Higher English

Course Outline

Argh! Be Afraid!

NABs

3 NABs which constitute 2 units (Literary and Language) - must pass along with the exam to achieve a pass at Higher.

You have two attempts at each in class. The Writing NAB you can do at home and redraft to get one piece of the three up to a pass. NABs are:

•Textual Analysis (unseen piece of fiction with questions (Drama, Prose, Poetry)

•Writing (3 pieces – Personal/Reflective, Short Story, Argumentative/Persuasive) One must pass as a NAB and then two are sent as a folio to SQA before Easter. These are graded and make up 20% of final Grade

•Close Reading (one passage non-fiction with questions)

These NABs help you to build up the skills required for the final exam. No mark is awarded – only a pass or fail.

EXAM

2 papers:

• Close Reading (1hr 45 minutes) – 2 passages. (40% weighting)

• Critical Essay Paper (1hr 30 minutes) 2 critical essays on 2 different genres (Prose, Drama, Poetry.) (40% weighting)

Your grade from English comes from the exam (marks for both papers added together) and your writing folio (20% weighting)

50% = pass (Grade C)

Course Components

Unit Internal - NAB External -Exam

Textual Analysis

YES – 2 Attempts at answering questions on unseen piece of literature

No

Study of Literature

NO Yes – 2 critical essays on 2 different genres (1h30m)

Writing YES – Write 3 different pieces. One to pass – able to redraft

Writing folio comprising of 2 pieces sent to exam board before Easter

No exam but folio sent to SQA

Close Reading YES – 2 Attempts at answering questions on unseen piece of non-fiction

Yes – Questions on 2 non-fiction passage (1h 45minutes)

NAB Timetable• Textual Analysis – Key focus of first term (and

weeks before summer)

1st Attempt before October Break

• Close Reading – Key focus of first term and second term

1st Attempt before/just after Christmas Holidays

• Writing – Ongoing focus throughout year. Key inputs for 3 pieces – work developed in own time

Writing Folio (2 pieces) finalised March/April (Before Easter Holidays)

Writing Folio

• 2 Pieces – Select 2 best pieces

• One Creative (Personal/Reflective, Prose Fiction, Set of poems, Drama Script)

• One Discursive (Persuasive, Argumentative, Report)

• Word Limits = Higher: 650-1300 words

Penalised for pieces that go outside these!

Presentation of Writing Folio

• Standard Font – Times New Roman, Arial• Font Size 12• Left or Justified Alignment• Standard Margin• Print colour Black• 1.5 spacing• Header: Full Name – Type of Piece –

Forres Academy

COURSE OUTLINE

• Skills based course – everything you do between now and May is to help you prepare for the exam.

• Very demanding, fast-paced, an extensive amount of homework/study/revision will be expected to keep up.

• You will study, in depth, at least 10 texts

• Drama, Prose- novel to be read over summer and annotated-, short stories, Poetry, Close Reading Skills, Newspaper Tasks, Group Presentations etc.

• A lot of note-taking (this is your responsibility), lecture style type of lessons on the texts (this is typical of what you will expect at University whatever subject you choose.)

• The majority of the course is studying and analysing texts, critical essay writing and building up close reading skills.

June-July Course

All S5 do the same work as some pupils will move class due to results.

• You will write a short story (one of the pieces for the writing NAB and folio)

• Lots of focus on Close Textual Analysis of short stories as an introduction to writing, techniques, textual analysis skills. Some of these stories will be revisited in greater depth later in year as core texts

• Start close reading Newspaper work: You will regularly read and analyse good quality newspapers (The Scotsman, The Independent, The Guardian, The Times etc.) This is to prepare you for the vocabulary and complexity of the language/ideas of the Close Reading paper.

• Will receive information/advice on class novel for reading over the holidays

HOMEWORK• The homework set is to ensure we complete the work needed for the exam and NABs; as there is so much to get through, you will have to complete homework assignments to build up your skills in all areas of the course.

• Typically 2/3 set homeworks for English per week.

• This consists mainly of: writing folio drafting and development, annotation/ analysis of texts, revision, newspaper work, close reading practise, critical essays.

• You will receive Deadline pieces – very important to hand this work in on the due date.

This sounds daunting – but the majority of last year’s class thought the quantity of homework was suitable; some thought more would have helped prepare them better.

Advice to you from last year’s classes:

• Be organised.

• Make the effort right from the beginning and you won’t be stressed at the end.

• Expect to work hard/pay attention all the time.

• Constantly go back over texts after completing in class, annotate, re-write notes, summarise, organise under headings etc.

• Keep up with the homework – make time & plan for it

• Practise critical essays at home on a weekly basis.

• Start reading/analysing newspaper articles straight away

• Listen, pay attention, do the work if you want to pass. You can’t skive your way through Higher English

Resources• Big, bright ring-binder – essential to have this at

all times

• Dividers – Close Reading, Textual Analysis, Writing folio, Core Texts (prose, drama, poetry), Critical Essay skills/techniques

• Lined paper pad – one you can tear sheets out of

• Small writing notebook for mini-tasks and inspiration – creative writing ideas

Resources• Constant supply of pens – lots of writing, note-

making

• Highlighters – excellent for annotation (makes life so much easier and more colourful!)

• Own copies of core texts (Novel and Drama) – can annotate and make notes on, stick post-its in key parts/quotations – easier revision

You can get these second hand in Amazon very cheaply.

• Short Stories and poems will be issued on paper so you can annotate these. DO NOT lose copies – you will not get another!

• Buy a memory stick – much of the notes etc. that you need will be posted on the E board.

• Ensure you always have the work needed for class and homework is completed for time set.

• Take notes in class. This is essential.

MORE ADVICE

Glow Blog: https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/my/y11english/

Class Novel

Kite Runner is the story of two boys who grow up together in the 1970's in Afghanistan like brothers.  Even though the two are very close, they are quite different.  Amir is a lover of books, he is a well educated Pashtun, and is the son of a wealthy businessman that is a Sunni Muslim.  Hassan is the son of a servant to Amir's father.  Hassan is a Sh'ia Muslim, a Hazara, he cannot read, and has a harelip.  Amir often teases Hassan and one time even hid and watched Hassan was beaten up by a group of bullies.

When the Soviets invade Afghanistan, Amir's family flees to the United States.  As an adult, Amir returns to his home country during the Taliban rule and atones for his sins to Hassan. 

The novel educates the reader on human suffering and heroism as the story deals with social classes, ethnicity, war and change.

Class Novel

‘The Kite Runner’ by Khaled Hosseini (can buy used on Amazon for £1.10 so you would just have to pay p+p on top of this.)

Over Summer you need to buy and annotate this novel focussing on these key areas:

• Characterisation

• Key relationships

• Style

• Setting

• Theme

• Writer’s purpose

• What we learn from the novel/themes/character etc.

Arrange your notes under these separate areas as this will make it far easier when we study it as a class. Note down and analyse key quotations including page references.

Drama Text: October-Christmas

‘A View from the Bridge’ by Arthur Miller

(must be read and annotated for after the October holidays.)

PURPOSE

Your purpose when Writing

Identification of author’s purpose in a textOverall

Themes

Messages

Individual Techniques

= the Why

In English, keep asking yourself Why…

• UNDERSTANDING of WHAT the writer is writing about and trying to achieve (the content, the message, the themes). Their PURPOSE in writing, WHY they are writing

• ANALYSIS of HOW the writer achieves their PURPOSE (the techniques they use and their effects)

• EVALUATION of HOW WELL the writer uses the techniques to achieve their PURPOSE (are the techniques successful and why are they successful?)

In the literature aspects of the course you will be assessed on the following three things:

Writing task

• To help me get to know you and your ability, I want you to write (at least 1.5 pages) on your experience of English so far, and what you hope to achieve in Higher.

This is to be done in essay format and should include the following:

• Reflections of English courses so far – what did you enjoy, dislike, what did you feel comfortable with, what did you find most challenging, what were you most proud of etc – explain points in as much detail as you can.

• Why are you taking Higher English? - Be honest! If you need English – explain what for and what grade you need.

• What do you expect to do in Higher English, what do you hope to achieve, what are you looking forward to most, what are your concerns? Again explain your views in as much detail as you can.

• What sort of Literature do you most enjoy – what texts have inspired you in the past and why.

• What sort of writer are you – what genres do you enjoy writing most? How would you describe your style? What would your pen say about you?!

• Strengths/weaknesses, target areas for improvement, commitments to course, study, revision, meeting deadlines. What are you going to do to help you achieve your targets and potential?

• Any concerns about the course, anything you are looking forward to, any questions?

Try to make it an entertaining read. I want to see your skills, writing style and personality coming across and we will use it to help establish targets for your year in English.

Remember all your techniques and skills from last year (Imagery/Symbolism/Alliteration etc.)

With National 5 a dim and distant memory, I strode along the corridor ready to embark on the voyage that was Higher English. Rather dreamily, I mused on the idea that the bright corridor was just like my ‘yellow brick road’ and how Y11 would become the Emerald City where I might discover my strengths and unlock my potential. Did that make Miss King the Wizard of Oz or the Wicked Witch of the West?

Before I could dwell on this for too long, the words of my fellow classmates, and travellers, sucked me out of my thoughts. Rumours about how difficult the course was began to filter through, quickly escalating into a frenzy of worries: the relentless pace, the demanding workload and the increased expectations were just the start! I had always been an organised person and took deadlines in my stride but what if this was a step too far? My pace slowed. My heartbeat quickened. But before I could pull myself together, the daunting door of Y11 loomed over me and I realised that this was it. I was standing on the edge of the abyss...

The Highway to…Higher!

Exemplar introduction

That fateful day in June 2010, I skipped eagerly along the English corridor full of elation, excitement and enthusiasm for the journey that lay ahead of me. Yes, I knew there would be hard-work; yes, I knew there would be stress; and yes, I knew at the end of it all, there would be that terrifying five letter word: EXAMS; yet, I was so enamoured of everything English could offer, that nothing, and I mean nothing, could alter my perceptions.

When I finally, and reverently, approached the hallowed door of Y11, I pondered happily on the world of promise, intrigue and discovery that lay awaiting me, but, little did I know then of the confusion, misery and heartbreak that would pounce behind that innocuous door I had, for so long, stood and admired.