Opening Worlds KS4

Sample GCSE (Unit 2) Questions Compare the presentation of poverty and its effects in two short stories of your choice. Compare and contrast different examples of parenting in two short stories of your choice Many of the main characters are isolated from society in some way. With reference to two of your choice, explain why this happens, and how they respond. What do they ALL ask you to do?

Planning to Respond They all ask you to select TWO stories They ask you about a common theme that links the stories (see folder!) They ask you to make comparisons. They EXPECT you to refer to the text and comment on language used by the authors But how do we get our marks?

GCSE Exam Task

Paired Task Simplify the mark scheme in pairs. What do the examiners want you to do to get marks? You will have 5 minutes before we feed back to the class

Succeeding... Demonstrate an understanding of themes of the stories – try to use different words to show this! Select and explain appropriate quotes in relation to the question. Make a sustained response! Let’s see this in action in a response to a past exam question!

Past Question Compare two stories in which characters act differently to how they expect them to act(JAN 2007)

Evidence Plan Relevant intro Point

Comment Point Evidence Comparison Comment

Flex Your PECs! Point Evidence Comment in your own words and in relation to the question

Constructing An Answer to Unit 2 (Reading) Questions! 1)Have you selected the two most appropriate and relevant stories to your question? 2)Have you constructed a clear plan that is relative to the nature of the question you are answering and found points to make about BOTH stories in relation to the question that will form your paragraphs? 3)Have you got a good introductory paragraph that 'frames' your answer and clearly states your intentions by using key words directly from the question and your own words? Have you also shown an understanding of what the question wants you to do? 4)Have you got a good understanding of the content/characters of the short stories and can you comment on the effects of the content/characters in relation to the themes? 5)Have you backed up your points by selecting appropriate "quotes" and evidence from the text and commented on them in relation to the question using your own words? 6)Have you structured your work into appropriate paragraphs that are connected together and flow? 7)Have you got an effective conclusion that attempts to answer the question, summing up all your evidence and possibly exploring similarities/differences between the two stories in relation to the question? 8)Have you used appropriate vocabulary, shown that you have excellent spelling and demonstrated that you can use a range of different punctuation? (never forgetting "quotation marks!")

So what have we learned? Take a post-it note and write down 3 things you have learned about answering these types of questions today!

Resources Online! You can find out about all the 6 ‘Opening Worlds’ short stories at: You can also find a list of practice questions that you should be working on throughout this half term. You can any responses to practice questions to

Pieces of Silver – Brief Summary The Pieces of Silver describes how boys at school in the Caribbean are treated harshly and expected to give money towards a retirement present even though they are extremely poor. One boy solves his problem by singing around the nearby houses with his sister and the teacher who is retiring gives him some money. The next day he shares the money with all his penniless friends, so none of them get into trouble. Now let’s read and analyse the text!

Themes of The Story What is a theme? What are some of the major themes of this story?

Independent Activities Open the activity booklets and begin to work independently through the activities for ‘Pieces of Silver’. I will circulate the room to aid you in any way you need. You will need to work quietly and I will let you know using a traffic light system. Much of GCSE work is based on independently learning in class and outside of class and I would like you to finish the activities for homework with the deadline being Wednesday 16 th September!

Good, quiet atmosphere! Keep it going!

Becoming TOO noisy!

work silently work quietly talk freely TOO NOISY – BE QUIET!

Images of Poverty! Identify two quotes that communicate the poverty of the Dovecots!