Year 7 English Curriculum Plan
Overview
The English Department attempts to develop students' reading, writing and speaking and listening skills (see separate Speech and Drama plans). The course is taught in mixed ability groups for 5 lessons per fortnight in Year 7 and then in ability bands in Year 8 and Year 9. One lesson per fortnight is designated separately for Speech and Drama.
The course is designed so that, by the end of Key Stage Three, all students have the necessary skills to be able to access the WJEC GCSE course. It is intended that, where applicable, students will have the opportunity to see live theatrical performances of texts being studied.
Year 7 English Curriculum Plan
Autumn Term One: Autobiographical Writing (6 weeks)
After reading and spelling tests have been administered to the whole year, students will study autobiographical writing, looking at a range of non-fiction stimulus texts. They will study the variety of ways in which autobiography can be presented, learning about the techniques of informing, explaining and describing. They should produce their own autobiographical written work.
Assessment - Reading for Meaning Comprehension
Autumn Term 2: Narrative Writing Study (7 weeks)
Students to study a novel (possible titles include: A Series of Unfortunate Events, Skellig, Carrie's War, Pig Heart Boy or Myths and Legends) looking particularly at the way writers build plot and character in their narratives. They should undertake a variety of written and oral tasks connected to the novel.
Assessment: Writing to Imagine, Explore, Entertain
Spring Term One: Introduction to Poetry (6 weeks)
Approaches to the writing of poems from a range of different perspectives. Poems could include sound and shape poems, colour poems, rhyming and non-rhyming, ballads, haiku etc. This should be approached through the reading of examples but the focus should be on making poetry writing accessible and enjoyable for the students.
Spring Term Two: Introduction to Poetry & Travel Guide (5 weeks)
Completion of poetry work.
Students to look at literary and non-fiction travel writing, understanding the conventions and focusing on the creation of a travel guide for a particular country. Students should revisit work on the ‘Inform, Explain, Describe' triplet but should also look at presentational devices and layout.
Assessment: Travel Guide
Summer Term One: Novel Study Booklet & Comprehension Work (6 weeks)
Independent reading of a novel of students' choice to allow work on the novel study booklet, looking at the ways in which authors engage their readers and giving students the chance to access the ‘Analyse, Review Comment triplet' of purpose. The choice of novel should have been facilitated by the students' ongoing library lessons.
In preparation for the final assessment of the year, students should revise techniques for answering comprehension questions.
Assessment: Comprehension
Summer Term Two: How to Make Your Own Superhero (4 weeks)
A self-contained booklet asking students to look at myth and legend, analysing the concept of the hero from ancient times forward and looking at a range of extracts from different texts. The work culminates in the creation of a new superhero allowing students to show their understanding of the characteristics associated with the genre.
Library Skills Lessons
Throughout the year, students will have timetabled lessons in the Hawkins Library, in which they will learn about the use of the library, the Dewey Decimal Classification System, the Search Star system and useful online resources available to them including the OED online. They will also have time to explore the books available in the library.
