ENGLISH LITERATURE
Number of GCSEs: 1
Exam Board: Edexcel
Year 10
Main Topics/Content Covered
Assessments and dates:
Exams and
dates:
Unit 1: Understanding Prose
 Students study two prose texts in detail (one
Literary Heritage and one Different Cultures text):
Of Mice and Men and Animal Farm
 2 sections in the exam - 1 question on each text.
n/a
Exam (1 hour 45
minutes) – 20
May 2013 am
Unit 2: Understanding Poetry
 Analysis of unseen poetry
 Study of the Edexcel poetry anthology – Clashes
and Collisions
 2 sections in the exam – 1 question on unseen
poetry; 2 questions on anthology poetry.
n/a
Exam (1 hour 45
minutes) – 23
May 2013 (pm)
Unit 3: Shakespeare and Contemporary Drama
 Students study one Shakespeare drama text in
detail, comparing a specific scene / section with a
film adaptation – Romeo and Juliet / Macbeth /
Much Ado About Nothing
 Students study a contemporary drama text,
focusing on a particular character or theme –
Educating Rita / An Inspector Calls
Controlled Assessment (4
hours) – dates will depend
upon individual groups and
teachers as this is a retake
unit.
n/a
1 essay on each text
.
Helpful Revision Websites & Publications
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BBC Bitesize - http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/english/
Revision World - http://revisionworld.co.uk/gcse-revision/english-literature/mice-and-men-john-steinbeck
Universal Teacher - http://www.universalteacher.org.uk/prose/ofmiceandmen.htm
Of Mice and Men / Animal Farm: York Notes for GCSE
Letts Explore - Of Mice and Men / Animal Farm: GCSE Text Guide
Coursework/Exam Tips
Unit 1 – Understanding Prose /exam:
 Read the books carefully, making detailed notes on the context, characters, themes and key events. You will
need to demonstrate a thorough understanding of the novels and their ideas in the exam.
 Practise answering past exam questions on the novels, under timed conditions. This will help you to develop
your exam reading skills.
Unit 2 – Understanding Poetry exam:
 Make detailed notes on each of the poems’ themes and ideas. Explore carefully how the poems are written
(their form and structure, language and imagery, rhyme and rhythm, tone and voice) and consider why the poets
have decided to write the poems in this way. What effect are they trying to create on the reader?
 Think about ways that the poems link together (i.e. through theme / writers’ ideas). How are the poems similar?
How are they different? Why do these similarities / differences occur?
 Practise answering past exam questions on the poems, under timed conditions.