ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
MEDIUM TERM PLAN
YEAR 7 / Memories and Moments
AIMS:
  • This scheme aims to build up students understanding of autobiographical and biographical writing, through looking at a range of this type of writing focusing on the theme of school.
  • It is designed to make them get to know each other as a class and to develop their confidence through a range of speaking and listening activities, with an emphasis on paired and group work.
  • The students are required to read and create a range of different pieces of this kind of writing with the emphasis being on reviewing and recreating the features of the text types.

Duration: 6 weeks
Resources:
Reading texts: Memories and Moments booklet with key texts as listed in the scheme.
Films: Extract of Kez
Video of an interview
Key Outcome: An obituary
Most students will: read key passages from the memories and moments booklet, both as shared and within groups. They will respond analytically and critically showing an understanding of the features of autobiography and biography. They will produce an obituary as a key outcome showing presentational skills as well as an understanding of the features of this kind of writing.
Some students will not have progressed so far and will: read some of the key passages and identify some of the key features of autobiography and biography. They will write their own obituary using a support framework.
Some students will have progressed further and will: respond to the key texts producing their own well crafted obituary and a critical evaluation of their own writing.

KEY TEACHING AND LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Pupils should be taught to:
TEXT LEVEL – READING
Use appropriate reading strategies to extract particular information e.g. highlighting,scanning (R2)
Make brief, clearly-organised notes of key points for later use (R4)
Identify the main points, processes or ideas in a text and how they are sequenced and developed by the writer (R7)
TEXT LEVEL - WRITING
Plan, draft, edit, revise, proofread and present a text with readers and purpose in mind (Wr1)
Collect, select and assemble ideas in a suitable planning format e.g. flow chart, list, star chart (Wr2)
Use writing to explore and develop ideas e.g. journals, brainstorming techniques and mental mapping activities (Wr3)
Organise texts in ways appropriate to their content e.g. by chronology, priority, comparison and signpost this clearly to the reader (Wr10)
Describe an object, person or setting in a way that includes relevant details and is accurate and evocative (Wr14)
SENTENCE LEVEL
Recognise the cues to start a new paragraph and use the first sentence effectively to orientate the reader e.g. when there is a shift of topic, viewpoint or time (S8)
Organise ideas into a coherent sequence of paragraphs, introducing, developing and concluding them appropriately (S12)
Revise the stylistic conventions of the main types of non-fiction:
a)Information, which maintains the use of the present tense and the third person; organises and links information clearly; incorporates examples
b)Recount, which maintains the use of past tense, clear chronology and temporal connectives
c)Explanation, which maintains the use of the present tense and impersonal voice, and links points clearly
d)Instructions, which are helpfully sequenced and signposted, deploy imperative verbs and provide clear guidance
e)Persuasion, which emphasises key points and articulates logical links in the argument
f)Discursive writing, which signposts the organisation of contrasting points and clarifies the viewpoint (S13)

KEY TEACHING AND LEARNING OBJECTIVES (continued)

WORD LEVEL
Expand the range of link words and phrases used to signpost texts, including links of time (then, later, meanwhile) and cause (so, because, since) (Wd20)
The use of the apostrophe including: omissions; the possessive apostrophe; apostrophising plurals e.g. ladies’ coats, and words ending in s; the exception of possessive pronouns (Wd6)
The spellings of key words in each subject (Wd7)
TEXT LEVEL – SPEAKING AND LISTENING
Recount a story, anecdote or experience and consider how this differs from written narrative (S/L2)
POSSIBLE TEACHING SEQUENCE
Stage 1: Getting to know you
Objectives:
Use appropriate reading strategies to extract particular information e.g. highlighting,scanning (R2)
Use writing to explore and develop ideas e.g. journals, brainstorming technieques and mental mapping activities (Wr3)
Recount a story, anecdote or experience and consider how this differs from written narrative (S/L2)
Revise the stylistic conventions of the main types of non-fiction:
a)Information, which maintains the use of the present tense and the third person; organises and links information clearly; incorporates examples
b)Recount, which maintains the use of past tense, clear chronology and temporal connectives
c)Explanation, which maintains the use of the present tense and impersonal voice and links points clearly
d)Instructions, which are clearly helpfully sequenced and signposted, deploy imperative verbs and provide clear guidance
e)Persuasion, which emphasises key points and articulates logical links in the argument
f)Discursive writing, which signposts the organisation of contrasting points and clarifies the viewpoint
Expand the range of link words and phrases used to signpost texts, including links of time (then, later, meanwhile) and cause (so, because, since) (S13)
COVERAGE (Resources) – Extracts from Memories and Moments booklet
Worksheet/cards listing features
FOCUS:
Speaking and listening activities aimed at encouraging students to talk about themselves and to find out about their neighbour – such as guessing person from baby photo or their first day at primary school; interviewing someone you don’t know and introducing them to the class; telling a primary school anecdote to your neighbour (or link to first day at school photo/something got told off for but did not do – link to Kez film extract), reflecting on features of telling an anecdote, such as exaggeration, humour etc; researching your name – what does it mean, why did your parents choose it or information about when you were a baby, such as weight when born, favourite foods, what relations said etc; research the year that you were born for interesting events and information such as man first walked on the moon; key memories and moments in my life – using brainstorming sheets. Some of these would need to be given for homework and might provide fun icebreaker starter activities.
Stage 1: Getting to know you (continued)
Before reading: Class discussion – what kind of writing would you find this kind of information in? Discussion about autobiography and biography. Why do you think someone would choose to write their autobiography? Why would someone choose to write a biography about someone? Whose auto/biographies would a publisher be interested in publishing? How do you think writers choose what to include in an auto/biography? Can a person remember in detail things that happened long ago? Did they have problems remembering details when telling their anecdote etc?
Students read range of extracts of autobiographical and biographical writing on school experiences. Students categorise text types as auto/biographies and justify their categorisation. (Teachers to differentiate here – choose suitable examples for shared class/pair/group reading or whole booklet etc. Some classes may benefit from photocopied extracts for highlighting and annotation). Class discussion of how writing similar to and different from the storytelling/anecdotes last lesson – difference between written anecdotes and spoken etc – formality etc.
Students now look into more detail at features of the text types by identifying text and matching features to such as personal pronouns, third person pronouns, chronological structure, past tense, temporal connectives, anecdotes, humour, exaggeration, pathos, quotations etc. Students fill in the chart with examples from some of the texts.
Write a short autobiographical piece of writing on one of the following topics – last day at primary, a memorable day in your life, first day at St Mary’s, anecdote from primary school - developing on from understanding of an anecdote previously discussed. Writing to use textual features identified.
OUTCOME:
Short piece of autobiographical writing on one of a choice of topics on the theme of school.
Stage 2: Interviewing
Objectives:
Identify the main points, processes or ideas in a text and how they are sequenced and developed by the writer (R7)
The use of the apostrophe including: omissions; the possessive apostrophe; apostrophising plurals e.g. ladies’ coats and words ending in s; the exception of possessive pronouns (Wd6)
COVERAGE (Resources) – Extracts from Memories and Moments booklet
TV interview
Worksheet on questions
FOCUS:
Re-read a biographical extract. In pairs, discuss what questions would need to be asked to write about this person? Establish as a class main topics and subjects in the texts and how they are sequenced.
Develop understanding of interviewing skills and types of questions through studying a TV interview such as pop star interview on Saturday morning TV. Students categorise questions as open/closed, secondary etc using worksheet.
Students write a set of questions in preparation to interview a person of another generation about their schooling.
Interview a person from another generation about their schooling – homework
Starter activity – possessive apostrophe. Re-read biographical extract – highlight all possessive apostrophes. What does the possessive apostrophe do? Why do we use it? Why is the possessive apostrophe so important to biographical writing? Write a list of all the things belonging to your interviewee which you are planning to include in your biography, using the possessive apostrophe e.g. Grandma’s school, Hilda’s family, Tom’s teachers etc
Write a biography using as many features of biographical writing as possible.
OUTCOME:
A short piece of biographical writing of a person of another generation
Stage 3: Dreams and future ….
Objectives:
Plan, draft, edit, revise, proofread and present a text with readers and purpose in mind (Wr1)
Describe an object, person or setting in a way that includes relevant details and is accurate and evocative (Wr14)
Recognise the cues to start a new paragraph and use the first sentence effectively to orientate the reader e.g. when there is a shift of topic, viewpoint or time (S8)
Organise ideas into a coherent sequence of paragraphs, introducing, developing and concluding them appropriately (S12)
COVERAGE (Resources) – Extracts from Memories and Moments booklet
Planning sheet
FOCUS:
Using a timeline planning sheet, discuss and make notes of personal dreams for the future
Read an obituary, such as the one of Mother Teresa, analysing textual and language features and content.
Look at structure of text – paragraphs, link words etc. Identify using highlighters etc. Establish reasons for paragraph changes etc. Also see Heinemann as support exercise.
Write your own obituary. Students to use a planning sheet to plan paragraphs, making chronological structure explicit. Planning sheet to provide prompts for use of connectives.
Extension: write a critical evaluation of their own writing, using appropriate terminology to comment on the success of their writing and presentation.
KEY OUTCOME
 Their own obituary