Find Your Voice
As with all programmes in the London Nautical School Department of English, the Learning Plan for Year 10 is unique to me as your teacher. It is devised, within the guidelines set by the over-all Key Stage Four programme, to best meet the needs and engage your passions and it arises as an extension of my own passions and my best professional judgement about what 15 year old boys should be learning.
You chose this class, you have made a commitment to me as a teacher and this programme of learning and as always your feedback about the content of this, or the English department’s over-arching scheme, is most welcome. It’s going to be a brilliant year.
MAIN PROJECT
SPOKEN LANGUAGE STUDY – The Influence of Speaking on the Creativity of Text Communication
Throughout this programme we will be exploring the richness of everyday spoken and text communication. Of primary importance will be the analysis of this language – particularly the use of a range of devices of rhythm, rhyme, abbreviation to create voice and character in texting – as well as the prosodic and paralinguistic features that support and add nuance to spoken language. The boys will research the social historical context of their own speech as well as explore its modern developments and variations. We will reveal the explosion of creativity in language that is occurring on our very doorstep and the students will analyse how it came about and speculate about where it will lead.
There will be many moments where students skills as readers, writers, listeners, speaker and researchers will be tested and extended. Some assessment of these functions will be informal, and some formal – concluding with an analytical essay forming the boys’ first Controlled Assessment in English.
POETRY ACROSS TIME – The “Conflict” Cluster of poems from the GCSE Anthology An introduction to this anthology of thematically-connected poems that commences the extended poetry study which will be revisited on a number of occasions over the two year GCSE programme before the boys are assessed on their appreciation of these poems in the final examination in July 2013
ASSESSMENT FOCUS
Controlled Assessment – Spoken Language Study – Three Periods, Week Commencing 25 October
THINKING FOCUS AND EXTENSION
Critical Communication Culture and Linguistic Mobility This study invites the students to make nuanced connections between the use of language and the speaker’s age, culture, ethnicity and the audience. It also demands that the students investigate their own language and in doing so exposes the creativity in the newly-developing forms of multi-modal communication via phone and computer.
Language Analysis All of this exploration of nuance is then bedded down in the writing of an essay that demands high levels of accuracy and the development of a coherent written argument. This programme therefore requires both understanding and the skill of writing critical evaluation.
Extension Extend the linguistic analysis to incorporate a more psychological investigation of the information embedded in various spoken and multi-modal language effects about the motives, relationships and intentions of speakers/texters.
WIDER READING, SPEAKING & LISTENING
Wide Reading Project This multi-modal ‘Theme Study’ is launched in the second half of the term. It is an programme of personal reding and viewing that culminates in a culminates in a spoken presentation to parents and interested parties to be held in the Third Term
Non-Fiction Reading As an integrated programme, many opportunities to explore non-fiction texts and practice the approaches best matched to the GCSE Examination in non-fiction reading assessments will be created – practice examinations occur in December and again in July, each time focussing on this English Language skill.
In conjunction with the Spoken Language Study, opportunities to enact speaking and listening scenarios will occur. A formal assessment opportunity will be offered to students who wish to present a speech to the class – a speech in defence of the South London youth dialect might prove an appealing option to some students.
MAIN PROJECT
UNDERSTANDING WRITTEN TEXTS – Of Mice and Men Read in conjunction with a viewing of the respected film this novel allows the boys to explore fiction writing and enables the canvassing of ideas about a social and historical context different to the boys’ own. In doing so they are able to discern universal themes from unfamiliar circumstances and also explore how character, plot, setting and language all contribute to the creation of meaning in writing. The examination of this text enables the students to approach their own ensuing creative writing with greater awareness and purpose.
ASSESSMENT FOCUS
The Extended Texts final assessment occurs in the English Literature examination in June, however there is also a Extended Reading Controlled Assessment which will ask the students to write a literary essay under controlled classroom conditions exploring an aspect of Of Mice and Men. Online writing collaboration is a significant feature of this process this year, and will prepare the boys well for this significant piece of independent writing.
THINKING FOCUS AND EXTENSION
Literary Criticism – Critical Theory A classic introduction to Critical Theory via the study of an established novel. The critical theory focus is on authorial intention in their use of language, plot, setting and character to develop themes and ideas.
Extension Comparison between the novel and film versions of Steinbeck’s story allows for the exploration of narrative perspective and viewpoint as well as for extended discussion on the difference between imagery in writing and images in film.
Investigation into the historical context of Of Mice and Men and a comparative analysis between that and the circumstances in some countries in the current recession via the use of journalistic sources – presented to class
Writing of a new narrative employing similar language characteristics as those used by Steinbeck
NON-FICTION READING; SPEAKING & LISTENING
Non-Fiction Reading As an integrated programme, many opportunities to explore non-fiction texts and practice the approaches best matched to the GCSE Examination in non-fiction reading assessments will be created – practice examinations occur in July focussing on this English Language skill.
Dramatic Presentation A dramatic monologue spoken from the perspective of one of the characters in Of Mice and Men
MAIN PROJECT
PRODUCING CREATIVE TEXTS: Two Creative Pieces
POETRY STUDY: Poetry Across Time This key assessment in the GCSE English Literature examination is best approached after an immersive and creative exploration of the 14 poems prescribed. The boys will have worked on the conflict cluster of these poems and have already approached them using a variety of interpretative tools – including their creation of film visualisations of individual poems
ASSESSMENT FOCUS
Practice GCSE Examinations in English Language
THINKING FOCUS AND EXTENSION
Observation of the Real in Fiction Using a film stimulus the students will explore the threshold between the real and the fictional to enhance their creative writing
Extension Re-creation of writing styles by established fiction and non-fiction writers delivered though the students’ individual blogging mechanisms
SPEAKING AND LISTENING
Speaking and Listening in Journalism The Theme Study presentations will be completed and executed this term. An evening where parents can attend is scheduled so everyone can share the enjoyment of the fruition of the boys hard work on this extended thematic reading project.
