Secondary School Literature
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Fairy:
Thank you Fairy,Hi autumnbronze, the title of the book is : A Sense Of Belonging - A short story Anthology edited by John Stevens. Publisher : Oxford University Press
The Stories in this book:
- The Tractor by Peter Cowan (ok)
- Samphire by Patrick O' Brian (not interesting, but not too bad)
- We look After Our Own by Kath Walker (ok, about racial prejudice)
- A Sense of Belonging by Witi Ihimaera (ok, about racial prejudice)
- A Really Splendid Evening by Lesley Rowlands (boring)
- The Test by Angelica Gibbs (ok, about racial prejudice)
- The Greatest Gift by Philip Van Doren Stern (ok, about appreciating what we have, i think)
- Kindergarten by James E. Gunn (boring, a futuristic story)
- Naema Disparue by Mohammed Dib (extremely boring, can't carry on reading!)
- The Waste Land by Alan Paton (boring, can't figure out what the intended message is. maybe my brain not 'chim' enough).
- The Pelican by Cecil Mann (super boring, did not finish reading)
I have not read the following stories yet:
- The Limits Of Trooghaft by Desmond Stewart
- A sound Of Thunder by Ray Bradbury
- The Boss by Dan Jacobson
- Long Distance Runner by Mal Zin Hu
- Flowers For Algernon by Daniel Keyes ( I read the original book b4 - very good read)
- The Vertical Ladder by William Sansom
- The Essence Of A Man by Alan Sullivan
They don't look familiar to me. Nonetheless, will go and check it out during the wkend.
But I don't think your DD's teacher will be going through all the stories rite?? Correct me if I am wrong :? -
autumnbronze:
Hi Autumnbronze,Dear Parents,
This is the MOE website which provides the syllabus details on Lower Sec Literature:
http://www.moe.gov.sg/education/syllabuses/languages-and-literature/files/literature-in-english-lower-secondary-2007.pdf
Hope this helps
Thanks for this. One question for you. How do I find out what is required for 'O' level Literature, that is, what are the books for a particular year and the paper format? -
autumnbronze:
I have no idea.
Thank you Fairy,
They don't look familiar to me. Nonetheless, will go and check it out during the wkend.
But I don't think your DD's teacher will be going through all the stories rite?? Correct me if I am wrong :? -
MintLeaf:
Hi MintLeaf,
Hi Autumnbronze,autumnbronze:
Dear Parents,
This is the MOE website which provides the syllabus details on Lower Sec Literature:
http://www.moe.gov.sg/education/syllabuses/languages-and-literature/files/literature-in-english-lower-secondary-2007.pdf
Hope this helps
Thanks for this. One question for you. How do I find out what is required for 'O' level Literature, that is, what are the books for a particular year and the paper format?
Perhaps this might help ...
http://nsinte1.moe.edu.sg/project/db/atl/db_puatl.nsf/AboutATL/O%20&%20N%20Level%20LIST/$FILE/Production%20ATL%202007%20Internet%20Public%20administration%20module.pdf -
daisyt:
Her teacher told them, a good piece of writing is not one that contains all the chim chim words. Its one that is simple but yet strong. Easy to understand, yet transfer the message clear. Sing to the Dawn is such.[/quote]Absolutely! Just take Margery William's nursery classic \"The Velveteen Rabbit\" as an example - so simple but so touching and so deep in meaning...autumnbronze:
[quote=\"daisyt\"]My dd told me, Sing to the Dawn context and lanugage use, can be very simple and the book itself is very thin. However, the morale of the story is very strong. I open up my dd's Sing to the Dawn and suprise, so many highlights, notes scribble everywhere. This book alone, they read at least 3 to 4 times, repeat and repeat.
Hi daisyt,
You DD is so SPOT on !!! -
micko07:
Very helpful, thanks:-)Some of my Lit books over the years:
Sec 1 - Animal Farm
Sec 2 - Romeo and Juliet, To Kill A Mockingbird
Sec 3 - Emma
Sec 4 - Pride and Prejudice, Julius Caesar
J1/ J2 - Wuthering Heights, Hamlet, Selected Poetry by John Donne, Songs and Sonnets by Shakespeare, Proof
I'm sure I missed out on some though ...
My impression is appreciating Literature cannot be \"taught\". It's a skill you acquire through practice over time. I'm actually quite bad at it (my poetry analysis is dreadful!) but my tutors have instilled a great respect in me for the subject. I never appreciated Literature until I studied it this year (NYGH offers Language Arts from Sec 1 -4, which is a combination of both Lit and EL, but I didn't take Pure Lit in Sec 3/4).
Some of my personal tips:
1) Google/ Sparknote/ Popular, whatever. Go and read as much as you can on the books. Essays, background of the authors, the era of literature etc will help you in your overall understanding of the text. Don't be lazy; do notes!
2) READ YOUR TEXTS. Yes, it's annoying to read the authentic, unabridged copy of Shakespeare because you need to keep referring to the annotations. READ IT. Even in open book exams, knowing your text well helps you to select the relevant extracts quickly. If it's closed book, better memorize quotes.
3) Pace yourself. Make sure you have sufficient time for all the questions.
4) In exams, read the question, underlining key instructions. Then read the extract. Refer to the requirements of the question and annotate accordingly. Make sure you answer the question (this is the most important factor and a huge reason why I didn't do well in Humanities for a long time)
5) If you don't get the poem/ prose the first time round, nevermind. Read again and stay calm. Don't rush into answering the question because woe betide you if you realize that your analysis is wrong only midway through the answer. Teachers KNOW if you made a mistake initially.
6) Be organized. Group your response based on the question. For example, if a question asks you to compare and contrast two poems, decide how you want to do it. By theme? By rhyme scheme? By tone? Literary devices? Choice of words? Persona? Poem Structure? This makes your answer clearer and also makes sure that you don't repeat yourself.
7) Practice, practice, practice. (I find this works well for poems especially). Borrow model answers from your friends. Read literature guides. Speak to your teachers if you need help/ advice.
Teachers do not want to see you copy and paste whole chunks of extracts. What they want is insights and analysis. If you want to quote something, make sure you're not quoting for the sake of quoting, which is ultimately a waste of time.
9) Dont impose your views/ opinions/ prejudices on the poem/ prose. Analyze it for what it is, not what you think it is. Never assume. (Said by my tutor)
10) Appreciate Literature for what it is. For all the times I spend fretting about my grades, literature truly imparts critical thinking skills that no other subject can. It teaches you to think and really question, down to the subtleties and little nuances in tone and language.
11) Think positive. If you've already decided you don't like it, chances are you wouldn't like it at all. Give Literature a chance. Even if your grades sux like mine did, there's still something to gain from it all. Might as well milk it for all it's worth and enjoy it as much as you can!
12) A good command of the English language and good vocabulary is helpful in Literature because it helps you to express yourself and your ideas better. At the very least, teachers wouldn't be so annoyed picking out grammatical and spelling mistakes! (I know I drove my HCL teacher mad with all my cuo zi :oops:)
Hehe just my 2cts worth. I'm not good at Lit but I'm trying to enjoy it. My tutors are absolutely awesome though (they can analyze so much from just one page that it puts us all to shame), which helps tremendously. -
micko07:
Very helpful, thanks:-)Some of my Lit books over the years:
Sec 1 - Animal Farm
Sec 2 - Romeo and Juliet, To Kill A Mockingbird
Sec 3 - Emma
Sec 4 - Pride and Prejudice, Julius Caesar
J1/ J2 - Wuthering Heights, Hamlet, Selected Poetry by John Donne, Songs and Sonnets by Shakespeare, Proof
I'm sure I missed out on some though ...
My impression is appreciating Literature cannot be \"taught\". It's a skill you acquire through practice over time. I'm actually quite bad at it (my poetry analysis is dreadful!) but my tutors have instilled a great respect in me for the subject. I never appreciated Literature until I studied it this year (NYGH offers Language Arts from Sec 1 -4, which is a combination of both Lit and EL, but I didn't take Pure Lit in Sec 3/4).
Some of my personal tips:
1) Google/ Sparknote/ Popular, whatever. Go and read as much as you can on the books. Essays, background of the authors, the era of literature etc will help you in your overall understanding of the text. Don't be lazy; do notes!
2) READ YOUR TEXTS. Yes, it's annoying to read the authentic, unabridged copy of Shakespeare because you need to keep referring to the annotations. READ IT. Even in open book exams, knowing your text well helps you to select the relevant extracts quickly. If it's closed book, better memorize quotes.
3) Pace yourself. Make sure you have sufficient time for all the questions.
4) In exams, read the question, underlining key instructions. Then read the extract. Refer to the requirements of the question and annotate accordingly. Make sure you answer the question (this is the most important factor and a huge reason why I didn't do well in Humanities for a long time)
5) If you don't get the poem/ prose the first time round, nevermind. Read again and stay calm. Don't rush into answering the question because woe betide you if you realize that your analysis is wrong only midway through the answer. Teachers KNOW if you made a mistake initially.
6) Be organized. Group your response based on the question. For example, if a question asks you to compare and contrast two poems, decide how you want to do it. By theme? By rhyme scheme? By tone? Literary devices? Choice of words? Persona? Poem Structure? This makes your answer clearer and also makes sure that you don't repeat yourself.
7) Practice, practice, practice. (I find this works well for poems especially). Borrow model answers from your friends. Read literature guides. Speak to your teachers if you need help/ advice. Teachers do not want to see you copy and paste whole chunks of extracts. What they want is insights and analysis. If you want to quote something, make sure you're not quoting for the sake of quoting, which is ultimately a waste of time.
9) Dont impose your views/ opinions/ prejudices on the poem/ prose. Analyze it for what it is, not what you think it is. Never assume. (Said by my tutor)
10) Appreciate Literature for what it is. For all the times I spend fretting about my grades, literature truly imparts critical thinking skills that no other subject can. It teaches you to think and really question, down to the subtleties and little nuances in tone and language.
11) Think positive. If you've already decided you don't like it, chances are you wouldn't like it at all. Give Literature a chance. Even if your grades sux like mine did, there's still something to gain from it all. Might as well milk it for all it's worth and enjoy it as much as you can!
12) A good command of the English language and good vocabulary is helpful in Literature because it helps you to express yourself and your ideas better. At the very least, teachers wouldn't be so annoyed picking out grammatical and spelling mistakes! (I know I drove my HCL teacher mad with all my cuo zi :oops:)
Hehe just my 2cts worth. I'm not good at Lit but I'm trying to enjoy it. My tutors are absolutely awesome though (they can analyze so much from just one page that it puts us all to shame), which helps tremendously. -
autumnbronze:
Thanks Autumnbronze! This is exactly what I am looking for. Appreciate your help.Hi MintLeaf,
Perhaps this might help ...
http://nsinte1.moe.edu.sg/project/db/atl/db_puatl.nsf/AboutATL/O%20&%20N%20Level%20LIST/$FILE/Production%20ATL%202007%20Internet%20Public%20administration%20module.pdf
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MintLeaf:
No worries MintLeaf.
Thanks Autumnbronze! This is exactly what I am looking for. Appreciate your help.autumnbronze:
Hi MintLeaf,
Perhaps this might help ...
http://nsinte1.moe.edu.sg/project/db/atl/db_puatl.nsf/AboutATL/O%20&%20N%20Level%20LIST/$FILE/Production%20ATL%202007%20Internet%20Public%20administration%20module.pdf
Glad to be of help :celebrate: -
Hi Fairy,
Have PM you
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