ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
"Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body."
St. Joseph's Catholic High School
Unit One - War and Conflict
LEARNING FOCUS
Reading comprehension and skills.
Creative writing.
MAIN LITERATURE AND RESOURCES
‘Private Peaceful’ Michael Morpurgo.
‘Of Mice and Men’ John Steinbeck.
‘Dulce et Decorum est’ Wilfred Owen.
Various war poetry.
OVERVIEW
We defy anyone not to shed a tear as they read the touching and profound story of Michael Morpurgo’s ‘Private Peaceful.’
This fictional backdrop of our war and conflict unit involves pupils on a personal and emotional level, allowing them to understand and empathise with those who experienced WWI.
Pupils then engage with other modes of expression from the same era or theme, such as poetry, letter and diary entries. Again, we unpick the language to reveal and appreciate the thoughts and feelings of different writers.
Rich in historical context and contoversy, the novella 'Of Mice and Men' generates an abundance of debate as well as the practice of literary skills and appreciation.
Unit Two - Advertising and Citizenship ​
LEARNING FOCUS
Writing to persuade.
Letter writing.
MAIN LITERATURE AND RESOURCES
Non-fiction texts and media.
OVERVIEW
Coming soon
Unit Three - Gothic
LEARNING FOCUS
Reading a play.
Writing for a specific genre.
MAIN LITERATURE AND RESOURCES
‘Dracula the play’ David Calcutt.
‘Macbeth’ Shakespeare
OVERVIEW
Coming soon