This KS3 critical writing lesson starts with a clip from 2009 post-apocalyptic film The Road, linked to the theme of Lord of the Flies as a dystopian novel. Literary texts can be a powerful inspiration for students’ own writing.
Opening the lesson with an engaging clip or visual image related to the learning is a great way into the gateway of a child’s imagination.
Analysing language
Pupils often struggle with the concept of ‘analysing language’ or pinning down the elusive ‘effect of the word or phrase’. By teaching students to write critically, actively choosing the words they employ, we begin to demystify this term.
Writing creatively on a theme linked to a text is a motivational and exciting prospect for teachers and students alike. We must give students opportunities to be creative and to realise that their writing has real value.
If pupils can write for themselves, and have their written words valued and respected, then they can start to begin the process of evaluating other texts.
Starter activity
Screen a melancholic clip from film The Road (with or without sound) as an introduction to writing a descriptive piece about a dystopian vision of the world. This allows students to think about what this really means.
Ask pupils to write down keywords and/or sentences from the clip. Feed back through class discussion about how the film creates a dystopian world. Which words would students use to do this in their own writing? This is instead of writing down the keyword ‘dystopia’ and its definition, which does not support deep learning.
Laura McGlashan is acting deputy head for teaching and learning at Burnt Mill Academy.
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