Route map: two-year linear A-level
This resource is a suggested programme of study for a two-year linear
A-level course. It assumes that students will not sit the AS exam but that all students will
sit the A-level exam at the end of a two-year course.
A range of different factors, for example timetabling structures, may
affect a teacher’s ability to follow this programme of study without some adaptation.
For example, if two teachers are sharing one class, each teacher could take
a half-term’s text focus and spread that over a whole term. In the Autumn term of Year one,
teacher one could take the 'bridging unit', the 'introduction to genre' and the 'unseen text
study' and teacher two the 'prose study'.
Year one
Autumn term 1
Text and skills focus |
Activities focus |
Notes |
Bridging Unit – development of skills from GCSE to A-level
Paper 2: Elements of crime writing OR Elements of political and
social protest writing
- Introduction to the genre
- Section A: unseen text.
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- Work on a key focus to refresh skills of analysis and interpretation and to
consider how to respond critically and creatively to literature eg a short unit
which looks at narrative voice and point of view.
- Introduce the idea of approaching the study of literature through the lens of
genre.
- Introduce relevant literary terms which may be unfamiliar to students,
particularly the term ‘significance’ which is central to Literature B.
- Group work to research and present visually the key elements of Crime/Political
and Social Protest writing. Students create a working wall display which can be
added to during the course.
- Students explore how these key elements (and others) are represented in a range
of unseen extracts and the significances which arise.
- Students begin to consider the contexts which arise from the inclusion of
particular elements of crime/political and social protest eg moral, power etc.
They explore how the text sets up contexts and how contexts are best understood
from starting with the text and going outwards.
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- The Paper 2, Section A unseen extract could be either poetry, prose or drama
and so students should be given examples from each of these major genres during
the course.
- The specification lists possible broad elements of crime writing and political
and social protest writing for study. This is not an exhaustive list and students
will find other interesting elements through the study of their set texts and from
wider reading around the genre.
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Autumn term 2
Text and skills focus |
Activities focus |
Notes |
Paper 2: Elements of crime writing OR Elements of political and
social protest writing
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- Continue analysis of unseen extracts at key points of the set prose text study
to exemplify relevant elements of crime/political and social protest writing and
to consider the broad contexts which arise from them.
- Ensure students are familiar with the conventions of prose fiction and with
narrative methods, and how their set prose text reflects these or otherwise.
- Students analyse their set prose text for the narrative structure, use of time
and place, characterisation, point of view, voices etc. and how these contribute
to the elements of crime/political and social protest writing.
- Students consider the representation of key elements of their chosen genre in
their set prose text and how this is connected with the representation of these
elements in other reading from crime/political and social protest writing
(including the unseen extracts).
- Students might consider TV/film adaptations and/or critical views of their set
prose text to engage with possible alternative interpretations.
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- Across Sections B and C of Paper 2, students need to have studied one post-2000
prose text plus one poetry and one further text, one of which must have been
written pre-1900.
- The texts on the set text list for the relevant genre provide a good starting
point for unseen extracts.
- As students may use the prose text in Section B of the exam, they should
practise responses to single text exam questions on their prose text.
- Although reference to critical views is not an explicit requirement in exam
responses, it is good practice for students to study relevant extracts from the
critical anthology alongside their set exam texts to enhance their understanding
of the set texts and to begin their preparation for the NEA, where reference to
the critical anthology is a requirement.
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Spring term 1
Text and skills focus |
Activities focus |
Notes |
Paper 2: Elements of crime writing OR Elements of political and
social protest writing
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- Continue analysis of unseen extracts at key points of the set poetry text study
to exemplify relevant elements of crime/political and social protest writing and
to consider the broad contexts which arise from them.
- Ensure students are familiar with the conventions of poetry and how their set
poetry text reflects these or otherwise. Students need to understand, however,
that poetry here is studied through the lens of genre so that focus on poetic
devices alone will seldom lead to a clear understanding of the genre.
- Students analyse their set poetry text for subject matter; voice, attitudes and
ideas; poetic structure; imagery, sound effects etc. only in terms of how these
contribute to the elements of crime/political and social protest writing.
- Students consider the representation of key elements of their chosen genre in
their set poetry text and how this connects with the representation of these
elements in other reading around crime/political and social protest (including the
set prose text and the unseen extracts).
- Students might consider critical views of their set poetry text to engage with
possible alternative interpretations.
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- As students may use the poetry text in Section B of the exam, students should
practise response to single text exam questions on their poetry text.
- As students may connect the poetry text to the prose text in Section C of the
exam, students should be noting links and differences (the elements of their
chosen genre; authorial methods; contextual factors; different interpretations)
between the poetry and prose text as they are studying it.
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Spring term 2
Text and skills focus |
Activities focus |
Notes |
Paper 2: Elements of crime Writing OR Elements of political and
social protest writing
|
- Continue analysis of unseen extracts at key points of the further set text
study to exemplify relevant elements of crime/political and social protest writing
and to consider the broad contexts which arise from them.
- Ensure students are familiar with the conventions of their further text genre
(poetry/prose/drama) and how their further set text reflects these or
otherwise.
- Students analyse their further set text for the relevant authorial methods and
how these contribute to the elements of crime/political and social protest
writing.
- Students consider the representation of key elements of their chosen genre in
their further set text and how this connects with the representation of these
elements in other reading around crime/political and social protest (including the
set prose and poetry texts and the unseen extracts).
- Students might consider TV/film or stage adaptations (where applicable) and/or
critical views of their further set text to engage with possible alternative
interpretations.
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- As students may use the further set text in Section B of the exam, students
should practise response to single text exam questions on their further set
text.
- As students may connect the further set text to the prose text or to the poetry
text in Section C of the exam, students should be noting links and differences
(the elements of their chosen genre; authorial methods; contextual factors;
different interpretations) between the further set text and the prose/poetry
text(s) as they are studying it.
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Summer term 1
Text and skills focus |
Activities focus |
Notes |
Paper 2: Elements of crime writing OR Elements of political and
social protest writing
Revision and essay writing focus
- Unseen text
- Single text
- Connection of two texts.
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- Students revise their set texts.
- Students produce maps to show links and differences between the texts which
(potentially) will be connected in Section C for: the elements of their chosen
genre; authorial methods; contextual factors; different interpretations. Students
should note that they do not need to write about these in an explicit way in the
exam.
- Students revise key passages from their set texts for close analysis in the
open-book exam. Students need to learn how to select appropriately from their set
texts and make relevant independent choices.
- Students work with a copy of the assessment objectives, sample exam questions
and specimen question commentaries which model how questions are set to enable
students to address all the AOs. Activities might include: writing their own exam
questions; annotation of exemplar scripts; pair planning and writing of exam
responses before individual exam responses are written.
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- Across Sections B and C of Paper 2, students need to have studied one post-2000
prose text plus one poetry and one further text, one of which must have been
written pre-1900.
- Students should be prepared for making choices in the exam. Their combination
of texts will inform which pair would best answer the chosen connective question
in Section C and therefore which single text will be used in Section B.
- AQA resource packages are available for all question types for Paper 2. These
will help students and teachers with understanding the subtly different approaches
required for the different question types and with setting their own practice exam
questions.
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A-level mock exams |
Paper 2, Texts and genres: Elements of crime writing or Elements
of political and social protest writing
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Summer term 2
Text and skills focus |
Activities focus |
Notes |
NEA Text 1 (Poetry/Prose)
Critical anthology
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- Students study their first NEA text and consider the areas of interest arising
from their study.
- Students explore relevant extracts from the critical anthology.
- Students learn the skills of extended essay writing and the application and
evaluation of critical views.
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- Different centres will have different approaches to the NEA study depending
upon a centre’s particular context. AQA considers all approaches to be equally
valid providing a degree of independence is expected from, and demonstrated by,
students. This can be achieved through text choice, choice of theoretical material
from the critical anthology and task choice.
- Students may have completely individual choice of the poetry and the prose
texts for study, the areas of the critical anthology to which the texts will be
linked and of task (with appropriate teacher guidance).
- Students may all study one common text with choice of tasks and then have
individual choice of the second text, of theoretical material and of tasks.
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Summer holidays
Text and skills focus |
Activities focus |
Notes |
NEA Text 2 (Poetry/Prose)
Critical anthology
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Students to study second NEA text and research appropriate extracts from the
critical anthology. |
Students should aim to start year two with an outline plan of their second NEA
response for consultation with their teacher. |
Year two
Autumn term 1
Text and skills focus |
Activities focus |
Notes |
Paper 1: Aspects of tragedy OR Aspects of comedy
- Introduction to genre
- Shakespeare
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- Students explore possible broad aspects of tragedy/comedy.
- Students explore the common features of traditional tragic or comedic drama and
how knowledge of these shapes expectations for readers.
- Students are introduced to the representation of aspects of tragedy/comedy in
poems from the AQA anthology, which each offer different aspects of the genre.
- Students begin to consider the tragic/comedic contexts which arise from the
inclusion of particular aspects of tragedy/comedy eg social, gender etc.
- Students begin analysis of their Shakespeare text for dramatic structure,
stagecraft, dramatic characterisation and dramatic speech and language and how
these contribute to the tragedy/comedy of the Shakespeare play.
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- Students will be negotiating their second NEA task with their teacher and
drafting their second NEA response. It may be appropriate to factor in one-to-one
NEA tutorials this half-term.
- The specification lists possible broad aspects of tragedy or comedy for study.
This is not an exhaustive list and students will find other interesting aspects
through the study of their set texts and wider reading around the genre.
- For possible learning activities for the introduction of tragedy/comedy and for
the study of Shakespeare see the Autumn term teaching plan (Co-teaching programme
of study).
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Autumn term 2
Text and skills focus |
Activities focus |
Notes |
Paper 1: Aspects of tragedy OR Aspects of comedy
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- Students continue analysis of their Shakespeare text for dramatic structure,
stagecraft, dramatic characterisation and dramatic speech and language and how
these contribute to the tragedy/comedy of the Shakespeare play.
- Students consider the representation of aspects of tragedy/comedy in their
Shakespeare play, how this reflects the time in which the play was written and how
this connects with the representation of these aspects in other reading from the
tragic/comedic genre (including poems from the AQA anthology which can continue to
be studied alongside the play to exemplify different aspects and to consider the
broad contexts which arise from them).
- Students might consider TV, film or stage adaptations and/or critical views of
their Shakespeare play to engage with possible alternative interpretations and how
these reflect contexts of reception.
- Students should practise analysis of key passages from the play, each for the
representation of aspects of tragedy/comedy, and the significance of the passage
to the tragedy/comedy of the play as a whole.
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- Students will be responding to a passage-based question in Section A and to a
conventional essay question in Section B of the exam on their Shakespeare text.
They will therefore need to know their play very well and be prepared to respond
to each of these question types. The tragedy/comedy resource packages will help
students and teachers with understanding the subtly different approaches required
for the different question types.
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Spring term 1
Text and skills focus |
Activities focus |
Notes |
Paper 1: Aspects of tragedy OR Aspects of comedy
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- Students analyse their drama text for dramatic structure, stagecraft, dramatic
characterisation and dramatic speech and language and how these contribute to the
tragedy/comedy of the drama text.
- Where appropriate, students will consider how a more modern drama text conforms
to/differs from the conventions of traditional dramatic tragedy and comedy seen in
their Shakespeare play.
- Students consider the representation of aspects of tragedy/comedy in their play
and how this connects with the representation of these aspects in other reading
from the tragic/comedic genre (including poems from the AQA anthology and the
Shakespeare play).
- Students might consider TV, film or stage adaptations and/or critical views of
their drama text to engage with possible alternative interpretations and how these
reflect contexts of reception.
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- For possible learning activities for the study of the drama text see the Autumn
term teaching plan (Co-teaching programme of study).
- Paper 1, Section C requires students to connect their drama text with their
further text.
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Spring term 2
Text and skills focus |
Activities focus |
Notes |
Paper 1: Aspects of tragedy OR Aspects of comedy
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- Ensure students are familiar with the conventions of the genre of their further
set text (poetry/prose/drama) and how their further set text reflects these or
otherwise.
- Students analyse their further set text for the relevant authorial methods and
how these contribute to the tragedy/comedy of the further text.
- Students consider the representation of key aspects of their chosen genre in
their further set text and how this connects with the representation of these
aspects in other reading around tragedy/comedy (including the poems from the AQA
anthology, the Shakespeare text and the drama text).
- Students might consider TV/film or stage adaptations (where applicable) and/or
critical views of their further set text to engage with possible alternative
interpretations.
- Students produce maps to show links and differences between the drama text and
the further text for: the broad aspects of tragedy/comedy; authorial methods;
contextual factors; different interpretations.
- Students should practise connective analysis of their drama and further text
for the representation of a range of aspects of tragedy/comedy.
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Summer term 1
Text and skills focus |
Activities focus |
Notes |
Revision and exam essay writing skills
Paper 1:
- Shakespeare
- Connection of drama and further text
Paper 2:
- Unseen text
- Single text
- Connection of two texts
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- Students revise their set texts.
- Students revise key quotations for Paper 1 closed-book exam and learn how to
use close references and quotations.
- Students revise key passages from their set texts for close analysis in Paper 2
open-book exam.
- Students practise analysis of unseen poetry, prose and drama extracts for Paper
2.
- Students revise the connections between the set texts to be used for connective
responses in Paper 1, Section C and Paper 2, Section C.
- Students respond to practice exam questions, including: writing of their own
exam questions; annotation of exemplar scripts; pair planning and writing of exam
responses before individual exam responses are written.
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- AQA resource packages are available for all question types on all exam papers.
These will help students and teachers with understanding the subtly different
approaches required for the different question types and with setting their own
practice exam questions.
|
A-level mock exams |
Paper 1, Literary genres: Aspects of tragedy or Aspects of
comedy
Paper 2, Texts and genres: Elements of crime writing or Elements
of political and social protest writing
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