English > Key Stage 3 > Unit 1 Dreadful Tales

Introduction

In this unit students explore a range of short stories looking at how they are shaped and developed by the writer. Initially they explore the openings of stories and analyse the various techniques that writer use to 'hook' the reader and encourage them to read on. They then look at how descriptive language is used to create effective settings, introduce and develop characters and add atmosphere and mood. Recognising the need for a clear structure within a story is also important; from sentences to paragraphs and the overall effect this creates.

Key Framework Objectives

• R6 Adopt active reading approaches to engage with and make sense of texts.
• R7 Identify the main points, processes or ideas in a text and how they are sequenced and developed by a writer.
• R8 Infer and deduce meanings using evidence in the text, identifying where and how meanings are implied.
• R12 Comment, using appropriate terminology on how writers convey setting, character and mood through word choice and sentence structure.
• R14 Recognise how writers’ language choices can enhance meaning.
• WR5 Structure a story with an arresting opening, a developing plot, a complication, a crisis and a satisfying resolution.
• WR6 Portray a character, directly and indirectly through description, dialogue and action.