Noughts and Crosses - KS3 Unit of Work

Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman – KS3 Unit of Work

Noughts and Crosses is a unit of work containing a 161-slide PowerPoint, 28 PDF worksheets and 15 lessons. This engaging scheme of work explores Malorie Blackman’s novel chapter by chapter, analysing its plot, characters, themes and language through a range of stimulating activities. Resources can be used at KS3 with either Year 8 or Year 9 depending on the ability of the students.

Our unit for Noughts and Crosses includes a fully editable PowerPoint teaching resource and 28 accompanying PDF worksheets. The resource can be used to teach a whole class text or as part of a guided reading programme.

Activities contained in the lessons include:

• Exploring the social context of Noughts and Crosses, apartheid, civil rights, the novel’s introduction, and Malorie Blackman’s motives for writing it

• Engaging chapter by chapter activities to consolidate understanding as learners read through the book

• Reading comprehension questions to assess students’ knowledge of plot, character, language, and themes - with example answers.

• Analysis of the characters of Sephy, Callum, Kamal, Jasmine, Meggie, Ryan, Jude, Lynette, Minnie

• Exploration of the key themes of friendship, racism, growing up, prejudice, privilege, love, power and social segregation

• Developing the key reading skills of inference and deduction

• Analysis of language and techniques such as effective description, creating conflict and building tension

• Role play - hot-seating to aid understating of characters, plot and themes

• Developing understanding of key characters through empathy writing tasks

• Plus many more fun starter, plenary and reading and writing activities