Explorers or Boys Messing About? By Steven Morris.

This lesson is designed for Edexcel IGCSE English Language (Specification A) students, focusing on the non-fiction article Explorers or Boys Messing About? by Steven Morris. It helps students develop language and structure analysis skills in preparation for Question 4 of Paper 1.

This is an expanded and upgraded version of this resource.

Lesson Overview:

• Starter – Analysing the headline: Students “explode” the headline, identifying bias, tone, rhetorical features and assumptions about the explorers.
• Reading and initial response: Students read the article and discuss their first impressions of how the writer presents the two men.
• Language and viewpoint investigation: In groups, students scan different sections of the text to locate examples of mocking language, loaded vocabulary, contrasts, statistics, and sentence structures that shape the reader’s impression.
• Analysing effects: Students select key quotations and explain the techniques used and the impression created of the explorers.
• Group reporting: Groups deliver short presentations sharing their findings and how the writer undermines the idea of the men as genuine explorers.
• Exam focus – Question 4: Students review a model paragraph and identify its structure, use of quotations, techniques, and analysis.
• Exam practice: Students plan or write a paragraph responding to the exam-style question on how the writer uses language and structure to interest and engage the reader.
• Creative plenary: Students rewrite part of the article to portray the explorers as heroes, experimenting with language choices and tone.