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Year 9

Exploring historical attitudes and perspectives in non-fiction texts

I can identify and explain how dominant viewpoints and ideas are presented in non-fiction text.

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Year 9

Exploring historical attitudes and perspectives in non-fiction texts

I can identify and explain how dominant viewpoints and ideas are presented in non-fiction text.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Non-fiction encompasses a wide range of texts and can use literary devices to engage a reader or audience.
  2. Societal attitudes shift and change.
  3. In the 18th and 19th century it was a societal expectation that people would get married.
  4. Ideas of femininity were based on stereotypes of gentleness and politeness.
  5. Non-fiction texts can reveal a lot about societal attitudes.

Keywords

  • Expectations - are what people believe should happen or the way things should be

  • Dominant - the most widely accepted or prevailing (idea or concept)

  • Conform - to behave or think in a way that is socially acceptable

  • Societal - anything related to society, including beliefs, customs and behaviours

  • Stereotype - a simplified belief, view or representation of a group of people

Common misconception

That life was simply bad 'then' and 'good' now.

Exploring the similarities between the past and now, can help draw out the nuances of societal expectations and stereotypical representations.


To help you plan your year 9 english lesson on: Exploring historical attitudes and perspectives in non-fiction texts, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Using images can be an interesting way to consider how women presented themselves in the 18th and 19th centuries. Look at how the physical presentation linked to the way women were expected to be behave e.g. reserved, polite and modest.
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Teacher tip
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Content guidance

  • 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.
Which of these would not be considered a non-fiction text?
Martin Luther King's 'I have a dream' speech
Correct answer: William Shakespeare's 'Macbeth'
Anne Frank's diary
Marcus Rashford's 'to all MPs in Parliament' letter
Malala Yousafzai's autobiography 'I am Malala'
Q2.
Which of the following is the best definition of the word "opinion"?
a statement based on facts and evidence
Correct answer: a personal belief or judgement that may be based on facts
a fact that everyone accepts as true
a conclusion drawn from scientific experimentation
Q3.
What is the main purpose of a biography?
To entertain readers with fictional stories.
To provide instructions on how to complete a task.
Correct answer: To tell the life story of a real person.
To convince readers to adopt a particular viewpoint.
Q4.
Which of these would have the primary purpose to persuade?
Correct answer: A speech entitled 'it's time to ditch single use plastic'.
An instruction manual on how to survive a zombie attack.
The rules to a game.
The story of how Taylor Swift became a pop icon.
Q5.
A first person pronoun is a word used when a writer is referring to themselves . Which word in this sentence is a first person pronoun? 'I went to the theatre and I sat in the stalls.'
Correct Answer: I
Q6.
What does it mean for a non-fiction text to be biased?
It presents multiple viewpoints on a topic.
It includes only factual information.
It presents information in a fair and balanced manner.
Correct answer: It presents information in a way that favours one particular viewpoint.

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which of these is not an example of a non-fiction text?
biography
letter
speech
Correct answer: novel
article
Q2.
What does it mean to "conform"?
to have the most power or influence in a situation
Correct answer: to behave or think in a socially acceptable way
a simplified belief about a group of people
anything related to society, including beliefs, customs, and behaviors
Q3.
What is a "stereotype"?
the most widely accepted idea or concept
behaving or thinking in a way that is socially acceptable
Correct answer: a simplified belief about a group of people
anything related to society, including beliefs, customs, and behaviors
Q4.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, what was the dominant view of marriage?
Marriage was primarily about love and romance.
Correct answer: Marriage was essential for financial stability and status.
Marriage was not considered important at all.
Q5.
Which if these words does not link to the stereotypical view of women and femininity in the 18th and 19th centuries?
polite
Correct answer: aggressive
quiet
gentle
kind
Q6.
Which of these is not true with reference to the life of women in the 18th and 19th centuries?
Correct answer: Education was freely available and women were expected to attend.
Women were expected to marry.
Unmarried women were viewed as problematic.
Women were rarely financially independent.