COURSE OUTLINE COMMONWEALTH SECONDARY SCHOOL DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE SECONDARY 3 NORMAL ACADEMIC ENGLISH LITERATURE COURSE OUTLINE 2018 Term/Wk Topic Assessments/Tests Wk 2 Wk 3 Intertextuality Introduction to Myths, Legends, and Stories Daedalus & Icarus" from Ovid's Metamorphosis & "Landscape with the Fall of Icarus" by Brueghel Areas of study: o Points of View - "Musee des Beaux Arts" by W.H. Auden o Perspectives - "Letter from Home" by Grace Chua Relationship between Nature and Friendship Explore how poems about nature comment on the interrelationship of life. o Daffodils by William Wordsworth o "The New, Fast, Automatic Daffodils" by Adrian Henri o "Poetical Neighbour" by John Hawkhead o "Reading Wordsworth" by Eddie Tay CA1: Poetry Assignment 1 (50%) Gain more insights about life through nature o Poison Tree by William Blake Wk 4 Wk 5 Appearance VS Reality How do literary works serve as metaphor for human experience? o "Siren Song" by Margaret Atwood How is irony and its effects affect the reader? o Sonnet 130 by William Shakespeare Culture and Identity What is a Singaporean identity a sum of? o You Have Two Voices by Nancy Prasad o Festival by Kenneth Wee Introduction to the conflict between Americans and the African Americans - How does the poet s choice of language make the poem s voice strong? o I, too by Langston Hughes Wk 6 War What attitudes and impressions do we have about war? What are the techniques used to convey messages about war? o Dulce Et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen o Charge of the Light Brigade by Alfred Tennyson Technology CA1: In-class Poetry
Wk 7 Has technology made our lives better or worse? o The Robots are Coming by Kyle Dargan o Ren e Descartes and the Clockwork Girl by Kathryn Nuernberger Test (50%) Wk 8 Wk 9 Wk 10 Wk 1 Wk 2 Wk 3 Wk 4 Introduction to Playwriting and Contextualisation of Off Centre by Haresh Sharma Impressions of Act 1 Scenes 1 and 2 Characterisation of Saloma and Vinod (Act 1 Scene 3) What is a person s centre? Auditory and visual effects of Vinod s actions Characterisation of Saloma and Vinod (Act 1 Scenes 3 and 4) Compare and contrast the two characters in various ways Explain the dramatic technique of breaking the fourth wall Explore the theme of social discrimination Break Characterisation of Saloma and Vinod (Act 1 Scenes 3 and 4) Compare and contrast the two characters attitudes towards religion. Discuss the symbolism of the bird and statue Discuss the significance of music and sound Characterisation of Saloma s mother (Act 1 Scene 4) Impressions of Saloma s mother Relationship between Saloma and her mother Characterisation of Charlie, Denise and Vinod (Act 2 Scene 1) Impressions of Singapore s education system Compare and contrast the behaviour of Charlie and Denise Vinod s experiences of education and his attitude towards it Characterisation of Emily (Act 2 Scene 2) Understanding the purpose of halfway houses in Singapore Ways that Emily challenges our assumptions about mental illness Writer s style (Act 2 Scene 3) Explore how dramatic techniques contribute to the mood and atmosphere Relationships between characters (Act 2 Scenes 3 and 4) Describe and compare how Vinod s and Saloma s relationship has developed since the beginning of the play. Describe the characterisation of Mr. Razali. Compare Vinod and Saloma s relationship with Mr. Razali and their own relationship with each of their parents. CA2: Poetry AA (50%) CA2: Off Centre PBQ Test (25%)
Wk 5 Wk 6 8 Revision for Mid-year Examinations (MYE) MYE Wk 9 10 Post-exam activities MYE Review Break Wk 1 Exploring the Theme of Mental Illness and Social Discrimination (Act 3 Scenes 1, 2 and 3) Identify the character traits of Sergeant Mok and the Platoon Commander Contrast the two characters and the influence that they have on Vinod Make connections between the character analyses and the overall theme of mental illness Characterisation of Azman Trace and analyse how the character of Azman is used in the play, by examining his appearances throughout Analyse the relationship between Azman and Saloma Analyse the significance of the ensemble of characters in Scene 3, in relation to the theme of mental illness Wk 2 Wk 3 Wk 4 Wk 5 Act 4 Scenes 1, 2 and 3 Characterisation Development of Emily s character Plot review Development of the relationship between Saloma and Vinod Act 5 Scene 1 Writer s style, setting and atmosphere Discuss about the reasons behind and the effects of audience interaction in this drama. Revisit and explain the dramatic technique of breaking the fourth wall and support explanation with some easily relatable examples. Revisit effects of changes in settings and their effect on atmosphere and mood Act 5 Scenes 2 and 3 Characterisation Development of the relationship between Saloma and her mother Development of the relationship between Saloma and Vinod Act 5 Scenes 4 and 5 Theme, Characterisation and writer s Style Theme of education from Vinod s point of view CA2: Off Centre Essay Test (25%)
Theme of social discrimination Wk 6 Wk 7 Wk 8 Wk 9 Revision and Consolidation Theme Revisit impressions of mental illness in Singapore Explore the ways in which issues and concerns of the play are universal and relevant to all readers and audiences What is considered to be centre or mainstream in terms of: o the way young Singaporeans are expected to live o parents expectations of their children o normal social behaviour Revision and Consolidation Plot and Structure Explore the effects of the changes in setting Discuss the non-linear and episodic nature of the play o Explore the effect of these structural choices on the way the audience experiences the play Writer s style o Explore the ways in which the writer manipulates the dramatic tension and conflict in the last three scenes of the play Revision and Consolidation Main Characters Explore the similarities and differences in character traits between Saloma and Vinod Trace the way the characters develop over the course of the play Consider the way the relationship of Vinod and Saloma is established and developed during the play Discuss what Act 5 Scene 2 communicate about the characters and the crisis in their relationship Revision and Consolidation Other Characters Characterisation of Saloma s mother o Explore the problems in the relationship between Saloma and her mother o Explore the mother s feelings of the stigma of Saloma s illness as she tries to live a normal life Vinod s parents o Explore the nature of Vinod s relationship with his parents and what it reveals about parental and societal expectations Emily o Explore Emily s death and its impact on the audience o Discuss how Emily s death ties in with the themes of the play Other characters o Explore the effect they have on Saloma and Vinod and
o their mental health Discuss their function in the play Wk 10 Revision for End-of-Year Examination Break Term 4 Wk 1 Term 4 Wk 2-4 Revision for End-of-Year Examination End-of-Year Examinations SA2 REFERENCES (wherever applicable) Basic text: (texts included in the booklist) Other references: (can include extra reading they subscribe to) ASSESSMENT (i) Components of Assessment CA1 SA1 CA2 SA2 (10%) (25%) (20%) (45%) Class Test & Graded Assignment Mid-Year Examination Class Test & Graded Assignment Alternative Assessment End-of-Year Examination 10% 25% 10% 10% 45% (ii) Details of Assessment SEMESTER 1 ASSESSMENT PLAN (graded items) Time Assessment Weightage Week 2 Week 7 Poetry Assignment 50% Poetry In-class Test 50% Weeks 6 8 MYE SA1
SEMESTER 2 ASSESSMENT PLAN (graded items) Time Assessment Weightage Week 8 Week 3 Week 5 Poetry AA 50% Off Centre PBQ Test 25% Off Centre Essay Test 25% Term 4 Weeks 1-4 End-of-Year Examination SA2 Teacher: Mr Aidil Noor (Staff Rm Ext: 157) aidil.noor@commonwealthsec.moe.edu.sg