There are ten words underlined in the fi rst paragraph of ‘The Inside Job’. Try to write your own defi nition for each of these words, using the context to help you work out the meaning.
CONTEXT (N.):
the circumstances that form the setting for an event, statement or idea
Use your dictionary to check the defi nitions of any of the words you aren’t sure about.
Learn the spelling of all the words using the Look, Cover, Write, Check method: look at the word and memorise the spelling, cover it so that you can’t see it, write it out, then check to make sure you spelled it correctly.
Finally, choose another ten words from the story and test your classmates on their meaning and spelling. Create a class quiz using all the words you have learned. Your quiz might be a word search, a crossword or a spelling bee. Go to www.puzzlemaker. discoveryeducation.com/ to create lots of puzzles.
Imagine that you are the protagonist in ‘The Inside Job’. Write a diary entry for the fi rst night you spend in Kilmainham Gaol, describing your feelings and your fears.
SELF-ASSESSMENT
Now assess (judge/critically examine) your work. Read it aloud. Does it sound like the type of thing this character might say? Refer back to the three adjectives you chose to describe this soldier and make sure that these qualities are refl ected in the diary entry. Revisit the features of a diary entry (page 8) and note any that you haven’t included in your own work.
