English Year 7 | Rye College

What our students will learn in Year 7

In Year 7 our curriculum lays the foundation of the knowledge needed to understand how subsequent texts were influenced by the very early literary movements of the Literary Canon. Students begin by exploring the concept of ‘Quests’ through a variety of myths and legends, which lays the foundation of narrative structure, genre and character archetypes. Students study Beowulf then move on to exploring the concept of the ‘Seven Deadly Sins’. This begins by students gaining knowledge of the key stories of the Bible, which enable them to have the knowledge to see how the subsequent authors they study, such as Dickens and Priestley, were influenced by the stories of the Bible. Students then finally are introduced to the Renaissance period thorough studying Spenser’s The Fairy Queen and then have and introduction to Shakespeare, before reading the whole of Macbeth. This introduces students to Shakespearian language, Elizabethan culture and the types of stories and characters Shakespeare chose to write about. This prepares them for the study of Romeo and Juliet in their GCSE English Literature exam. Macbeth will consolidate the concepts students have studied throughout Year 7, by exploring Macbeth’s quest for power, the influence of the mythological creatures of the witches, as exploring the Christian virtues and concepts of evil. Macbeth also links thematically and conceptually to the study of The Crucible at the start of Year 8.

Our termly overview

Term	Topic	Content Overview	Vocabulary	Vocabulary
1 & 2	Myths and Legends	What is the difference between a myth, legend, parable and fable? What were the names of some of the main Gods and Goddesses in Greek, Roman and Norse Mythology? Who was Homer in Greek Mythology and why is he so significant? In what ways are Odysseus and Beowulf Epic Heroes? How was Rome governed as a society? Who were Romulus and Remus and how did they influence in Rome? What are the different Roman Stock Characters? What was the legal system used in Viking society? What was the role of Viking women in their culture and society? How significant do you think Shield Maidens were to Viking Society? How does Beowulf compare to the other Epic Heroes you have studied? How are Grendel and his mother presented? What is an Ekphrastic poem and what are the poet’s intentions in ‘Not My Best Side?’ Who was John Keats and what is Romanticism?	Myth Legend Fable Parable Worship Protagonist Antagonist Vengeance Duplicitous Epic Hero Resilience Archetype Patrician Plebeian Republic Legality Versatile Outlaw Strategic Honourable Significance Conventional Abhorred Legendary	Conceited Braggart Arrogant Nobility Courageous Gallantry Ekphrastic Vainglorious Subvert
3	Bible Studies	What is the story of ‘The Garden of Eden’? Who were Adam and Eve and what is ‘Original Sin’? How might this link to the treatment and view of women? Why is sacrifice an important concept in the Bible? Who was Moses and what were the 10 Commandments? How have these helped shape the laws and rules of subsequent societies? What is the Holy Trinity? What is the story of the Nativity?	Advantageous Prejudice Supercilious Affability Munifence Impropriety Inferiority Philanderer Indecorous Debauchery Licentious	Obstinate Infamous Insufferable Hysteria Cacophony Euphony Physician Psychosis Infantilised Paranoia Derision
4	Chaucer	What is Middle English and how did it develop from Old English? Who was Chaucer and why is he such a significant literary figure? What was life like in Britain in The Middle Ages? What is a ‘pilgrimage’? Why was religion so important to people in The Middle Ages? How does Chaucer use language, form and structure to present the Pilgrims in their portraits and tales? What themes does Chaucer explore in ‘The Canterbury Tales’? What are the ‘Seven Deadly Sins’ and how does Chaucer present them in ‘The Canterbury Tales’? What similarities and differences are there between the Millar and the Wife of Bath? What is ‘satire’ and how does Chaucer use it in his portraits of the Pilgrims?	Wrath Gluttony Greed (avarice) Sloth Lust Envy (jealousy) Pride Virtues Chivalry Chivalric	Fealty Courtly Piety Pious Secular Honesty Temperate Humility Benevolent
5 & 6	The Renaissance	Who was Edmund Spenser and why did he write ‘The Faerie Queen’? How does Spenser use language to present Brittonmart? How is she presented as an allegory of Queen Elizabeth I? How has language changed from Old English, to Middle English to Modern English? Who was William Shakespeare and what influenced and inspired his writing? What was life like in Elizabethan society? Who was James I and how was he involved in the hunt for witches? How does Shakespeare use language, form and structure to present the characters in Macbeth? What are the themes of play and how are these presented through characters and events? How does Shakespeare present the relationship between Lord and Lady Macbeth in the play? How does Macbeth’s character develop throughout the play?	Monarch Homage Chastity Fortitude Pertinent Iniquity Dialect Disreputable Reconstruction Acclaim Superstition Valliant Occult Irony Duplicitous Transgression Patriarchal Manipulative Undaunted Subvert	Damnation Distraught Bloodlust Submissive Dominant Delusion Anecdote Hyperbole Vanquished Diminutive Traitor Vice Descent Tyrant Culpability