a supernatural spirit with magical powers

stories that are passed down from generation to generation by word of mouth

a person who is able to communicate the will of God

a main story that surrounds shorter stories

Hanan Al-Shaykh's ‘The Fisherman and the Jinni’: understanding the story

English

Bruegel's Landscape with the Fall of Icarus: how the myth inspired the painting

Exploring William Carlos Williams’s poem ‘Landscape with the fall of Icarus’

Exploring W.H. Auden's poem 'Musée des Beaux Arts'

Exploring William Carlos Williams's poem 'The Hunters in the Snow'

Exploring Walter de la Mare's poem 'Brueghel's Winter'

Comparing poems: 'Brueghel's Winter' and 'The Hunters in the Snow'

Alfred, Lord Tennyson's 'The Lady of Shalott': understanding the ballad

Symbolism in Alfred, Lord Tennyson's ‘The Lady of Shalott’

Exploring enjambment in Alfred, Lord Tennyson's ‘The Lady of Shalott’

Descriptive writing using Lord Tennyson's 'The Lady of Shalott' as stimulus

Effective sensory language using ‘The Execution of Lady Jane Grey’ as stimulus

Third person omniscient writing: ‘The Execution of Lady Jane Grey’ as stimulus

Writing a full descriptive piece: ‘The Execution of Lady Jane Grey' as stimulus

Reviewing and refining descriptive writing: alliteration, plosives and sibilance

Natasha Bowen's ‘Skin of the Sea’: understanding the extract

Writing inspired by ‘Skin of the Sea’: varying sentence types to create rhythm

Use of flashback in Natasha Bowen's 'Skin of the Sea'

Geoffrey Chaucer's ‘The Canterbury Tales’: compelling characterisation

Creating convincing characters using ‘The Canterbury Tales’ as stimulus

Pat Barker's 'The Silence of the Girls': understanding the extract

Madeline Miller's 'The Song of Achilles': understanding the extract

Comparative paragraphs: 'The Silence of the Girls' and 'The Song of Achilles'

Exploring the theme of power in Hanan Al-Shaykh's ‘One Thousand and One Nights’

The five part narrative structure

Planning a narrative using the five part narrative structure

Writing a full narrative piece using the five part narrative structure

Improving and proofreading a piece of narrative writing

In 'Myths and Legends Re-Told', pupils explore how they can alter traditional stories to convey modern ideas and morals. In 'Animal Farm: the Pigs and Power', pupils learn about Orwell's allegory and understand how he uses an apparently simple fairy story to convey a political message. 

In 'Step Into the Unknown', pupils look at the ways in which famous children's writers create convincing settings, particularly through descriptions of windows and doors. In 'Myths and Legends Re-Told', pupils take inspiration from the ways in which writers and poets use powerful imagery and symbolism, to inspire their own writing. 

In this unit, pupils read and explore a range of text types in connection to classical myths and legends. They first look at poetry before doing some descriptive writing inspired by poetry and paintings. They then explore Chaucer and modern retellings of myths to inspire their narrative writing.

Myths, legends and stories that inspire

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

Depiction or discussion of sexual or domestic abuse or violence, including  threats of or the aftermath of.

Depiction or discussion of sexual violence

Depiction or discussion of sex or sexual body parts, including sex education.

Depiction or discussion of sexual content

In 'One Thousand and One Nights', why does Shahrazad tell stories night after night? ('Myths, legends and stories that inspire') 

In 'One Thousand and One Nights', which story is the example of the frame story? ('Myths, legends and stories that inspire')

King Shahrayar orders his courtiers to tell him the stories.

What is true of 'One Thousand and One Nights'? ('Myths, legends and stories that inspire')

A {{ }} is a device whereby a main story surrounds shorter stories ('Myths, legends and stories that inspire').

Match each character from 'One Thousand and One Nights' to what we find out about them ('Myths, legends and stories that inspire').

The fisherman finds a jinni and releases him from his jar.

The jinni threatens to kill the fisherman.

The fisherman tricks the jinni into returning to the jar.

The jinni considers the lesson of the story.

The jinni rewards the fisherman with jewels.

Starting with the first, put the plot points from 'The Fisherman and the Jinni' ('Myths, legends and stories that inspire') in chronological order.

stories about how the world was made, and what it is like

a traditional story, often focused on fictional historical characters

a story which has a moral, often with characters who are animals

a story that is passed on via word of mouth through generations

Match each text type to its definition ('Myths, legends and stories that inspire').

If we describe someone as sage, what are we saying about them? ('Myths, legends and stories that inspire')

The game wasn't intrigue to me, and I didn't want play it again.

I couldn't put the book down because the story was so intriguing.

I nearly fell asleep during the film because it was so intriguing.

I ran up and down the street, intriguing all the way.

I loved every lesson because there were always intriguing problems to solve.

Which sentences use the word 'intrigue' (or a form of it) correctly? ('Myths, legends and stories that inspire').

I hadn't done my homework so I tried to evade my teacher.

I couldn't wait to see my friends and made sure to evade them at the cinema.

I jumped over the fence evadingly, making sure everyone saw.

I kept nice and quiet hoping to evade attention.

Which sentences use the word 'evade' (or a form of it) correctly? ('Myths, legends and stories that inspire')

If we describe someone as a formidable storyteller, what are we saying about them? ('Myths, legends and stories that inspire')

A {{ }} is an exciting end to a story which leaves the audience wanting to know what happens next. ('Myths, legends and stories that inspire')

Starter Quiz