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Year 9

'Small Island': creating topic sentences and using quotes in essays

I can create effective topic sentences and select main and supporting quotes.

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Year 9

'Small Island': creating topic sentences and using quotes in essays

I can create effective topic sentences and select main and supporting quotes.

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These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. A thesis statement is a clear, overarching argument.
  2. Topic sentences give focus to individual paragraphs.
  3. Select main quotations and supporting quotations to include in an essay.
  4. Main quotations should be analysed; supporting quotations don’t need to be analysed.

Keywords

  • Thesis - the overarching argument to an essay, supported by the entire text

  • Topic sentence - the first sentence of a paragraph- it states the paragraph’s main idea

  • Main quotations - these are quotations which support your topic sentence, and that require analysis

  • Supporting quotations - these are quotations which support your topic sentence, but don’t require analysis

  • Marginalise - to treat someone or a group of people as if they are not important; to place them outside of society

Common misconception

Planning is not necessary to write an effective response.

Not only is planning an efficient way to consider different questions and arguments, it also leads to more cohesive, well sequenced responses.


To help you plan your year 9 english lesson on: 'Small Island': creating topic sentences and using quotes in essays, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

This lesson could be adapted to focus on different essay questions depending on the specific focus of the text and the needs of the class.
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Teacher tip
equipment-required

Equipment

You will need access to a copy of the play 'Small Island' written by Andrea Levy and adapted for the stage by Helen Edmundson

content-guidance

Content guidance

  • Contains strong language
  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
supervision-level

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

copyright

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
In 'Small Island', what does Gilbert hope to be when he migrates to England?
Doctor
Correct answer: Lawyer
Teacher
Bank Manager
Surgeon
Q2.
How does Gilbert perceive Arthur's gaze in Act 1 Scene 3 of 'Small Island'?
With indifference
Correct answer: As fixated on the color of his skin
As a sign of camaraderie
As a gesture of respect
That he is nosy
Q3.
Which two words complete the description of Gilbert's room in 'Small Island' Act 2 Scene 1? "A __________, __________ realistic world."
dim
strikingly
Correct answer: grey
dismal
Correct answer: starkly
Q4.
Complete this description from 'Small Island', Act 2 Scene 1: “We hear a__________running over the roof of the room”
Correct Answer: rat
Q5.
In 'Small Island', what do the stage directions, "a single bed, a small table and two chairs - one of which has a broken leg and rests on an old book", suggest about Gilbert's living conditions?
Bright and inviting
Comfortable and spacious
Luxurious and well-furnished
Correct answer: Dilapidated and cramped
Q6.
Which answer offers the most sophisticated explanation of Edmundson's use of direct address in 'Small Island'?
To entertain the audience.
Correct answer: To foreground the experiences of marginalised people.
To ensure the audience can hear what is being said.
To adhere to an unrealistic and melodramatic form.

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
When planning for an essay on 'Small Island', what is the first step of the planning process?
writing down all the quotations you know off by heart
writing three topic sentences
Correct answer: annotating the question
writing a thesis statement
re-reading the text
Q2.
What would be the key words in this essay question: how does Edmundson use the character of Hortense to explore the theme of hope?
Correct answer: hope
character
Correct answer: how
theme
Correct answer: Hortense
Q3.
A pupil said, "Here is my thesis about betrayal in 'Small Island': Edmundson uses Act 2 Scene One to explore Gilbert's reality of the 'Mother Country." How would you correct them.
This won't be a thesis until it includes quotations.
Correct answer: This is a topic sentence, not a thesis.
Gilbert doesn't get to the 'Mother Country', so this thesis is incorrect.
Correct answer: This is not a thesis as it is not supported by the entire text.
Q4.
In Act 1 Scene Six of 'Small Island', Gilbert reveals an idealistic view of London when he describes the Houses of Parliament as a...
Correct Answer: fairytale castle
Q5.
When writing about 'Small Island', you should start your essay with a thesis statement. This is...
Correct answer: the overarching argument to an essay, supported by the entire text.
quotations which should be analysed and support the main argument.
the last sentence of a paragraph that summarises the main ideas.
the first sentence of a paragraph. It states the paragraph’s main idea.
Q6.
Which word beginning with 'm' describes 'treating someone or a group of people as if they are not important.'?
Correct Answer: marginalise