being ambitious or desiring success, linked to status

representing the most perfect or typical example of something

different parts or things being linked or related

suggesting that something bad is going to happen; also threatening and menacing

to become part of a group, country, society or culture

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

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

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

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

'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'

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

Subjects which particular individuals may be sensitive to, eg, adoption, migration, bereavement or death, divorce, poverty, deprivation.

Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

Depiction of war, threats of war, death or the aftermath of war.

Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

In 'Small Island', what event marks the beginning of Act 1 Scene 4 in the play?

In 'Small Island', how does Queenie feel about the suggestion that Bernard may have chosen not to come home after the war?

Fill in the blank. The stage directions in 'Small Island' describe Hortense giving the audience  __________ look.

"You got to have a little faith. When we in charge of Jamaica..."

"I will have a lace tablecloth and fine bone-china teacups."

Match the characters from 'Small Island' to the quotes.

For example, Celia states she will have a "big house"

Specifically, Hortense's "ominous" look reveal her intentions

Elwood represents a cynical attitude towards migration and the 'mother land'

Additionally, Gilbert's experiences in the RAF make him seem even more gullible

Historically, the expectations and realities of warfare are not the same

Which one of these sentences does **not** use a fronted adverbial?

This suggests she will drink a lot of tea

This demonstrates Celia's materialistic characteristics

The items suggest that Celia only wants to travel to become richer

The items are quintessentially British and reveal Celia's aspirations

In 'Small Island', Celia describes the "lace tablecloth and fine bone-china teacups" she will have when she arrives in England, which of these offers the most sophisticated and relevant inference?

In 'Small Island' which character is shot at the end of Act 1 Scene 3?

Which word is used to describe Edmundson's use of Pathe style images at the start of Act 1 scenes 1-6 in 'Small Island'?

Which word beginning with P describes a literary device that evokes feelings of pity or sorrow.

Pathe style news footage of 'The Blitz Spirit'.

On the stage, the auditorium of a cinema in a town in Lincolnshire.

Match the scene to the correct descriptions of setting from 'Small Island'.

"And I will go to an English university".

"Why you wanna go licky-licky to the British?"

"there is a whole world out there where real things are happening."

"In the end it was a tragedy that brought things to a head."

In 'Small Island', Gilbert, Hortense and Queenie all break the fourth wall to the tell the audience their stories. This is an example of what dramatic technique?

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

Lesson outcome

Content guidance