The Learning Curve

The students started Year 8 English by studying classical gothic short stories and poetry. This has led us on to study the novel, The Black Book of Secrets by F.E Higgins.

In this book the students have studied interesting characters for example Ludlow Fitch, Horatio Cleaver, and Joe Zabbidou, who buys people’s secrets. They have studied the language and literary techniques, setting and plot. 

Whilst studying this novel, they have written newspaper reports on the arrival of Joe Zabbidou to the village of Pagus Parvus, done some descriptive writing on a place they have visited and writing a confession. In the confession writing, imaginary of course, the students had to use the same style as in the novel. The last piece of writing they did on the novel, before the holidays, was on recipes. Here the students had to make up a recipe for Rat Pie, which I told them not to try at home!

They had to lay out the recipe correctly and use the correct language and form. The students showed very good imaginations when it came to the ingredients they used. You can see some of their recipes in the photos below.

 

Through their work the students have shown a good interest and enjoyment of the book and have learned to use a lot of the skills they have been taught throughout last term and this one.
After we have completed this novel we will be going on to study A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare. Stay tuned!
 

 

Mrs Guy
English/EAL & Geography Teacher