when a country establishes control over another country, exploiting it for economic gain

when you relocate from one country to another

when you make people believe something- a less formal synonym is to brainwash

discrimination and prejudice against people based on their race or ethnicity

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

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 4-6

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

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

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

Historic or outdated representations of people that may portray inequality or injustice.

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

Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

Which word can be defined as "making people believe or accept something without challenge"?

Which word describes the generation that arrived from Caribbean countries between 1948 and 1973?

In 'Small Island', what jobs do Hortense and Gilbert see themselves having in England? 

In 'Small Island' which character says "I cannot be the fool who is left behind again”.

In 'Small Island' which character says: “There’s way more opportunities in England…” and “England is where the future lies”.

To foreground the voices that are often not heard or absent from history

To present the transcripts of interviews she had conducted

When writing 'Small Island', Andrea Levy used the experiences of her parents and other people from the Windrush generation to influence her plot. Why did she do this? 

In 'Small Island', who does Hortense marry at the end of Act 1?

In 'Small Island', which of these characters enlist for the RAF in WWII?

In Act 1 Scene 7 of 'Small Island', who is Queenie reunited with in the house in Earl's court?

Dealing with things in a systematic and realistic way.

Viewing something as perfect even if the reality suggests something different.

Going into something blindly and without consideration.

In 'Small Island', Hortense and Gilbert's decision to marry could be described as **pragmatic**. What does this word mean?

Gilbert is optimistic whereas Elwood is presented as cycnical.

Hortense and Celia both want to go to England.

The relationships presented in Act 1 have different motivations.

Queenie and Hortense do not marry for love.

Which of these sentences uses a comparative conjunction?

"I will have big house with a bell on the front door."

"He prefer to go licky-licky to the British".

Match the character from 'Small Island' to the correct line they say in the play.

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

Lesson outcome

Content guidance