Overview
Dive In!/Take the Plunge! your complete JC English package
Dive In! is Book 1 in our Junior Cycle English programme and acts as a bridge between primary and post-primary English. Take the Plunge! is Book 2 and builds on what students learned in Dive In! and provides all the support they need for second and third year English as they prepare for the Junior Cycle exam.
The programme follows a genre-based approach while still giving you the flexibility to teach by theme. Whichever you prefer!
Focus on the final assessment
The Focus on the Final Assessment chapter is unique to Take the Plunge! It sets out all the information and strategies students need to successfully revise and practise for the two-hour Final Assessment.
The Focus on Final Assessment section at the end of each chapter will help students to consistently practise and revise for the exam. Students complete these exam-focused activities using corresponding templates in the Chart Your Progress Student Journal.
Choose a planning option that suits you!
Our stellar Teacher's Planner includes two timed, achievable planning options that allow you to choose the approach that suits you: genre-based or thematic.
When used in tandem with the textbook and Chart Your Progress Student Journal, the Teacher's Planner allows you to achieve the specification within a challenging timeframe. No competitor programme provides the same clarity and organisation as Take the Plunge! Class plans include clear coverage of the 39 learning outcomes.
Specification & skills focus
Take the Plunge! has an easy-to-follow structure for you and your students. All activities are clearly signposted and offer a clear-cut learning focus linked to the specification's three stands: Oral language, reading and writing.
- Learning goals with highlighted action verbs at the start of every chapter
- Students assess their achievement of these goals when a chapter is completed
- Activities that support the three strands of Junior Cycle English
Support for assessment and reporting
- Reflection of learning goals at the end of each chapter
- The Test the Waters feature in each chapter includes a CBA 1 and CBA 2 activity, plus Final Assessment questions
- Success criteria and marking schemes for every assignment in the Chart Your Progress Student Journal
- Teacher-feedback rubrics help you to report on student work quickly and consistently
Watch Videos
Check out our short but detailed explainer video for a better understanding of the Take the Plunge! teaching package.
Watch our short overview of Dive In! and Take the Plunge!
Webinar for English Teachers
We hosted a webinar with authors Fiona Kirwan and Edel O’Donovan. In this webinar, they shared insights into teaching, assessing, and covering the specification within a challenging timeframe. They covered in detail how you can integrate the specification and the assessment process.
Bridge the Gap for TY English
Bridge the Gap for Transition Year English bridges the gap between Junior Cycle English and Leaving Cert English.
Programme Package
Also, available in the Take the Plunge! programme:
- eBook
- Chart Your Progress Student Journal
- Poetry Podcasts
- Teacher’s Planner
- Teaching Resources on FolensHIVE