The impact of literature in modern society is undeniable. The students at Hout Bay International School continue to share this sentiment and their response to literature has been astonishing.
The MYP 2 group is looking at Utopian vs Dystopian Societies and the extent to which art is imitating life through analysis of the novel, "The Giver" by Lois Lowry. They have been identifying themes, analysing character development and are soon going to be comparing and contrasting society today to dystopian society by writing a science-fiction short story, creating their own dystopian society.
The MYP 4 group is working on Literary Analysis, specifically different genres presenting similar themes. We are currently focussing on poetry by Langston Hughes ("Harlem", "Mother To Son" and "I, Too"), a play by Lorraine Hansberry, "A Raisin in the Sun" and various political speeches showcasing rhetorical devices at their best. The students are identifying and analysing intertextuality between different literary genres while demonstrating understanding of context. The MYP 5 group have been paying homage to the relatability of texts from earlier eras through our unit “Old but Gold” and predominant focus on William Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’ to explore relevance in literature over time. Students have continued their study of theatre and drama as a genre, paying particular attention to genre conventions, features and techniques used to establish setting, theme, atmosphere, mood and tone while exploring universal questions such as: What is literature? Who and what defines the canon? Why do we still read certain texts? Why can other cultures find relevance in Shakespeare? Through literary analysis, students have been debating who is ultimately to blame for Macbeth’s demise and considering what kind of tweets would have been sent out to the twitter-verse during the course of “Macbeth” by passing tweets back and forth, retweeting and responding appropriately while coming up with creative hashtags.
The DP 1 group has been reading what many have called the most important novel of the 20th century, George Orwell's '1984'. The Students have further been exploring and developing skills and approaches required to examine literary texts closely, as well as considering questions such as: In what ways is meaning constructed, negotiated, expressed and interpreted? How does language vary among text types and among literary forms? How does the structure or style of a literary text affect meaning? How do literary texts offer insights and challenges? They are currently identifying Global Issues and identifying ways in which Orwell presents certain issues through extracts of “1984”.
The DP 2 group have been rigorously working to meet multiple deadlines for Extended Essays and Higher Level Essays as well as Paper 1 Examination preparation assignments and are showing their true grit. Hang in there, the hard work will pay off! Yvette Aucamp – IES Hout Bay International School
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