Users' Page

Site outline

The materials here are intended to support students and teachers wishing to engage with literary non-fiction as a genre in its own right. This site is only a starting point in this process. The focus of this site is on prompting and supporting the students' own thinking. The tasks, the toolkit and the mind-map are offered to develop ways of thinking about non-fiction. The aim is that the approaches suggested will generate genuine student responses which will meet summative assessment criteria.

For more excellent non-fiction resources look at John Lawson's student support materials on the LTScotland website. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites.

Extra texts

If you would like more practice evaluating literary non-fiction here are two extra texts for you to work with. Print your selected text along with this toolkit which can be used to help you work with any non-fiction text.

Kathleen Jamie seeks to find Darkness and Light as she journeys into the winter solstice on the Orkney islands.
Darkness and Light by Kathleen Jamie

What makes us who we are? Sheena Blackhall (Middleton) looks back through her family history in this detailed record of life in the North-East of Scotland.
Leerie-Lichts and Gorblies by Sheena Blackhall (Middleton)
This text contains some strong language and sexual references that may offend. Some text has been removed. To see the full text refer to the book Spirits of the Age: Scottish Self Portraits published by The Saltire Society.

Curriculum match

Higher/Intermediate 2: It is hoped this site will help students to tackle the dedicated section on non-fiction in Higher English Paper 2, or those questions in Intermediate 2 English which offer the chance to write about non-fiction.
5-14/Standard Grade: Given the way in which English is structured within the existing curriculum, these materials could easily be used to introduce this genre to students at any stage of their development. Cetacean Disco would be accessible to many students at Levels E/F, and to those at Standard Grade, Credit/General levels. Ghost City makes greater demands on the reader but teachers will easily recognise where best to pitch it and which tasks would best suit.
A Curriculum for Excellence: Literary non-fiction offers an ideal vehicle for initiatives, projects, cross-curricular work beyond the traditional departmental boundaries, and so a useful starting point for genuine ACfE developments.

Educational Aims

To encourage students to read and enjoy literary non-fiction.
To offer teachers a resource which will provide a starting point for the study of this genre.
To support students in identifying the distinctive content of literary non-fiction.
To offer a model which encourages students to think about WHAT writers of non-fiction are saying, before looking at HOW and HOW WELL they think they are saying that.
To support students in exploring the various techniques used by writers of literary non-fiction.
To help students to recognise that this genre uses many of the techniques which they already know from prose fiction.
To support students in identifying and responding to techniques which are associated with this genre in particular.
To develop confidence in pupils to write about this genre in summative assessment contexts.

Other resources

You can order BBC Scotland Learning resources, including our TV programmes on Critical Evaluation of Literary Non-Fiction, from:
BBC School's Broadcast Recordings,
PO Box 7,
Wetherby,
LS23 7EU.
Tel: 08701 272 272
Fax: 08701 273 273
Email: bbcsbr@twoten.press.net
Please note programmes are only available to purchase during the term after transmission. For further information on any programmes produced by BBC Scotland Learning please contact ed.scot@bbc.co.uk.

Site credits

Academic consultant:: Hugh G Gallagher, Lecturer, Department of Curricular Studies, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow.
BBC Scotland Learning production team:: Tanya Carmichael; Clare Little; Uzma Mir Young; David Meikle; Katrina Millar; Nick Simons
Web architecture and functionality:: HTML - Ray Anderson and Abrar Khan; Flash - Colin Pickup
Web design:: Scott McCall; Victoria McClusky

Sources credits

Images

Findings book cover © Kathleen Jamie/Sort of Books; Spirits of the Age book cover © The Saltire Society and courtesy of the Designer James Hutcheson; Pile of books © iStockphoto.com
Travel section:: Photo of Katheleen Jamie © Chris Watt; Common dolphins surfacing at speed, Hebrides, Scotland © Sea Life Surveys/Splashdown Direct.com; Boats on moorings, Tobermory Bay © Nic Davies/Splashdown Direct.com; Bottlenose dolphin, Hebrides, Scotland © Nic Davies/Splashdown Direct.com; Water waves effects © Silvio Verrecchia/iStockphoto.com; Clouds with sun behind © iStockphoto.com; Whale watching boat run by Sea Life Surveys, Hebrides, Scotland © Sea Life Surveys/Splashdown Direct.com; Woman photographing Dolphins, Moray Firth © Visit Scotland/Scottish Viewpoint; Photographing dolphins, Hebrides, Scotland © Michael Hutchinson/Splashdown Direct.com; The wildlife trips and tours booking office, Mull, Hebrides, Scotland © P Tomkins / Visit Scotland/Scottish Viewpoint; Whale watching © Tom Walmsley/ Splashdown Direct.com; Minke whale surfacing, Hebrides, Scotland © Sea Life Surveys/Splashdown Direct.com
Autobiography section:: Photo of Ronald Frame © Ronald Frame; Buchanan Street (old) © Virtual Mitchell; Boy in street © BBC courtesy of Irene Carmichael; Girls in uniform © Image courtesy of The Herald & Evening Times picture archive; Music teacher © Image courtesy of The Herald & Evening Times picture archive; Saltire flag painted face © Duncan Walker/iStockphoto.com; Highland dancer shoe and sock detail © Duncan Moody/iStockphoto.com; Single Scottish thistle © Peter Bates/iStockphoto.com; Clyde Model dockyard shop © Image courtesy of The Herald & Evening Times picture archive; Boy at desk © Virtual Mitchell; Buchanan Street (Modern) © David Robertson/StockScotland
Mind Map:: Illustrated by Linda Harris, Lecturer, Department of Curricular Studies, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow.

Text

Travel Section:
Cetacean Disco
Written by Kathleen Jamie © Kathleen Jamie/Sort of Books
Taken from the book Findings by Kathleen Jamie. Published by Sort of Books.

Autobiography Section:
Ghost City
Written by Ronald Frame © Ronald Frame
Taken from the book Spirits of the Age: Scottish Self Portraits Edited by Paul Henderson Scott. Published by The Saltire Society.

Extra text:
Darkness and Light
Written by Kathleen Jamie © Kathleen Jamie/Sort of Books
Taken from the book Findings by Kathleen Jamie. Published by Sort of Books.
and
Leerie-Lichts and Gorblies
Written by Sheena Blackhall (Middleton) © Sheena Blackhall (Middleton)
Taken from the book Spirits of the Age: Scottish Self Portraits Edited by Paul Henderson Scott. Published by The Saltire Society.

Audio

Autobiography Section:
Ghost City audio
Previously broadcast on BBC Radio Scotland 5th July 1991. Produced by David Jackson Young.

Copyright

Please note that all the images, text and clips on this site are protected by copyright. For more information on what that means, have a look at the BBC Copyright information page.