ENGLISH

BEYOND THE PAGES. HOW SCHOOL INCURSIONS BRING LEARNING TO LIFE IN ENGLISH

Over the past couple of weeks, we have run incursions at the school to support English students’ understanding of the texts being taught in classes. With students being transported to Scotland in Elizabethan times, South Africa during Apartheid and historical contexts they can only dream about, we see the need to extend their learning beyond the pages of their texts. 

Two examples I would like to draw your attention to are the Macbeth Incursion that took place for our Year 10 students, and our guest speaker, Ruth Maserow who lived in South Africa during Apartheid, who spoke to a Year 12 class that was filmed and shared with all classes. Please enjoy the following reflections on these events. 

Charlotte Douglas

English Learning Area Manager

Macbeth Incursion 

To start week 3, all the Year 10 students attended a Macbeth incursion on Monday. This incursion intended to give us a first-hand experience of the play and gain a deeper understanding about Shakespeare’s writing as all the classes begin to dive into studying the text. 

Personally, I found this incursion to be a truly enriching experience as it offered a fresh perspective on Macbeth. Seeing the action unfold before us brought the themes, messages, and emotions of the text to life in a way that simply reading Macbeth alone could not.

This immersive experience truly allowed everyone to gain a deeper understanding of the intensity of Macbeth’s ambition and the dramatic unraveling of his moral compass. 

To assist us with broadening our understanding, the actors also aimed to continuously explain different themes and messages to us throughout the play which helped me gain and reflect on Shakespeare’s text and the different literary features and choices he has made throughout his play. Moreover, this incursion was a great opportunity to get out of the classroom, allowing everyone to engage with literature in a vibrant, interactive setting.

Since the incursion, studying Macbeth in class has become significantly more engaging. I find myself frequently recalling the live performance as we discuss and analyse various scenes. The incursion has truly sparked my enthusiasm for the rest of the unit, and I’m eagerly looking forward to delving deeper into the play!

Maleesha Dharmadasa, Year 10

Year 12 Guest Speaker on South Africa

On Tuesday 23 July, my Year 12 English class was fortunate enough to have my mother, Ruth Maserow, come and speak to them. As a retired English and Humanities teacher, herself, my mum is extremely comfortable in front of a class full of teenagers. She spoke to the Year 12s about what life was like growing up in South Africa during the Apartheid era as they prepare to study Born a Crime by Trevor Noah.

The lecture included information about how Apartheid began, some of the laws that were introduced, and how different Cape Town was to the rest of the country due to its more progressive values. She told them about how her phone was tapped by the government due to her participation in sit-ins at university, how people she knew had to flee the country. 

She also showed photos to illustrate the unique relationships formed with the maids, to demonstrate that life in South Africa is not as simple as ‘black and white’. The most surprising photo came in the form of an old class photo; the students couldn't believe that my mother's uncle (my great uncle) was in the same class as Nelson Mandela and that they got to meet again when Mandela visited Melbourne in the ‘90s! 

The whole lecture was recorded by the wonderful AV team so the whole year level and future classes are able to access this fantastic resource. 

Lauren Maserow

Year 12 English Teacher