Year 9 English
READING TASKS
Refugee Boy
Read Refugee Boy by Benjamin Zephaniah
Life is not safe for Alem. His father is Ethopian, his mother Eritrean. Their countries are at war, and Alem is welcome in neither place.
So Alem is excited to spend a holiday in London with his father - until he wakes up to find him gone. What seems like a betrayal is in fact an act of love, but now Alem is alone in a strange country, and he must forge his own path...
Acclaimed performance poet and novelist Benjamin Zephaniah's honest, wry and poignant story of a young refugee left in London is of even more power and pertinence today than when it was first published.
Coraline
Read Coraline by Neil Gaiman.
Coraline discovered the door a little while after they moved into the house....
When Coraline steps through a door to find another house strangely similar to her own (only better), things seem marvelous.
But there's another mother there, and another father, and they want her to stay and be their little girl. They want to change her and never let her go.
Coraline will have to fight with all her wit and courage if she is to save herself and return to her ordinary life.
Gothic
Read another novel from the gothic genre and think about what gothic features it contains.
Click here for recommendations.
Identity
Read this article about identity and summarise its key points.
Scrooge
Read this article about an alternative interpretation of Scrooge.
Do you agree with it?
Oliver Twist
Read Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens.
The novel contains many classic Dickensian themes - grinding poverty, desperation, fear, temptation and the eventual triumph of good in the face of great adversity.
Oliver Twist features some of the author's most enduring characters, such as Oliver himself (who dares to ask for more), the tyrannical Bumble, the diabolical Fagin, the menacing Bill Sikes, Nancy and 'the Artful Dodger'.
Goodnight Mr Tom
Read Goodnight Mr Tom by Michelle Majorian.
Goodnight Mister Tom by Michelle Magorian is the unforgettable story of young Willie Beech, evacuated to the country as Britain stands on the brink of the Second World War. A sad, deprived child, he slowly begins to flourish under the unlikely care of grumpy old Tom Oakley. But then his new-found happiness is shattered by a summons from his mother to return to London. As the weeks pass by Tom begins to worry when William doesn't answer his letters, so he goes to London to find him, and there makes a terrible discovery.
LISTENING TASKS
WATCHING TASKS
A Christmas Carol
Watch a performances of A Christmas Carol and bring the text to life Digital Theatre +
Refugees
Watch this short video by a Syrian NHS worker ( who is a refugee) and summarise his key points.
Neil Gaiman
Watch this short clip on Neil Gaiman giving writing advice.
Make notes on any top tips you could take from him to improve your own creative writing.
Identity
Watch this TED Talks video about viewing your identity as a strength.
TRIPS AND VISITS
Charles Dickens Museum
Visit the Charles Dickens museum in London - details are here
CREATIVE TASKS
Your identity
Fill in the outline here with all the things that make you, YOU! You could include:
- physical appearance
- hobbies and interests
- heritage
- personality traits
The Graveyard Book film
The Graveyard Book isn’t yet a film… Create the opening scene of the film by writing a playscript!
A Victorian menu
Create a dinner menu that would typically be served to an upper class Victorian family.
Use this link to help with your research.
