English — Year 8

 

English Overview

Term 1: Term 1 & 2: Stone Cold – Robert Swindells

Pupils will read this novel to build their critical reading and interpretation skills, including identifying, inferring, deducing and analysing the writer’s use of Language and Structural techniques. Moreover, they will consider the novel as a whole, analysing the development of characters and themes. Pupils will continue to develop their analytical skills, selecting suitable quotations and unpicking their effect on the reader. However, this novel also addresses a number of serious issues, particularly homelessness, offering students a jumping off point to reflect upon the way our actions affect one another.

Analysis of an extract from a key chapter.

Hyperbole

Excessive exaggeration.

Machiavellian

Machiavellianism is the political theory of Niccolò Machiavelli, especially the view that any means can be used if it is necessary to maintain political power. Refers to someone cunning, scheming, and unscrupulous, especially in politics.

Context

The circumstances that form the setting for an event, statement, or idea, and in terms of which it can be fully understood. Consider here the relationship 'Othello' holds with Cinthio's play and also the year it was written of 1603.

To dehumanise

To treat / think of someone as if they are no longer a person

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Post-traumatic stress disorder is a mental health condition caused by a traumatic experience. Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder include flashbacks, nightmares, feeling very anxious and difficulty sleeping.

  • Spiritual
  • Moral
  • Social
  • Cultural
Develop the individual:

Create a supportive community:

Term 2: Term 1 & 2: Detective Fiction

Students will be reading a range of fictional detective short stories and extracts from across the ages. They will be learning the features and conventions of detective writing, such as using eccentric characters, mysterious events, and red herrings and then applying it to their own creative writing.

1) Reading tasks based on the opening of a fictional detective story.

2) Creative Writing assessment based on a picture stimulus.

Imagery

Visually descriptive or figurative language, especially in a literary work.

Language technique

The techniques writers use to make their work more powerful, specifically the words they use e.g. metaphor, simile, hopeful imagery.

Structural technique

The techniques writers use to make their work more powerful, specifically how they order their ideas and sentences e.g. short sentences for impact, mysterious opening, ellipses.

Connotations

Ideas or emotions associated with a word / idea / image e.g. red may have connotations of danger or romance.

Flashback

When a story does not run in chronological order, instead going back to focus on an event from the past.

Cyclical narrative

A story that starts and ends with the same / very similar ideas or words.

Headline

A heading at the top of an article or page in a newspaper or magazine.

Sub-header

An additional headline or title that comes immediately after the main headline or title or a title given to one of the parts or divisions of a piece of writing.

  • Spiritual
  • Moral
  • Social
  • Cultural
Develop the individual:

Create a supportive community:

Term 3: Term 3 & 4: Noughts and Crosses (play script version) – Malorie Blackman

With echoes of Romeo and Juliet, Noughts and Crosses is an electrifying, bittersweet love story set in a society divided by racial bigotry and a world rocked by terrorism. Sephy (a Cross) is the daughter of the Deputy Prime Minister. Callum is the son of a Nought agitator. United by a shared sense of injustice as children, and separated by intolerance as they grow up, their desire to be together begins to eclipse all family loyalty sparking a political crisis of unimaginable proportions.

This thrilling stage adaptation of Malorie Blackman's hugely successful novel was premiered by the Royal Shakespeare Company in 2007. Throughout this module, students will not only further develop their understanding of the key features of great - and diverse -theatre, but also engage with a range of thought-provoking questions and scenarios. Moreover, they will focus on studying the play as a whole, considering the development of characters and themes, and how our societal context may affect the message for their readers.

Analytic written response to the whole play.

Apartheid

A policy or system of segregation or discrimination on grounds of race. See South Arica 1960 - 1983 for a historical example.

Prejudice

A preconceived (already held) opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience, normally a negative opinion against a specific group or culture.

Allegory

A story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.

Foil

In literature - a foil is a character who contrasts with another character. Typically, a character who contrasts with the protagonis (main character), in order to better highlight or differentiate certain qualities of the protagonist.

Allusion

An expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference - normally to events or characters from a different story / poem.

  • Spiritual
  • Moral
  • Social
  • Cultural
Develop the individual:

Create a supportive community:

Term 4: Term 3 & 4: Times of Challenge

Students will work with their teachers on annotating a range non-fiction extracts from writers who have been faced with some form of difficulty or adversity. They will read texts that tackle a range of issues, from the tragic to the comedic, and understand how writers use voice and purpose to carry their messages to the reader.

Following on from this, students will then work towards their own non-fictional accounts that discusses a range of strong emotions.

1) Reading and analysing of a non-fiction text. 2) Writing a memoir.

Hyperbole

Excessive exaggeration.

Connectives

Using linking words to connect ideas.

List

More than one idea connected by commas or semi colons.

Punctuation

Using a variety of punctuation to enhance a piece of writing. For example: . , ; : - ? ! " ()

Facts

Something that is proved true. Information used as evidence.

Counter Argument

An argument which is opposing to the main argument you are making.

Statistics

Percentages, data and other numerical facts which can be used to prove an argument.

Opinions

A viewpoint, statement or belief.

Facts

Something that is proved true. Information used as evidence.

Setting

The location and situation of a story. When and where is it taking place, and what is happening at that time?

Conflict

Every story has a problem / desire that needs to be solved. What is driving the story?

Theme

A repeated idea throughout a story.

Purpose

Why has the author written this? What are they trying to achieve? E.G. Persuade, entertain etc.

Audience

Who has this been written for? Older people? Younger people? People with an interest is something?

Tone

Formal or less formal? Serious or humorous? Factual or full of opinions? Balanced or biased?

Generic convention

Rules for different genres (types) of texts. E.G. Newspaper articles start with a headline.

Headline

A heading at the top of an article or page in a newspaper or magazine.

Sub-header

An additional headline or title that comes immediately after the main headline or title or a title given to one of the parts or divisions of a piece of writing.

Passive voice

Passive voice is a verb form that creates a sense of indirect action in a sentence, leading with the object, and often conceals the subject of a sentence. E.G. active voice = I broke the vase, passive voice = the vase was broken.

Generic convention

Rules for different genres (types) of texts. E.G. Newspaper articles start with a headline.

Terminology

Specific words used with a particular technical application in a subject of study, profession, etc.

  • Spiritual
  • Moral
  • Social
  • Cultural
Develop the individual:

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Term 5 & 6: ‘Speaking Up’ & Comparison skills: Term 5 & 6: ‘Speaking Up’ & Comparison skills

Another new addition to our curriculum in 2021, Team English at BFS were delighted to trial a module for use both across the Russell Education Trust, and the National Association for the Teaching of English (NATE). This module is an engaging blend of both the joy of poetry and learning through speaking and listening, helping students to hone both their public speaking and performance skills. Students engage with a range of diverse poems, on topics from identity to the environment, encouraging engagement and enjoyment. Through a range of activities, including journals, they gain confidence in speaking poetry aloud, exploratory discussion and free writing of poetry. These elements combine to increase pupils’ confidence in understanding structure, language and sound in poetry. Alongside this, students engage with a range of stimulating non-fiction texts to hone their comparative skills: picking out not only key similarities and differences in content and style, but also carefully considering writers’ purposes.

Reflective journals, oracy activities.

End of year assessment is an abridged English Language Paper 1: Reading fiction + Creative writing

Poetic persona

A poet takes on a poetic persona, when they write from the point of view of a character or someone other than themselves.

Imagery

Creating a picture for the reader using words.

Palindrome

A text that can be read both forwards and backwards.

Aural imagery

Using specific word sounds to create a particular image or emotion for the readers. See also assonance, alliteration and onomatopoeia.

Rhythm

The measured flow of words and phrases in verse or prose as determined by the relation of long and short or stressed and unstressed syllables.

  • Spiritual
  • Moral
  • Social
  • Cultural
Develop the individual:

Create a supportive community:

Term 6: Term 6: End of Year exam / Speaking and Listening

After their end of year exam, students work towards presenting a topical speech with a "real world theme". Working from ideas generation, through considering the most powerful ideas and whole speech structure, students then craft and edit persuasive speeches. A real highlight of this module is the polished presentation of these speeches to the rest of the class, benefiting from rehearsal and ongoing peer feedback.

To rebut (pre-emptive rebuttal)

To rebut a point means to (successfully) argue against it. A pre-emptive rebuttal is to raise a common argument and explain why it is wrong, before anyone else has a chance to make the argument against you.

Logos

An appeal to logic.

Pathos

An appeal to emotion.

Ethos

An appeal to ethics.

Kairos

An appeal to time.

  • Spiritual
  • Moral
  • Social
  • Cultural
Develop the individual:

Create a supportive community: