English Department - Course Choice S3/S4
The Standard Grade course in English is designed for pupils of all abilities. The course continues through S3 and S4 and at the end of S4 pupils are assessed in three modes of language: reading, writing and talking. Some pupils in S3 will be in a fast track class to sit the final exam in S3. Some other pupils will sit Access 3 one year ahead in S3 also.
The Standard Grade course will be assessed both internally (by the school) and externally (by the Scottish Qualifications Authority - the SQA). Internal assessment at the end of S4 will be based on the course work covered during the two years and retained in the pupil's folder. The external exam at the end of S4 will assess all three modes: reading, writing and talking.
For pupils who usually do well in exams the final exam in S4 gives them the opportunity to achieve their highest grades. Pupils are encouraged to sit their English exam at two levels - Credit & General or General & Foundation - to ensure the best result. The folio of coursework, prepared with teacher support, helps those who find exams difficult to achieve good grades.
No pupil who completes the course work will be left without an award, and most pupils gain a General/Credit award.
The Standard Grade course will be offered in four (or five) classes in S3 and S4, namely Credit/General, General/Credit, General/Foundation, Foundation/General. Pupils are presented at two levels to gain the highest possible grades. Talking and Writing are assessed in a common Foundation/General/Credit test so pupils may gain a credit 1 or 2 in these tests even if they are following a Foundation course.
Homework is S3/4 is used as a first draft for certain folio pieces to be redrafted later as part of the folio presented to the SQA and thus it assumes great importance as part of the assessment of the course.
The Access 3 course is available in S3 and S4. The three units of work which comprise the course are internally assessed. The units consist of: a Language Study, a Literary Study and a Personal Study.
Pathways in S2/3
Those pupils with grade E/F in Reading and Writing would go into a Fast Track Standard Grade class in S3.
Those pupils with grade D in Reading and Writing would go into General/Credit Standard Grade class in S3/4.
Those with lower grades would do Access 3 in S3 and Standard Grade Foundation/General in S4.
Outline of the Course
These are some of the units of work followed in S3 and S4:
The pupils will use past papers for practice in Close Reading and Close Reading 14-16 Language Skills Books.
S3 units:
Kes (drama unit and video)
Short Story Reading
Poetry units
Prejudice (thematic unit)
Across the Barricades
Friedrich / Schlindler's List (film unit)
Frankenstein
Dracula
The Pigman (novel unit)
Holes (novel unit)
"Face" (novel unit)
Johnny and the Dead (drama)
Noughts and Crosses (novel unit)
Tins (novel unit)
Merchant of Venice
Assisi poetry
The Almond Tree
S4 units:
War Unit - Journey's End / The Long, The Short and The Tall / Owen poetry
Macbeth (credit drama unit)
All Quiet on the Western Front (credit novel unit)
An Inspector Calls (drama unit)
Pygmalion (drama unit)
To Kill a Mocking Bird (credit novel unit)
Of Mice and Men (novel unit)
Z for Zachariah (novel unit)
The Lord of the Flies (credit novel unit)
Short Stories - Lamb to the Slaughter
Short Story Writing
The Outsiders
Stone Cold (novel unit)
Scottish Poetry
Gangster Rap (novel unit)
Our Day Out (drama)
Within each unit are activities to encourage the development of skills in the three modes of reading, writing and talking.
Looking Ahead - Future Pathways
Those pupils intending to sit Higher should hope to achieve Credit Grades in S3/4, i.e. Grade 1 or 2. The pathway for those with Grade 3 is Intermediate 2 in S5 and for Grade 4 is Intermediate 1 in S5.
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