rights of human beings has caused acts of hatred
that have shocked and saddened the people of the world; and we all
want to live in a world where people can speak freely what they believe,
and where no one is poor or afraid;
❖ Because it is important that the laws should protect all people, so that no
one is forced to rebel against cruelty;
❖ Because all countries need to have the same understanding of what
these human rights and freedoms are;
Read and underline/highlight any words you do not understand
1. What do people need to feel happy, healthy and safe?
2. What do you think is the most important reason why the declaration of
human rights was written? Are they all important reasons?
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Drama: Kindertransport
The Kindertransport was a British
rescue mission that took place at the
beginning of WWII.
Over 10,000 Jewish children from
various countries were placed in British
foster homes.
Plot of Kindertransport written by Diane Samuels
Helga and Werner Schlesinger are parents faced with the difficult choice of
keeping their daughter Eva in Germany with them, or letting her become
one of the Kindertransport children, who are sent to the UK, alone.
When Eva arrives in London, speaking no English, and feeling abandoned,
she is looked after by Lil Miller.
The play jumps between three time periods:
1) Before The War – Helga tries to prepare Eva to leave her home and
parents.
2) During The War - Eva is living in England with Lil, adjusting to a new
country, and desperately trying to get her parents out of Germany.
3) After The War - Eva (who has now changed her name to Evelyn) is an
adult, has a daughter named Faith, and has intentionally forgotten
most of her past.
Kindertransport tells the story about a child being separated from her parents
and the sacrifices that came with this.
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Year 7 Music Pre-Reading
Dynamics
Music can be loud or quiet, or somewhere in between. The volume of a piece of music
can change gradually or suddenly. Another word for volume is DYNAMICS, which is one
of our musical elements.
Dynamic markings
In music, we use lots of Italian keywords. This is because Italian composers were seen as
the leaders of European music. Composers would use Italian when writing down
directions to performers. This is why we use the Italian words forte(loud) and piano (quiet).
These words tell you what dynamics to use when playing a particular piece. Contrasts in
dynamics are often used to help set the mood of the piece and add expression.
Here are some of the dynamic directions and their abbreviations:
Italian key word Abbreviation Meaning
pianissimo pp very quiet
piano p quiet
mezzo piano mp moderately quiet
mezzo forte mf moderately loud
forte f loud
fortissimo ff very loud
crescendo cresc. gradually getting louder
diminuendo dim. gradually getting quieter
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This sign is also used to show a CRESCENDO
This sign is also used to show a DIMINUENDO
Questions to answer:
1. Make a list of 5 sounds that are forte (loud).
2. Make a list of 5 sounds that are piano (quiet).
3. What word is used for very quiet?
4. Describe the sounds you would hear if you were at a rock concert. Think
about the dynamics – would it be loud or quiet?
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