English Career Resources

Key Stage 3: Consequences

(Career Education Guidance Objective 12)

Consequences 1
(Suitable for Years 7-9 – all ability levels – not text specific.)

The idea of this game is to allow children to think about the options they have, the decisions they make and the subsequent consequences of those decisions. You can fit it into any scheme of work where a character has a decision to make. This could be in a novel, play, poem or even your Shakespeare text. I have used this as a speaking and listening task and so have included an En1 grade sheet (PDF) so you can grade your students formally if you wish. You can, of course, do this as an informal and enjoyable task to engage students with issues surrounding texts.

Students should be placed in mixed sex, mixed ability groups (even within a set), preferably not friendship groups (as many students will bow to the pressure of their peers in a friendship context and this task is meant to allow them to explore their ideas comfortably). Groups of three or four are best depending upon class size and ability levels. If you think students will choose not to take part then use threes; if you believe they will engage then groups of four often allows a better discussion to take place. You will have to judge it depending on your class and context.

Choose the text you wish to use with the class. The teacher instructions are the same as for Consequences 2 where Shakespeare's Macbeth is used as an example.

Consequences 2
(Suitable for Years 7-9 all ability levels – using Shakespeare's Macbeth.)

This resource is a starter activity before you start the play. It is designed to align students with characters before they start reading the text, but also requires them to make decisions about situations found in the play (though they will not have encountered them until they read the play) and provide intrigue about the characters in the play before you start reading. It is an individual task that students complete before being given the answers, which can lead to an initial discussion if you wish, or can be used to provide interest in how these characters will be shown in the play.