ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
"Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body."
St. Joseph's Catholic High School
Unit One - Anthology of Fear ​
LEARNING FOCUS
Reading comprehension and skills.
Creative writing.
Drama activities.
MAIN LITERATURE AND RESOURCES
‘The Spook’s Apprentice’ Joseph Delaney.
'The Shadow Men'
Fear themed poetry
OVERVIEW
The first book bravely tackled by year seven even comes with a warning: ‘Not to be Read after Dark’. Nevertheless, pupils are taken on a thrilling journey through the amazing first instalment of the Spook’s Stories, ‘The Spook’s Apprentice’.
Reading and drama activities are designed to support comprehension and encourage exploration of the language, structure and content of the novel, as well as relevant non-fiction texts.
This has been an extremely popular unit, prompting a reshuffle of our teaching calendar in order to engage year seven straight away and generate a love of reading.
Throughout the novel, there are many opportunities to spark pupils’ imaginations and create equally frightening and exciting pieces of prose and poetry.
In past years, pupils have been inspired even further by visits to the school by author, Joseph Delaney, who always commends the pupils on their knowledge and enthusiasm. Many pupils (and staff) continue to read following novels in the series which are stocked in the school library.
Unit Two - Citizenship ​
LEARNING FOCUS
Reading comprehension and skills.
Letter writing.
Speeches and debates.
Pupil lead group tasks.
MAIN LITERATURE AND RESOURCES
Seminal speeches – ‘I Have a Dream’ Martin Luther King.
Non-fiction (newspaper, magazine and website articles.)
OVERVIEW
Immersed in real examples of seminal texts, admired historical figures and current events; the content of this unit asks pupils to dream, to aspire and to achieve.
We offers pupils a variety of group tasks in which they will research, prepare and present their work through a variety of multi-media platforms to suit their learning preferences.
With a huge focus on independence, self-motivation and personal expression, this unit prepares pupils with essential life skills, such as formal letter writing, persuasive techniques, appropriate speaking and listening skills and above all else, confidence and determination.
Unit Three - A Midsummer Night's Dream & Greek Myths
LEARNING FOCUS
Reading comprehension and skills.
Creative writing.
MAIN LITERATURE AND RESOURCES
‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ Shakespeare.
Various Greek myths.
OVERVIEW
Shakespeare’s comedy is brought to life through beautifully illustrated and differentiated graphic novels. Every pupil, regardless of ability, can access and enjoy this celebrated thespian text.
As this is many pupils’ introduction to Shakespeare we aim to provide an engaging and entertaining experience. Pupils should expect lots of discussion, drama and laughs.
Sticking to the theme of the fantastical, the final half term of the year delves into the world of Greek myths. A selection of stories is selected to suit the ability and interests of each particular class. Once pupils are familiar with the features and conventions of a typical Greek myth, they will write one of their own.