a literary device that evokes feelings of pity or sorrow

total lack of purpose or feeling that something is pointless or useless

laws in the United States from the 19th and 20th centuries that enforced racial segregation

'Small Island': reading the end of Act 1 Scene 3

English

Exploring 'Small Island' and the Windrush context

Helen Edmundson on adapting 'Small Island' for the stage

'Small Island': from page to stage

'Small Island': reading the start of Act 1 Scene 1

'Small Island': exploring the theme of power through Little Hortense

'Small Island': tracking the events of Act 1 Scene 1

'Small Island': the significance of the hurricane

Watching and discussing 'Small Island' Act 1 Scene 1 with director Rufus Norris

'Small Island': reading Act 1 Scene 2

Watching and discussing 'Small Island' Act 1 Scene 2 with director Rufus Norris

'Small Island': reading the beginning of Act 1 Scene 3

Watching 'Small Island' Act 1 Scene 3 with Rufus Norris and Helen Edmundson

'Small Island': reading Act 1, Scenes 4-6

'Small Island': reading Act 1, Scenes 7 and 8

Watching and discussing 'Small Island' Act 1 Scenes 4-8 with Rufus Norris

'Small Island': exploring Act 1 through the context of Windrush

Exploring and evaluating the importance of Act 1

'Small Island': reading Act 2, Scene 1

Watching and discussing 'Small Island' Act 2 Scene 1 with Helen Edmundson

'Small Island': reading Act 2, Scenes 2 to 4

'Small Island': reading Act 2, Scenes 5 to 6

Watching and discussing 'Small Island' Act 2 Scenes 2 to 6 with Rufus Norris

'Small Island': reading Act 2, Scenes 7 and 8

'Small Island': reading Act 2, Scenes 9 to 11

Watching 'Small Island' Act 2 Scenes 7-11 with Rufus Norris and Helen Edmundson

Rufus Norris on directing and adapting 'Small Island'

Tracking characters and tension in 'Small Island'

Helen Edmundson on the context, characters and themes of 'Small Island'

Understanding questions and writing thesis statements on ‘Small Island’

'Small Island': creating topic sentences and using quotes in essays

Essay writing: using context in responses to ‘Small Island’

Introductions and conclusions in a 'Small Island' essay

Planning and writing a 'Small Island' essay

Refining and improving an essay on 'Small Island'

In 'Small Island', pupils explore the ways in which transferring Levy's novel onto the stage enables both the playwright and the director to powerfully evoke its ideas about race, identity and belonging. In 'Leave Taking', pupils build on their learning about the Windrush Generation to explore the cultural and generational conflicts, that can arise as a result of migration. 

In 'The Tempest', pupils examine the roles of Caliban and Ariel and how they are treated as outsiders, questioning who has a rightful claim to the island. In 'Small Island', pupils look at the play in the context of the Windrush generation and through the lens of key themes, including identity and belonging.  

In this unit, pupils explore the playtext adaptation of Andrea Levy's novel 'Small Island'. They first explore the transition from novel to stage, before reading the playtext in full and exploring key scenes in detail. They then plan and write an essay on the theme of 'hope' in the text.

'Small Island'

Expressions that are regarded as coarse or otherwise unacceptable, including swear words and rude words.

Discriminatory behaviour or images, whether on the grounds of race, gender, disability, religion or belief or sexual orientation, or otherwise.

Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour

Historic or outdated representations of people that may portray inequality or injustice.

Lack of purpose or feeling of pointlessness.

The appeal to an audience's emotions of pity or sorrow.

What does the use of the term 'pathos' refer to?

How does Gilbert perceive Arthur's gaze in Act 1 Scene 3 of 'Small Island'?

He accidentally gets hit by one of the G.I.s

A G.I shoots him as he tries to run away.

Gilbert throws him to the floor to try and protect him.

Complete this quote from 'Small Island'. Gilbert: "How come they know nothing about their own__________?"

In 'Small Island', Gilbert breaks the fourth wall to the tell the audience about his experiences enlisting in the RAF. This is an example of what dramatic technique?

This shows how most people are willing to get involved in a fight.

This portrays that lots of people have discriminatory attitudes.

This represents how racism is damaging to all in society.

This reveals the violence inherent in humans.

In 'Small Island' Act 1 Scene 3, multiple characters are involved in the cinema incident. Which of these offers the most sophisticated and relevant inference?

Who is the character of Arthur in 'Small Island"?

In 'Small Island' Act 1 Scene 2, Bernard explains that his father was in the 'Great War' and suffers from what?

In 'Small Island' which **three** characters enlist in the RAF?

A chaotic, violent argument in a London street.

A wild, foreboding hurricane in a Jamaican town.

A vicious, chaotic fist fight in a cinema.

A loud, terrifying air raid over Earl's Court.

In 'Small Island' what dramatic event is being described at the start of Act 1 Scene 3?

Who is the character that expresses cynicism and challenges the idea of the 'mother country' in the play 'Small Island'?

He supports the idea of collective identity.

He challenges the myth of a united colonial identity.

He promotes the British Empire's ideologies.

How does Elwood's view of the war contribute to the broader themes of colonialism in 'Small Island'?

'Small Island': reading the end of Act 1 Scene 3

Lesson outcome

Content guidance