Lasswade High School
S1 Broad General Education
English Department
Course Outline
Unit of Work
‘I’ll Never Forget’
Autobiography Unit
CHOICE 1
DRAMA/ POETRY
MEDIA
‘Gothic Stories’
Creative Unit
CHOICE 2
DRAMA/ POETRY
MEDIA
‘Animal Unit’
Informative Unit
CHOICE 3
DRAMA/ POETRY
MEDIA
Timeframe
August -September
(Oct/ Jan/ March-May)
November- December
(Oct/ Jan/ March-May)
February - March
(Oct/ Jan/ March-May)
Reading examples of
‘autobiography
writing’
Text chosen will act as
a stimulus for
discursive writing
Activities
Listening to an
autobiographical
interview
Essay Planning –
talking plans,
spiderplans...
Talk games
Developing writing –
learning about using
language to
communicate
personal thoughts,
experience and
feelings
Significant Aspects of
Learning
WRITING
 Convey a personal
experience, using
thoughts and feelings
Pupils will engage in a
variety of activities,
for example:
researching , debating
group discussions,
engaging with reading
and listening sources.
Developing writing –
focus on structuring,
topic sentences and
connectives.
Listening and talking
activities related to
‘urban myths’
Reading extracts from
gothic/ horror stories,
including Scottish
texts
Creating ‘spooky
stories’ based on
urban myths/ existing
texts
Developing writing –
focus on creating
mood, setting and
character.
Text chosen will be
analysed and studied
for critical essay
writing
Pupils will engage in
variety of activities to
enhance and develop
their understanding of
the text, specifically
character, setting,
theme, plot and
writer’s style/
language or aspects of
the moving image.
These will include
group and pair work.
Pupils will also hone
their listening and
reading skills through
whole class exercises
WRITING
 Writing to discuss
and argue, using key
language techniques
WRITING
 Creating imaginative
texts, using language
to describe and create
READING
 engage with and
create a broad range
of texts, including
Researching an animal
of choice
Preparing a report/
fact-file on animal of
choice
Engaging in a debate/
talking activities about
animal of choice
Analysing
transactional texts
about animals/
wildlife – adverts,
leaflets, etc
Developing languagefocus on presenting
facts and persuasive
techniques
WRITING
 using information,
handing facts and
data
Text chosen will be
analysed and studied
for critical essay
writing
Pupils will engage in
variety of activities to
enhance and develop
their understanding of
the text, specifically
character, setting,
theme, plot and
writer’s style/
language or aspects of
the moving image.
These will include
group and pair work.
Pupils will also hone
their listening and
reading skills through
whole class exercises
READING
 engage with and
create a broad range
of texts, including
 write with increasing
accuracy, making
effective use of
spelling, grammar and
punctuation
 using expressive
and sophisticated
language
 creating and using
plans to support the
writing process
TALKING
 creating and using
plans to support talk/
presentation skills
 using tone, pace and
non-verbal
communication to
engage an audience
 Planning for writing,
how create and use
notes
 write with increasing
accuracy, making
effective use of
spelling, grammar and
punctuation
READING
 use reading and
listening strategies to
understand, analyse
and evaluate texts
 finding information
 developing critical
literacy skills
characters, settings,
mood and
atmosphere
 write with increasing
accuracy, making
effective use of
spelling, grammar and
punctuation
 exploring genre
conventions
READING
 engage with texts
from the Gothic
genre, exploring their
language and
conventions
Scottish and Scots
texts
 choosing texts for
enjoyment and
challenge
 using reading and
strategies to
understand, analyse
and evaluate texts
 exploring key
aspects of fictional
texts including
character, theme and
setting
LISTENING
 Listening to
understand, analyse
and evaluate
 Note –making skills
 Exploring and using
layout for effect –
subtitles, images,
diagrams.
 write with increasing
accuracy, making
effective use of
spelling, grammar and
punctuation
TALKING
 creating and using
plans to support talk/
presentation skills
 using tone, pace and
non-verbal
communication to
engage an audience
 Using persuasive
language techniques
to engage and
convince
Scottish and Scots
texts
 using reading and
strategies to
understand, analyse
and evaluate texts
 exploring key
aspects of fictional
texts including
character, theme and
setting
LISTENING
 Listening to
understand, analyse
and evaluate
 Note –making skills
The ‘significant aspects of learning’ above relate directly to the assessments as part of the unit. However, in all units pupils will engage in
activities that will develop higher order thinking skills, reading, writing, talking and listening.
In addition, pupils will visit the school library fortnightly to explore a range of texts for their enjoyment and to develop critical literacy skills.
Homework
Preparation for Talk
Research
Personal Reading
Interview
Technical Accuracy
Workbook
Urban Myth research
Personal Reading
Personal Reading
Completion of class
work
Completion of class
work
Designing short story
cover
Completion of class
work
Personal Reading
Challenge (JANUARY)
Personal Reading
Personal Reading
Preparation for Talk
Revision for Transition
Assessment
Personal Reading
Workbook
Language Workbook
Completion of class
work
Completion of class
work
Completion of class
work
Assessment
What success could
look like
How Parents/Carers
can support the
coursework
Personal Essay
Discursive Essay
Solo Talk
Reading for U, A & E
Pupils complete a
piece of extended
writing about a time
they’ll never forget –
using language
techniques to
communicate the
experience
Pupils complete a
discursive essay, using
research, to present
an argument. Pupils
can structure their
essay using topic
sentences and
connectives
Pupils give a personal
talk to the class,
detailing their
interests and hobbies
using non-verbal
communication and a
clear, audible voice
Pupils complete a
close reading of a
research text showing
their understanding
and knowledge of
language
Support the writing
and practising of Solo
Talk
Help at home with
research
Help at home with
research
Take part in a
biography interview
Ensure Technical
Accuracy Booklet is
completed
Help with short story
cover design
Encourage Personal
reading – of fiction
and newspapers.
Encourage Personal
reading – of fiction,
and newspapers
Discuss topical news
stories/ their reading/
progress in English.
Discuss topical news
stories/ their reading/
progress in English.
Short Story/ Creative
Writing
Pupils create a short
story, using language
to create a mood/
atmosphere and a
character
Pupils choose a cover
for their story that
makes it appealing to
the reader
Encourage Personal
reading – of fiction
and newspapers
Discuss topical news
stories/ their reading/
progress in English.
Critical Essay
Report
Critical Essay
Listening for U, A & E
Persuasive Talk
Reading for U, A & E
Pupils complete a
critical essay by
responding to a
question about a text
they’ve read. Pupils
can discuss plot,
character/ theme/
setting and use quotes
to support them.
Pupils complete a
report on an animal,
carefully organising
information found as
a result of research.
Listening for U, A & E
Pupils complete a
critical essay by
responding to a
question about a text
they’ve read. Pupils
can discuss plot,
character/ theme/
setting and use quotes
to support them.
Pupils listen to a text
and respond to
questions,
demonstrating
understanding and
knowledge about
language
Pupils take part in a
talk/ discussion using
persuasive language
to convince the WWF
to feature their animal Pupils complete a
on their new logo
reading and a listening
of an unseen text to
show their
understanding and
knowledge of
language
Ensure Reading
Challenge Booklet is
completed
Support the writing
and practising of
‘persuasive pitch’
Encourage Personal
reading – of fiction
and newspapers
Encourage Personal
reading – of fiction
and newspapers
Encourage Personal
reading – of fiction
and newspapers
Revise Core booklets
for Transition
Assessment
Discuss topical news
stories/ their reading/
progress in English.
Ensure Persuasive
Language Booklet is
completed
Discuss topical news
stories/ their reading/
progress in English.
Discuss topical news
stories/ their reading/
progress in English.