'Small Island': from page to stage
I can explain in detail how Edmundson adapted 'Small Island' for the stage.
'Small Island': from page to stage
I can explain in detail how Edmundson adapted 'Small Island' for the stage.
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Lesson details
Key learning points
- Edmundson adapted the novel which means she developed Levy's original ideas to suit the form of a play.
- Edmundson is responsible for writing stage directions, chronology of events and developing characters through dialogue.
- Edmundson develops the multiplicity of Levy's original narratives using dramatic techniques.
- Edmundson uses patois, dialect and colloquial language to develop Levy's realistic characters.
- The use of direct address in the play mirrors the first person narratives in the novel, giving characters unique voices.
Keywords
Multiplicity - a large number of, or a variety of things
Dialogue - conversation and spoken interactions written for a play, book or film
Dialect - a variation of a language spoken in a particular part of the country or by a particular group
Jamaican patois - variation of English, or dialect, specific to Jamaican speakers
Common misconception
Edmundson did not write 'Small Island'.
Explore the conventions of a play. What would Edmundson have to have added to re-imagine the novel?
To help you plan your year 9 english lesson on: 'Small Island': from page to stage, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 9 english lesson on: 'Small Island': from page to stage, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 english lessons from the 'Small Island' unit, dive into the full secondary english curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
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
- Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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