Year 8 English

READING TASKS

His Dark Materials Trilogy

Read His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman

His Dark Materials is a trilogy of fantasy novels by Philip Pullman consisting of Northern Lights, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass. It follows the coming of age of two children, Lyra Belacqua and Will Parry, as they wander through a series of parallel universes

The Fault in our Stars

Read the Fault in our Stars by John Green

Insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our Stars brilliantly explores the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love.

Hunger Games

Read the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to death before - and survival, for her, is second nature. Still, if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

Animal Farm

Read this article on Animal Farm

My Sister Lives on the Mantlepiece

Read the novel My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece by Annabel Pitcher (available in the LRC) considering links to Boys Don’t Cry.

Dystopian novels

Read a dystopian novel that looks appealing and think about how it is dystopian. You can find some recommendations here.

LISTENING TASKS

Dystopian literature podcasts

Listen to one of these podcasts on dystopian literature:

• Animal Farm
• Dystopian Fiction
• The Guardian on The Future

WATCHING TASKS

Romeo and Juliet

Watch a performance of Romeo & Juliet on Digital Theatre + and explore the resources they offer to enrich your understanding of the play

Animal Farm

Watch the film adaptation of Animal Farm and write a summary of how it is different to the book.

RESEARCH TASKS

William Shakespeare

Research William Shakespeare here and make an A4 fact file/information poster about him. Be as creative as possible.

TRIPS AND VISITS

Shakespeare's Globe

Visit Shakespeare’s Globe for an informative and exciting Shakespeare experience. Information here.

CREATIVE TASKS

Boys Don't Cry

Imagine the novel Boys Don’t Cry is going to be turned into a movie.

Create an advert for the movie.

Romeo and Juliet

Imagine you are attending the same masquerade ball as Romeo and Juliet.

Create a mask that you would wear to it.

STUDENT LED TASKS

Boys Don't Cry

Find an article which explores/discusses one of the following key themes:

• Mental health
• University education
• LGBT+ rights