Year 8
PERSPECTIVES: Myths & Legends
Overview
Students will understand and use the concept of Joseph Campbell's 'Hero's Journey' to navigate themselves through a wide range of myths and legends from across different countries and histories. From the oldest recorded story in history to how mythical monsters have influenced our cultural understandings, students will explore these motifs through the reading texts and writing their own hero's journey.
Building On
This unit builds on their primary knowledge of Greek myths and legends, as well as exploring the archetypal characters, plots, and motifs that shape all stories in the literary canon. Students will be introduced to the 16 BTA English Big Concepts of the curriculum.
New Knowledge
Skills
Cultural Capital
All students will be gifted a copy of Like A Charm by Elle McNicoll and will be rewarded for their work over the summer.
NARRATIVE: The Bone Sparrow
Overview
Students will read the novel The Bone Sparrow by Zana Fraillon and will be begin to develop their academic reading, writing, and speaking and listening. Students will focus on understanding how writers make specific choices about characters, themes, setting, symbolism, and narrative, as well as using historical social and biographical context to deepen futher understanding.
Building On
This unit builds on students' fundamental understanding of how stories influence a person and their community. Students have become knowledgeable about making secure inferences, retrieving information to support ideas, and explaining how certain writing choices may create certain effects. Students focus on 5 of the 16 Big Concepts: perspectives, freedom, identity, stories, and home.
New Knowledge
Skills
Cultural Capital
Wider reading opportunities that are thematically linked to the novel.
Opportunities to learn about charities and initiatives that significantly impact the lives of the novel's characters.
PLAY: The Tempest
Overview
Students will read Shakespeare's The Tempest and further develop their academic reading, writing, speaking and listening. Students will have the opportunity to perform parts of the play; examining and experimenting with different performance styles and the dynamics between the characters. Using historical, social, and biographical context, students will begin to deepen further meaning about how different meanings are interpreted through various viewpoints and perspectives.
Building On
This unit builds on how writers create symbolism and metaphors to conjure meaning and effects, as well as developing prior reading skills that are applied to an authentic Shakespearean text. Students focus on 6 of the 16 Big Concepts: conflict, relationshpis, power, society, perspectives, freedom & imprisonment.
New Knowledge
Skills
Cultural Capital
All students will participate in a Shakespeare drama workshop.
POETRY
Overview
In this unit, students will take the opporunity to 'read like a writer' and 'write like a reader'. They will develop how to craft figurative imagery and how it can make meaningful imnpact. Students will read a wide range of poetry from the literary canon spanning from the 16th century to present day; building cultural knowledge of Shakespeare and notable poets along the way.
Building On
This unit builds on the art and craftmanship of the metaphor; using a tenor and vehicle to extend and develop across a piece of text. Students will already have a comprehensive knowledge of Shakespeare, therefore using this to know and apply the sonnet form and iambic pentameter. Students focus on 6 of the 16 Big Concepts: perspectives, relationships, journeys, identity, power, and love.
New Knowledge
Skills
Cultural Capital
Cross Trust Poetry Slam.
PERSPECTIVES: The Art of Rhetoric Introduction NARRATIVE: A Christmas Carol
Overview
Y8 will be launched into the how the words public speakers and orators create sway and influence. Students will be introduced to Aristotle and ethos, logos, and pathos.
Building On
This unit builds on students' cultural understanding of the media; linking real life experiences to new substantive knowledge. Students are reintroduced to the 16 BTA English Big Concepts of the curriculum.
New Knowledge
Skills
Cultural Capital
Linking the Aritsotelian triad to first hand experience and the wider media.
PERSPECTIVES: The Art of Rhetoric Introduction NARRATIVE: A Christmas Carol
Overview
In this unit, students will read the entirety of A Christmas Carolby Charles Dickens; examining Scrooge's redemption and the novella's impact on the Victorian and modern society.
Building On
This unit builds on how characters use rhetoric to create a didactic message towards the novella's protagonist, as well as its audiences. Additionally, students will further develop their knowledge of symbolism and motifs, as well as linking context to create further meaning and interpretations. Students focus on 6 of the 16 Big Concepts: journeys, morality, relationships, equality and equity, responsibility, and society.
New Knowledge
Skills
Cultural Capital
Linking A Christmas Carol to contemporary social issues regarding class, welfare, charities that support poverty. Possible theatre trip to see the play adaptation.
PERSPECTIVES: The Art of Rhetoric in greater depth
Overview
Now that students have read A Christmas Carol, students will further explore the how the art of rhetoric is embedded in the core of our society. Students will read a wide range of non-fiction spanning from the 19th century to modern day, as well as apply rhetorical skills and devices to their own speaking, listening, and writing.
Building On
This unit builds on the previous intoduction of rhetoric, as well the significant contextual factors of Victorian society and the modern day. Students focus on 6 of the 16 Big Concepts: power, morality, society, perspectives, justice, and stories.
New Knowledge
Skills
Cultural Capital
Creating a speech that will be collected and saved for Y11 graduation.
SHAKESPEARE: Romeo and Juliet
Overview
Students will read Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and be introduced the Shakespearean tragic genre and hero. They will read the entirety of the play and further develop their academic reading, writing, speaking and listening. The unit will focus on how Shakespeare uses characters as literary devices to evoke specific and multiple effects for the audience.
Building On
This unit builds on the prior knowledge of The Tempest; connecting contextual factors to build meanings and multiple interpretations. Students will also improve the quality of their academic writing; refining their use of thesis statements and structuring a full essay. Students focus on 5 of the Big Concepts: conflict, love, identity, relationships, and responsibility.
New Knowledge
Skills
Cultural Capital
All students will participate in a Shakespeare drama workshop.
POETRY: Developing through time
Overview
In this unit, students will read a wide range of poetry that has stood the test of time in the literary canon; reading poetry from the romantic period to modern day free verse. They will write both academically and creatively about the poetry, as well as craft their own to mirror the authorial intent.
Building On
This unit builds on the 'reading like writers', 'writing like readers' ethos of Y7's unit of study; students are encouraged to think with greater authorial intent and craftmanship behind their choices of words and methods. Students focus on 6 of the Big Concepts: relationships, power, loss, perspectives, identity, and journeys.
New Knowledge
Skills
Cultural Capital
Cross Trust Poetry Slam.
PERSPECTIVES: Media & Critical Theory PLAY: Leave Taking
Overview
Students begin Y9 with an indepth study into how the media influences society. This will inform the reading of the play Leave Taking by Winsome Pinnock: an evocative story about identity, the Windrush generation, and family.
Building On
This unit builds on prior contextual knowledge from Year 7's novel The Bone Sparrow as they share the themes of home, identity and belonging. The previous media unit explores the bias and discrimination of mispresented groups in society, as well as exploring unheard voices in literature. Students focus on 5 of the Big Concepts: journeys, home, identity, society, and love.
New Knowledge
Skills
Cultural Capital
Performance of Leave Taking
Sharing relevant and modern texts to connect prior cultural knowledge and empathy.
NARRATIVE: The Gothic Genre 'The Outsider'
Overview
Students will complete an indepth exploration of the dystopian genre; reading a wide range of reading to foster a love and curiosity for the genre. Students will read, write, think, and speak creatively and academically.
Building On
This unit activates prior knowledge of dystopian and utopian societies from Y7, the corruption of Victorian society in A Christmas Carol, and the adversity faced in The Bone Sparrow. Students focus on 6 of the Big Concepts: power, justice, morality, perspectives, stories, and society.
New Knowledge
Skills
Cultural Capital
Reading from the literary canon, expanding literary knowledge.
SHAKESPEARE: Othello
Overview
Students will read Shakespeare's Othello and further develop their knowledge of the Shakespearean tragic genre and hero. They will read the entirety of the play and further develop their academic reading, writing, speaking and listening. The unit will focus on how Shakespeare uses characters as literary devices to evoke specific and multiple effects for the audience, as well as explore multiple literary criticisms applied to the text.
Building On
This unit uses all prior knowledge from Key Stage 3 Shakespeare; drawing from Y8 to further examine the tragic genre and its terminology. Students focus on 6 of the Big Concepts: love, conflict, identity, justice, relationships, and morality.
New Knowledge
Skills
Cultural Capital
Watching various productions and adaptations of Othello, reading literary adaptations of the tragedy.
POETRY: War & Tragic Protagonists
Overview
To complete their Key Stage 3 education, students will read and connect with canonical poetry that explores power, conflict and tragedy.
Building On
This unit will showcase the academic, creative, and personal connections students have had with canonical literature explored across the three years of the Key Stage 3 curriculum.
New Knowledge
Skills
Cultural Capital
Cross Trust Poetry Slam.
