English Year 9 | Rye College

What our students will learn in Year 9

In Year 9 students continue to study the literary cannon by moving into the 20th Century. They begin by studying the theme of Conflict through analysing a range of War Poems from WW1, WW2 and more contemporary war poems. This Unit develops students’ appreciation for the poetic form and builds their confidence in independently annotating and analysing a range of poetry. This unit also intends to further their knowledge of poetic techniques and devices, as well as building their contextual knowledge of the 20th Century and how a range of conflicts influenced society and culture. This feeds forward directly to the study 'An Inspector Calls' from the Literature GCSE, which was heavily influenced by both WW1 and WW2, as well as Animal Farm and The Lord of the Flies that will be studied later on in the year. Students then study ‘Animal Farm’ in the style of a GCSE texts, which develops their knowledge of 20th Century history, which feeds directly into the study of the dystopian genre and ‘Lord of the Flies’ the following term, but also ‘An Inspector Calls’ in their Literature GCSE. Students then explore the concept of ‘Civilisation’ through a range of dystopian texts, including extracts from 1984, also by George Orwell, and then concentrate on the study of ‘The Lord of the Flies’ as a GCSE text. This builds upon their knowledge of 20th Century history from studying ‘Animal Farm’ last term and builds towards their contextual knowledge of ‘An Inspector Calls’. Students then study ‘Of Mice and Men’, which will build on previous concepts such as prejudice and discrimination, as well as the concepts of conflict and civilisation, as well as prepare students for the way they study the set texts in their Literature GCSE. This text will help build upon their knowledge of 20th Century context.

Our termly overview

Term	Topic	Content Overview	Vocabulary	Vocabulary
1	Conflict	Who was the poet, what inspired them to write the poem? What are the poet’s intentions? Are they successful? What themes are explored in the poem? What is the effect of the poet’s use of language, form and structure? What comparisons can you make between how conflict is presented in the poems? What were some of the reasons why the voices of the poem’s supported war? What were some of the reasons why the voices of the poems did not support war?	Propaganda Patriotic Jingoistic Satire Sarcasm Massacre Treachery Ghastly Abased Absurd Militant Caesura	Mimesis Enjambment Rhetoric Assertion
2 & 3	Animal Farm	Who was George Orwell? What inspired him to write ‘Animal Farm’? What was the Russian Revolution and who are its key figures? How is ‘Animal Farm’ an allegory for the Russian Revolution? What is the difference between communism, socialism and capitalism? How does Orwell use language, form and structure to present the characters in the novel? What is the effect of Orwell’s use of language, form and structure? What are the key themes of the novel and how are these presented through the characters and events? How is this a Dystopian novel? What is the Dystopian Genre? What are its conventions? What can you remember from last term about George Orwell? What inspired him to write ‘1984’? What similarities and differences can you see in ‘1984’ and ‘Animal Farm’? How does the writer use language, form and structure to present fear and tension? How does the writer use language, form and structure to present the characters and their experiences? How is the text Dystopian? What themes are in the texts? How can you link the society presented in the text to our society today? Who was Margaret Atwood and what inspired her to write ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’? Who Kazuo Ishiguro and what inspired him to write ‘Never Let Me Go’?	Communism Socialism Capitalism Propaganda Dictator Democracy Government Comrade Unity Rebellion Prosperity Enmity Apathy Allegory Descent Abolish Pre-eminent Irrepressible	Totalitarian Surveillance Oppression Interrogation Censorship Fraternise Dehumanise Predicament Endure Apprehension Scrutinise Republic Conservatism Indoctrinate Guardian Privileged Acquiescence Profound Sombre Conjecture Beguile Disconsolate
4	Lord of the flies	Who William Golding? What were his experiences in WW2? How did these experiences inspire him to write the novel? Is he successful in realising these intentions? Who are the main characters in the novel? How are they presented at the start of the novel and how does he use language to do so? Why do you think Golding chooses to present them in this way? How do their characters develop across the novel and how does he use language to do so? How does this link to Golding’s intentions? How is the novel structured? What is the effect of this structure? What examples of symbolism are there in the novel and what is the effect of them? What themes does Golding explore in the novel? How do these themes link to his intentions? Do you think he presents the themes effectively in the novel? Who or what is ‘The Lord of the Flies’? What does it symbolise and how does it link to Christianity? What messages is Golding giving through ‘The Lord of the Flies’? Why do you think he chose this as the title of the novel?	Savage Recrimination Malevolent Mutiny Insurrection Theological Propriety Zoomorphism Symbolism Incredulous Mortification Officious	Contrite Antagonism Rapt Furtive Strident Incantation Ludicrous Blatant Daunting Demented Inimical
5	Of mice and men	What was the Great Depression? Who were Migrant Workers and what were their lives like? What was life like for black people in America in the 1930’s? What was the role of women in the 1930’s and how were they viewed by men? Who was John Steinbeck and what are his intentions in writing Of Mice and Men? Who does Steinbeck use language, form and structure to present the characters in the novel? What are the themes of the novel and how are these presented through the characters and events? How does Steinbeck use techniques such as symbolism and allegory in the novel?	Migrant American Dream Itinerant Discrimination Imperious Pugnacious Transitory Derogatory	Lynch Segregate Tolerant Anguish Impotent Companion Dejected
6	Much ado about nothing	What can you remember about William Shakespeare and the context of Elizabethan society? What was the role and expectation of women in Elizabethan society? How does Shakespeare use language, form and structure to present the characters in the play? How is Beatrice and Benedick’s relationship presented throughout the play? How do Hero and Beatrice differ regarding the way they conform to the typical Shakespearian woman? What are the themes of the play and how does Shakespeare present them through the characters and events? How does Shakespeare present Elizabethan attitudes towards love and relationships? What is the effect of Shakespeare’s use of dramatic irony?	Disparage Witty Turncoat Deception Disposition Coy Covert Atypical Slander Modest	Fidelity Mortify Buffoon Epitaph Amiable Amends Reconciliation Amorous Semblance