Noughts and Crosses

Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman

Download the Noughts and Crosses Resource

Ideas for using film extracts of the book ‘Noughts and Crosses’ by Majorie Blackman by the Royal Shakespeare Company.  This resource encourages users to think critically about the hurtful impact words can have and discusses how we can make a difference to others.

KS4 | 60 Mins | Teacher led

 

There are many resources and ideas for using this book and this is just one suggestion.

KEY QUESTION: What’s in a word?  Why do words hurt and can an apology take hurt away?

KEY QUESTION: Would you rather ‘be someone’ or ‘make a difference’?

  • Watch the 4 min Royal Shakespeare Company film ‘Being Someone or Making a Difference’ extract http://www.rsc.org.uk/explore/other-writers/noughts-and-crosses/video-a1s12.aspx
  • Use the Royal Shakespeare Lesson ideas ‘Status Walks and Someone Avatar’ http://www.rsc.org.uk/downloads/rsc_noughts_activites.pdf
  • Discuss what it means to be someone. Discuss what it means to make a difference.
  • Which would you choose if you could only choose one? Why?
  • You could use a spectrum line to support a dialogue about your students’ thoughts about these two choices, for example place ‘Being Someone’ at one end of the spectrum line, ‘Making a Difference’ at the other end, and ‘Max’ in the middle.  Where do your students think they should be positioned?

What would you say to Max, an eight year old child who told his parents he wanted to “be someone and earn a lot of money so that he could have the money to make a difference?”  He said ‘without money you can’t make a difference’.

  • Watching this interview with the author may add to your students thinking - 2 min Film of Malorie Blackman author of ‘Noughts and Crosses’ discussing her book.