RUBRIC
Through the study of the module Who do I think I am? – English and the self, students develop an understanding of language and texts typically used to express people’s ideas, emotions and beliefs about themselves and their lives. As students respond to and compose texts, they learn about how an individual can share experiences and reveal beliefs, aspirations and talents through exploring how language is used in conversations, interviews, biographies, autobiographies and written reflections in a range of media, for example digital, print and visual. Students have opportunities to develop and express a positive view of themselves and their relationships and roles in families and communities through developing their understanding of the power of language to communicate and represent experience. They respond to and compose texts to explore and analyse language used to build and strengthen relationships and to communicate the achievements and feelings of individuals.

Students have the opportunity to develop their ability and willingness to communicate ideas in private and community forums, and to present themselves positively in a range of contexts, including more formal contexts, for example job interviews. They develop awareness of how to present their personal image appropriately and judiciously for a public audience. In doing so, students strengthen their skills in the preparation and presentation of portfolios that showcase their interests, abilities and achievements. Students experience, engage with and critique both short and sustained literary texts that focus on individuals ‘telling their stories’ imaginatively, in ways that explore issues of identity and self-worth.

Through engaging in the learning opportunities that this module offers, students develop their skills in comprehending and responding to texts, and develop their abilities to use language imaginatively, expressively and purposefully. By creating a range of responses to the texts studied students develop a stronger understanding of the power of language to communicate their ideas effectively and learn about the importance of using vocabulary, register and modality appropriately. Opportunities to plan, proofread and edit their work help students develop greater control of spelling, punctuation, syntax and grammar.

Who Do I Think I Am?

English and the self

Humans are, by nature, storytellers. There is no better story than your own. In this unit of work, students will explore how language is used to convey and represent individual experiences and journeys. They will gain insight into their own lives and the lives of others. This will be conducted through the close study of language and how it is used to express emotions, ideas, beliefs and perspectives. They will recognise the use of language in other’s compositions and develop the skill to use in their own. Through the learning experiences offered, students have the opportunity to develop their ability and willingness to communicate ideas in private and community forums, and to present themselves positively in a range of contexts including more formal contexts, for example job interviews. They develop awareness of how to present their personal image appropriately and judiciously for a public audience. In doing so, students strengthen their skills in the preparation and presentation of portfolios that showcase their interests, abilities and achievements. Students experience, engage with and critique both short and sustained literary texts that focus on individuals ‘telling their stories’ imaginatively, in ways that explore issues of identity and self-worth.

In this module students work as memoirists to explore life writing.  

They will: 

1. Discover the value of writing about the self in many different forms.  

2. Read extracts from written memoirs to develop reading comprehension skills - and the ability to respond to short answer questions based on a text.  

3. Listen to and evaluate a range of spoken personal stories.

4. Read and evaluate graphic memoirs. 

5. View and evaluate a range of digital  / animated personal stories   

6. Create their own digital story 

7. Peer mark digital stories   

The Role of Storytelling in Our Lives

Storytelling is the act of telling stories, which are narratives with a beginning, middle, and end.

Homer's The Iliad is an ancient epic poem that is among the most celebrated of its kind and in the long history of human storytelling.

Storytelling is the act of telling or writing stories, or narratives. Typically, stories are told for entertainment, for informational purposes, or for educational purposes.

Storytelling is universal to the human experience. Indeed, although it is likely impossible to prove, it has been suggested that storytelling developed not long after the development of language itself.

We do know that all cultures have told stories. Some of the earliest evidence of stories comes from the cave drawings in Lascaux and Chavaux, France. The drawings, which date as far back as 30,000 years ago, depict animals, humans, and other objects. Some of them appear to represent visual stories. It is even possible that the scenes depicted on those cave walls were associated with some kind of oral storytelling.

Oral storytelling is telling a story through voice and gestures. Like storytelling itself, the tradition of oral storytelling is ancient and crosses cultures. The oral tradition can take many forms: epic poems, chants, rhymes, songs, and more. It can encompass myths, legends, fables, religion, prayers, proverbs, and instructions.

Epic poems, like the Greek The Iliad and the Sumerian The Tale of Gilgamesh, were first recited and passed down by word of mouth, and only later written down. Similarly, Aesop—who, if he existed at all, hailed from around the sixth century B.C.E.—was probably a teller of tales. Later Greek writers mention him and his animal fables, but they originally belonged to the oral tradition.

Today, of course, stories can be told orally, in printed or handwritten text, and via recorded sound and images. Regardless of the media, we are all consumers of story and always have been.

Why, then, are people drawn to stories?

One reason may be that it helps us feel in control. That is, it helps us to find order in things that have happened to us and make sense of the events of a random world.

Stories can also let us see how others think and feel. In other words, they can allow us to empathize with the people around us. In fact, studies suggest that the more compelling the story, the more empathetic people become in real life.

Stories also allow us to share information in a memorable way, which might have helped our ancestors cooperate and survive. By telling a story rather than merely reciting dry facts, we remember the details more clearly.

Regardless of the reasons, stories are everywhere. Much of our lives are devoted to telling stories about what we did, where we went, and who we spent time with. We have been telling stories for as long as history can see, and we will likely continue to do so for the rest of our lives.