Topic 4 Year 8 English
| English | |||
| Topic | The Problem with Society | ||
| No of lessons | 12 | ||
| When is it happening | Half Term 4 Year 8 | ||
| What will students learn | Students will learn about and explore a key non-fictional issue in society. To ensure this issue is pertinent it will be decided just before teaching this unit. Students will explore a range of multi-media non-fiction texts relating to the issue. To complement this contemporary study of societal issues, students will also study extracts from a Shakespeare play that showcases the same issue in order to learn about the concept of historic recurrence and explore the idea of whether humanity is capable of learning from its mistakes. Students will also learn how to write a formal letter and will learn how to take part in a formal debate. | ||
| Key Knowledge that students should know at the end of 'Topic' | This is the knowledge that students will meet for the first time in this topic | What is a society; exploration of the problem (such as racism, sexism, violence, corruption, etc. Question Time or https://petition.parliament.uk/) as presented in various media (podcasts, articles, TV and print-based news, etc.) including opposing viewpoints; the problem as presented in a Shakespeare play; formal letter writing; debating. | |
| This is knowledge that students may have met before but will need to deepen their understanding |
Regular retrieval of the knowledge described above will be retrieved as well as: Shakespeare |
||
| Key Skills that students should be able to demonstrate at the end of 'Topic' | This is the skills that students will meet for the first time in this topic | Students will focus on acquiring the following skills: Write like a journalist. | |
| This is skills that students may have met before but will need to develop |
Making inferences; referring to evidence; purpose; vocabulary choice; characterisation; expressing own ideas; clear inferences; judicious evidence; audience; figurative language and grammar; setting; comparing; short speeches and keeping to the point. |
||
| Key vocabulary that students should know and understand |
Inequality, Race, Gender, Bias, Unjust |
||
| The Big Question | Why is it important to study modern problems? | ||
|
Key questions that students should be able to answer at the end of the 'Topic' |
What are the major issues in society today? | ||
| What is inequality? | |||
| How is our society unequal in terms of gender? | |||
| How is our society unequal in terms of race? | |||
| How is our society unequal in terms of your class' choice of issue? | |||
| Has inequality always been here? | |||
| Can society ever be truly equal? | |||
| How do I writer a formal letter? | |||