Symbols

Dear all,

We discussed the information below in class surrounding common symbols in Literature. Here's the information if you want to access it.

1. Colours: Colours often play a role in stories. Usually they represent emotions like love, anger, or sadness. Red is a passionate color that can symbolize love, anger, or passion. Blue can mean tranquility, peace, sadness, and in some cases fear. Yellow can mean spring, like turning over a new leaf, or it can symbolize sunlight or light. Shades of greens and browns can be used for nature, peace, and to give off a sense of hospitality, unless the browns are used in images of deserts which would symbolize a’ death in nature.’

2. Water: It can be religious, like baptism, it can mean purification, or it can even mean death (in instances like drowning).

3. Fire:  Fire can represent anger, passion, love, pain or death. It is a symbol used in some cases for rebirth or new life.

4. Night: Night can be used in connection to darkness and acts as a cover over the world and can be used to represent an ‘end of the road.’ It can represent peace or tranquility or it can be as simple as death and darkness concerning the usage of shadows.

5. Day: Literally the opposite of night. With day comes the rising of the sun, representing new life and light. It can be the new beginning for characters or an opportunity for starting over.

6. Light:   Light is used for truth, enlightenment, safety, or it can be used as a holy image.


7. Dark:  Is a symbols for darkness and hiding, meaning the character may be lying about something.

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Parent Corner

As teachers we know how stressful it can be watching students go through exam season but we also know that stress is more often than not vented at home rather than in the classroom. It is difficult to know what to do especially as you don't know the syllabus requirements or the best way to revise or when the exams are.

This post is aimed at supporting parents in helping their students prepare for the English exams at home.

This year all Year 11 will have exams on Tuesday May the 5th. This is a reading exam.

Some but not all Year 11 students will have a writing exam on Friday 8th May.

All Year 10s and some Year 11 students will have Literature exams on Monday 18th and Friday 22nd of May.

The best way students can revise at this stage is by carrying out practice questions which all students have had set as homework.

There are a number of posts on this blog with guides on developing exam answers and there are links to a range of revision videos.

If you have any questions about the examination period or supporting your child's revision, you can post a comment below.

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Hallow'en Macbeth Revision

First of all a couple of apologies:

1) This is later than intended as I badly broke my thumb at the beginning of the holidays and had to have surgery to re-attach it to my hand.

2) Any typos are down to left handed typing.

Your Macbeth / Browning assessment is fast approaching and you need to remind yourself of some of the key parts of your assessment.

We've focused on 8 key skills:

Making effective points
Using and embedding appropriate quotations
Paraphrasing text
Analysing text
Evaluating Writer's Intentions
Linking to contextual details
Comparing
Linking all points to the question

For you to gain a C or above, you'll need to show all skills up to analysis, link to context and compare.

Here is a post helping you develop analytical and evaluative answers.

This post is going to focus on your context and essay construction:

First of all you won't be successful if you don't know what happens in the play. Use http://www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/macbeth_1_1.html to help you revise what is happening in the scenes you've taken your key quotations from.

Context


Remember that your context can be one of three things:

1) History
2) Writer's Specific use of Devices
3) Audience

History is relevant context if your quotation illuminates something specific about the time the text was written or set.

Writer's Specific use vof devices is useful in showing your knowledge of the writer but can only really be mentioned once.

Audience reaction (modern or of the time) is one you will probably use the most.

Shakespeare:

1) Revise your information aboiut King James 1.

2) Be sure you revise how Shakespeare uses Soliloquy (all your quotations come from soliloquies or asides), Aside, Blank Verse, Rhymed Verse , Prose

3) Think about how the audience would react to the changes to Macbeth as a character.

Browning

1) Revise your ideas of Patriarchy and the conservative nature of Victorian society.

2) Revise Browning's use of Dramatic Monologue (here is a nice little explanation)

3) Think about how the reader would react.

Ideally you should be linking to context in every paragraph.

Essay Construction

You should have a variety of points. We've talked about broad range of things succh as - self destruction, greed, arrogance but you have a lot of different types within these areas:

Ambition
Jealousy
Paranoia
Deceit
Over Confidence
Foolishness

You should also remember that you are writing a whole essay not separate paragraphs. Your paragraphs should probably take us through Macbeth chronologically comparing your quotations consistently to the Browning poems but more importantly you should be using phrases such as:

Macbeth's weaknesses develop in the next scene...

We see Macbeth's paranoia increase in...

Act 5 Scene 5 brings Macbeth to the climax of his destruction...

All in all you are well prepared for this - you just need to remember the key skills you've worked hard to develop all half term.

Good Luck

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IGCSE Coursework - Travel Writing

As we move towards the first drafts of the coursework, here is an exemplar piece of work and a self assessment scheme.

A revision activity you could try is using the self assessment descriptors to assess the piece of work below and use it to assess the writing you have completed in class and as homework. 

Write down which rungs you think this piece hits and assess where you think you are in the comments below.

Paragraphs	Rung
The content of paragraphs is shaped for effect.	5
Paragraphs are linked cohesively by discourse markers	4
Paragraphs contain mostly descriptive detail.	3
Paragraphs focus on one piece of information with a clear topic sentence	2
Work is Paragraphed	1

Sentences	Rung
Sentence lengths are crafted for effect	5
Sentences include adverbial clauses	4
Sentences include prepositions and noun phrases.	3
Sentences are mostly complex.	2
Sentences contain subject, verb and object.	1

Vocabulary	Rung
Judicious use of Negative language serves to emphasise Positive Language through contrast.	5
Highly Complex language used accurately and where appropriate throughout.	4
Vocabulary includes lexis of Travel Writing and is accurately used.	3
Vocabulary creates positive connotations.	2
Every day vocabulary is used accurately (including Spelling)	1

Devices	Rung
Work shows evidence of choice of devices for specific effects avoiding cliché. (Could include Semantic Field or Extended Metaphor)	5
Work includes Comparatives, Superlatives, Modal Verbs and Imperatives.	4
Work includes Figurative Language (Metaphor / Simile, Oxymoron)	3
Work Targets 5 Senses	2
Work use Adjectives and Adverbs.	1

Punctuation	Rung
Accurate use of the full range of punctuation including more complex punctuation used for effect. (Semi-colon and Colon)	5
Accurate use of punctuation with ellipsis, dashes and brackets used for effect.	4
Accurate use of punctuation with question marks and exclamation marks used for effect.	3
Accurate use of simple punctuation including commas.	2
Accurate use of Capital Letters and full stops.	1

As you step off the aeroplane having landed in Croatia, you can sense things are going to be different. There is a blast of warm air, which if it happened in London, would cause nothing but aggravation but here it caresses your skin and whispers “relax”. This is the first blessed flirtation with one of the most beautiful countries on the planet.

You find, as you explore further, that Croatia is a country of contrasts. The people, the landscape and the climate encapsulate a mesmerising experience that you would struggle to replicate in any other country of the world.

Monolithic mountains guard the coastline dropping away sharply to the delicate shore. Islands moated by emerald green waters provide havens for wildlife and the occasional adventurous tourist. Inland the castellated mountains provide lush springs and streams that create fertile plains that stretch infinitely towards the horizon. Along these streams, waterfalls stand as imposing gateways to the historic farm lands beyond.

“Dobro dan!”

The guttural tone of the border guard would suggest you have arrived in a dystopian novel; however his smile betrays the authority of his tone. You emerge from Zadar airport into a crush for the final spaces on the only bus into town. Amid the throng of anxious tourists, you could feel claustrophobic, but again the air re-assures you that everything will be alright.

Croatia is really an island nation so forget about staying put, there is a lot to explore. Renowned as the jewel in the crown of Croatia’s coastal cluster is an uninhabited archipelago:

Kornati…

Explored only by the hardiest of sailors 100 year ago, you must take advantage of the advances in nautical technology and book yourself on one of the more sedentary tourist boat trips. Cliffs leap up from the sea forming imposing warnings to foolhardy ships yet behind these barriers are luxurious lagoons heated by only the sun to create an oasis of calm. Secluded olive groves provide the ideal place for a picnic and coves dappled with stepping stones provide an idyllic spot to cool off.

With the islands securely ticked off in your travel log, head inland towards the Krka National Park. Unlike Plitvice which perhaps holds the most spectacular waterfalls in the Adriatic, you can swim under the cascading waterfalls of Krka without being troubled by water snakes. The water here has been used to work the mills of the area but now you are more likely to find quaint market stalls and sumptuous fruit as the locals cash in on the tourist boom. You may find this more commercial than rustic but still, there is nothing like emerging from the crystalline water to relax in the shade.

Perhaps on the surface Croatia is a rough diamond. The language and expressive nature of the locals always seem to suggest you are going to be carted off in the back of a military vehicle but their carefully constructed smiles let you know that all is well and you are very welcome. Embrace your inner pioneer and look for the polish in amongst all those sharp edges!

Final Hint - Here is a nice little table to help you vary your complex sentences:

Start with an adjective or noun phrase.	E.G. Simple and easy to use, the London Underground.
Start with a preposition.	E.G. Behind the bleak exterior, you will find a magical menagerie of artefacts
Start with an 'ing' verb	E.G. Rafting down the Tara river, I felt euphoria seep into my bones.
Start with a simile.	Like a tidal wave, the sheer beauty hit me with wave after wave of beautiful smells.
Start with a subordinator	Although people consider Albania to be hellish, you will find the beauty of the country mesmerising.

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Year 10 - Revising for your Poetry Exam

As part of your revision for the last three weeks before the exam, this post gives you some practice questions and exercises you can do as part of your revision.

First of all if you are struggling with analysis here is a post which talks you through the key stages. See this post before you move on. 

6 steps to top level thinking

Questions to check I have enough depth in my analysis

If you are unsure about the requirements of the exam then you should take a look at the two posts below:

The Unit 2 Exam and Advice

What to do to get your grades

In addition there is a great 2hr 40 minute Youtube video that covers each of the poems in detail. You can skip through for poems you are unsure of:

The link is HERE if you would rather watch in Youtube.

So what else do you need to consider?

You need to ensure you have the accurate skills and content to access your top band marks:

Content 

Points that answer the question

Choose an effective poem to compare to

3-4 Quotations per poem

Comparative connectives (Both similarities and differences)

Appropriate terminology and devices (don't get hung up on these though - your analysis is worth more marks.

Skills

Paraphrasing Quotations

Analysing Quotations

Evaluating Quotations

Effective Linking to the Question

Written Accuracy

A lot of the differences between the top bands come down to how your writing sounds so ensure you have.

A Formal Academic Register

Accurate Sentence Structures

Accurate Punctuation of Sentences

Accurate Spelling

Wide use of Language of the Expert (Terminology and Sophistication of Expression)

See HERE for tips on sounding like an expert.

Things you should be familiar with:

Forms of Poems

Dramatic Monologue

Elegy

Sonnet

Structural Terms

Stanza

Rhythm (Syllabic Pattern)

Rhyme

Enjambment

Caesura

Juxtaposition of Ideas

Devices

Simile

Metaphor

Alliteration

Extended Metaphor

Personification

Sibilance 

Imagery

You should also have prepared poems that you think link well - see HERE for a sheet.

Then comes actually sitting down to revise - how much, how often and what.

This post should help you with exam stress and revision:

Exam Stress and Revision

Top candidates will be able to access their quotations quickly so they don't have to waste time searching and can get into the nuts and bolts of writing very quickly developing more points overall.

Create a list of 5 key quotations for each poem. These quotations should fit most questions.

Each year the examiner produces a report on how students performed in the exam. The post below summarises what the examiner says makes successful answers. Read this and make notes on what you should do.

Examiner's Report and Advice

Then practice writing.

I'd recommend an exam question each week for both papers. You can try any of the ones below.

How does the poet present the idea of isolation in 'The Hunchback in the Park' and another poem of your choice?

How does the poet present desperation in 'Give' and another poem of your choice?

How does the poet present identity in 'Singh Song' and another poem of your choice?

How does the poet present power in 'My Last Duchess and another poem of your choice?

How does the poet present the idea of characters who have choices in the poem Give and another poem of your choice?

Here is an unseen poem for you to tackle:

What is the poet's attitude to different classes and how does she present that attitude to the reader?

a song in the front yard

I’ve stayed in the front yard all my life.
I want a peek at the back
Where it’s rough and untended and hungry weed grows. 
A girl gets sick of a rose.

I want to go in the back yard now 
And maybe down the alley,
To where the charity children play. 
I want a good time today.

They do some wonderful things.
They have some wonderful fun.
My mother sneers, but I say it’s fine
How they don’t have to go in at quarter to nine. 
My mother, she tells me that Johnnie Mae 
Will grow up to be a bad woman.
That George’ll be taken to Jail soon or late
(On account of last winter he sold our back gate).

But I say it’s fine. Honest, I do.
And I’d like to be a bad woman, too,
And wear the brave stockings of night-black lace 
And strut down the streets with paint on my face. 

Gwendolyn Brooks

How does the poet present the idea of life in her poem?

The Summer Day
by Mary Oliver
Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean-
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down-
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don't know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life? 

Last of all, we all need a slice of luck in exams so prepare well and make your own luck.I wish you all the best!

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Revising for your Exams

As I always say, the best way to revise for any exam is to practise exam questions, have them marked by a teacher or tutor and then go back and improve it -correcting errors and checking it again with the teacher to see how you've improved (see here for advice).

However this can only make up part of your revision schedule as other subjects revision comes along and leaving time for the other essential part of exam revision - relaxation (not all the time though!). If you are over-stressed you can't function properly (just as if you are too relaxed you can't function properly) - so make sure you balance the two.

Throughout this post I'm going to link to some useful posts I've put together on how to prepare for exams.

This post was a big hit last year and helps you mentally prepare for exam - Stressed with revision? Click Here

There are two types of revision you can do - generic (focusing on all the things that could come up in the exam) and specific (weaknesses you know you definitely need to focus on).

Generic revision is everything you have covered in class but do you know what your specific weaknesses are? Your teacher should have told you, you should have written it down and you should be working on it. You will have done activities like the Writing MOT or feedback grids to help you identify this. Make sure you know your targets and what you need to put real time into focusing on.

Listed below are my top tips for short revision tasks for both Language and Literature examinations:

Language Exam

Mimicking Writing - Take an article from someone like Grace Dent, Charlie Brooker or Caitlin Moran. Take a paragraph and try to imitate their style (look at language, punctuation and sentence structure) about a different topic of your choice.

Top Trumps - Either check out my top trumps cards here  or make your own.

Language Forfeits - Check out the list of vocabulary here and use it in sentences with your friends. If anyone can't use a word or uses it incorrectly you choose their forfeit ( disclaimer... keep it clean: keep it legal).

What's the Point - See how quickly you can identify the topic sentences in a newspaper or web article. Time yourself highlighting them and check what you've highlighted with your teacher.

Write the Headline / Produce the Picture - Do a random google image search and write an effective headline for the picture you've found or vice versa - search an online newspaper and produce the picture (check these with your teacher).

Literature Exam

Quotations, Quotations, Quotations

Quotabix - A great idea I saw another teacher promoting - Stick quotations from the set texts to your cereal box and they are the first thing you see every morning. Read 5 each bowl of cereal you have.

Memory Palace - People with better memories do better in exams. Lots of people with great memories create a memory palace. A room or place that is familiar to them they visualise retrieving the information from. Place quotations around your bedroom and read them aloud each time you pass them. In the exam you should be able to picture your room and where the quotations are.

Sounding Smrt - As you progress through the marks in an exam you often gain more marks for the way you sound as much as what you write. Make sure you are using formal standard English. You might want to check this post and practice using the phrases between now and the exam.

Class Characters - To help you remember a character in a text or poem assign someone in your class or someone you know who has some similar attributes. When you are in the exam and you need to describe characterisation you could visualise that person.

Quotatoin Forfeits - Go back and forth between friends saying quotations from your set texts. If anyone can't use a quotation or uses it incorrectly you choose their forfeit ( disclaimer... keep it clean: keep it legal).

Check here for some Of Mice and Men Quotations

Happy Revision!

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Year 10 - The Big Revision Plan - Unit 1 Literature

So we are nearing the Year 10 Literature Exam and there is a mock exam on Wednesday 26th March focusing on Unit 1 which is the Sunlight on the Grass Short Stories and Of Mice and Men.

The exam is 1 hour 30 minutes long and is split into two sections.

Section A has two questions and is on Sunlight on the Grass.

Section B has two questions and is on Of Mice and Men.

Essentially you have to try and create 4 mini-essays analysing and evaluating 3 quotations (though always try to aim for one more) for each mini essay.

There are some great resources kicking around the internet to help you with your revision. This posting is aiming to collate some of these to allow you to have all your resources in the one place.

Remember -'Visible Revision' is key here. The more you write about and gain feedback about these stories the better you will become in performing under exam pressures. 

First of all - here are a collection of excellent revision videos on each of the stories put together by some people calling themselves Short and Sweet GCSE Eng  - we owe them thanks for putting together these resources which are available on Youtube but embedded below for your convenience.

On Seeing the 100% Perfect Girl One Beautiful April Morning

Compass and Torch

Anil

The Darkness Out There

Something Old Something New

My Polish Teacher's Tie

When the Wasps Drowned

Over at www.mrbruff.com you also have some excellent links to both Of Mice and Men and Sunlight on the Grass.

Each week your homework is due and is slightly different to build you up to full exam practice.

Remember the key skills that you need to show in each paragraph of your answer:

Point that directly answers the question (add a device for more sophistication).
An appropriate quotation (Embedded for fluency and a more sophisticated writing style)
Paraphrase where the quotation has come from.
Analyse (Zoom in on a key word)
Evaluate (Zoom out - what is the strength of the writer's choices and what message are they trying to convey)
Link all your analysis back to your main answer to the question.

Week 1 -   Due Friday 7th March - One paragraph analysing one quotation for the following:

1. How does the writer present relationships in The Compass and Torch?
2. How does the writer present relationships in a story of your choice?

Time yourself - you should aim to complete this in no more than 15 minutes.

Week 2 - Due Friday 14th March - One full answer to question one, one paragraph analysing one quotation for the second question:

1. How does the writer present appearances in 'The Darkness Out There'.
2. How does the writer present appearances in a story of your choice.

Time yourself - you should aim to complete this in no more than half an hour.

Week 3 - Due Friday 21st March - One full exam answer to both questions:

1. How does the writer present different cultures in 'Something Old Something New'?
2. How does the writer present different cultures in a story of your choice?

Time yourself - you should aim to complete this in no more than forty five minutes.

Week 4 - Due Friday 28th March -  One paragraph that you have improved from any two of the questions above. (Two paragraphs improvement in total).

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Year 10 Exam Technique - The first practice question

Let me say first of all how proud I am in the mature way that you tackled a new assessment format. It bodes well for the year and though I know some of you were disheartened with your result, don't be! The ideas you expressed were of an excellent standard and with a few tweaks to the structures you use to express yourself, you will see your marks rocket.



Here is a quick summary of the key points of the lesson:

The Opening:

A lot of your success depends on the strength of your opening argument. You need to have a strong argument that you can 'hang' (use) a RANGE of quotations to support. This argument needs to answer the question and then allow you to use your RANGE of quotations to develop your analysis from.

E.G.

How does the writer present adult decisions in the short story 'When the Wasps Drowned'?

The writer presents adult decisions as being difficult for teenagers to make in 'When the Wasps Drowned'.

Here there is a concise sentence with a clear argument (growing up is difficult) that I can then use a range of quotations to support:

'I wanted Mum's gentle shush in my own ear'
'When I closed my eyes, I could see Therese's dream, the arm growing through the soil'
'My fingers, fiddling unconsciously, played with the ring for a moment'
'In that heat, everything seemed an effort'
'I hungry for conversation'
'For the first few moments, I stood mouth agape... not wanting to go anywhere near Therese or all those wasps'
'Mum was out at work all day. She left us to our own devices'


So my opening allows me to develop my analysis further.

Key Rule
 
Your opening sentence should:

1) Answer the How part of a question.
2) Be succinct and clear.
3) Contain an view that you have a range of quotations to support.


Analysis

A D grade or below answer will be able to do the following:

Set out an argument, support it with a quotation and paraphrase:

The writer presents adult decisions as being difficult for teenagers to make in 'When the Wasps Drowned'. 'I wanted Mum's gentle shush in my ear' comes after the protagonist has made a decision to hide the body without telling anyone and seeks comfort from her mother. 

To target the A*-C grades, you need to Zoom in and focus on the key words of a quotation. In doing so you need to look at implied, symbolic  or hidden meaning (connotations). How perceptive your analysis is will separate you from a C or a B.

E.G.

The writer presents adult decisions as being difficult for teenagers to make in 'When the Wasps Drowned'. 'I wanted Mum's gentle shush in my ear' comes after the protagonist has made a decision to hide the body without telling anyone and seeks comfort from her mother. The use of 'Mum' suggest the protection she seeks from the adult world as she realises she wasn't mature enough to cope with the decision she made. 

Here, they have chosen Mum as a word to focus on and look at the connotations of Mum linking it to the question. This develops more marks.

 
Key Rule
 
Your analysis should:

1) Focus on a key word or phrase in your quotation (if you can't see which word / phrase to use you probably haven't chosen an appropriate quotation).
2) Focus on implied or symbolic meaning and connotations.
3) Link to the question.



A Grade

An A grade student will be able to see that there is more than one potential interpretation, so they will zoom in again. They will pick out either a deeper second interpretation of the key word they have picked out or zoom in to a different part of the quotation.

E.G. 

The writer presents adult decisions as being difficult for teenagers to make in 'When the Wasps Drowned'. 'I wanted Mum's gentle shush in my ear' comes after the protagonist has made a decision to hide the body without telling anyone and seeks comfort from her mother. The use of 'Mum' suggest the protection she seeks from the adult world as she realises she wasn't mature enough to cope with the decision she made. She has also taken on the mother figure with her younger siblings for most of the story and so her focus on 'Mum' could also suggest she is still learning how to make adult decisions and is looking for guidance from her mother. 

Here, they have chosen to stick with the word 'Mum' and deepen their interpretation of the word. Note how this still links to the question and the opening sentence.


Key Rule
 
Your second analysis should:

1) Add depth to your original analysis by offering a further interpretation or analyse a second key word in your quotation.
2) Focus on implied or symbolic meaning and connotations.
3) Link to the question.


A* Grade

An A* grade student will be able to see that how the writer has constructed their text to reflect their views on the world and appreciate the effectiveness in how this is conveyed. This is the evaluative stage of the answer where they ZOOM OUT and link their analysis to what they think the writer is trying to convey (their key ideas or message). This should tie up your ideas and link to your argument as well.

The writer presents adult decisions as being difficult for teenagers to make in 'When the Wasps Drowned'. 'I wanted Mum's gentle shush in my ear' comes after the protagonist has made a decision to hide the body without telling anyone and seeks comfort from her mother. The use of 'Mum' suggest the protection she seeks from the adult world as she realises she wasn't mature enough to cope with the decision she made. She has also taken on the mother figure with her younger siblings for most of the story and so her focus on 'Mum' could also suggest she is still learning how to make adult decisions and is looking for guidance from her mother. This is particularly effective in conveying that children often grow up too fast and aren't always equipped to deal with the difficulties of making adult decisions. This carries Wigfall's ideas that children will make mistakes as they experience greater responsibility in the adult world and often need guidance. 

Look at how the paragraph expands the focus of the answer to include what they feel the writer's ideas are but also link these ideas back to their overall argument. Dr Warren calls this tying a bow in the thread of your argument.

Key Rule
 
Your evaluation should:

1) Zoom out to focus on the writer's overall message.
2) Judge the effectiveness in the way it is conveyed (subtly, effectively, clearly etc.).
3) Link back to your opening argument and the question.

As I've said in lessons, we are all going to understand things at different times and at different paces, but you should now have a framework to follow and some errors to learn from.

As long as you learn from the errors, you will continue to improve.

Feel free to post any improved work for me to comment on below.






 

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10Q1 Thematic Study Homework

The Task

A key skill that is needed to produce high level work in GCSE is the ability to connect thematic concepts between seemingly disparate texts.

As part of developing these skills, you will choose a theme you wish to investigate through 5 types of text.

Literature - 1 text with a critical reputation.

Music - A selection of 3 songs.

Poetry - A selection of 3 poems.

Film - 1 film

Art - 2 Piece of art work.

You will complete a weekly journal which notes what you have studied and your findings.

The between the 14th and the 21st October you will be presenting your findings as part of your GCSE / IGCSE Speaking and Listening assessment.

Theme - Click the link for the official definition

But for our purposes a theme is: A topic or issue discussed within a text.

You have choice over your theme but there are a list of themes below. Remember some themes (such as love) can be quite broad so try to narrow your focus down to a specific element such as 'Influence of Love' or 'Absence of Love' etc.

Here are a list of themes you may wish to look at:

The Paradox of Life

Anti-Heroes

Inner Conflict

Religion

Corrupting Influence of Power

Love and its influence.

Dystopian Futures

The Role of Women

Revenge

Heroes

The Journal

The Journal must be kept and handed in on a weekly basis and can be submitted in the following forms:

1) As a printed document - not scrappy pieces of paper (this will not be accepted).

2) As a link to a blog (Please seek prior approval) tweeted to @MilEnglish or emailed from your school account (not personal account) to chris.milne@mca.attrust.org.uk - wordpress and blogger.com are very simple formats to use.

3) A comment on under this posting


The journal should consider the following questions (which can be used as headings):

1) How was your chosen theme presented?

(positively, negatively, in-depth, ironically, some aspects covered but not others)

2) What was similar or different to the presentation in your other texts?

3) How do the characters / artists react to the theme or events?


The presentation will be filmed as part of your on going English assessment and must be longer 4 to 5 minutes long or you may lose marks.

The presentation does not have to cover all your texts only the most interesting parts you found.

The presentation addresses the questions above making clear links to the similarities and differences of your texts.

You may use a cue card the size of a postcard and any props you wish to bring (artwork, music, books etc).


TEXTS







The choice of texts are entirely up to you.

Your choice of Literature must be approved by me and must have a critical reputation.

Critical Reputation - The text or author is award winning or nominated.
                                  The author makes up part of the Literary Canon.
                                  The text has been reviewed by another established writer.

Here is a suggested reading list but this is not exhaustive:

Life of Pi
Catch 22
Slaughterhouse 5
1984
Animal Farm
Skepticism Inc
Catcher in the Rye
Hamlet
Romeo and Juliet
Richard III
A Brave New World
The Taming of the Shrew
To Kill a Mockingbird
A Woman of No Importance
Enduring Love
The Big Sleep
The Great Gatsby
Brighton Rock
Romeo and Juliet

You can see the work that some other students have completed in a school in London here

You have a lot of freedom in your study - use this to look at things you are interested in and you will find it a lot more fun.

Good Luck

Mr Milne 

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