HARROW INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL BEIJING
Curriculum Newsletter - Term 1 August 2013
Year 9
The information given in this document is to give a brief outline of the nature of the work being carried in out in classes this term. If you have
any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the department concerned or the Director of Studies, Alasdair MacRae.
Subject
Time/ Dates
Topic/Area of Study
Assessments
Other information
Art & Design
August - December
Self-Identity
 Developing a range of drawing
skills and detailed portrait studies.
 Exploring an image of themselves
using Adobe Photoshop and
developing photoshop skills.
 Enhancing sketchbook skills and
making a personal journal.
 Further developing self-identity
theme into a large realistic/
imaginative figure study using a
variety of techniques
 Reflecting and reviewing a number
of historical and contemporary
artists to support the techniques
and materials used.
Formative assessment and
peer assessments leading to
an overall summative grade
as the students gain more
independence and
confidence in working with
a variety of media.
Key skills
Creativity and competence
Cultural understanding
Critical understanding
Analysing and reflecting on
own and others’ work
Draw to express perception,
communicate feelings,
experiences ideas and draw
for pleasure
Investigate how to express
ideas using the formal
elements in Art and the
qualities of a range of media
1. Plants and Photosynthesis
2. Microbes and disease
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Biology
1. August – mid October
2. Mid October - December
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Continual one to one
guidance and feedback
during the development of
the Projects
Homework tasks
End of topic tests
Lab reports
Assessments will cover
knowledge, application of
understanding and practical
skills throughout
HARROW INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL BEIJING
Subject
Time/ Dates
Chemistry
1. Until end of November
2. Until end of term
Topic/Area of Study
1. Reactions & reactivity
2. Environmental chemistry
Design Technology
August - December
Resistant materials - Clock Design
Project. (Design & make task)
Students will design a clock based on
Asian architecture.
Students will cover:
 Research
 Specification
 Initial concepts
 Customer feedback
 Development of ideas
 Finalization of ideas.
 Transfer of idea to 2D CAD design
 Manufacture of idea using laser
cutter
 Assembly of idea in the workshop
 Presentation of finished
manufactured clock to department
heads.
Drama
From August to December
Pupils will explore the text ‘Blood
Brothers’ by Willy Russell.
Pupils will consider the play’s themes
and characters whilst learning the key
performance skills of Drama and
applying the language of Drama to
their verbal evaluations of
performances.
Leadership for a better world
Assessments
 Homework tasks
 End of topic tests
Assessments will cover
knowledge, application of
understanding and practical
skills throughout
Formative assessment
throughout the term based
on design and manufacture
of product.
Pupils will be assessed on
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their ability to sustain a
character
their understanding of
the themes of the play.
This can be performed either
by devising or using the
script.
Other information
HARROW INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL BEIJING
Subject
English
Time/ Dates
1. 2 weeks
2. 5 weeks
Topic/Area of Study
Assessments
Other information
1. Introduction to Year 9 / Critical
Skills
A general overview to skills needed in
English including using Assessing
Pupil Progress (APP), close reading
analysis, comparison of texts,
reasoning and analytical skills.
2. The Novel:
Students will study one of the
following novels:
· The Curious Incident of the Dog in
the Nighttime
· Animal Farm
· Stone Cold
· To Kill a Mockingbird
All units are assessed for
Assessing Pupil Progress
Levels at regular points.
Term1 – Harrow Reading
Journal
3. 5 weeks
3. Modern Play
Students will be studying one of the
following plays:
The Crucible by Arthur Miller
Face by Benjamin Zephaniah
Noughts and Crosses by Malorie
Blackman
4. 3 ½ weeks
4. Poetry
Students will explore a variety of
different poetical forms by looking at
both modern and pre-19th Century
poetry. There will be a focus on poetry
recital techniques in preparation for the
school poetry recital competition.
Leadership for a better world
Various reading and writing
tasks set by the class teacher
Reading AF2, AF5
Writing AF4, AF1
S&L AF2
Reading AF3, AF4
Writing AF3, AF4
S&L AF3
Reading AF2, AF7, AF5
Writing AF1, AF2
S&L AF3
Students learn to recite
poetry in performance
HARROW INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL BEIJING
Subject
Time/ Dates
Topic/Area of Study
Assessments
Other information
1. Map skills
2. Development
3. Ecosystems
A range of assessments will
be used including in class
assessments, creative
writing, presentations and
online testing.
Homework will be set each
week and will be used as
part of the Progress Grades.
Students will study a range of the
following:
o Geoffrey Chaucer’s ‘The General
Prologue to the Canterbury Tales’
o A Sonnet Study including the
sonnets of William Shakespeare
o Carol Ann Duffy’s ‘The World’s
Wife’
o Various poems written by World
War One Poets
Geography
1. August -September
2. October – November
3. November until end of
Term 1.
History
1. August - October
2. November - December
1. What was the main cause of World
War One?
2. How did WWI impact on the
British public?
Progress Grades1:
Debate on long term causes
of WWI
Progress Grades 2:
Causation assessment within
IGCSE style exam
Progress Grades 3: Debate
on battle of Somme using
sources
Mandarin
Approximately two weeks per
unit
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Formative assessment: Class
participation and
involvement;
 Weekly vocabulary test
 Unit test
 End of term test
Beginners Group
(Stella Zhang)

Eating out
Menus for restaurant
Houses
Furniture
Neighbourhood
Maps for Houses
Leadership for a better world
Textbook:
Easy Steps to Chinese 2
Website recommended:
http://www.nciku.com/
http://www.chinese.cn/
HARROW INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL BEIJING
Subject
Time/ Dates
Topic/Area of Study
Assessments
Other information
Mandarin
Approximately three weeks
per topic
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Delicious Food;
Festivals;
Eating Out.
Formative assessment: Class
participation and
involvement;
 Focusing on tasks
 Presentations
 Quality of work
Text book: Easy step to
Chinese 4
Website recommended:
http://www.nciku.com/
http://www.chinese.cn/
Approximately three weeks
per topic
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My grandmother
Post in town
Chinese community centre
Volunteering
Research of the community
that you live in

Chinese made easy Text
book 4 and work book
exercise.
Website recommended
Confucius institute online
Intermediate Group
(Zhang Hong)
Mandarin
Near native group
(Wendy Ju)
Mandarin
Native group
Language and Literature
(Eva Zhao; Xiao Xiao)
Enjoying Literature and creativity in
the Chinese language.
1. Four weeks
2. Six weeks
3. Six weeks
1. Basic review of Chinese
knowledge
2. Novels – reading
3. Narrative reading and writing
skills
Mathematics
1. 1 ½ weeks
2. 1 ½ weeks
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
2 weeks
2 weeks
1 ½ weeks
2 weeks
1 ½ weeks
As appropriate
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The quality of workbook
exercise.
Textbook questions
Class discussion
Presentation
Class participation
Unit exam
The quality of workbook
exercise.
Textbook questions
Class discussion
Presentation
Class participation
Unit exam
Assessment of progress with
1. Probability
2. Working with numbers – accuracy, be carried out using
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
reciprocals & Fractions / decimals
Percentages
Ratio and proportion
Algebraic products
Inequalities
Algebraic factors
Review
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homework exercises,
Myimaths and common
assessment for each of the
Progress Grades.
Exercises are from STP 9A
and teachers own resources
HARROW INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL BEIJING
Subject
Time/ Dates
Topic/Area of Study
Modern Foreign
Languages
From August to December
French
Grammar – practicing past, present and Via homework tasks,
near future tenses. Superlatives,
vocabulary tests and a
adjectives and modal verbs.
written assessment in
controlled conditions after
Topics including: technology, media,
half term
free time activities, school and future
plans.
From August to December
Spanish
Grammar – practicing past, present and Via homework tasks,
vocabulary tests and a
near future tenses. Superlatives,
written assessment in
adjectives and modal verbs.
controlled conditions after
half term
Topics including: technology, media,
free time activities, school and future
plans.
Students will
Students will be assessed on
 compose their own ground bass
their performances,
piece using layered melodies.
compositions and they will
 learn about harmonic sequence and receive a listening and
structure
understanding test at the end
 play a variety of music from
of each unit of work.
different genres that use ground
bass.
 will learn about the challenge of
composing music to a brief or
commission for a particular event,
occasion or audience.
Music
From August to December
Leadership for a better world
Assessments
Other information
HARROW INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL BEIJING
Subject
Time/ Dates
Physical Education
Each activity is rotated round
in six week blocks
Physics
1. August
2. September – Mid
November
3. November /
December
Topic/Area of Study
 Health Related Fitness
 Swimming
 Football
 Volleyball
 Table Tennis
1. Recap previous work on light
2. Lenses, optical instruments
and the eye
3. Speed and introduction to
forces
Leadership for a better world
Assessments
Other information
Ongoing
Students need to wear the
correct PE kit for each
lesson.
 Homework tasks
 End of topic tests
 Lab reports
Assessments will cover
knowledge, application of
understanding and practical
skills throughout