Set text resource: Northern Soul

In partnership with EmpathyLab(this link will open in a new window) we have created a set text resource for Phil Earle’s novel Northern Soul which allows you to explore the book as a set text with a focus on developing empathy skills and an understanding of other people’s feelings and life experiences.

Northern Soul follows Marv, a fourteen-year-old whose life is about football and spending time with his best mate Jimmy. When Carly joins his class, Marv is determined to make her interested in him. Soon, his musical hero Otis Redding appears as a ghostly matchmaker. Will Marv’s attempt to find love end in success?

As with all of our resources, we highly recommend that you read the book before using it with your class and use your best judgment about whether teaching about this topic is appropriate for the young people in your class.

Included in this resource is:

• English and Literacy activities that take you through reading the novel with your class
• Cross-curricular activities you can use to further pupils’ understanding through collaborating with other departments in your school
• EmpathyLab learning activities focused on developing pupils’ empathy skills

On our website, you can find our other EmpathyLab set text resources, including:

• Glasgow Boys by Margaret McDonald
• Little Bang by Kelly McCaughrain
• You Could Be So Pretty by Holly Bourne