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  31. <title>Exploring the rich world of the Maya, Aztec and Inca in KS3 History</title>
  32. <link>https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/exploring-the-rich-world-of-the-maya-aztec-and-inca-in-ks3-history/</link>
  34. <dc:creator><![CDATA[jessicawhitehead]]></dc:creator>
  35. <pubDate>Fri, 06 Oct 2023 09:14:26 +0000</pubDate>
  36. <category><![CDATA[Secondary]]></category>
  37. <category><![CDATA[Secondary History]]></category>
  38. <category><![CDATA[aztec]]></category>
  39. <category><![CDATA[History]]></category>
  40. <category><![CDATA[inca]]></category>
  41. <category><![CDATA[Maya]]></category>
  42. <category><![CDATA[secondary]]></category>
  43. <category><![CDATA[secondary history]]></category>
  44. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/?p=7343</guid>
  45.  
  46. <description><![CDATA[<p>Laura Aitken-Burt explores the fascinating societies of the Maya, Aztec and Inca and how you can integrate teaching this exciting topic into your KS3 teaching.</p>
  47. <p>The post <a href="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/exploring-the-rich-world-of-the-maya-aztec-and-inca-in-ks3-history/">Exploring the rich world of the Maya, Aztec and Inca in KS3 History</a> appeared first on <a href="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk">Collins | Freedom to Teach</a>.</p>
  48. ]]></description>
  49. <content:encoded><![CDATA[
  50. <p><strong>Laura Aitken-Burt explores the fascinating societies of the Maya, Aztec and Inca and how you can integrate teaching this exciting topic into your KS3 teaching.</strong></p>
  51.  
  52.  
  53.  
  54. <p>The Americas have been home to a vast array of indigenous civilisations which have thrived for thousands of years. The Maya settled in the Yucatán peninsula of Mexico in 2000BCE and by 300BCE had organised into 40 city states with populations between 5000-50,000, similar if not larger than those in ancient Greece at the time. Huge stepped pyramids were built in the dense jungles, and the education system prioritised history, poetry, astronomy and medicine.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
  55.  
  56.  
  57.  
  58. <p>In 1325, the city of Tenochtitlan (modern Mexico City) was established by the Aztecs on Lake Texcoco in an incredible feat of engineering. With perhaps more than 100,000 inhabitants and rich tributes coming in from nearby towns, Tenochtitlan was to become a city that rivalled Constantinople in size and grandeur.</p>
  59.  
  60.  
  61.  
  62. <p>Meanwhile further south in Peru, the Inca managed over 4000 square kilometres of land across the Andes mountains. To connect this disparate empire, the Inca rulers imposed the Inti sun god as the centralised religious cult and forced all citizens to take part in helping to build a vast road network.</p>
  63.  
  64.  
  65.  
  66. <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Common myths and controversies</strong></h2>
  67.  
  68.  
  69.  
  70. <p>Perhaps most famously, these civilisations have shown evidence of human sacrifice. Despite popular belief from exaggerated foreign sources, this ritual was not performed regularly and originally held deep religious meanings of bravery before perhaps later being used as a form of imperial control. Bloodletting was a far more common way to honour the gods and was performed by people in all ranks of society, just as in Europe where bloodletting had long been performed in both a religious and medical capacity. &nbsp;</p>
  71.  
  72.  
  73.  
  74. <p>However, whilst the Aztec and Inca were expanding and consolidating their own empires over the course of several hundred years, in the 16<sup>th</sup> century an empire from far across the sea was to emerge as a new threat. At the beginning, small groups of Spanish conquistadors led by Hernan Cortés in Mexico and Francisco Pizzaro in Peru were not of concern to the indigenous rulers, who had internal conflicts of their own to settle. Indeed, Cortés was almost killed by the Tlaxcalans, until an enslaved woman named Malintzin was able to convince them that this could be an opportunity to overthrow their old Aztec enemies. &nbsp;</p>
  75.  
  76.  
  77.  
  78. <p>The traditional consensus of Spanish military superiority can also quite easily be challenged by looking at events such as La Noche Triste when the Aztecs successfully repelled the Spanish from Tenochtitlan or the existence of the Neo-Inca rebel state established in Vilcabamba by Manco II and Tupac Amaru which sustained guerilla warfare in the Andes mountains for decades. These were highly organised civilisations which strongly opposed Spanish domination. In the end, the devastation wrought by smallpox pandemics, to which they were not immune, meant that as more conquistadors arrived from Spain, there were fewer indigenous people to fight. When the Spanish saw few indigenous people to enslave on their growing plantations, the trans-Atlantic slave trade would soon begin. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
  79.  
  80.  
  81.  
  82. <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Integrating Maya, Aztec and Inca into your KS3 teaching</strong></h2>
  83.  
  84.  
  85.  
  86. <p>Standard KS3 History curricula cover the Reformation and Tudors &#8211; teaching Maya, Aztec and Inca history can act as an interesting change of focus which sets the themes of Spanish imperial ambitions, rivalry with Britain and the counter-Reformation into a more global perspective. It can also act to peak early student interest and knowledge in the Americas for departments who will go on to study the ‘Spain and the New World’ unit in the Edexcel History GCSE. There are also such fantastic archaeological sites to research and investigate (Google Earth is a great tool for this) such as Macchu Picchu, Chichen Itza, Tikal and Palenque which can develop skills for the site study in the ‘History around us’ OCR GCSE paper. Most of all, studying these civilisations in their own right enables students to immerse themselves in a different environment and demystifies these cultures with the narrative centring on the indigenous perspective rather than the Spanish colonisers.</p>
  87.  
  88.  
  89.  
  90. <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Exploring new vocabulary</strong></h2>
  91.  
  92.  
  93.  
  94. <p>One of the comments that is often raised when teaching this topic is the difficulty of pronouncing key terms such as Quetzalcoatl (Aztec god), Tenochtitlan (Aztec capital), tlatoani (ruler), ullamaliztli (ball game) and chalchiuatl (blood). Whilst some of the arrangement of consonants may look unusual in English, the words can be read phonetically. This is in fact exactly what the 16<sup>th</sup> century transcribers intended when they converted the original Mayan and Nahuatl glyphs into the Latin alphabet. Teachers are always giving students specialised new historical vocabulary for them to deploy so these do not need to be treated any differently. By allowing students to hear and see the original words, their appreciation of indigenous cultures is enhanced.</p>
  95.  
  96.  
  97.  
  98. <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Resources to support your teaching</strong></h2>
  99.  
  100.  
  101.  
  102. <p>Chapter 7 in <a href="https://collins.co.uk/products/9780008492052"><em>Knowing History Early Modern British and World History 1509-1760</em></a> traces the story of these indigenous American cultures in their own right. Exploring their civilisation and beliefs before colonisation by the Spanish helps students to understand the vivid history of these cultures and find new ways to interrogate the complex question of what contributed most significantly to the fall of their empires. It also provides an excellent opportunity to consider the problems with source material that is written by the victors.</p>
  103.  
  104.  
  105.  
  106. <p>Overall, students will gain a better understanding that these indigenous cultures are not part of the past but very much part of our present, where descendants continue to keep the languages and customs of the Maya, Aztec and Inca alive today.</p>
  107.  
  108.  
  109.  
  110. <div style="height:59px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
  111.  
  112.  
  113.  
  114. <div class="wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile" style="grid-template-columns:20% auto"><figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><a href="https://collins.co.uk/pages/secondary-history-knowing-history"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="500" height="690" src="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/10/226030-FC50-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-7345 size-full" srcset="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/10/226030-FC50-1.jpg 500w, https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/10/226030-FC50-1-217x300.jpg 217w" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" /></a></figure><div class="wp-block-media-text__content">
  115. <p><strong>Laura Aitken-Burt</strong>&nbsp;is a Classics, History and Politics teacher in London as well as a practising archaeologist and historical consultant for broadcast and print media. She is the author of global units across the Knowing History second edition series.</p>
  116. </div></div>
  117. <p>The post <a href="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/exploring-the-rich-world-of-the-maya-aztec-and-inca-in-ks3-history/">Exploring the rich world of the Maya, Aztec and Inca in KS3 History</a> appeared first on <a href="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk">Collins | Freedom to Teach</a>.</p>
  118. ]]></content:encoded>
  122. </item>
  123. <item>
  124. <title>The Sociological Imagination: Promise or Problem?</title>
  125. <link>https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/the-sociological-imagination-promise-or-problem/</link>
  127. <dc:creator><![CDATA[jessicawhitehead]]></dc:creator>
  128. <pubDate>Tue, 19 Sep 2023 15:22:34 +0000</pubDate>
  129. <category><![CDATA[Secondary]]></category>
  130. <category><![CDATA[Secondary Sociology]]></category>
  131. <category><![CDATA[secondary]]></category>
  132. <category><![CDATA[sociological imagination]]></category>
  133. <category><![CDATA[Sociology]]></category>
  134. <category><![CDATA[Sociology revision]]></category>
  135. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/?p=7329</guid>
  136.  
  137. <description><![CDATA[<p>Dr Sarah Cant explores why there has never been a more important time to study sociology and how you can integrate contemporary studies into your A level teaching.</p>
  138. <p>The post <a href="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/the-sociological-imagination-promise-or-problem/">The Sociological Imagination: Promise or Problem?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk">Collins | Freedom to Teach</a>.</p>
  139. ]]></description>
  140. <content:encoded><![CDATA[
  141. <p>Dr Sarah Cant explores why there has never been a more important time to study sociology and how you can integrate contemporary studies into your A level teaching.</p>
  142.  
  143.  
  144.  
  145. <div style="height:27px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
  146.  
  147.  
  148.  
  149. <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><em><em>The Promise</em></em></h2>
  150.  
  151.  
  152.  
  153. <p>Sociology is a critical and analytical discipline: uniquely tasked with studying and questioning the human-made social world.&nbsp;In 1959, C. Wright Mills’ inspirational treatise on the scope and importance of sociology described <a href="https://bpb-us-e2.wpmucdn.com/sites.middlebury.edu/dist/5/2398/files/2013/02/The-Promise.pdf">the promise</a> that studying the discipline affords. According to Comte, sociology stands as the ‘Queen of the Social Sciences’ and for Mills its distinctive value is the connections it draws between seemingly personal troubles and wider social structures. Sociology illuminates the intimate relationship that exists between the self and wider society, that joins biography with history, and helps us understand enduring inequalities, our beliefs, ideas, and norms, and explains continuous social change.</p>
  154.  
  155.  
  156.  
  157. <p>Sociology shows us that mental health, employment, relationship breakdowns, etc., are all shaped by wider social structures, such as the way the economy is organised, political ideologies, social networks and relationships, and cultural values. Thus, possessing a sociological imagination stands as a both powerful and humane tool. By seeking to <a href="https://thesociologicalreview.org/reviews/making-the-unfamiliar-familiar-by-zygmunt-bauman/">defamiliarize the familiar</a> and question the taken for granted, sociology suggests myriad ways of making society better<a href="https://www.britsoc.co.uk/media/24139/speak_up_for_sociology_leaflet.pdf">. Sociology matters</a>.</p>
  158.  
  159.  
  160.  
  161. <p>There has never been a more important time to study sociology. As we face, among other social problems, the continuing impact of the pandemic, climate crisis, food shortages, the cost-of-living crisis, mass migration, enslavement and war, sociology offers critical, careful and considered ways of understanding differences, divisions and prejudices. Sociology is both evidence-based and reflexive; once you have learned about its insights, you are equipped to question, understand and make a difference. &nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/richardosman/status/831858131793801217?lang=en">As Richard Osman tweeted</a>, ‘Sociology should be taught everywhere, that’s my view. Even GCSE sociology arms you against a lifetime of spin, “fake news” and moral panic’.</p>
  162.  
  163.  
  164.  
  165. <p>The good news is that sociology does have great reach. The number of candidates continues to grow and stands as the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/provisional-entries-for-gcse-as-and-a-level-summer-2022-exam-series/provisional-entries-for-gcse-as-and-a-level-summer-2022-exam-series#as-and-a-level-entries">fifth most popular A level in the UK, with 43,590 candidates in 2022</a>., a rise, a <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/activist-teenagers-make-sociology-a-hot-topic-at-a-level-7kgz7kqnb">Times</a> article attributes to renewed interest in activism and concern about the class divide.</p>
  166.  
  167.  
  168.  
  169. <p>However, with such reach comes a responsibility to make sure that sociology is taught at its best. Just as sociology reveals that our personal troubles are shaped by wider social structures, it recognises that its own knowledge is shaped by social values and historical legacies. This reflexive capacity has seen sociologists turn the sociological imagination onto its own ways of knowing, to show that some of its research findings and theoretical concepts have been gendered, heteronormative, and shaped by colonial bias and power structures. These insights demand the decolonising of the curriculum and the expectation that great care should be taken when teaching some dated and questionable research studies.</p>
  170.  
  171.  
  172.  
  173. <div style="height:27px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
  174.  
  175.  
  176.  
  177. <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><em>The problem</em></h2>
  178.  
  179.  
  180.  
  181. <p>&nbsp;In my <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/00380385221107299">own research with teachers in England</a>, there were significant concerns that the curriculum was content-heavy, outdated and sometimes prejudicial. It is disquieting that several stereotypical ideas are perpetuated in the school/college curriculum, that certain scholarly work is under-represented, that contemporary research is hard to find, and that the A level specifications often reproduce White, male, middle-class, cisnormativity.</p>
  182.  
  183.  
  184.  
  185. <div style="height:27px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
  186.  
  187.  
  188.  
  189. <div class="wp-block-uagb-advanced-heading uagb-block-a687fb6f"><h2 class="uagb-heading-text"><em><em>Teaching Sociology with Care</em></em></h2></div>
  190.  
  191.  
  192.  
  193. <p>Yet, sociology is one of the few disciplines that can challenge such culture blaming and stereotypical thinking.&nbsp; To fulfil this promise, teachers and students need support in accessing materials that give context, draw on contemporary research, debunk dangerous myths and interpret existing datasets and ideas with ethical care.</p>
  194.  
  195.  
  196.  
  197. <div class="wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile"><figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img decoding="async" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/09/206180-FC3D-002-3.png" alt="" class="wp-image-7339 size-full" srcset="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/09/206180-FC3D-002-3.png 1000w, https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/09/206180-FC3D-002-3-300x300.png 300w, https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/09/206180-FC3D-002-3-150x150.png 150w, https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/09/206180-FC3D-002-3-768x768.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure><div class="wp-block-media-text__content">
  198. <p>In <a href="https://collins.co.uk/products/9780008412920"><em>How to be a Sociologist</em></a>, the case for the enduring importance of a sociological education  is made and the key dispositions of imagination, conceptual and methodological rigour, reflexive knowledgeability, and the humane interest in making a difference are outlined.          </p>
  199. </div></div>
  200.  
  201.  
  202.  
  203. <div class="wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile"><figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img decoding="async" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/09/How-to-be-a-Social-Researcher-2.png" alt="" class="wp-image-7340 size-full" srcset="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/09/How-to-be-a-Social-Researcher-2.png 1000w, https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/09/How-to-be-a-Social-Researcher-2-300x300.png 300w, https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/09/How-to-be-a-Social-Researcher-2-150x150.png 150w, https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/09/How-to-be-a-Social-Researcher-2-768x768.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure><div class="wp-block-media-text__content">
  204. <p><a href="https://collins.co.uk/products/9780008554682"><em>How to be a Social Researcher</em></a>, classic and contemporary research studies are helpfully summarised to equip the next generation of sociologists to become excellent scholars themselves, armed with evidence to question prevailing societal ideas and outdated sociological ideas, the skills to judge research, and the capacity to exercise their own sociological imagination.</p>
  205. </div></div>
  206. <p>The post <a href="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/the-sociological-imagination-promise-or-problem/">The Sociological Imagination: Promise or Problem?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk">Collins | Freedom to Teach</a>.</p>
  207. ]]></content:encoded>
  211. </item>
  212. <item>
  213. <title>Practical approaches to teaching KS3 Shakespeare</title>
  214. <link>https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/practical-approaches-to-teaching-ks3-shakespeare/</link>
  216. <dc:creator><![CDATA[jessicawhitehead]]></dc:creator>
  217. <pubDate>Wed, 06 Sep 2023 15:45:30 +0000</pubDate>
  218. <category><![CDATA[Secondary]]></category>
  219. <category><![CDATA[Secondary English]]></category>
  220. <category><![CDATA[KS3]]></category>
  221. <category><![CDATA[KS3 English]]></category>
  222. <category><![CDATA[secondary]]></category>
  223. <category><![CDATA[secondary english]]></category>
  224. <category><![CDATA[Shakespeare]]></category>
  225. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/?p=7319</guid>
  226.  
  227. <description><![CDATA[<p>By Hannah Appleton Reframing or reimagining how we tackle Shakespeare in schools begins with our perception of it being boring, &#8230; <a href="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/practical-approaches-to-teaching-ks3-shakespeare/">Continued</a></p>
  228. <p>The post <a href="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/practical-approaches-to-teaching-ks3-shakespeare/">Practical approaches to teaching KS3 Shakespeare</a> appeared first on <a href="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk">Collins | Freedom to Teach</a>.</p>
  229. ]]></description>
  230. <content:encoded><![CDATA[
  231. <p><strong>By <a>Hannah Appleton</a></strong></p>
  232.  
  233.  
  234.  
  235. <p>Reframing or <em>reimagining </em>how we tackle Shakespeare in schools begins with our perception of it being boring, irrelevant or too difficult, especially if we teach in schools with high numbers of SEND, EAL or FSM. It is, however, precisely those complexities and layers Shakespearean texts provide, which have the potential to ignite imaginations. <a href="https://collins.co.uk/products/9780008552640"><em>Reimagine Key Stage 3 Shakespeare</em></a> gives practitioners the basis for which demystification of these texts can take place.</p>
  236.  
  237.  
  238.  
  239. <p>My approach to teaching Shakespeare in the English classroom has always taken the ‘get up and do’ approach. It is all very well diligently reading from the page, and there is a place for this, but plays aren’t meant to be read in this way. Layers of meaning reveal themselves in <em>performance</em>. Indeed, each time I guide a new class through the old favourites – <em>Romeo &amp; Juliet, Macbeth, The Tempest</em> – I discover something new in the inventive exploration of the text.</p>
  240.  
  241.  
  242.  
  243. <p>I have known experienced practitioners who have been hesitant to remove the safety net of regimented desks and exercise books. Taking risks with learning, challenges our professional thinking and experimentation doesn’t always have the outcome one might expect. This can be daunting, especially with the ‘lively’ last-thing-on-a-Friday-afternoon class. However, some of the best learning experiences have materialised through these challenges, where everyone in class develops their understanding, including the teacher as facilitator.</p>
  244.  
  245.  
  246.  
  247. <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Putting in the groundwork</h3>
  248.  
  249.  
  250.  
  251. <ul>
  252. <li>Start by identifying the scenes which lend themselves to physical or vocal exploration. The Prologue in <em>Romeo &amp; Juliet,</em> the unexpected appearance of Banquo’s Ghost in <em>Macbeth</em> or Trinculo’s comical discovery of Caliban under his cloak in <em>The Tempest</em> are all rich fodder for group investigation.</li>
  253.  
  254.  
  255.  
  256. <li>Now consider how the scene would be best communicated and what you would want to get out of it. Using the examples above, I would perhaps use the <em>Romeo &amp; Juliet</em> Prologue as a vehicle for choral speech and/or tableaux. With <em>Macbeth</em>, it might be useful to hot-seat the characters at the feast. What are they thinking and feeling? Trinculo and Caliban are fabulous for exploring text through physical comedy and slapstick – clowning, if you will.</li>
  257. </ul>
  258.  
  259.  
  260.  
  261. <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Does it have to be perfect?</h3>
  262.  
  263.  
  264.  
  265. <p>In a word – no!</p>
  266.  
  267.  
  268.  
  269. <ul>
  270. <li>Focusing on the overall meaning rather than individual words or phrases can help a reluctant class. Build confidence with synopses, graphic texts, animations and storytelling.</li>
  271.  
  272.  
  273.  
  274. <li>Listening to a good quality recording whilst following the text can help with cadence and rhythm.</li>
  275.  
  276.  
  277.  
  278. <li>Encourage students to have a go at reading aloud and resist the temptation to always correct mispronunciation – after all, the modern pronunciation of Shakespeare’s Language sounds very different to the Original Pronunciation (OP) heard in the 16<sup>th</sup> and 17<sup>th</sup> centuries.</li>
  279. </ul>
  280.  
  281.  
  282.  
  283. <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Making it relevant</h3>
  284.  
  285.  
  286.  
  287. <p>Connecting to the present is vital to keep Shakespeare fresh for the digital generation. We can approach this in two ways: thematically and dramaturgically. Here are some examples of where to take key themes and practical in the plays. Of course, this is a fraction of what is possible.</p>
  288.  
  289.  
  290.  
  291. <figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>Play</td><td>Thematic links</td><td>Dramaturgical links</td></tr><tr><td>MACBETH</td><td>Ambition and power – the power &amp; responsibility of influencers / celebrities. What does it take to rise to the top? How should those with power and influence behave? Which reality is true?</td><td>Create a video post in character: Lady Macbeth on how to be a strong female. Malcolm on how to be a responsible leader. &nbsp; &nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>ROMEO AND JULIET</td><td>Core aesthetics, group identity and ‘tribal’ communities. Does who we present ourselves to be matter? Can polarised groups co-exist peacefully? What happens when different communities meet?</td><td>Organise a rap battle between the Montagues and Capulets, then explore commonalities and use mediation to consider how to heal rifts. Link to work done in your school on community cohesion.</td></tr><tr><td>THE TEMPEST</td><td>Modern slavery, protected characteristics &amp; the Equality Act. What does personal freedom look like and how can we promote it? How does the Equality Act 2010 offer protection in the law?</td><td>Use Spoken Word – performance poetry, stand-up comedy, a ‘TED-Talk’ presentation or a speech for assembly to highlight relevant issues affecting global communities.</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>
  292.  
  293.  
  294.  
  295. <h3 class="wp-block-heading">A well-structured curriculum</h3>
  296.  
  297.  
  298.  
  299. <p>Teaching Shakespeare doesn’t have to be onerous or dry. The rhythms of the language and relatability of the characters really do resonate with young people in the classroom. Find the focus your students can most tap in to, and whatever you decide to do in your classroom, make sure you go for it and have fun!</p>
  300.  
  301.  
  302.  
  303. <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>
  304.  
  305.  
  306.  
  307. <p><a>Hannah Appleton is an English teacher with over 20 years’ experience and a background in English, Drama and SEND. Currently working on literacy outreach at OLHA in Rochdale, Hannah has also worked in a range of settings, including community schools, MATs, the private sector and a PRU. She is the co-author of </a><a href="https://collins.co.uk/products/9780008552640"><em>Reimagine Key Stage 3 Shakespeare</em></a>, a resource which strives to bring imaginative ways of teaching Shakespeare to the classroom.</p>
  308.  
  309.  
  310.  
  311. <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>
  312.  
  313.  
  314.  
  315. <div class="wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-1 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex">
  316. <div class="wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow" style="flex-basis:66.66%">
  317. <p><a href="https://collins.co.uk/products/9780008552640"><em>Reimagine Key Stage 3 Shakespeare</em></a> is a customisable teacher pack that helps build a challenging and rewarding English curriculum with imaginative ways of studying Shakespeare’s drama, stories and language for every year of <a>KS3</a>.</p>
  318.  
  319.  
  320.  
  321. <p><strong>You might also be interested in</strong></p>
  322.  
  323.  
  324.  
  325. <p><a href="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/midsummer-nights-dream/">Designing Shakespeare: teaching ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’</a></p>
  326.  
  327.  
  328.  
  329. <p><a href="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/forging-creative-connections-in-king-lear/">Forging creative connections in King Lear</a></p>
  330.  
  331.  
  332.  
  333. <p><a href="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/teaching-romeo-and-juliet/">Mark Roberts &#8211; Three things I’ve learnt from teaching Romeo and Juliet</a></p>
  334. </div>
  335.  
  336.  
  337.  
  338. <div class="wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow" style="flex-basis:33.33%">
  339. <figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://collins.co.uk/products/9780008552640"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/09/238604-FC3D.png" alt="Book cover of Reimagine Key Stage 3 Shakespeare" class="wp-image-7320" srcset="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/09/238604-FC3D.png 1000w, https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/09/238604-FC3D-300x300.png 300w, https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/09/238604-FC3D-150x150.png 150w, https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/09/238604-FC3D-768x768.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></a></figure>
  340. </div>
  341. </div>
  342. <p>The post <a href="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/practical-approaches-to-teaching-ks3-shakespeare/">Practical approaches to teaching KS3 Shakespeare</a> appeared first on <a href="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk">Collins | Freedom to Teach</a>.</p>
  343. ]]></content:encoded>
  347. </item>
  348. <item>
  349. <title>Developing practical skills in your curriculum</title>
  350. <link>https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/developing-practical-skills-in-your-curriculum/</link>
  352. <dc:creator><![CDATA[sophieporteous]]></dc:creator>
  353. <pubDate>Mon, 10 Jul 2023 14:31:50 +0000</pubDate>
  354. <category><![CDATA[Secondary Science]]></category>
  355. <category><![CDATA[GCSE Science]]></category>
  356. <category><![CDATA[Key Stage 3]]></category>
  357. <category><![CDATA[KS3 Science Now]]></category>
  358. <category><![CDATA[science]]></category>
  359. <category><![CDATA[secondary]]></category>
  360. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/?p=7295</guid>
  361.  
  362. <description><![CDATA[<p>By Amanda Clegg and Karen Collins Did your students struggle to answer practical based questions in the recent GCSE and &#8230; <a href="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/developing-practical-skills-in-your-curriculum/">Continued</a></p>
  363. <p>The post <a href="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/developing-practical-skills-in-your-curriculum/">&lt;strong&gt;Developing practical skills in your curriculum&lt;/strong&gt;</a> appeared first on <a href="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk">Collins | Freedom to Teach</a>.</p>
  364. ]]></description>
  365. <content:encoded><![CDATA[
  366. <p><strong>By Amanda Clegg and Karen Collins</strong></p>
  367.  
  368.  
  369.  
  370. <p>Did your students struggle to answer practical based questions in the recent GCSE and A level examinations? How many of us have been in a practical lesson where a student has asked ‘Is this right?’ or ‘What do I do next?’ despite having a suitable method? How can we sequence practical skills at KS3 to develop students’ disciplinary and procedural knowledge?</p>
  371.  
  372.  
  373.  
  374. <p>The summer 2022 examiners’ reports from all examination boards highlighted many students’ inability to effectively access practical activities and mathematics in science exam questions at both GCSE and A level. Some key areas of weakness were:</p>
  375.  
  376.  
  377.  
  378. <ul>
  379. <li>Understanding hazards and risks</li>
  380.  
  381.  
  382.  
  383. <li>Identifying variables and their meaning</li>
  384.  
  385.  
  386.  
  387. <li>Recognising and the correct use of equipment</li>
  388.  
  389.  
  390.  
  391. <li>Understanding why key steps were being carried out</li>
  392.  
  393.  
  394.  
  395. <li>Suggesting possible improvement to methods</li>
  396.  
  397.  
  398.  
  399. <li>Recognising error</li>
  400.  
  401.  
  402.  
  403. <li>Drawing graphs and interpreting graphs</li>
  404.  
  405.  
  406.  
  407. <li>Drawing conclusions consistent with the evidence</li>
  408.  
  409.  
  410.  
  411. <li>Recognising the meaning of key terms such as repeatability, accuracy, and precision</li>
  412.  
  413.  
  414.  
  415. <li>Converting units and using an appropriate number of significant figures.</li>
  416. </ul>
  417.  
  418.  
  419.  
  420. <p>This is not a surprise; these issues have been identified in previous examination series. Science departments have spent a considerable amount of time sequencing substantive knowledge. It is now time to approach disciplinary knowledge in the same way.&nbsp;</p>
  421.  
  422.  
  423.  
  424. <p>Practical work can be overwhelming to deliver, particularly if you are new to the profession. Health and safety, behaviour management, availability of materials and their position in the room can all lead to cognitive overload for you leading the lesson. How can we ensure that the students are minds on as well as hands on and are learning from the activity in the same way they would in any other lesson?</p>
  425.  
  426.  
  427.  
  428. <h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Purposeful practical work</strong></h4>
  429.  
  430.  
  431.  
  432. <p>How many of us include practical work for motivation and engagement, without considering the other potential purposes? More importantly, how many of us do a practical activity simply because it is on the scheme of work?</p>
  433.  
  434.  
  435.  
  436. <p>The Gatsby Good Practical Science Guide (2017) outlines five purposes of practical work:</p>
  437.  
  438.  
  439.  
  440. <ol>
  441. <li>To teach the principles of scientific inquiry</li>
  442.  
  443.  
  444.  
  445. <li>To improve understanding of theory through practical experience</li>
  446.  
  447.  
  448.  
  449. <li>To teach specific practical skills, such as measurement and observation, that may be useful in future study or employment</li>
  450.  
  451.  
  452.  
  453. <li>To motivate and engage students</li>
  454.  
  455.  
  456.  
  457. <li>To develop higher level skills and attributes such as communication, teamwork and perseverance.</li>
  458. </ol>
  459.  
  460.  
  461.  
  462. <p>To this we could also potentially add the development of manipulative skills necessary for working safely and collecting accurate and precise data.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
  463.  
  464.  
  465.  
  466. <p>The first consideration when designing a practical activity should be its purpose. Why are you carrying out this practical activity? Why is it happening now? What disciplinary, substantive and procedural knowledge do the students need before they start? What disciplinary, substantive and procedural knowledge are you hoping to develop?</p>
  467.  
  468.  
  469.  
  470. <h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Sequencing practical work</strong></h4>
  471.  
  472.  
  473.  
  474. <p>We need to know where students are in order to move them forward, taking into consideration the knowledge and understanding covered at KS2. Do you have a baseline assessment at the beginning of Year 7? Does it cover disciplinary knowledge as well as substantive knowledge? Does your baseline test assess what students should be able to do by the end of Year 6 (rather than KS3)?</p>
  475.  
  476.  
  477.  
  478. <p>Let’s consider one aspect of Working Scientifically. Can your students interpret a graph? Do they understand the difference between describing a trend and explaining a trend? Do they use data from the graph when describing and explaining? How could we sequence their learning to develop this skill? How would we ensure all staff are developing this skill across all key stages?</p>
  479.  
  480.  
  481.  
  482. <p>What would this look like:</p>
  483.  
  484.  
  485.  
  486. <ul>
  487. <li>in a sequence of lessons?</li>
  488.  
  489.  
  490.  
  491. <li>over several topics?</li>
  492.  
  493.  
  494.  
  495. <li>across key stages?</li>
  496.  
  497.  
  498.  
  499. <li>across Biology, Chemistry and Physics?</li>
  500. </ul>
  501.  
  502.  
  503.  
  504. <h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>KS3 Science Now</strong></h4>
  505.  
  506.  
  507.  
  508. <p>KS3 Science Now has been written with a welcome focus on practical and mathematical skills. Road maps, at the start of each unit, in the Learn and Practice book show how the content follows on from KS2 learning and where this journey will continue during KS4.&nbsp; A comprehensive knowledge organiser identifies the essential information required for easy reference. This includes an overview of practical experiments and labelled diagrams of equipment. Mathematics and practical skills have been carefully mapped across the 18 units to ensure good coverage and to reflect their role in supporting a deeper understanding of concepts.</p>
  509.  
  510.  
  511. <div class="wp-block-image">
  512. <figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://collins.co.uk/pages/ks3-science-now"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/07/Unit-13_Road-map-1024x555.png" alt="" class="wp-image-7299" width="815" height="442" srcset="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/07/Unit-13_Road-map-1024x555.png 1024w, https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/07/Unit-13_Road-map-300x163.png 300w, https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/07/Unit-13_Road-map-768x416.png 768w, https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/07/Unit-13_Road-map.png 1063w" sizes="(max-width: 815px) 100vw, 815px" /></a></figure></div>
  513.  
  514.  
  515. <p>Teachers who contributed to discussions, which helped to shape and refine the structure of the KS3 Science Now materials, requested access to more high-quality questions especially those involving mathematics in science and practical work. Each unit has approximately 35 to 40 questions arranged in three levels of challenge starting with the most accessible first. Worked examples provide supportive scaffolding to guide pupils through the different types of questions before they have a go themselves. Mathematics and practical skills are integrated throughout to help pupils see how they link to substantive knowledge and deepen understanding. Finally, there is a double page spread of relevant stand-alone maths and practical skills questions for each of the 18 units.</p>
  516.  
  517.  
  518.  
  519. <p>Teachers who contributed to discussions, which helped to shape and refine the structure of the KS3 Science Now materials, requested access to more high-quality questions especially those involving mathematics in science and practical work. Each unit has approximately 35 to 40 questions arranged in three levels of challenge starting with the most accessible first. Worked examples provide supportive scaffolding to guide pupils through the different types of questions before they have a go themselves. Mathematics and practical skills are integrated throughout to help pupils see how they link to substantive knowledge and deepen understanding. Finally, there is a double page spread of relevant stand-alone maths and practical skills questions for each of the 18 units.</p>
  520.  
  521.  
  522.  
  523. <h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>In summary</strong></h4>
  524.  
  525.  
  526.  
  527. <p>You might like to consider developing a policy with your department regarding practical work to address benchmark 1 in the Good Practical Science report.</p>
  528.  
  529.  
  530.  
  531. <p>The Association for Science Education (ASE) has produced some supporting documents to help with this here:&nbsp; <a href="https://www.ase.org.uk/content/module-1-introduction">https://www.ase.org.uk/content/module-1-introduction</a></p>
  532.  
  533.  
  534.  
  535. <p>The EEF Improving Secondary Science Review Audit tool is also helpful in stimulating reflection about practical science on page 7. The tool can be found here: <a href="https://d2tic4wvo1iusb.cloudfront.net/eef-guidance-reports/science-ks3-ks4/EEF_secondary_science_audit_tool.pdf?v=1668437524">EEF_secondary_science_audit_tool.pdf</a></p>
  536.  
  537.  
  538.  
  539. <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>
  540.  
  541.  
  542.  
  543. <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>About the authors</strong></h3>
  544.  
  545.  
  546.  
  547. <p><strong>Amanda Clegg</strong> is a school improvement consultant and leadership coach with over 30 years of science teaching experience. She is responsible for developing and delivering training resources and coaching programmes for a variety of organisations. Amanda is also a co-author of <em>Collins KS3 Science Now</em>.</p>
  548.  
  549.  
  550.  
  551. <p><strong>Karen Collins</strong> is an educational consultant with over 20 years of teaching experience. She has written numerous science resources, including<em> Collins KS3 Science Now</em> and devises and delivers development training to teachers and school leaders.</p>
  552.  
  553.  
  554.  
  555. <h4 class="wp-block-heading"><a><strong>Prepare today’s pupils for GCSE 9-1 Science with KS3 Science Now</strong></a></h4>
  556.  
  557.  
  558. <div class="wp-block-image">
  559. <figure class="aligncenter size-large"><a href="https://collins.co.uk/pages/ks3-science-now"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/07/Group-asset-2-1024x576.png" alt="" class="wp-image-7300" srcset="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/07/Group-asset-2-1024x576.png 1024w, https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/07/Group-asset-2-300x169.png 300w, https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/07/Group-asset-2-768x432.png 768w, https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/07/Group-asset-2-1536x864.png 1536w, https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/07/Group-asset-2.png 1600w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a></figure></div>
  560.  
  561.  
  562. <p>Develop knowledge and build confidence in KS3 Science and help your students become scientifically literate.</p>
  563.  
  564.  
  565.  
  566. <p><a href="https://collins.co.uk/pages/ks3-science-now">Find out more</a></p>
  567.  
  568.  
  569.  
  570. <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>
  571.  
  572.  
  573.  
  574. <p><strong>You might also be interested in: </strong><a href="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/stem-careers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Empower your students to thrive in a changing world by Ed Walsh </a></p>
  575. <p>The post <a href="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/developing-practical-skills-in-your-curriculum/">&lt;strong&gt;Developing practical skills in your curriculum&lt;/strong&gt;</a> appeared first on <a href="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk">Collins | Freedom to Teach</a>.</p>
  576. ]]></content:encoded>
  580. </item>
  581. <item>
  582. <title>Celebrating Travelling communities in &#8220;Parade of the Pipers&#8221;</title>
  583. <link>https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/celebrating-travelling-communities/</link>
  585. <dc:creator><![CDATA[digitaltechnology]]></dc:creator>
  586. <pubDate>Wed, 07 Jun 2023 13:34:06 +0000</pubDate>
  587. <category><![CDATA[Primary]]></category>
  588. <category><![CDATA[Collins Big Cat]]></category>
  589. <category><![CDATA[Contemporary fairy tales]]></category>
  590. <category><![CDATA[primary]]></category>
  591. <category><![CDATA[Travelling communities]]></category>
  592. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/?p=7275</guid>
  593.  
  594. <description><![CDATA[<p>Richard O&#8217;Neill is a sixth generation master storyteller and author from the Romany tradition. He is the co-author of ‘Parade &#8230; <a href="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/celebrating-travelling-communities/">Continued</a></p>
  595. <p>The post <a href="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/celebrating-travelling-communities/">Celebrating Travelling communities in &#8220;Parade of the Pipers&#8221;</a> appeared first on <a href="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk">Collins | Freedom to Teach</a>.</p>
  596. ]]></description>
  597. <content:encoded><![CDATA[
  598. <p></p>
  599.  
  600.  
  601.  
  602. <p><em>Richard O&#8217;Neill is a sixth generation master storyteller and author from the Romany tradition. He is the co-author of ‘Parade of the Pipers’ from the new collection of <a href="https://collins.co.uk/collections/collins-big-cat-contemporary-fairy-tales">contemporary fairy tales from Collins Big Cat</a>.</em></p>
  603.  
  604.  
  605.  
  606. <p>Growing up, I developed a fondness for the story of the pied piper. I was captivated by the narrative of an outsider who used their extraordinary talents to address a town&#8217;s dilemma. This tale resonated deeply with me, as I saw parallels between the pied piper&#8217;s role and that of Travelling storytellers, musicians, and artisans. Throughout history, these individuals have brought not only their skills but also fresh ideas and news to settled communities.</p>
  607.  
  608.  
  609.  
  610. <p>Beyond simply telling an engaging story, we had a broader purpose in mind. We wanted to shed light on the issues of overworking and consumerism, themes that have persisted throughout history. Interestingly, Travelling people established the earliest recycling businesses known as rag and bone collectors. Through their resourcefulness, they taught us valuable lessons about finding alternative ways of living and challenging the status quo.</p>
  611.  
  612.  
  613.  
  614. <blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
  615. <h3 class="wp-block-heading">&#8220;<em>We hope we have breathed life into characters who embody the resilience, creativity, and unique spirit of Travelling communities</em>&#8220;</h3>
  616. </blockquote>
  617.  
  618.  
  619.  
  620. <p>In exploring the lives of Travelling communities, Michelle and I sought to offer a different perspective on the concept of quality of life. We believed that the Travelling community in the book exemplified alternative ways of living that emphasised spending time with loved ones and nurturing relationships. Their traditions and values hinted at the possibility of better ways to exist beyond the confines of a consumer-driven society.</p>
  621.  
  622.  
  623.  
  624. <p>We want &#8220;Parade of the Pipers&#8221; to serve as an ode to the rich heritage and vibrant culture of Travelling communities. We hope we have breathed life into characters who embody the resilience, creativity, and unique spirit of Travelling communities and we hope to inspire readers to appreciate the invaluable contributions Travelling communities have made throughout history.</p>
  625.  
  626.  
  627. <div class="wp-block-image">
  628. <figure class="alignright size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/06/Richard-ONeill-1024x868.jpg" alt="Picture of Richard O'Neill" class="wp-image-7277" width="336" height="286" srcset="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/06/Richard-ONeill-1024x868.jpg 1024w, https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/06/Richard-ONeill-300x254.jpg 300w, https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/06/Richard-ONeill-768x651.jpg 768w, https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/06/Richard-ONeill-1536x1303.jpg 1536w, https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/06/Richard-ONeill-2048x1737.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 336px) 100vw, 336px" /></figure></div>
  629.  
  630.  
  631. <p>By championing positive representation and celebrating the alternative perspectives brought by Travelling communities, we hope that &#8220;Parade of the Pipers&#8221; will help to foster understanding, respect, and appreciation for diverse cultures.</p>
  632.  
  633.  
  634.  
  635. <p><em>Richard O&#8217;Neill, co-author of &#8220;<a href="https://collins.co.uk/products/9780008541774" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Parade of the Pipers</a>,&#8221; embarked on a literary journey alongside his friend and fellow writer, Michelle Russell. Together, they aimed to fill a void in literature by presenting Travelling communities in a positive light. Recognising the diversity within these communities, O&#8217;Neill and Russell believed it was essential to provide representation through their book</em> <em>&#8211; Look Inside <a href="https://issuu.com/collinsed/docs/parade_of_the_pipers_look_inside" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a></em>.</p>
  636. <p>The post <a href="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/celebrating-travelling-communities/">Celebrating Travelling communities in &#8220;Parade of the Pipers&#8221;</a> appeared first on <a href="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk">Collins | Freedom to Teach</a>.</p>
  637. ]]></content:encoded>
  641. </item>
  642. <item>
  643. <title>The Long Shadow of Suffocating Injustice </title>
  644. <link>https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/the-long-shadow-of-suffocating-injustice/</link>
  646. <dc:creator><![CDATA[rebecca.morrison@harpercollins.co.uk]]></dc:creator>
  647. <pubDate>Wed, 24 May 2023 11:13:04 +0000</pubDate>
  648. <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
  649. <category><![CDATA[Black British history]]></category>
  650. <category><![CDATA[History]]></category>
  651. <category><![CDATA[Key Stage 3]]></category>
  652. <category><![CDATA[secondary]]></category>
  653. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/?p=7269</guid>
  654.  
  655. <description><![CDATA[<p>As the third anniversary of the murder of George Floyd arrives this week, thoughts will turn to how to use &#8230; <a href="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/the-long-shadow-of-suffocating-injustice/">Continued</a></p>
  656. <p>The post <a href="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/the-long-shadow-of-suffocating-injustice/">&lt;strong&gt;The Long Shadow of Suffocating Injustice&lt;/strong&gt; </a> appeared first on <a href="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk">Collins | Freedom to Teach</a>.</p>
  657. ]]></description>
  658. <content:encoded><![CDATA[
  659. <p>As the third anniversary of the murder of George Floyd arrives this week, thoughts will turn to how to use his story in assemblies and lessons about racial justice and the role of the police. Fundamentally, we need to encourage students to explore questions about the wider context of his tragic death.&nbsp;</p>
  660.  
  661.  
  662.  
  663. <p>On a hot July day in 1967 Newark, New Jersey, Black taxi driver John Smith allegedly drove around a double-parked police car at the corner of 7<sup>th</sup> Street and 15<sup>th</sup> Avenue. He was subsequently stopped, interrogated and arrested before being severely beaten whilst in police custody. Rumours spread that Smith had been killed. In fact, he had been taken to a local hospital to recover from his significant injuries. Incensed by this example of police brutality, the protests of Black residents escalated into full scale uprising as the National Guard were called in to restore order. Five days later, 26 people were dead, hundreds injured and over a thousand arrested.&nbsp;</p>
  664.  
  665.  
  666.  
  667. <p>Over half a century later onlookers watched helplessly as George Floyd was suffocated to death by White police officer Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The police had been called after he used a counterfeit $20 note to pay for some cigarettes. The tragic sight of Floyd pleading in despair, ‘I can’t breathe’, was shared on social media and spread around the globe. A man having the breath squeezed out of him during a generation-defining pandemic that attacked the respiratory system of its victims added grim and cruel irony to a needless death. The protests that followed ignited urban America more ferociously than at any point since the year after the long hot summer of 1967, when the nation convulsed in response to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jnr.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
  668.  
  669.  
  670.  
  671. <p>This week we commemorate three years since the murder of George Floyd and in some history lessons and assemblies there may be a focus on his story. Floyd’s death and the brutal beating of John Smith are just some of the tragic acts in a wider history that must be tackled in any discussion about his legacy. We must move beyond a simple focus on the terrible human tragedy his murder represents and place it in the wider narrative of racism and police brutality.&nbsp;</p>
  672.  
  673.  
  674.  
  675. <p>Almost as soon as slavery ended in America, White southerners used law enforcement to control the Black population. The Black Codes that were passed by many of the former Confederate states criminalised vagrancy and enabled the arrest of Black men without fixed employment. In the decades that followed, an extensive system of controls was firmly enshrined in the social and economic structures of the American South, what Douglas Blackmon has called, ‘slavery by another name.’ Law enforcement was used to oppress the Black population rather than protect them. This was the context of the urban disorder of the mid-twentieth century which saw cities burn during the long hot summers of the 1960s. Race ‘riots’, so termed, were almost always expressions of rebellion in the face of police brutality.&nbsp;</p>
  676.  
  677.  
  678.  
  679. <p>The trigger for violence in the Detroit uprising of 1967 was a police raid on an after-hours bar. Following days of violence that resulted in over forty deaths, President Johnson spoke of the urgent need for ‘an attack – mounted at every level – upon the conditions that breed despair and violence’. The policy decisions taken by Johnson and those who followed him in the White House focused, however, not on social programmes to tackle poverty and marginalisation, but on law and order. In 1968 the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act pumped significant government funding into the infrastructure of law enforcement. Between 1965 and 1970 there was a 2,900% increase in federal funding for local police forces.&nbsp;</p>
  680.  
  681.  
  682.  
  683. <p>The ‘War on Crime’ and ‘War on Drugs’ that followed in the 1970s and 1980s used police forces as a tool of social control and subjugation that criminalised a significant proportion of the young Black male population. In 2013, when the killer of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin was acquitted of murder, despite pursuing the high school student and shooting him, simply because he looked suspicious, three female activists began a movement with the social media post #BlackLivesMatter. That movement grew following the fatal police shooting a year later of Michael Brown in Missouri, and the choking of Eric Gardner in New York by an officer using a prohibited restraint technique.&nbsp;</p>
  684.  
  685.  
  686.  
  687. <p>So, the larger tragedy of George Floyd’s murder is how entirely unexceptional it was. The video of his death was simply the haunting visual of a recurring nightmare from which Black America cannot wake up. At specific points in time, like when the merciless beating of Rodney King was captured on videotape in 1992, the rest of society is confronted by the fear of police brutality that is a feature of everyday Black existence. Those who wish to neutralise the potency of the Black Lives Matter movement, pointing to the radical agenda of some of its supporters, or who peddle the disingenuous assertion of a colour-blind world in which ‘all lives matter’, wilfully miss the point. Black Lives Matter is a plea for recognition that the contrary has so long been the case. It is a cry for justice in a society where Black life is treated cheaply and police violence has so long been the servant of White supremacy.&nbsp;</p>
  688.  
  689.  
  690.  
  691. <p>In early June 2020, as protests sparked by Floyd’s death swept through London, Black British actor John Boyega, addressed a crowd in Hyde Park. ‘I need you to understand how painful it is to be reminded every day that your race means nothing.’ Understanding is not solely achieved through empathy; it requires active cognisance of context. We need to help students reach a considered comprehension of the reasons for the Black Lives Matter movement and that means exploring the relationship between race and policing in the UK too.&nbsp;</p>
  692.  
  693.  
  694.  
  695. <p>The 1824 Vagrancy Act was designed to stop people begging and living rough in Victorian Britain. Motivated by a desire to tackle the social problems caused by the demobilisation of soldiers at the end of the Napoleonic Wars, it allowed police to stop and search ‘suspected persons’ without a warrant. The ‘Sus’ laws were increasingly used by officers in the 1960s and 1970s to police the growing Black communities in urban areas. Many young Black males were stopped and searched under suspicion that they were carrying drugs or weapons. According to the police’s own figures, in London in 1979 a Black population of just over 4% accounted for 40% of all individuals stopped and searched.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
  696.  
  697.  
  698.  
  699. <p>An already tense relationship between the police and Black communities was heightened in 1981 when Operation Swamp 81 used plain clothes officers on the streets of Black neighbourhoods to try and deter crime. Police brutality was the trigger for the Brixton and Toxteth riots of that year. Lord Scarman was commissioned to investigate the urban disorder and concluded in his report that, as well as historical, social and economic structures that provided the context for the uprisings, police brutality was a significant cause. He recommended the scrapping of the ‘Sus’ laws and greater efforts to develop constructive dialogues between the police and the Black communities they served. ‘Sus’ was repealed and eventually replaced in 1984 with the Police and Criminal Evidence Act. This new legislation was not, however, written in response to racist police practices. The provision that officers could only stop and search individuals they had ‘justifiable, reasonable grounds’ for suspecting of possessing illegal or stolen goods had little practical impact on reducing racial discrimination in policing. In 2000, section 44 of the Terrorism Act allowed racial profiling as a counter-terrorism measure. In the same month that Boyega and his fellow protestors took to the streets of London in response to the murder of George Floyd, the Met police were forced to reveal that even though the Black population of the capital was 12%, Black people accounted for 26% of all fines and 31% of all arrests for breaches of lockdown rules.&nbsp;</p>
  700.  
  701.  
  702.  
  703. <p>In a recent report produced by the Children’s Commissioner, Baroness Casey, she pointed to the clear racist attitudes within the Met police. This, almost twenty-five years after the McPherson Report found the police service to be ‘institutionally racist’. Figures show that between 2018 and 2022 Black school students were eleven times more likely to be strip searched by the police than their White peers. It is still the case that if you are young Black and British your interactions with a police force supposed to serve and protect are clouded by fear and distrust. This is the reality for many students who bring an all too relevant lived experience to any discussion of the Black Lives Matter movement.&nbsp;</p>
  704.  
  705.  
  706.  
  707. <p>George Floyd died not only because a single White police officer failed to respect his basic civil rights but because of a systemic, institutional, attitudinal cancer on racial justice and human decency. It is malignant and malevolent, and we must shine the full glaring light of truth on it, otherwise we fail to teach our students a comprehensive story, and we fall short of honouring the lives of George Floyd and countless other victims of police brutality.&nbsp;</p>
  708.  
  709.  
  710.  
  711. <p><strong>Potential questions to prompt discussions with students –</strong>&nbsp;</p>
  712.  
  713.  
  714.  
  715. <p><em>How should we remember George Floyd?</em>&nbsp;</p>
  716.  
  717.  
  718.  
  719. <p><em>Has the death of George Floyd led to changes that will make a long-term difference?</em>&nbsp;</p>
  720.  
  721.  
  722.  
  723. <p><em>Is it time to think about how the police operate? Do we need reforms in the way police are trained?</em>&nbsp;</p>
  724.  
  725.  
  726.  
  727. <p><em>To what extent is it possible to remove any influence of racism on the way the police operate?</em> </p>
  728.  
  729.  
  730.  
  731. <p><strong>Free lesson plan&nbsp;</strong>&nbsp;</p>
  732.  
  733.  
  734.  
  735. <p>Find out more about approaching <strong>Black Lives Matter – protest, reform and the search for justice </strong>with your KS3 students using this lesson from <em>Black British History KS3 Teacher Resource Pack,</em> the award-winning customisable teacher pack that helps you shine a light on the importance of Black British history in your classroom.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
  736.  
  737.  
  738.  
  739. <p><a href="https://harpercollins.sharepoint.com/:f:/s/EMEU-UK-London-Collins/Egeo_BTC4SJMkhCvC3f_LOgBnzmqoSADoYZXJ89V-U-ghA?e=iRR26O"><strong>Download free lesson</strong> </a></p>
  740.  
  741.  
  742.  
  743. <p></p>
  744.  
  745.  
  746.  
  747. <p><strong>You may also be interested in</strong></p>
  748.  
  749.  
  750.  
  751. <p><a href="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/black-history-is-british-history/">Black history is British history</a>, <a href="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/black-british-history-hidden-faces-important-stories/">Black British History – Hidden faces, important stories</a></p>
  752.  
  753.  
  754.  
  755. <p></p>
  756.  
  757.  
  758.  
  759. <p><strong>Dr Simon Henderson</strong> has been teaching history for twenty years with experience at all secondary key stages as well as undergraduate level. He has written widely on race relations and the Black freedom struggle and organised events for students to explore the history of race relations. He is also the co-author of <em><a href="https://collins.co.uk/products/9780008492083">Black British History KS3 Teacher Resource Pack</a>, </em>winner of the Teach Secondary Awards 2022 curriculum impact category. </p>
  760. <p>The post <a href="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/the-long-shadow-of-suffocating-injustice/">&lt;strong&gt;The Long Shadow of Suffocating Injustice&lt;/strong&gt; </a> appeared first on <a href="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk">Collins | Freedom to Teach</a>.</p>
  761. ]]></content:encoded>
  765. </item>
  766. <item>
  767. <title>Black British History &#8211; Hidden faces, important stories</title>
  768. <link>https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/black-british-history-hidden-faces-important-stories/</link>
  770. <dc:creator><![CDATA[rebecca.morrison@harpercollins.co.uk]]></dc:creator>
  771. <pubDate>Tue, 02 May 2023 15:59:14 +0000</pubDate>
  772. <category><![CDATA[Secondary History]]></category>
  773. <category><![CDATA[Black British history]]></category>
  774. <category><![CDATA[Collins]]></category>
  775. <category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
  776. <category><![CDATA[History]]></category>
  777. <category><![CDATA[Key Stage 3]]></category>
  778. <category><![CDATA[Local History Month]]></category>
  779. <category><![CDATA[secondary]]></category>
  780. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/?p=7223</guid>
  781.  
  782. <description><![CDATA[<p>Black people have played key roles in shaping British history for centuries, but all too often their stories and contributions &#8230; <a href="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/black-british-history-hidden-faces-important-stories/">Continued</a></p>
  783. <p>The post <a href="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/black-british-history-hidden-faces-important-stories/">Black British History &#8211; Hidden faces, important stories</a> appeared first on <a href="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk">Collins | Freedom to Teach</a>.</p>
  784. ]]></description>
  785. <content:encoded><![CDATA[
  786. <p>Black people have played key roles in shaping British history for centuries, but all too often their stories and contributions have been forgotten or overlooked. To mark <a href="https://www.history.org.uk/historian/resource/1567/local-and-community-history-month">Local History Month</a>, we are highlighting some of the incredible people included in our <em><a href="https://collins.co.uk/products/9780008492083">Black British History KS3 Teacher Resource Pack</a> </em>who have played an essential role in shaping local and national history.</p>
  787.  
  788.  
  789.  
  790. <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Asquith Xavier &#8211; City of Westminster </strong></h3>
  791.  
  792.  
  793.  
  794. <p>Asquith Xavier (1920–80) was born in Dominica where he worked as a police officer and spent some time in the army. He moved to Britain as part of the Windrush generation and settled in Paddington, west London, and found work as a porter and then a guard at Marylebone depot.</p>
  795.  
  796.  
  797.  
  798. <p>In 1966, the Marylebone main line was closed and guards were no longer needed, so Xavier applied for a job at Euston station. He received a letter informing him that his application had been rejected because an unofficial ‘colour bar’ was in operation at Euston and other stations, which meant management at Euston did not want Black people in roles that required face-to-face interaction with customers.</p>
  799.  
  800.  
  801.  
  802. <p>Xavier refused to accept this racial discrimination and took his case to the National Union of Railwaymen. The Branch Secretary and two local MPs brought the case to the attention of the Transport Secretary, Barbara Castle. This government intervention and union protest put pressure on British Rail to change its policy and in August 1966, Xavier started work as a guard at Euston station. He was the first Black person to do so and faced so much abuse that it caused a decline in his health. There is a plaque in Euston station in his honour.</p>
  803.  
  804.  
  805.  
  806. <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Celestine Edwards &#8211; Sunderland, Tyne and Wear </strong></h3>
  807.  
  808.  
  809. <div class="wp-block-image">
  810. <figure class="alignright size-full is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/04/image.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-7234" width="284" height="381" srcset="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/04/image.jpg 375w, https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/04/image-224x300.jpg 224w" sizes="(max-width: 284px) 100vw, 284px" /></figure></div>
  811.  
  812.  
  813. <p>Celestine Edwards was born on the island of Dominica in 1857. After stowing away on a French ship at the age of 12 and sailing around the world while working on various vessels, he settled in Britain.</p>
  814.  
  815.  
  816.  
  817. <p>He first lived in Edinburgh, working as a labourer, and then in Sunderland, where he worked as an insurance agent. As a committed Methodist and supporter of temperance, he gave many passionate speeches around Sunderland, including on race. He later moved to London and began to campaign against racism and prejudice, giving speeches across the country. While in London, Edwards studied theology at King’s College and attended the London Hospital as a medical student.</p>
  818.  
  819.  
  820.  
  821. <p>In 1891, he published the story of a former enslaved person from Canada, and in the next two years he founded a Christian weekly paper, which he used to express his antiracist views and his criticism of empires. He is thought to have been the first Black editor in Britain.</p>
  822.  
  823.  
  824.  
  825. <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><a><strong>Dzagbele Matilda Asante – London Borough of Brent </strong></a></h3>
  826.  
  827.  
  828.  
  829. <p>Dzagbele Matilda Asante was born into a well-connected, affluent family in the British colony in West Africa known as Gold Coast (modern Ghana). Her brothers came to the UK to study law and medicine, and Asante joined them in 1947, successfully applying for a place as a trainee nurse at a hospital in north-west London. She started her three-year training course during the period that the NHS was first established, and before the majority of nursing recruits from the Caribbean arrived.</p>
  830.  
  831.  
  832.  
  833. <p>After completing her training, Asante moved to a hospital in north London, where she trained as a midwife and then later qualified as a health visitor. She and her fellow nurses often encountered racism, with some patients refusing to be cared for by an ‘African’. There was also tension between the nursing recruits from the Caribbean and those, like Asante, from African countries such as Ghana, Sierra Leone and Kenya. Those from the Caribbean were disparaging about the appearance of their African colleagues, but Asante worked hard to challenge some of the lazy stereotypes that existed. After her time in London, she returned to her native country, which secured its independence from British rule in 1957. There, Asante continued to work in a senior role in healthcare.</p>
  834.  
  835.  
  836.  
  837. <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Francis Barber &#8211; Lichfield, Staffordshire </strong></h3>
  838.  
  839.  
  840.  
  841. <p>Francis Barber was born on a sugar plantation in Jamaica. In 1749, at the age of around eight, he was brought to Yorkshire by plantation owner Colonel Richard Bathurst, who ‘loaned’ him to the household of Samuel Johnson. When Bathurst died in 1756, he left Barber a small legacy of £12 (around £2,800 in today’s money), which gave Barber the freedom to leave Johnson’s household.</p>
  842.  
  843.  
  844.  
  845. <p>Barber went to work as an assistant to an apothecary in the Cheapside area of London. After two years there he left to become a sailor. It is unclear whether this was voluntary or forced (there were incidents of Black Britons being captured in port cities and forced to work aboard ships in various roles). The conditions he endured on the ship were horrific, but the continued relationship he had with Johnson helped secure his release. Johnson paid for Barber to continue his education, and Barber became Johnson’s manservant, secretary and companion. David Olusoga has suggested that the friendship between Barber and Johnson was a marked exception to the exploitative relationships typically founded on the enslavement of African people.</p>
  846.  
  847.  
  848.  
  849. <p>Upon his death Johnson left Barber an inheritance of £70 a year and expressed a wish that Barber should relocate to Johnson’s original hometown of Lichfield in Staffordshire. Barber honoured this wish, and he and his wife set up a school there. It is thought that Barber may have been the first Black school teacher in Britain.</p>
  850.  
  851.  
  852.  
  853. <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>George Africanus &#8211; Nottingham, Nottinghamshire </strong></h3>
  854.  
  855.  
  856.  
  857. <p>Born in Sierra Leone, George Africanus (1763–1834) was brought to England at the age of three and enslaved with the wealthy Molineux family in Wolverhampton. Unfortunately, we do not know the name he was given at birth as many enslaved people were forbidden to keep their birth name. The name George John Scipio Africanus was given to him by the Molineux family, who taught him how to read and write. He took up an apprenticeship within the family business, and at the age of 21 George Africanus seems to have won his freedom.</p>
  858.  
  859.  
  860.  
  861. <p>George Africanus moved to Nottingham in 1784 to work as a brass founder. Trade directories from the city show that he also worked as a waiter and a labourer. He met his wife Esther and together they set up a business similar to an employment agency. The Africanus’ Register of Servants proved to be extremely successful and by 1829, George Africanus became a ‘freeholder’, which meant that he was able to own his family home, business premises and accommodation that could be rented out. Being a freeholder also meant that he was eligible to vote. He is recognised as Nottingham’s first Black entrepreneur.</p>
  862.  
  863.  
  864.  
  865. <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Ignatius Sancho &#8211; City of Westminster</strong></h3>
  866.  
  867.  
  868.  
  869. <p>Ignatius Sancho was born in 1729 aboard a ship transporting enslaved people from Guinea to the Spanish Caribbean. His mother died shortly after his birth and his father died by suicide to escape the enslavement he was facing. When he was two years old, Sancho was taken to Britain and given to three sisters who lived in Greenwich, London, to be raised as a servant.</p>
  870.  
  871.  
  872.  
  873. <p>As a young man, Sancho struck up a friendship with the Duke of Montagu and his family. He worked as the Duchess’s butler for nearly 20 years until her death in 1751, and then as valet to her son until 1773. When he died, the Duke left Sancho a small inheritance.</p>
  874.  
  875.  
  876.  
  877. <p>Using this money, Sancho opened a grocery shop in Westminster. The venture was so successful that he gained financial independence. With financial independence came the right to vote, and in 1774 Sancho became the first person of African descent to vote in a British general election.</p>
  878.  
  879.  
  880.  
  881. <p>When Sancho died in 1780 he became the first known person of African descent to have an obituary published in British newspapers. His memoir, <em>Letters of the Late Ignatius Sancho,</em> was published in 1782, making him one of the first people of African descent to have his work published in England. Sancho’s letters proved invaluable to the abolitionist cause.</p>
  882.  
  883.  
  884.  
  885. <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Joseph Emidy &#8211; Truro, Cornwall </strong></h3>
  886.  
  887.  
  888.  
  889. <p>Joseph Emidy (1775–1835) was born in West Africa. He was captured on the Guinea Coast as a child by the Portuguese. His impressive talent on the violin won him a place in the Lisbon Opera Orchestra. However, this ‘freedom’ ended abruptly when an admiral in the British Navy, Sir Edward Pellew, saw him play. Emidy was kidnapped and enslaved again on-board Pellew’s ship.</p>
  890.  
  891.  
  892.  
  893. <p>In 1799, Emidy was discharged at Falmouth. He began working as a teacher and violinist, moving to Truro in Cornwall in 1815 where Emidy really made his name as a musician and became an influential figure. There is a memorial stone to Emidy in Kenwyn churchyard in Truro, but unfortunately none of his music has survived.</p>
  894.  
  895.  
  896.  
  897. <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Mary Prince – London Borough of Islington </strong></h3>
  898.  
  899.  
  900.  
  901. <p>Mary Prince was born into slavery in 1788, in the British colony of Bermuda. In her early life she was sold to a series of brutal slaveholders, at whose hands she experienced the true horrors of such a life. Prince eventually found herself in Antigua, owned by the Wood family. In 1826, she married Daniel James, a carpenter who had bought his own freedom – although she was punished severely for marrying without first seeking permission from the Woods family. In 1828, while accompanying the family on a visit to London, Prince escaped. Slavery was no longer legal in Britain, so Prince was officially a free woman while she remained in the country; however, this meant that she was unable to return to her husband, who had been left behind in Antigua when the family travelled to England.</p>
  902.  
  903.  
  904.  
  905. <p>Seeking help from groups linked to the abolitionist movement, Prince was given warm clothes, money and assistance in finding paid work. In November 1828, she met Thomas Pringle – an abolitionist writer and Secretary of the Anti-Slavery Society – and moved into his home and began working for him as a domestic servant. During this time, and with Pringle’s help, she wrote her autobiography, <em>The History of Mary Prince, A West Indian Slave, Related by Herself</em>, which was published in 1831. The book drew attention to the terrible conditions in which enslaved people were still living and working in the plantations, despite the abolition of the transatlantic trade of enslaved people more than 20 years earlier.</p>
  906.  
  907.  
  908.  
  909. <p>While many of her supporters were middle-class women, few saw her as an equal, and refused to invite her to their various society functions. But Pringle’s publication of her work, and his use of it to pressure parliament, ensured that Prince became known as an influential abolitionist and as the first Black woman to publish an account of her life and experiences as an enslaved person in the Americas.</p>
  910.  
  911.  
  912.  
  913. <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Olive Morris – Manchester, Greater Manchester </strong></h3>
  914.  
  915.  
  916.  
  917. <p>Olive Morris dedicated much of her life to tackling the problems of poverty and racism that existed in Britain. Morris was born in Jamaica in 1952 but moved to Britain in 1961, aged nine. Even though she left school with no qualifications, she attended night classes before graduating from Manchester University with a degree in Social Sciences. Morris was committed to fighting for women’s rights and Black rights, and she co-founded and worked with various organisations, including the Organisation of Women of African and Asian Descent, the Brixton Black Women’s Group, Manchester Black Women’s Co-operative, Manchester Black Women’s Mutual Aid Group and the Brixton Law Centre.</p>
  918.  
  919.  
  920.  
  921. <p><a>&nbsp;</a>In 1972, Morris helped to organise a protest after two young children were killed in a house fire that started when portable heaters were knocked over. The children were living in a council house (housing provided by local governments for people on low incomes) and Morris and other demonstrators, including local children, held a rally outside local government offices to demand better public facilities. The council workers inside threatened to call the police, so Morris instructed the protesting crowd to go home. However, she sent the children into the building, knowing that the police would not arrest them. The head of the housing department came outside and promised to look into what had happened. Central heating was soon installed in the housing where the tragic deaths had occurred.</p>
  922.  
  923.  
  924. <div class="wp-block-image">
  925. <figure class="alignleft size-full is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/05/image.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-7252" width="312" height="485" srcset="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/05/image.jpg 257w, https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/05/image-193x300.jpg 193w" sizes="(max-width: 312px) 100vw, 312px" /></figure></div>
  926.  
  927.  
  928. <p>The same year, Morris began squatting in uninhabited buildings. This was not a crime – in fact, if squatters stayed in empty buildings for long enough, they could claim the right to stay there. Through this action, Morris and her fellow activists drew attention to the fact that many properties stood vacant while thousands of people were without adequate housing.</p>
  929.  
  930.  
  931.  
  932. <p>A vacant flat above a laundrette in south London that Morris and her friend, Liz Obi, squatted in was turned into a bookshop which sold literature that supported the struggle for equality. This became a popular meeting place for the Black community. It was here that protest groups like Black People Against State Harassment met to organise their response to continued racial discrimination and prejudice.</p>
  933.  
  934.  
  935.  
  936. <p>Just a few years later, Morris developed cancer. She died in 1979, aged just 27. She had refused to submit to racial oppression and had worked tirelessly to protect the rights of Black people, and Black women in particular. In Lambeth, London, a council building was named after her. Olive Morris House was, however, demolished in November 2020. This fact has been viewed by many as an example of her legacy and work being forgotten.</p>
  937.  
  938.  
  939.  
  940. <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Sir Wilfred Wood &#8211; London Borough of Croydon</strong></h3>
  941.  
  942.  
  943.  
  944. <p>Sir Wilfred Wood was born in Barbados in 1936. After completing his theological studies, he was ordained as a deacon in 1962. He was posted to a diocese in London and served in a parish in Shepherd’s Bush. Wood was eventually made Bishop of Croydon in 1985 – the first Black Bishop in the Church of England.</p>
  945.  
  946.  
  947.  
  948. <p>Wood took a keen interest in race relations, and worked hard to promote social justice and to combat racial inequality. He worked on various commissions to try to improve the criminal justice system and deal with issues of urban poverty. He was the moderator of the World Council of Churches Programme to Combat Racism and protested against the apartheid regime in South Africa. Bishop Wood spoke out against the praise that was given to Enoch Powell on his death. Wood also spoke out about the treatment of asylum seekers, arguing that Britain should provide a refuge for people fleeing persecution and oppression.</p>
  949.  
  950.  
  951.  
  952. <p>In 2000, the late Queen Elizabeth II appointed him Knight of St Andrew (Order of Barbados) for his contribution to race relations in the UK and for his work to support the welfare of the Caribbean community in Britain.</p>
  953.  
  954.  
  955.  
  956. <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>
  957.  
  958.  
  959.  
  960. <p>Find out more about bringing other influential Black British figures into your classroom with <a href="https://collins.co.uk/pages/secondary-history-black-british-history"><em>Black British History KS3 Teacher Resource Pack</em></a><em>, </em>a customisable teacher pack to help you shine a light on Black British history.</p>
  961.  
  962.  
  963.  
  964. <p><strong>You might also be interested in</strong></p>
  965.  
  966.  
  967.  
  968. <p><a href="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/black-history-is-british-history/">Black history is British history</a></p>
  969.  
  970.  
  971.  
  972. <p></p>
  973.  
  974.  
  975.  
  976. <p>Dr Simon Henderson and Teni Oladehin, authors of the teacher pack discussing how you can integrate Black British history into your KS3 curriculum.</p>
  977. <p>The post <a href="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/black-british-history-hidden-faces-important-stories/">Black British History &#8211; Hidden faces, important stories</a> appeared first on <a href="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk">Collins | Freedom to Teach</a>.</p>
  978. ]]></content:encoded>
  982. </item>
  983. <item>
  984. <title>Getting comfortable with unseen poetry</title>
  985. <link>https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/getting-comfortable-with-unseen-poetry/</link>
  987. <dc:creator><![CDATA[digitaltechnology]]></dc:creator>
  988. <pubDate>Mon, 03 Apr 2023 15:41:01 +0000</pubDate>
  989. <category><![CDATA[GCSE]]></category>
  990. <category><![CDATA[Secondary]]></category>
  991. <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
  992. <category><![CDATA[Collins]]></category>
  993. <category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
  994. <category><![CDATA[Teaching]]></category>
  995. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/?p=7207</guid>
  996.  
  997. <description><![CDATA[<p>Of all the different forms of writing that we study in English, poetry often seems to be the one with &#8230; <a href="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/getting-comfortable-with-unseen-poetry/">Continued</a></p>
  998. <p>The post <a href="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/getting-comfortable-with-unseen-poetry/">&lt;a&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Getting comfortable with unseen poetry&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;</a> appeared first on <a href="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk">Collins | Freedom to Teach</a>.</p>
  999. ]]></description>
  1000. <content:encoded><![CDATA[
  1001. <p>Of all the different forms of writing that we study in English, poetry often seems to be the one with which students feel the least comfortable.  The fact that it simply doesn’t look like prose creates an instant barrier.  It’s unsurprising then that young people find the requirement to explore an unseen poem in the exam particularly daunting.  With this in mind, it’s important that we consider different strategies that we can use to help our students be more comfortable and successful when analysing unseen poetry.</p>
  1002.  
  1003.  
  1004.  
  1005. <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Familiarity with poetry</strong></h3>
  1006.  
  1007.  
  1008.  
  1009. <p>I think it’s a good idea, well before we start teaching the poems on the GCSE specification, to get our classes used to poetry.&nbsp; It’s important to do this in a non-threatening way: just reading and talking about poems, rather than answering specific questions and seeing it as exam preparation.</p>
  1010.  
  1011.  
  1012.  
  1013. <p>I like to create a bank of accessible poems to drip-feed to my students over the year.&nbsp; One of my favourite books for this is ‘Short and Sweet’, edited by Simon Armitage, a collection of 101 poems that are no more than thirteen lines long.&nbsp; I also add in song lyrics now and again; ‘Obsession’ by Siouxsie and the Banshees worked particularly well and was a fun throwback to my youth.&nbsp; I give my students one of these poems once a fortnight for their homework, asking them simply to decide what it’s about and highlight one line that they think is good so we can discuss it – first in pairs then as a class – for about fifteen minutes.</p>
  1014.  
  1015.  
  1016.  
  1017. <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Stories and evidence</strong></h3>
  1018.  
  1019.  
  1020.  
  1021. <p>By the time I start teaching how to approach unseen poetry, most of my students are feeling a little less resistant to the form.&nbsp; The complaint I’ve heard most often over the years is, ‘But I don’t get what it’s about’, so I alternate between poems where I tell them the ‘story’ and slightly easier poems where I ask them to work it out for themselves.</p>
  1022.  
  1023.  
  1024.  
  1025. <p>I don’t mind what they come up with as long as they can evidence it.&nbsp; We usually highlight lines that support our idea in one colour and lines that might contradict our idea in another colour.&nbsp; This allows us to work out whether an interpretation is valid as well as how alternative interpretations can be presented.&nbsp; This is also a good point to talk about tone so it’s important to select a range of poems that allow students to explore happiness, grief, desire, heartbreak, self-doubt, anger, etc.&nbsp; If you’re ever struggling to find engaging poems to study, the <a href="https://collins.co.uk/products/9780008551568">Snap Revision Guide to Unseen Poetry</a> has lots of great suggestions.</p>
  1026.  
  1027.  
  1028.  
  1029. <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Language</strong></h3>
  1030.  
  1031.  
  1032.  
  1033. <p>With the class hopefully feeling more confident about analysing a poem, I now turn their attention to language.  Using our highlighted lines, we do the typical exploration of words and images, making sure they refer to all those techniques like metaphor, simile, and personification.  But I also ask them to consider what their most significant lines are: ones which have both a clear link to what the poem is ‘about’ and lots of interesting language.  This goes some way to avoiding the scenario where students are constantly just commenting on adjectives.</p>
  1034.  
  1035.  
  1036.  
  1037. <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Sound, structure, and form</strong></h3>
  1038.  
  1039.  
  1040.  
  1041. <p>I’m a big believer in avoiding <a href="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/avoiding-empty-analysis-in-gcse-english/">empty analysis</a>.  Only once they’ve established meaning through language will I ask my students to start considering the different ways in which that meaning is emphasised.  Lots of fun can be had with sound effects like alliteration, onomatopoeia, and plosives.  I also like to get the class to try to write something with an iambic rhythm to show them how well-crafted a lot of these poems actually are; it can get the point across, and create some laughs, by asking those with polysyllabic names to say their name aloud but with the stress in the wrong place.  Again, to build up their confidence with form, it’s good to expose the class to a range of examples: sonnets (Shakespeare – tried and tested!), dramatic monologues (such as Vicki Feaver’s ‘Girl In Red’), duologues (my favourites is ‘In The Orchard’ by Muriel Stuart), villanelles (‘Twerk Villanelle’ by Porsha Olayiwola is a good modern use of the form), elegies (Ben Jonson’s ‘On My First Sonne’ is beautifully moving), etc.</p>
  1042.  
  1043.  
  1044.  
  1045. <p>I know plenty of teachers that lack a bit of confidence when it comes to poetry.&nbsp; If you’re one of them, don’t feel embarrassed and don’t feel afraid.&nbsp; Just start immersing yourself in poetry and thinking about the ideas above, then encourage your students to do the same.</p>
  1046.  
  1047.  
  1048.  
  1049. <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>
  1050.  
  1051.  
  1052.  
  1053. <div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide is-stacked-on-mobile" style="grid-template-columns:17% auto"><figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="500" height="710" src="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/04/237841-FC50.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-7210 size-full" srcset="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/04/237841-FC50.jpg 500w, https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/87/2023/04/237841-FC50-211x300.jpg 211w" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" /></figure><div class="wp-block-media-text__content">
  1054. <p><strong>Ian Kirby</strong> has been teaching English for over twenty years.&nbsp; He is a senior tutor and key stage 5 co-ordinator at a school in Northamptonshire. He is also the author of a number of English textbooks and revision guides, including the popular Snap Revision series.</p>
  1055.  
  1056.  
  1057.  
  1058. <p><a href="https://collins.co.uk/pages/revision-snap-revision"><strong>Snap Revision</strong></a>&nbsp;is a series of bestselling text guides and workbooks for GCSE English. Plus, new editions now include video support for the most popular AQA set texts accessed via QR codes.</p>
  1059. </div></div>
  1060. <p>The post <a href="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/getting-comfortable-with-unseen-poetry/">&lt;a&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Getting comfortable with unseen poetry&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;</a> appeared first on <a href="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk">Collins | Freedom to Teach</a>.</p>
  1061. ]]></content:encoded>
  1065. </item>
  1066. <item>
  1067. <title>Academic writing for GCSE</title>
  1068. <link>https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/academic-writing-for-gcse/</link>
  1070. <dc:creator><![CDATA[digitaltechnology]]></dc:creator>
  1071. <pubDate>Mon, 27 Mar 2023 09:20:06 +0000</pubDate>
  1072. <category><![CDATA[GCSE]]></category>
  1073. <category><![CDATA[Secondary]]></category>
  1074. <category><![CDATA[Secondary English]]></category>
  1075. <category><![CDATA[Collins]]></category>
  1076. <category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
  1077. <category><![CDATA[english]]></category>
  1078. <category><![CDATA[secondary english]]></category>
  1079. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/?p=7188</guid>
  1080.  
  1081. <description><![CDATA[<p>Academic writing just means that our students need to write in a formal manner that reflects their level of educational and is distinct from how they would converse orally or via text.  A good approach is to gradually introduce students to a range of ways in which they can ensure their writing is more academic.  I find it helpful to divide these into three aims: being concise, being precise, and being sophisticated.</p>
  1082. <p>The post <a href="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/academic-writing-for-gcse/">&lt;strong&gt;Academic writing for GCSE&lt;/strong&gt;</a> appeared first on <a href="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk">Collins | Freedom to Teach</a>.</p>
  1083. ]]></description>
  1084. <content:encoded><![CDATA[
  1085. <p>In recent years, people have been talking much more about students needing to use academic writing.&nbsp; At first, it seems like an impossible request.&nbsp; Many of us link academic writing to the essays and research that we read while studying at uni.&nbsp; Do we really expect a sixteen-year-old to emulate that?&nbsp; However, academic writing just means that our students need to write in a formal manner that reflects their level of educational and is distinct from how they would converse orally or via text.&nbsp; A good approach is to gradually introduce students to a range of ways in which they can ensure their writing is more academic.&nbsp; I find it helpful to divide these into three aims: being concise, being precise, and being sophisticated.</p>
  1086.  
  1087.  
  1088.  
  1089. <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Being concise</strong></h2>
  1090.  
  1091.  
  1092.  
  1093. <p>The simple idea behind this is getting students to avoid unnecessary words and unimportant information so their work reads clearly and they answer the set question.&nbsp; I think it’s also an area that’s significant for our more able learners.&nbsp; They will often happily produce incredibly long and detailed responses to homework tasks but then struggle to get through all the questions on an exam paper under timed conditions.</p>
  1094.  
  1095.  
  1096.  
  1097. <p>As well as teaching my classes how to deconstruct an exam question so they’re only responding to what has been set, I regularly ask them to re-read their work and spot anywhere that they aren’t being succinct.&nbsp; We look for repetition, over-long phrasing, pointless intensifiers (such as, ‘People held <em>really</em> different views’), figurative language, and synonym pairs (for instance, ‘She feels happy and joyous’).</p>
  1098.  
  1099.  
  1100.  
  1101. <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Being precise</strong></h2>
  1102.  
  1103.  
  1104.  
  1105. <p>In order to show the examiner that they have a full understanding of what they’re writing about, our students need to be using words and phrases that convey their exact meaning.&nbsp; Too often, their language is vague or – again, in the case of some higher ability students – they adopt ‘big’ words that sound good but actually have different connotations to what was intended.</p>
  1106.  
  1107.  
  1108.  
  1109. <p>At a word level, I spend time with my classes learning subject-specific and topic-specific words, using classroom displays to help our memory.&nbsp; We also have ‘best not biggest’ as our vocabulary mantra and look at how just grabbing any word from a thesaurus can radically affect our meaning, sometimes with quite rude consequences!</p>
  1110.  
  1111.  
  1112.  
  1113. <p>At a sentence level, we take time to establish ideas with topic sentences.&nbsp; We then find different ways to connect our ideas with demonstrative or developmental links, as well as ways to introduce alternative interpretations.</p>
  1114.  
  1115.  
  1116.  
  1117. <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Being sophisticated</strong></h2>
  1118.  
  1119.  
  1120.  
  1121. <p>For students who struggle with their writing, being concise and being precise are great ways to help their work achieve a clearer academic focus.&nbsp; For our grade 7+ students, being sophisticated is a lovely way for them to show off just how well they can control and craft the English language during an exam response in order to emphasise their understanding.</p>
  1122.  
  1123.  
  1124.  
  1125. <p>Again, this can start at a word level by exploring how well-chosen synonyms can provide variety as well as conveying important shades of meaning.&nbsp; We consider how we can alter our language to either clearly assert a definitive answer or cautiously express possibility and interpretation.</p>
  1126.  
  1127.  
  1128.  
  1129. <p>Once my students have mastered how to correctly form a complex sentence, I also challenge them to change the positions of their subordinate clauses for variety and to use different sentence structures to enhance their meaning.&nbsp; For example, we look at how to use simple sentences to establish ideas, compound sentences to link ideas, and complex sentences to develop them, but also lists or patterns of three to present evidence, parallelism to emphasise ideas, and antithesis to highlight contrasting aspects of a single concept.&nbsp; In addition, having control over a sentence allows them to expertly embed evidence or integrate different aspects of their response.</p>
  1130.  
  1131.  
  1132.  
  1133. <p>All of these strategies are explored fully in the <a href="https://collins.co.uk/products/9780008520755">Snap Revision Guide to Academic Writing</a>.&nbsp; At my school, we bought a copy for every Year 11 student and had a different writing focus each fortnight.&nbsp; This was established in tutor time through the relevant pages of the guide, then actively used in lesson time across the curriculum not just in English.&nbsp; For example, Science took the lead on teaching demonstrative links while Humanities focused on embedding evidence.&nbsp; Students then used the question pages to revise their understanding as part of their home learning.&nbsp; It’s been a gradual process but we’ve seen some big improvements.</p>
  1134.  
  1135.  
  1136.  
  1137. <div style="height:4px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>
  1138.  
  1139.  
  1140.  
  1141. <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>
  1142.  
  1143.  
  1144.  
  1145. <div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide is-stacked-on-mobile" style="grid-template-columns:19% auto"><figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><a href="https://collins.co.uk/products/9780008520755"><img decoding="async" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2473/3068/products/x500_b948c386-988f-4074-bd98-56841cab87b6_1024x1024.jpg?v=1672906155" alt=""/></a></figure><div class="wp-block-media-text__content">
  1146. <p><strong>Ian Kirby</strong> has been teaching English for over twenty years.&nbsp; He is a senior tutor and key stage 5 coordinator at a school in Northamptonshire. He is also the author of a number of English textbooks and revision guides, including the popular <a href="https://collins.co.uk/pages/revision-snap-revision">Snap Revision series.</a></p>
  1147.  
  1148.  
  1149.  
  1150. <p><br><a href="https://collins.co.uk/pages/revision-snap-revision"><strong>Snap Revision</strong></a>&nbsp;is a series of bestselling text guides and workbooks for GCSE English. Plus, new editions now include video support for the most popular AQA set texts accessed via QR codes.</p>
  1151. </div></div>
  1152.  
  1153.  
  1154.  
  1155. <p></p>
  1156. <p>The post <a href="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/academic-writing-for-gcse/">&lt;strong&gt;Academic writing for GCSE&lt;/strong&gt;</a> appeared first on <a href="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk">Collins | Freedom to Teach</a>.</p>
  1157. ]]></content:encoded>
  1161. </item>
  1162. <item>
  1163. <title>Avoiding empty analysis in GCSE English</title>
  1164. <link>https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/avoiding-empty-analysis-in-gcse-english/</link>
  1166. <dc:creator><![CDATA[stefanlesik]]></dc:creator>
  1167. <pubDate>Thu, 16 Mar 2023 10:59:01 +0000</pubDate>
  1168. <category><![CDATA[GCSE]]></category>
  1169. <category><![CDATA[Secondary]]></category>
  1170. <category><![CDATA[Secondary English]]></category>
  1171. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/?p=3971</guid>
  1172.  
  1173. <description><![CDATA[<p>It’s important that we encourage students to explore structure and form when they are analysing a literary text.  However, this can sometimes lead to empty analysis.  I’ve regularly read comments on exam papers like, ‘The writer uses a comma to convey how the two people are separate’ or ‘By writing in rhyming couplets, the poet demonstrates the speaker’s love for her partner’.  Responses like these are often based on good ideas but, unfortunately, the analysis is tenuous: a comma doesn’t actually mean anything; a rhyming couplet doesn’t instantly represent love.</p>
  1174. <p>The post <a href="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/avoiding-empty-analysis-in-gcse-english/">Avoiding empty analysis in GCSE English</a> appeared first on <a href="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk">Collins | Freedom to Teach</a>.</p>
  1175. ]]></description>
  1176. <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It’s important that we encourage students to explore structure and form when they are analysing a literary text.  However, this can sometimes lead to empty analysis.  I’ve regularly read comments on exam papers like, ‘The writer uses a comma to convey how the two people are separate’ or ‘By writing in rhyming couplets, the poet demonstrates the speaker’s love for her partner’.  Responses like these are often based on good ideas but, unfortunately, the analysis is tenuous: a comma doesn’t actually <em>mean</em> anything; a rhyming couplet doesn’t instantly represent love.</p>
  1177. <h4><strong>Start with language</strong></h4>
  1178. <p>With this in mind, when we are discussing a text, I always ask my students to start with language.  Words are the primary tool which writers use to convey meaning so – whether we’re studying prose, poetry, or drama – I insist on analysis being established in this way.</p>
  1179. <p>The class might be exploring character, theme, or atmosphere.  But however brilliant their ideas are, my students must prove them by referring to specific words, phrases, or images.  This also has the benefit of reducing responses that are based on a mis-reading or a superficial impression of a text.</p>
  1180. <p>If my students are a little sceptical of this approach at first, I put a big semi-colon on the board and say, ‘What does that mean?’  I’ll often get the response, ‘It’s a semi-colon.’  I just follow up with, ‘I know what it is, what does it mean?’  The subsequent silence usually convinces them that empty analysis is a problem.</p>
  1181. <h4><strong>Move on to structure and form</strong></h4>
  1182. <p>Just as I encourage my students to see language as <em>establishing</em> meaning, I suggest to them that sentence structures, narrative structures, and literary forms can all <em>emphasise</em> that meaning.</p>
  1183. <p>Once a student has established a clear idea and evidenced it using the writer’s language, I ask them to look back at their quotation and consider how it has been structured and where it was placed in the text.  We then discuss whether these additional aspects of a writer’s craft might be interpreted as supporting their initial idea.  This could be a short sentence, a list, an example of repetition, a poet’s use of meter, or a playwright’s reference to lighting.</p>
  1184. <p>Whatever the student comes up with, if it can be clearly related to the idea that they established through language then they are analysing the effects of structure and form with meaning.</p>
  1185. <h4><strong>Put it all together</strong></h4>
  1186. <p>I probably let discussion go on for too long in some of my lessons as I’ve always loved hearing what other people have to say about a text.  Giving airtime to their inferences, judgements, questions, and comparisons is vital.  Ultimately, though, I always end our talk with some writing.  When we’re doing this, I ask them to mirror the method of our discussion: after establishing their idea, they evidence it and start by exploring language; only once that has been completed are they allowed to consider the supporting effects of structure and form.  If the class are new to a text or less confident with their analysis, then we’ll start by modelling a paragraph together or doing some paired writing before an independent task.</p>
  1187. <p>Hopefully, I’ll end up with paragraphs like this one about Seamus Heaney’s ‘Follower’:</p>
  1188. <blockquote><p>Heaney uses metaphor to describe a childhood desire for independence.  In the lines, ‘All I ever did was follow / In his broad shadow around the farm’, the ‘shadow’ is used to represent the son’s inability to be his own person.  The notion of always trying to copy, and live up to, his father is also indicated by the verb ‘follow’.  By internally rhyming these two words, Heaney emphasises the idea that he was always echoing his father in different ways</p></blockquote>
  1189. <p>If you’re new to teaching or lack a bit of confidence when it comes to analysing texts, the <a href="https://collins.co.uk/pages/revision-snap-revision">Snap Revision Text Guides</a> contain samples of analysis that follow a similar pattern.  One simple way to use them in class is to ask students to highlight where the language analysis is in the paragraph, then use a different colour to highlight subsequent analysis of structure or form.</p>
  1190. <p>By teaching strategies to avoid empty analysis, we will make young people better students of English.  Their ideas will be rooted in the writer’s craft rather than in pre-conceived ideas or misconceptions.  This will improve their future grades and perhaps encourage them to continue their studies to A-level.</p>
  1191. <p>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;</p>
  1192. <p><strong>Ian Kirby</strong> has been teaching English for over twenty years, currently working as a senior tutor and key stage 5 co-ordinator at a school in Northamptonshire. He is also the author of a number of English textbooks and revision guides, including the popular <a href="https://collins.co.uk/pages/revision-snap-revision">Snap Revision series</a>.</p>
  1193. <p><a href="https://collins.co.uk/pages/revision-snap-revision"><strong>Snap Revision</strong></a> is a series of bestselling text guides and workbooks for GCSE English. Plus, new editions now include video support for the most popular AQA set texts accessed via QR codes.</p>
  1194. <p>The post <a href="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk/avoiding-empty-analysis-in-gcse-english/">Avoiding empty analysis in GCSE English</a> appeared first on <a href="https://freedomtoteach.collins.co.uk">Collins | Freedom to Teach</a>.</p>
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