Reading
Researching into issues of asylum
Online Research Opportunities Research the following organizations: The Red Cross http://www.redcross.org.uk Refugee Action http://www.refugee-action.org.uk Amnesty International https://www.amnesty.org.uk/refugees Government Information https://www.gov.uk/asylum-support/overview Refugee Council https://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/ UN Refugee Agency http://www.unhcr.org/uk/ See National Immigration Facts and Statistics PowerPoint for more information.
Research reading into Writing Using the research from above, write an explanatory text on the issue of immigration. See the planning sheet to help children organize and structure their writing. Title I want to explain why … Firstly … Following on from this … Finally … Conclusion, re-orientate the reader. So now you can see how …
Reading the Play Script Practise reading the script from the play (see Resource Bank). Privately to understand it In a group to perform and understand it
Reading the Play Script Discuss presentation of play scripts. How is the narrative presented in the form of a play? What name do we give to the different ‘chapters’ of a play script? What do you notice about the punctuation the writer has chosen to use in this particular script? Why has he done that? (see note below) Why are the words printed larger than in most books, and on a large sheet? Why are some words in normal font, some in bold, and some in italics? How do the actors know how to deliver the lines? In the script itself punctuation is used to indicate people speaking over each other. For clarity in the slides below, some of this punctuation has been removed)
‘Jam’: Text in Focus In this scene Anna feels resentful at having to share toast with Josip. She says, “You don't belong here." It is a good scene for exploring mixed feelings of sharing and possessiveness. Some of these lines may change in performance. Use this on a white board, or use the word document in the Resource Bank .
‘Jam’: Text in Focus Scene 11 " Jam“ Grandmother puts her bread in the oven to cook. Mr Miah puts his bread in the oven to cook. G'mother: Have another piece of toast Josip, try the cherry jam. Mr Miah exits. Josip: Thank you Grandmother lady. G'mother: Tomorrow I'll make bread from your country Josip, the flat bread, I found a recipe in the library, it won't be the same as your Mother... well, I'll try to make it, do my best to make you feel at home.. . Josip's music is heard. Josip has stopped eating. He is very still. Grandmother looks at him. Anna enters.
‘Jam’: Text in Focus G’mother: Hello Anna. Anna: Can I have some toast please? G’mother: It’s nearly dinner time … Anna: But Josip’s having some … G’mother: Just a small piece then … Anna: That’s not fair, he’s taken the last two cherries, there’s only runny stuff left. Josip: Sorry Anna, I have enough now … G’mother: I can make some more tomorrow. Anna: That’s not fair … Josip: Have some mine … Anna: No thanks, it’s got your spit on it … Josip: I cut off for you, is plenty for both … Anna: I don’t want your spitty toast Josip … G’mother: Anna! Anna: It’s not hygienic … Josip: Why you stroppy Anna?
‘Jam’: Text in Focus Anna: It’s not hygienic, it’s not clean, it’s got germs on it, I don’t want toast with someone else’s germs on it … Josip: I go back to Mr Miah’s time easy if you no want me, I go back now Grandmother … Anna: But … G’mother: We want you to stay with Mr Miah, and we want you to visit us through the mirror whenever you like … Josip: I know you friends in magic time, you bin good friend, I know Mr Miah look after me in real time … Anna: This is real time smarty pants, you’re the future ghost, we’re real… Josip: I no argue with you smart panties, I know I real, no ghost, you … stabbing, stabbing person … Anna: “ Stabbing?”, “Stabbing!” Ha! G’mother: I think Josip, you are describing my grand-daughter as being “stubborn”. Anna: Who’s side are you on Grandma? G’mother: I’m not on anybody’s side … Anna: Anyone would think he belongs here not me, you don’t know how to make Story bread do you, so you don’t belong here … G’mother: Anna! Josip: I can learn quick make story bread, I show you. I also making Spice bread with Mr Miah, same place, same cooker stupid pants.
‘Jam’: Text in Focus Anna: Stupid yourself … G’mother: Anna, stop it now … Anna: Why … G’mother: Because I … Anna I don't want to stop, you can't make me stop, I'm not a baby, and you're not my parents... G'mother: Do you want to talk about it... Anna: No I don't want to talk about it, you always want to "talk about it", but we don't just "talk about it" you just tell me what to do, if I say anything you just tell me to be quiet, this is my home and I don't want to share it with anyone else, I don't want a stupid boy from nowhere in here messing up my things and spoiling them, and then I get the blame for the mess ... G’mother: No you don't... Anna: Yes I do, it's always like that, you tell me to behave like an adult, but you don't treat me like an adult, you treat me like a baby... Josip: I'm sorry I in your way Anna, I go now Gran 'm a.. . G’mother: You're not in her way... Anna: She’s not your “Gran’ma”, she’s not your Grandma …
‘Jam’: Text in Focus G'mother: Anna … Anna: You’ve stolen my Grandma you nasty foreign boy … G’mother: Anna that’s enough … Anna: No … G’mother: Will you let me speak … Anna: No you let me speak, I hate you, both of you … G’mother: Stop it … Anna: No you stop it … Josip: Please, stop … G’mother: Don’t interfere Josip, we have to sort this out … Josip: Please both you two … Anna: I’m going … I’m going … look I’m going. She goes. G’mother: Anna … Anna … stay here … Anna bangs on the “wall”. Anna appears to come through the wall just like the others before.
‘Jam’: Text in Focus Anna: And now I'm coming back, there, see, you both think you're so special because you got kicked out from some where else, because you had a hard time and lost your parents, you think I've got to be nice to you both because you've had a hard time, but I don't, this is my place my place... She goes. Sound of aircraft landing as before. Grandmother is very still. Josip appears to come through the wall as if he has just arrived. The sound of harsh voices, as before . Josip: I am the boy from nowhere.. Anna returns . The sound of the window breaking, as before, repeatedly. G'mother: Anna! ... Anna goes to the oven, opens it, burns herself, appears to tip the bread out on the floor. G'mother: (Picking it up) Stop that you ungrateful child... Anna: What for, I didn't ask to be your granddaughter, I didn't ask to be here, nobody asked me, I didn't want my parents to dump me here with you and your horrid grey hair and stupid precious Story bread… G'mother: That's enough, now! ... Josip: Please, odvitze nam, vitze, please.. Anna... G’mother: No... Mr Miah enters and goes straight to the mirror. Josip: Please both you two …
‘Jam’: Text in Focus Mr Miah removes his medal from the box and pins it on himself. Josip: I fank you for letting me be here. I know is difficult. Please, I not bein' rude, please, I fank you, but I did not want to come 'ere. I did not want to come 'ere vis country. I wanta be in my 'ome an ' appy. I not come from "nowhere "... Is sad, my joke, I try to forget where I come from, the badness, I try to forget the music of my farver and the cooking of my muvver, if I 'ear the music I cry, if I smell the food I cry but my 'eart still is there I leave everything behind, I bring nuffingk, I shamed I bring nutting to give, but I 'ad to come, there nowhere else to go, so I do best I can to be not 'ere, invisible, not make trouble, but I cannot go back, if I go back I swallowed up by grey cold cloud, it squeeze ny life away, it choke me like it choke my family, if I not wanted here I go other place, I don't know where... Anna exits. Josip repeals last 5 lines of the speech in his own language. He sings.
Jam Discussion What about me? Now that you have read through "Jam ", think and talk about these questions . Use as many or as few of the questions as you find useful. Come up with more of your own. You could discuss them all together, and draw a big "map" of the characters in the scene, how they are feeling, and what else you know about them. If you were Anna, how would you feel? If you were Grandma, how would you feel about Josip? And how would you feel about Anna? If you were Josip, how would you feel? If you were Josip, where would you want to stay? If you were Mr Miah, how would you be feeling? What do Josip, Grandma, Mr Miah and Anna each bring with them to share? How would their lives be different if they did not know each other? Are there any ghosts in this scene?
(See also Home and belonging in PSHE) Jam Discussion What about me? (See also Home and belonging in PSHE) Altogether, or in smaller groups of 4 or 5, think and talk about these questions: Where is your home? What makes somewhere feel like home? Could that change? How? How would that feel? What do you think makes you belong somewhere? Can you belong to more than one person or place at the same time? Can someone else decide where you belong? Who? Where do you belong? Who do you like to be with most of all in the world? How would you feel if they met someone that they really liked to be with? What could you all do so that no one felt left out?
‘Jam’ continued … Drawing and writing Home and belonging Draw a picture of the place you like best of all. Put the people you like best of all in the picture too. Write underneath how you would feel if you were there right now. You can write a poem or just some words.
‘Jam’ continued … Role play Anna and her friends In pairs, role play Anna and her best friend. Anna is telling her friend about Josip. What is she saying? Why did she shout at everybody? What does her friend say? Swap roles. Some (or all) can take it in turns to show the rest of the class the acting. All together, brainstorm some ideas on what Anna and Josip could do so that neither of them feel hurt or sad .