Phillis Wheatley Peters, also spelled Phyllis and Wheatly, was the first African-American author of a published book of poems - Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral. Phillis was born in West Africa, probably present day Gambia or Senegal. She was sold into slavery aged 7 or 8 and transported to North America. She arrived in Boston, in the British Colony of Massachusetts, on 11th July 1761. She was enslaved by the Wheatley family of Boston. She was named Phillis after the name of the ship which transported her The Phillis. She was given the last name of Wheatley since it was common custom, if any surname was used, for enslaved people. The Wheatleys gave her the opportunity to learn to read and write and encouraged her talent for writing poetry. Their daughter Mary was her first tutor in reading and writing. Their son Nathaniel also helped. By the age of 12 she was reading Greek and Latin classics in their original language In 1770 she wrote a tribute to the evangelist George Whitefield. Many of her poems expressed Christian themes and many were dedicated to famous figures. In 1772 she successfully defended her authorship in court. The signed attestation is included in the preface to her book ( See ‘Poetry’) In 1773, aged 20, she made a trip to London, with her master’s son,seeking to find publication of her work. It was also thought it would help her health - she suffered from chronic asthma. Phillis met prominent people who became patrons. She had an audience with the Lord mayor of London, Frederick Bull. Selina Hastings, Countess of Huntington, subsidized volumes of her poems. Selina became ill so they never actually met. Poems on various subjects, Religious and Moral was published in London on 1st September 1773. It brought her fame in both England and the American colonies. She met George Washington in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1776. Jupiter Hammon praised her work in a poem. She *became the most famous African on the face of the earth *Voltaire. Phillis was emancipated (set free from slavery in November 1773 by the Wheatleys. But she soon lost the support of the Wheatleys, Susanna diedi n 1774, and John in 1778. She met and married John Peters, a free black grocer. They struggled with poor living conditions. They lost 2 babies. In 1784 he was imprisoned. Phillis went o work as a scullery maid in a boarding house. She became ill and died on th 5th December 1784. Her infant son soon after. Despite her early fame Phillis died in poverty and obscurity at the age of just 31. She is honored as the first African -American to publish a book of poetry and the first to make a living from her writings. 2002 Molefi Kete Asante listed her as one of his 100 greatest African- Americans For more ‘Legacy and Honors’ read notes. Sources Amazon Timelines from bBack History Wikipedia

I have create a Poetry Aid for children trying to write about Wind. I have differentiated it at two levels. I have included a list of Wind poems I found on Wikipedia and downloaded 5 poems - 3 by Annette Wynne.1 by Christina Rossetti and another by Clara W, Raymond. I hope the lists prove useful.

3 out of the 5 Paralympic athletes are current Paralympic champions. Claire Cashmore began competing in the Paralympic in 2004 in Athens. She won gold and silver in Rio in 2016 for swimming. In Tokyo 2021 she is running in the Paratriathlon. Ellie Challis is a swimmer. Aged 16 months she developed sepsis and meningitis. The disease ravaged her tiny body resultingin her having both legs amputated below the knee and both arms at the elbow. In 2012 she won bronze in the S3 50m backstroke in the Paralympics in London. She is the world record holder for SB2 50m backstroke . Hollie Beth Arnold is the reigning Paralympic F46 javelin thrower. In 2008, aged just 14, she was the youngest ever field event athlete. In 2018 she became the first ever javelin thrower to hold all 4 major titles in the same Paralympic/ Olympic 4 year cycle. Kylie Grimes has returned to her first love wheelchair rugby after a life changing spinal injury in 2006. Stef Reid, a long jumper, has won bronze at London 2012 and in Rio in 2016, but yet to win gold.

Richard Branson fulfilled a personal dream by going to the edge of Space. The picture I have chosen shows a very happy man fulfilling a dream. He beat his fellow billionaire Jeff Bezos by days to be the first billionaire space company founder to ride in his own spacecraft. Originally he was to fly on its second last flight but it was brought forward. I have created a phrase and vocabulary sheet - I created a blank so you could choose which of the 3 pictures you preferred. There is also a blank comic strip. I hope the children enjoy using the sheet.

Jackie Robinson was one of the most influential sports figure of his day. he was the first African American to play Major League Basketball. He was the catalyst that broke basketball’s colour barrier. Malala Yousafzai is now 24. On 9th October 2012, aged 15 ,she was hit in the head from a bullet by a Tehrik-i Taliban Pakistan gunman who wanted to assassinate her for activism towards female education. She was transfered to the UK to recover… In 2014, aged 17, she became the world’s youngest Nobel Prize laureate. Pakistan’s Prime minister, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, says she has become the country’s most prominent citizen. I am Malala: the girl who was stood up for Education and was shot by the Taliban Mohammad Ali, formerly known as Cassius Clay until 1964, was a world champion boxer. Changing his name was a religious and political act when he converted to Islam. In 1967 he became a conscience objector and refused to do military service in Vietnam for the USA saying it was against his religious and moral beliefs. He avoided jail but was stripped and banned from boxing. ln 1970 returned to the ring to win back his title. Rigoberta Menchu Tum is a K’iche Guatemalan human rights activist, feminist and Nobel Prize Laureate (1992). She rose in prominence in 1983. She has dedicated her life to publicizing the indigeous suffering of her people during and after the Guatemala Civil War (1960-99). She is a UNESCO goodwill anbassador. She founded the country’s first indigenous political party, Winaq. Tegia Loroupe is a Kenyan long distance track and road runner ( won the New York marathon in 1994 and 1995, plus other marathons). She is also a global spokeswoman for peace, women’s rights and education. In 2003 created the Tegia Loroupe Peace Foundation- created to promote friendship between people and gender equality. She organizes Peace marathons which are held in East Africa. In 2016 organized the Refugee Team for the Rio Summer Olympics in Rio. Wangari Muta Maathai (1940-2011) was a Kenyan social environmental and political activist. In 1977 she founded the Green belt Movement which focused on the planning of trees ( combating deforestation and soil erosion), environmental conservation and women’s rights. She felt by improving the environment she was creating a system that would encourage progress and peace In 2004 she was the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize. In 2006 won the Indira Gandhi Peace prize. Sources People of Peace by Sandrine Mirza Wikipedia

A vocabulary and poetry aid about Fog. Illustrations by David Woodroffe.

I thought this would be a topical piece of Creative Writing for pupils in years 5/6 to tackle when they return to school after the Christmas holidays . The original story, based on the four pictures, is about a lad going with his mother to buy a special game with his birthday money. I created a phrase and vocabulary list plus an example answer a number of years ago. The Poetry Aid is a new extra.

The first two sheets Researching Information and Animal Cycle can help children put together material before they begin to write a story. I have put together a number of phrase/vocabulary/poetry sheets(16 )to encourage children to write about animals- one of their favourite topics to write about. There are some A5 Clip art pictures, which could be enlarged, for their best ‘copy’. There are also five word searches/crosswords.to

I have put together a number of phrase/vocabulary sheets plus some Poetry Aids about sport. I have tried to divide up winter and summer sports. Some sports of course are played throughout the year. I have added, at the end, a exam type sheet about trainers -sample answer included.

FEAR - False Evidence Appearing Real. I have written five phrase/vocabulary sheets relating to fear - Dream or Nightmare, Examination Nerves, In the Dentist Chair, Meeting a Ghost and Haunted House. Three example ideas have been added plus a Poetry Aid relating to Fear. The hope is the children can use the phrases and vocabulary sheets, or the Poetry Aid to create some interesting creative writing.

I have created three phrase/vocabulary sheets about accident/illness plus a poetry aid. The sheets are differentiated in that the first one has incomplete sentences to finish. The second and third are very similar but the third one does not include the illustration. The clip art sheet can be used for finished article.

I decided to create a poetry aid to go with my Snow and Ice material. I have included a Thaw vocabulary and poetry aid, a vocabulary sheet about flooding plus a clip art picture for best copy. Thawing snow combined with heavy rain can create serious flooding,

I have put together several vocabularies which I hope will encourage children to write about themselves. Self Portrait will get them to ‘draw’ in both picture and words themselves. Hobbies and interests They might even like to try and write a diary - useful phrases and word bank given. In lock down perhaps they have been asked to help with DIY. When I grow up - a chance to write down their dreams and ambitions. Pranks - they might like to try one and write about the outcome/consequences! Most children have or want a pet - 2 sets to choose from. Cycling - most, if not all children have ridden a bicycle. There is a chance to write either prose or attempt poetry.

I have put together 5 simple nature word searches with answers. British Birds On the farm In the Woods Pets Wild Animals in G.B

Mainly in Wikipedia I have found further information about 10 case studies mentioned in *The History of the Asian Community in Britain. Sake Dean Mahomed (1750-1851)- a surgeon. He the first Indian to publish a book in English. He also Introduced Bengali cuisine,plus shampoo baths and therapeutic massage to Europe. Dadabhai Naoroji (1825-1917)- the first Asian to become a British MP. Mancherjee Bhownaggree (1851-1933)- a British Conservative party politician. Shapurji Saklatvala (1874-1936 - first Indian politician to become an MP for the Labour party. He was also a member of the Communist Party. Kamal Chunchie became an ordained minister in the Methodist church. In 1926he started a mission called the Colour Men’s Institute in Canning Town, London - spoke 8 languages (died 1953 Jaint Dass Saggar (1898-1954) - an Indian doctor who became the first non-white local authority councilor in Scotland. V.K. Krishna Menon (1896-1974) - an Indian politician. Described by some as the second most powerful man in India. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had most power. Read about his controversies. Mohinder Sigh Pujji (1918-2010) was a squadron leader in the RAF and a distinguished fighter pilot. He campaigned to raise awareness of the Indian contribution to the British war effort. In 2009 the RAF Museum in Cosford opened a permanent exhibition ‘Diversity in the RAF.’ Noor Inayat Khan (1914-1944) served in the Special Operations Executive (SOE). She was the first female wireless operator to be sent form the UK to occupied France. She was betrayed, captured and executed - posthumously awarded the George Cross.** Read her story on Wikipedia** Jayaben Desai (1933-2010) - always referred to as Mrs Desai, was a prominent female leader of the strikes in the Grunwick dispute in London in 1976

Thursday, 26th August 2021 Jaco van Gass, who was born in South Africa, has just won GB another gold medal. Jaco, a member of the British Armed Forces Parachute Regiment before he was seriously injured by a RPG (Rocket Propelled Granade)has just won the Men’s 3,000 Cycling Pursuit gold medal.

I have put together 3 sheet connected with Global warming. There is a’Yes to ’ and 'No to 'sheet . The second sheet is a Thesaurus of hopefully useful list of positive words to use. The third sheet is Poetry Aid in case the children want to try and write a poem about Global Warming…

The sales have started. I have created a phrase/ vocabulary sheet and a poetry aid about the New Year Sales.

I have put together two vocabularies, a poetry aid, two clip art pictures and a crossword/word search about deserts which I hope pupils will find useful

I have put together a number of former SATS style questions (11) where the children had to think of themselves in various situations. From visiting a market place, to How long can I stay up?, choosing a charity to raise money for, dreams, favourite meals, memories, moving house, pranks, talent competitions,flying in air balloon and left in charge of the classroom. For 9 of them I have also given example answers. There is also a Poetry Aid if they want to put their thoughts to verse.