Here are some examples of great writing from our Year 6 children. They have been working very hard to ensure that their writing is well-matched to the audience and purpose.

We began the year exploring autobiography and biography, eventually writing a biography about our future selves!

 We aimed for quite a formal style managing the verb tenses and using chronological order.

 As part of our GLAM topic, ‘Why is Nature so Varied?’ we learned about Evolution and Darwin’s voyage on the HMS Beagle. The children wrote in the first person so that their diaries sounded like they were actually Darwin himself recording his adventures and discoveries. As part of our scientific learning, the year group also researched how animals have adapted over time to their habitats and diets. In writing a non-chronological report about animals, they included technical language, generalisers and made some use of the passive voice.

 Most recently, the year group has debated and then written balanced arguments inspired by their Black Powder key text. The children considered one of main characters, known as the Falcon. Again, it was important to control the level of formality, as well as structuring the text carefully.

 Finally, Year 6 have read extracts of Dickens’s A Christmas Carol and used this as a stimulus for descriptive writing focussing on the creation of atmospheric settings.

 We hope you enjoy reading their work and it is particularly useful for other year groups in KS2 to see what the expectations are in this final year at GLPA!

Victorian Street and counting house description By Lily B

 In the early morning, Scrooge left his rotten, mouldy gate and stomped down the empty, quiet street. Through the dense mist, puffs of black, opaque smoke could be seen. As he trudged into the busier areas of the bleak street, alluring smells of fruit and chestnuts furtively crept up his wrinkly nose. Shocked, disheartened, annoyed, the public watched as he morosely shoved stalls out of his way. He passed people stomping their feet against the glistening snow to escape the biting frost. Carelessly, he ignored the brave people who dared to offer him a smile and barged on past. After a period of moodily grumping down the narrow streets, he came across some carol singers. He paused. Despite the donation box and the smiles on their faces, his distinctly morose expression ceased their harmonies. Less fortunate people wished for a merrier Christmas and sadly stared at the richer shoving sweet foods in their mouths. Street-urchins entertained themselves by racing hoops down the hills. Scrooge, full of vice, halted them both and rolled his bloodshot eyes.

 At length, Scrooge opened his thin, creaky door and sinisterly strolled in. The clicking of his heels against the plain, wooden floor was the only sound to be heard. Through the open doorway, he stopped and gave Bob a hard, intimidating stare. Bob didn’t notice as he was watching the final spark of his feeble fire disappear. Helplessly, his eyes turned to Scrooge in hope that he’d have gained some sympathy. He continued working at his melancholy desk by the light of a single flame. His wheezing gasps blew out the candle and he was left in darkness. He searched the unkempt bookshelf in hope of uncovering a match. Disappointed, he wiped the grim dust off his fingertips.

 Scrooge noticed and bellowed, “I tell you now. This Christmas isn’t an excuse to quit work!” His bellow turned to a deafening boom. He thudded his fists against the weak, wooden desk. “But sir I..I,” pleaded Bob. No reply.

 The wax silently dripped off Scrooges candle as even that was in fear of disturbing the old hag. The frosty windows before him tortured him with the sight of Christmas cheer.

 “Bah- humbug,” he muttered. Any cheery visitors were to be turned away without any remorse at that time of year. The only sound was the chinking of coins and the sound of pens frantically scratching the rough paper. As Scrooge left the shop, the wood beneath his feet creaked as if warning him that something was going to happen…

Charles Darwin Diary- Adam B Year 6

 When I stepped on board the HMS Beagle (a fairly small ship) I was trembling with excitement. I met Captain Fitzroy in Plymouth harbour on 27th December 1831: I was delighted to meet the other crew members too. I was very eager to go and see what my cabin (which I was sharing with the captain) looked like. When I saw it, I was disappointed. It was tiny! ‘Well, what did you expect!?’ Fitzroy joked.

 I tried to get into my hammock but blimey it was challenging! After 10 minutes or so, I decided to give up and explore the rest of the ship. When I got onto the deck, I reflected how much money this had cost and how much I had disappointed my father. All I could see was water all around us going for miles. The harbour was only a tiny speck in the distant evening horizon. Later on, Fitzroy and I played cards in our cabin and for dinner we had roast lobster.

 This morning when I woke up I instantly hit my head on the very low roof of my cabin just about half a metre above my hammock, which I eventually managed to get into. As I got down, I felt very seasick. I got ready and made my way up onto the deck. I asked the captain when we were going to see land next. ‘Around… 2 weeks,’ he said. 2 weeks doesn’t seem like a long time but it is when I’m extremely seasick.

 Today I woke feeling seasick yet again. Captain Fitzroy said we’d finally be dropping the anchor on the coast of St. Jago: a tiny island near the Caribbean. I was so excited to be back on land again. I’ve already lost track of the date and so has everyone else on the ship! At around midday, we came into the dock and disembarked. I was feeling quite queasy at the time because of my seasickness, which I had had for almost 2 weeks now. When we were on land, Fitzroy, me and a few other crew members entered a rainforest of some kind. We saw many different fruits and types of birds. After a few minutes, we spotted a peculiar bird sitting on a branch. A new species! I quickly sketched it then it flew away. Then we saw a curved yellow fruit on the grass. I picked it up and peeled the skin off. I split the inside between Fitzroy and I. We both took a bite. He thought it was delicious; I spat it out straight away. We took some of them back for the rest of the crew. Some of them thought they were delicious; others agreed with me.

 This morning I woke up and I wasn’t seasick! We’ve set off from St. Jago now. I was called for breakfast and when I walked into the kitchen I saw a plate full of bananas (the curved yellow fruit) in front of me. ‘Your favourite!’ they joked. Captain Fitzroy said we’ve set sail for Brazil. So next stop, Brazil!

 We’re finally here! After nearly a month of travelling we’ve finally arrived in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. On land, we met a friendly Scotsman who showed us his coffee plantation and found various new species of plants and a new type of butterfly, which I sent to Henslow back at home. Later, we saw Brazilians being treated as slaves by Englishmen and Americans. I was terribly upset to see this happening but I managed to put it behind me and enjoy the wonderful landscape of the city.

 We’ve arrived at our next destination after 2 days of sailing: Montevideo, Uruguay. We bought a giant skull of a Toxodon, which cost us 18 pence. Also, Lyell’s Principles of Geology Vol.2 has arrived.

 We woke up early this morning to set sail for Rio de la Plata, which is a small island just in-between Uruguay and Argentina. It only took a few hours to sail along the coast to the island where we saw the most unusual sight. Penguins! In this South American heat!?

 We have travelled down the coast to Punta Alta, Argentina. I’m starting to feel quite seasick again which doesn’t help when I’m getting on and off the ship every day. It’s probably because I haven’t eaten in a long time. We have made many new discoveries in Punta Alta, such as an elephant tusk, a pair of huge claws and a hippo-like skull.

 We’ve travelled for a day and a half to the Argentinian town of Patagonia. We found a huge bird and cooked it for dinner. As the crew tucked in I realised that we had discovered a new species! Luckily, the crew allowed me to keep the bird – or at least what was left of it.

We’ve sailed up the coast of Chile to the city of Osorno where we experienced our first earthquake. We rushed to the ship as everyone panicked in the town. As we arrived on the ship, we saw houses crumbling behind us. We were just lucky we were only on the coast near the ship or we could’ve died.

 The Andes mountain range was our next destination. We had to cross it but thankfully it wasn’t as cold as we expected though it was really challenging climbing the mountains. I nearly fell but luckily Fitzroy was there to grab my hand and help me secure my hands and feet on the rocks.

 After years of travelling and stopping at various locations, we have arrived at our final destination: the Galapagos Islands. They are a group of islands nearest to Ecuador. I think this was my most successful land expedition I went on as I found many new species and some interesting ways animals have evolved on these island such as the finches. If the finches ate nuts then their beak would be small and pointy so they are perfect for cracking them and if they ate large fruits their beak would be large and curved.

 On the second day in the Galapagos we went to the beach area of one of the islands. There we saw eleven giant tortoises which we rode on and examined their shells. Also on the beach we found many iguanas which could swim! We tested this by throwing them into the sea and ,to my surprise, they swam back to us!

 Today is the third and final day in the Galapagos Archipelago. We found many new types of exotic birds and fish before we left just after lunch: which wasn’t a very good idea because my stomach didn’t reply to that very well and I was seasick the whole way back to Plymouth.

 We have finally arrived back in England after so much travelling, seasickness and stopping at many different places .When I arrive back in Cambridge I will write a book including everything I have learnt on this journey; including my adventures in the Galapagos Islands: a goldmine for new discoveries. I will also thank my father for such an amazing experience because I understand the trip had cost quite a lot of his money.

Scrooge’s Christmas by Zack W

 Scrooge grumpily trudged down the cobbled, frosty street, nobody coming near him and everybody avoiding him, even the blind men’s dogs knew to stay away from Scrooge. His eyes were red and his lips were blue and the bitter cold had shrivelled his cheek and nipped at his nose. A carriage could be heard clomping down the street and as Scrooge moved out of its way he purposely knocked over an old lady. As he advanced further down the street, the piercing song of the carol singers could be heard, but as the morose hag stared menacingly at them and they began to stop. In the road, street-urchins begged desperately for scraps of food. The market was bustling and as a stranger wished him a merry Christmas his only response was “Bah humbug.” Finally, it was time to head back to the counting house.

 At length, Scrooge was finally there. The sign on the counting house still read Scrooge and Marley as he, Scrooge had been too lazy to paint out Marley’s name. Scrooge stepped into the house slamming the door behind him. He marched over to his musty desk, the decaying floorboards creaking beneath his feet. His horrible, wooden desk was lit by one measly candle. There were piles of books everywhere. The clerk, Bob Cratchit, stared longingly at the coal box wishing he had the key. The thick, dense fog snaked its way around the room getting into every nook and cranny. No laughter could ever be heard in the counting house only the sound of frantic scribbling and Cratchit shivering. As Scrooge knocked over a pile of books from his desk, all could be heard was the muttering of “bah humbug”.

The Design Of Evie’s Life by Evie G

 On the 20th March 2008, a brown-eyed newborn (Evie Greaves) was born. She arrived at 11am at the St James Hospital. When her mother first held her, she didn’t know she was holding a soon-to-be clothes designer. Her parents (Nicola and Sonny) took their lovely baby to her home in Swarcliffe to meet her sister, Erin.

Evie loved her room, which she shared with her sister. Her mum and dad always let the both of them go to play group because they couldn’t go to nursery (because they were too young). Evie, didn’t have bunk-beds when she was born, she had a regular cot. In her house, she had a playroom, which she loved to go in. It was full of toys for Evie and Erin. She was adored by her grandma, Debra, who looked after the girls when Miss Evie’s parents were working.

 Evie’s Dad worked at Unilever and her Mum worked in an office on Mondays and Tuesdays so Evie’s and Erin’s grandma looked after them on the days they were working.

 In 2011, she started nursery at St Theresa’s Catholic Primary School. That same year Evie’s parents got married! Evie and Erin were bridesmaids, which they enjoyed being.

 Evie enjoyed school; she found it enthralling. She really liked making friends; the teachers (who loved her) found her funny. Sadly, she had to move house in 2012 (year 1) to Garforth although she had a new sister! Her name was Anya, who was born on the 24th of February. Evie adored her new house: it had a massive garden to play in and she started a new school called Green Lane. She had one main best friend called Georgie who helped Evie manage through primary school. It helped that Evie’s mum swapped her job to work at Evie’s school in the office as an administrator. As quick as a flash, Evie was in high school. She did well in most of her tests and Anya had just started year 3 (the upper stage of school).

 When Evie was 16, she completed her GCSEs; she passed! She had also been accepted into Leeds University, to study fashion design… 2 years later, Evie became a designer for River Island. She made new outfits and new shoes, which were very popular. Her proud, loving family supported her all the way.

 Miss Greaves loved designing some of River Islands clothes however, she felt as if she wasn’t doing enough. So Evie Greaves made the risky decision of quitting her job to create her own shop. She also became interested in painting and Evie was regularly going to art classes.

 She felt apprehensive about creating her own shop but, Evie was glad she did. At the age of 20, Evie accidentally set her clothing shop on fire by trying to bake something she couldn’t bake… (oops!); she was devastated. Luckily, she managed to get her new clothes back, without there being any damage.

 When the shop owner was 30, she was invited on to television to talk about her clothes brand. She excitedly agreed to appear on their show. That same year, her cosmetic store was robbed: she was very upset. So after that, she bought better security and didn’t really leave her shops. Evie also had moved out of her family house when she was 18 and had a house of her own, not too big, the perfect size. Of course her family must have been devastated when she moved out but, happy for her too.

 Right now, Miss Evie is 32 and she has less than 80 (but, not a lot less) of her clothes stores in the UK and just under 60 of her cosmetic/beauty stores as well. Evie is currently designing clothes for a children’s TV show and is in America doing so.

How the Arctic Fox has adapted by Fiona A – Year 6

 Arctic Foxes are mammals. Despite being called the Arctic Fox, they can also live in Greenland, Russia, Canada, Alaska, Iceland and Antarctica. They are not endangered but as some of their food is dying out, they may become extinct. Unfortunately, 2 Arctic fox populations are in danger!

 Habitat

The Arctic Foxes live in an extremely cold environment. Their coats are very thick. Just like the polar bear, Arctic Foxes’ fur produces an oil, to keep them warm. In the winter, this species is white (to blend into its surroundings) but in summer they are brown, so other creatures in its territory think it’s a tougher animal!

Diet

The Arctic Foxes’ diet is really varied, it includes: lemmings (which are small rodents), voles, rodents (if they can find them), arctic hares, birds, eggs and fish. In summer, some foxes may eat berries if the food is scarce.

Eyes and ears

The majority of them do have great vision, but some have been known to be blind from a fight; they could have had one with a polar bear. Their sense of hearing is great. Generally, the species are good at hearing animals sneak up on them but sometimes a polar bear could sneak up on them and fight with them. Arctic foxes’ ears are pointed which is called directional hearing.

Feet and legs

All of them have sharp claws, which they can injure their prey with. Their feet have thick soles , so they can’t feel the snow as much. This creature has rather short legs, but they help it stay balanced in the snow, as in they don’t sink.

Body heat

Arctic foxes’ fur has to be very thick because of the extremely cold weather they live in. Their tail has been adapted to wrap around them to keep them warm. They have a thick layer of body fat, which they build up over the summer months.

Teeth

Unsurprisingly, the Arctic foxes’ teeth are very sharp for killing their prey. They also have sharp teeth for pulling their prey to where they want to store it. Arctic foxes’ canine teeth are the longest teeth in an arctic foxes’ mouth.

Cubs

These creatures have large litters, which need a lot of milk for the 1st 3 months but when the cubs become stronger the parents have to hunt all the time to feed the growing cubs. Most cubs stay with their parents until the age of 2 years old.

Fascinating facts

Threats

There are not many threats apart from polar bears, which would happily kill them! In the past people would hunt them down, to make white or brown fur coats or hats for rich people. Arctic foxes’ coats are warm so people could wear them in winter, but now it is illegal.What does the future hold?The future is quite bright for the arctic foxes as they have huge litters. Some of their food is dying out, such as the lemming, it’s a popular food source. Arctic foxes live up to 3 to 4 years; in captivity they can live up to 14 years! Although the next ten years look good, in around 50 years they could be seriously in danger! One reason they might dye out is due to global warming. Will you be able to help stop this?

Scrooge’s Christmas by Matthew C

Every year, when Christmas came around, Scrooge was always very morose.

Scrooge trudged down the icy, cobblestone street while late Christmas shoppers barged their way through the crowds of London. Now and then, a horse and cart could be heard coming and delinquents would be sliding on the back. The streets were crammed; dense, biting fog swallowed up the tall, thin buildings that filled the narrow streets. Scrooge strolled past the choir singers, then turned round and gave them a threatening look; the choir seized their harmonies. He carried on walking when he came upon some street urchins: they scurried away from the tall, miserable man before he approached them. In the quieter parts of town, people that meandered along looked like mere phantoms searching London in the bleak weather. As a horse and cart sneaked up behind Scrooge, he shuffled aside, purposefully knocking an elderly lady over.

At length, Scrooge opened the swollen, wooden door of the counting house. Smoothly, he slipped his coat off and hung it on the unaccustomed peg. As he walked over to his desk, he could hear the sound of Cratchit scribbling frantically. The wooden floorboards groaned beneath him. He sank into his armchair then started his work in the lonely quietness of the counting house. After a few minutes, nothing could be heard, except the patter of the rain on the windows. In the corner of his eye, Scrooge could see the feeble fire flickering like it had no coal fuelling it. As if reading his mind, Cratchit emotionally pleaded for the keys to the coal box. The counting house, which still had an eerie silence aerating from the keyhole to Scrooges unkempt, overwhelming desk, had frost crawling up the windows as if it was a climbing wall.

Frankenanimal Pengodionird by Katie T

The pengodionird lives in a sub-tropical biome, where it only has a summer and a winter, on the Isle of San Man. This creature has a dog’s head with a bird’s beak, a penguin’s body and a tiger’s feet. It has little eyes because they are awake in the day and don’t need to let a lot of light into its eyes.

The pengodionird has a razor-sharp beak to help it catch its prey. It has big ears so it can hear its preys’ every movement .They have flippers to help them swim underwater. They have tiger’s feet so they can grip onto icy, slippery surfaces.

 The pengodionird has thick, fluffy, white fur in winter to keep them warm and enable them to camouflage in the white snow. Their fur can shed to be thin and brown, which allows them to hide in the volcanic rock. The pengodionird eats fish, starfish, coral, mice, birds .This creatures strong muscly legs allow it to propel itself in the air and the beak snaps down on the bird to catch it and rip it open.

How Narwhals have Adapted by Zoe G Y6

Narwhals are the unicorns of the sea [a pale coloured porpoise]. They have inspired legends all over the world especially artists as they can paint pictures of narwhals in the cold, icy sea. These creatures are found in the Arctic coastal waters and rivers. They are related to the beluga. Narwhals only have 2 teeth! They don’t swim fast as they have no dorsal fins.

Teeth

The ivory tusk tooth grows right through the narwhal’s upper lip. Narwhals have 2 teeth so the process will be repeated with the other tooth.

Tusks

 The tusk is a modified tooth in the upper left side of the jaw. Male species grow a long, pointy and spiralling tusk which grows through the upper lip. The length of the tusks= 150-267cm

 Diet

Narwhals eat: Greenland halibut, shrimp, Arctic cod, squid, rockfish, flounder and crab. They create a sort of vacuum and suck up their food. They are carnivores and of course, they eat the food under the sea.

Habitat

They live in the icy waters of the Arctic seas and winter in deep water beneath the ice pack in groups of 5-10 animals. In summer, they migrate to shallow, ice-free summer grounds where they’ll congregate in larger groups. Narwhals can survive cold water as they have a thick layer of fat. In the winter, they nest under the ice and rise to the surface when they need a breath.

Adaptations

The tusk, which grows throughout the narwhal’s life, can reach to 10ft [which is the height of a basketball hoop]. They have a thick layer of blubber [which is fat] to help them warm up in the draughty, chilly Arctic waters. They have a flexible neck so they can scan the glistening, sapphire oceans. Narwhals make squeals to communicate with each other.

Predators

It may seem a shame to eat creatures like narwhals as they are amazing creatures however other animals deserve to eat as well. They are hunted by sharks; orcas; whales; polar bears and humans.

Fun Facts

 A narwhals’ size= 400-500cm. Male tusk= 150-267cm. Length at birth= 150-170cm. Weight at birth=80kg. Weight now==800-1600kg. A narwhals’ tusk can bend about 12 inches before breaking. Narwhals live up to 50 years. Their skin can be used to blend with the murky, Arctic waters. They can hold their breath for up to 25 minutes!

Conclusion

These facts should help you understand how narwhals adapted. Narwhals are being threatened but they aren’t endangered. They are 1 of many mammals that are being threatened by human actions. Estimates of the world population from narwhals range from around 50,000 to around 170,000 [2000-2017].

Darwin’s diary by Ethan R Y6

I am known for my theory of evolution through natural selection. Let me take you back to a time of awe and adventure where I made some fascinating discoveries: my voyage on the HMS Beagle.

As I approached the great HMS Beagle I began to tremble like an earthquake because I had no idea if the crew were going to like me. Before arriving I said goodbye to my family, some of them were upset; others thought of the great experience I’d have. Finally I met the crew for the first time on that cold day of 1831 the captain (Captain Fitzroy) guided me to my cabin and told me that I would be staying in the same cabin as him. At first I felt nervous but after a while I started to realise that I had got him all wrong, he actually turned out to be really nice to me especially for the first day.

 As we set off I instantly wrote a letter to my father telling him everything was going fine. Just as we started to lose sight of Plymouth I instantly wrote a letter to my father telling him that everything was going fine. After a while I realised that all that writing had made me feel seasick. Eventually I just lied in my hammock for hours on end, that was after I figured out how to get in it.

 December 28th 1831

Last night I had around 2 hours sleep. This was because of the constant rocking from the boat. This is already getting hard to get used to.

 January 10th1832

 I could barely remember it. Just as I was setting off my mother was inconsolable: my father on the other hand, he couldn’t have cared any less. It had already been 2 weeks now.

 Anyway, today we took our first steps on land and for this I was very grateful. I tried this weird fruit called a bunena … well I think it was called that. Or maybe it’s a banana but to sum it up: it tasted horrible! YUCK!

 Eventually I broke off from everyone and I went to search for some different species but all I could find were some bugs and when I went to look for more I heard the ship’s surveyor shouting telling everyone to get back on the boat. So that day was not very productive, although I did try that indescribable fruit.

 January 24th 1832

 Finally I arrived in Brazil after 4 days of sea-sickness but when I first caught sight of land I was horrified to see Englishmen treating Brazilians like slaves and I couldn’t believe my eyes. I later discovered they were actually slaves! These innocent people were being treated badly by people who didn’t live there, and they did. This really ruined my personal view of Brazil. Although there were some good things about my time in Brazil because I found many other species included the Blue Morpha, the first one I’d ever seen.

 Jan 27th 1832

 So far I’ve had a horrible time on the HMS Beagle although I’ve had a wonderful time on land and I couldn’t have enjoyed it more. Today we are setting off to go to Chile, although we will not arrive until tomorrow.

 Jan 28th 1832

 Finally we arrived in Chile but today everything seemed strange at first I didn’t know if it was just a normal day in Chile then I saw burnt down buildings and then I realised that a volcano had erupted. One of the ship’s crew asked a crying man if he knew what time it erupted he eventually replied while sobbing and he said, “It erupted around 3 hours ago.” I counted myself so lucky because I wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere near a volcano eruption. This is because I could have been at risk myself and I would definitely not want to see people burning. To be completely honest with you I don’t think anyone would want to see that.

 Feb 12th 1832

 On our way to Ecuador there was a large wave (a tsunami) hit the shore line I was so shocked that the boat didn’t fall apart from the gigantic amount of force the wave had. On the other hand though it did only skim a small part of the boat. So now I had had 2 very fortunate events in the space of 15 days!

 Feb 23th 1832

 The Galapagos Islands: a group of magnificent islands that fascinate me the most. Today was our 2nd day exploring the Galapagos Islands and I couldn’t believe my eyes. I made so many discoveries including the following; the Galapagos turtle ( I ended up riding one of these and it was amazing) ; The Marine Iguana (this animal can swim, I discovered this when I attempted to throw it into the water and it instantly swam back to me) and last of all the Galapagos finch ( these are not all of my discoveries just some of my favourite).

Was the Falcon a hero or a villain? Adam B Y6

Since the arrest of Guy Fawkes following the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, there has been much controversy over whether he really deserved the horrifically painful death he was sentenced to.

In the novel ‘Black Powder’ written by British author Ally Sherrick, the Gunpowder plot is reinacted through the eyes of a 13-year-old boy. He meets a man called the ‘Falcon’ who is revealed to be Guy Fawkes later on in the story. Ally Sherrick gave a fictional back-story to Guy Fawkes and The Gunpowder Plot.

Many people think he is a villain because of the obvious fact he planned treason against the king and was prepared to commit mass murder. He was also part of a treacherous group of men who were fully committed to this as well: Robert Catesby (Robin Cat in the book) and Thomas Percy (Harry Browne in the book). Even though the Falcon took care of Tom, he lied to him in many ways. First of all, he lied about his real name. Also, he never told Tom that he was holding his cousin, Cressida, hostage. This is also committing a crime as he is kidnapping a child. Last of all, when Tom wrote a letter to his mother the Falcon said he would post it but on the same day our main character, Tom, found it in the fire.

There are also several reasons why people think the Falcon is a hero. The Falcon took Tom to London and gave him food and somewhere to sleep. He was a loyal friend to Tom and even when he told Wiseman where he was and caused his imprisonment he didn’t lose his temper at Tom- he just forgave him. Additionally, he feels very strongly for his religion but maybe plotting treason was too far. Also, the Falcon promised to save Tom’s father from jail and even when he was captured he gambled to free his father. Finally, Harry Browne did not want Tom to contribute to the plot and the Falcon protected Tom against Browne.

 Having acknowledged the points from both sides, I’ve come to the conclusion that the Falcon is a villain; he is a treacherous man who cannot be trusted. He planned to murder hundreds of people including King James I (VI of Scotland). He kidnapped, drugged and threatened to kill a child. Therefore, in my opinion, the Falcon is a villain.

 Scrooge’s Christmas – Ben G

 The street was as crammed as a harbour full o’ boats, much to the dismay of Mr. Scrooge. Christmas shoppers were shouting ‘Let me in!!’ to one another. ‘ ‘Tis a miracle the buildings are still standing when the surplus population having a rampage is causing such unholy havoc,’ thought Scrooge. Nothing was as upsetting as seeing the cholera-riddled street urchins begging for scraps of food and having yet another melancholic yuletide. This didn’t bother scrooge – he only cared for himself. The stampede pushed him into a poor child, who ran away in fear.

At length, he arrived at his counting house. There was a dense fog seeping its crooked, icy fingers through the usually impenetrable window, which was discomforting for Bob Cratchit, the clerk. The books, like him, were in an unkempt manner. Scrooge was presently signing documents. “This clause makes no sense at all!”

Charles Darwin’s Diary – Ethan C

 27th December 1831

 This morning: my first morning on the ship, I had no regrets and was captivated after the first minute. Today is the twenty-seventh of December: the finest day of my life. I am sharing a cabin with captain Fitzroy: he and I are very close friends.

 6th January 1832

 I haven’t been feeling very well lately and have been rather seasick. Hopefully it doesn’t ruin my two year adventure and it passes. Lately I’ve been resting rather than studying but need to get back to working on my project about the origin of species as soon as possible. I sleep on a hammock and it is very uncomfortable.

 13th February 1832

 Today we was eating a huge bird until I realised it was a species not in my collection. Some people don’t think I will become a scientist; others believe in me. That is why I came on this ship, to prove them wrong!

 26th December 1832

 Last week I stopped off at Rio De Janiero. For the past six days I have studied the environment, animals and how they do things differently. Recently I have loved it until today as I encountered Brazilian soldiers being used as slaves apart from that it was spectacular.

 2nd January 1833

 Today I visited Port Saint Julian. I saw the skeleton of Macrauchenia, shot provisions with my new rifle and slaughtered three deer in one day! Captain Fitzroy bought a live puma, skinned it and ate it with roast armadillo.

 March 14th 1833

 Earlier today I arrived at Chile and saw thousands of Galapagos tortoises laying eggs. They travel at the rate of 360 yards per hour! I actually rode on one of them and it was great fun. After weeks of thinking, because I’m so fascinated by the tortoises I could name one of the islands after them.

 April 31st 1833 

I have only had 2 hours sleep due to the rocking of the boat. My time on the HMS Beagle has been really tough. I’m going to visit the Islands off the west of Ecuador on the 9th of June. I can’t wait!

 June 16th 1833

 I have spent the past week on these island. At first I had no interest and thought I wasted valuable time but I have explored it and realised it is an astounding place. Due to how I enjoyed the tortoises so much and I also have loved these islands I am going to name it the Galapagos islands.

 Darwin Diary – Sophie H

 It was a frosty morning; the 27th of December 1831. The first time I set my foot on the creaky, rusty old deck to set sail on a voyage that would change my life forever.

 My father wasn`t keen so for me to go on this scientific adventure; he wanted me to become a doctor like him, he sent me to many different universities to study for this career. When my professor sent me that letter, I knew he was going to refuse! so I knew I had to get my persuasive uncle involved to help persuade him! After an hour or two of the argument, he finally agreed to it!

 All of a sudden we were drifting out to sea further, and further away from my sister and uncle happily waving, and my grumpy old father, not looking too happy counting the money in his over flowing wallet.

After a few hours of departure and chatting to all the grubby men that all seem to be covered some sort of black powder for what felt like eternity, I finally had the chance to speak to the ship’s captain; Captain Fitzroy. He didn’t look as old as the rest of the men on the ship – he looked the same age as me ; he was definitely the best dressed! He had a mid-length beard the colour of a dusty sundown, a ridiculously big captain’s hat, a navy blue silk coat with glistening silver buttons with a fancy crest in the centre and a pair of black, matte, pointed leather shoes. After talking to him for a few minutes, we became close friends due to the amount of interests we had in common.

The grey cloudy skies began to turn darker and darker by the minute and before we knew it the sky was as dark as charcoal with glistening silver stars appearing every second we looked up. Captain Fitzroy invited me to have a drink under the stars but I couldn’t possibly go my eyes automatically shutting and I was struggling to stay stood up!

When I arrived at my ‘cabin’ I fell off my feet! Not because I was tired, because the ceiling was so horrifically low! The cabin was the size of my mop cupboard back at home! There were five stained hammocks placed around the miniscule cabin, a red and green tartan rug and an old wooden dresser at the side. I had to get on my knees and try to get into the cleanest hammock, the floor was remarkably dusty; my woollen trousers were NOT made for crawling! It was impossible to get into the thing, kept tumbling out! What dodgy inventor would invent these!? No one in their right mind I’ll say! When I managed to get into the dreaded thing I shut my eyes after a long day of meeting and greeting and fell asleep.

10th January 1832 St Jago

The sound of men growling and cheering that morning woke me up. As quick as I possibly could I got dressed and ran out the door to see what the commotion was all about. When I stepped out on deck , in the mists I saw a huge island surrounded by crystal blue waters and palm trees I think they’re called.I heard the place was called Saint Jago. When the ship docked I realised how hot it was , and there I was in my thick cotton jumper and baggy trousers! I rushed back to my cabin and all of a sudden I bang my head on the ceiling! I changed into some shorts I wear in the summer back home , and I wore a short-sleeved button-up shirt. All of a sudden I was off! Excited to discover lots of new species that I`ve read about there but it was fascinating to actually get to see them. That is what I did all day.

 31st January 1832 Rio De Janeiro

 It took us three weeks from saint Jago to get here , it was just as remarkably hot here too! I stepped out onto the yellow ,scorching sand and breathed in the soft smelling air.

 I think I discovered some new plants! I couldn’t find them in my Guide To Nature Encyclopedia , so I decided to study them a bit more and eventually came to the conclusion that I discovered it and named them ceiba trees. I also seemed to find this sort of cabbage palms with Spanish moss! And I made another miraculous discovery of these rope-like lianas.

 Later on I joined an irish man named Patrick Lemon and he took me to his coffee plantation. At first I was buzzing to see it ; after we arrived I realised that this man was using poor, innocent , harmless people to put their lives at risk just so Patrick could make coffee! I was in shock there were poorly dressed people working all day in the burning sunlight! After I left the man to go back to the ship I couldn’t get that horrifying sight out of my head ,so when I got back I decided to relax all day.

 Santa Fe

 Today I found something rather unpleasant , I seem to have found two immense skeletons and decayed fragments of teeth! I also visited the local market and I couldn’t believe what I saw for sale , it was the most obsqure thing I’ve ever seen! A full head of a Toxadon for the price of 18 pence! I was shocked. I bought it and hurried back to to the ship to study it

 This morning was enthralling; me and the crew went hunting; I shot 3 deer for lunch! Although the most dreadful thing happened after 12. Apparently I’m down with a ‘fever’ and my hands are black and I’m not too sure why! I don’t think it’ll do me or the animals any good to go exploring today. So all day I was lounging around on deck under the sun with a pint in my black hand ,which caused great trouble throughout the rest of the day.

Today was quite boring but interesting at the same time! Me and some of the crew walked 300 miles up Porana River in northern Pampos. We rode breast-high in thistles. It was a prickly mess, but also interesting to see the bugs that live on them.

 12th February 1832 Galapagos Islands

Finally! It felt like forever surrounded by the blue ocean ,no land visible ,just blue. It felt amazing to actually walk without everything around you wobbling. Its breath-taking here! As soon as I stepped into the great forest I was eager to explore! Before I could we needed to hire some guide horses ;we couldn’t walk that far on our own legs! As we got nearer and nearer to the coast line, I saw these green-ish circles slowly moving towards the beach ,I whipped the horse to see what the things were and they seemed to be tortoises ,but larger than the largest in the world! I had discovered a new species of tortoise and there were hundreds, maybe thousands right before my eyes!

I climbed onto the horse that morning and went to explore the rest of the forest that we had left untouched. We rode through it all the way to the beach. Nothing. All of a sudden I saw an iguana acting strangely ,crawling towards the sea, I wanted to find out what was going on when all of a sudden it just swam into the water! I was shocked! Iguanas and land animals, not ocean! I had discovered another new species! The marine iguana.

25th February

Here we go again! Back on the ship surrounded by the glistening ocean. I’m starting to miss home a bit. My family, friends, the music, and the weather. I can’t wait to go home!