Narrative, Drama, Poetry · SHS1 English Language

Lesson notes

Learning Objectives

Indicator: 1.5.1.LI.2 - Use language to describe characters in movies, narratives and play scripts to make meaning.

By the end of the lesson, learners can:

Identify the specific words and phrases a writer or director uses to describe a character in a narrative, movie or play script.
Explain how word choice (diction) reveals a character’s personality, emotions, background and role in the story.
Use appropriate descriptive language to portray a character in a short original narrative or play extract, avoiding sexist and stereotypical terms.
Analyse an extract and justify how the language used helps the audience or reader make meaning about a character.
Compare the language used to describe two different characters in the same text and discuss the effect of those differences.

This lesson builds on Week 15, where learners identified the genres of literature. It focuses on the language used to portray characters, which prepares learners for Week 17, where they will create monologues and dialogues.

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Curriculum details

Strand: Literature (Strand 5)
Sub-strand: Narrative, Drama, Poetry (5.1)
Content standard: 1.5.1.CS.1 - Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of how language of literary genres facilitates understanding of a text. 1.5.1.LO.1 Explore the meaning of literature 1.5.1.LO.2 Employ language to analyse a text for its meaning. 1.5.1.LO.3 Employ monologues and dialogues in texts. 1.5.1.LO.4 Traces the sequence of events in texts. 1.5.1.LO.5 Explore different themes in African poems.
Indicator: 1.5.1.LI.2 - Use language to describe characters in movies, narratives and play scripts to make meaning.
Suggested placement: Semester 2, Week 16 (Week 36 of the year)
Our suggestion, laid out in curriculum order across three terms of twelve weeks. NaCCA does not fix the week, so follow your school's scheme of learning.
Source document note: The official curriculum document has a fault in this entry, so the curriculum text above is transcribed exactly as printed:

sub strand name - p.94: the three genres are listed in a different order each year - "NARRATIVE, DRAMA, POETRY" on printed p.87, "POETRY, NARRATIVE AND DRAMA" on printed p.156 and "NARRATIVE, POETRY AND DRAMA" on printed p.213 - against "Narrative, Drama, Poetry" in the scope-and-sequence. Transcribed as each page prints it
Curriculum reference: NaCCA curriculum document, p. 94

Exemplars (from the NaCCA curriculum)

Experiential Learning: In mixed ability groupings, learners brainstorm general knowledge in Literature. Learners go through interactive activities (e.g., watching a movie, learners' own stories, role-play, dramatisation etc.) ensuring collaboration to discuss how the roles of characters help to make meaning.
Task-Based Learning:
- Using an extract from a text, learners in mixed groups identify how the writer uses language to portray characters in a narrative.
- In groups, learners compose short stories using appropriate language devoid of sexiest terms to describe characters in a narrative.
- Learners in their convenient groups, use extract from a text to analyse how a writer uses language to portray characters in a play.
- In a convenient group, learners collaboratively create varied sentence forms or styles to describe or convey characters in a play.
Teaching and Learning Resources:
- Internet
- Dictionaries
- Texts
- Motifs (designs or images that have symbolic meaning used for effect. E.g., broom, mirror, chair) Books, Television, laptops, etc.
- Level appropriate texts
- Sentence cards
- Play scripts by learners
- Props (objects used on stage or screen by actors during a performance. It also refers to anything movable or portable on a stage or a set) distinct from the actors, scenery, electrical equipment and costume.
- Level appropriate texts
- Student made scripts
- Play scripts
- Movies
- Level appropriate literary text
- Student-made stories
- Different selected African poems
- Students-made poems
Assessment (1.5.1.AS.2). The document marks these depth-of-knowledge levels for this indicator: Level 3 Strategic reasoning; Level 4 Extended critical thinking and reasoning.