YEAR 12 LESSON TWENTY-FOUR [21st March 13]: Homework.

THIS WAS A JERUSALEM SESSION. The whole session covered the key issues that students should consider when constructing their coursework.

HOMEWORK: Complete the JERUSALEM coursework and READ THE SET TEXTS. We are very close to the end of the course so students need to indulge in some serious reading.
READ  READ  READ  READ  READ  READ  READ  READ...........

YEAR 13 LESSON TWENTY-FIVE [ 20th March 13]: Homework.

This final session of the term looked at Shelley's Frankenstein and considered two examination questions:

1. Some readers have seen the novel as an illustration of the fear of the power of Science. To what extent do you agree with this view of the novel?
2. In the introduction to the novel, Mary Shelley states that she wishes to 'curdle the blood and quicken the beatings of the heart.' To what extent do you think she achieves her aims?

This session involved lots of class discussion and modelling.

HOMEWORK: Students need to offer their final draft of the Anthology coursework when we return to school. If you want to send me drafts to check that your final draft is precise...feel free.

STUDENTS MUST READ THEIR EXAMINATION TEXTS. THIS MAY BE THE LAST CHANCE BEFORE THE EXAM FOR STUDENTS TO INDULGE IN A DETAILED AND PROLONGED READING OF THE SET TEXTS. READ.READ.READ.

JERUSALEM PODCAST.

This PODCAST relates to the coursework and explores issues relating to JEZ BUTTERWORTH'S play JERUSALEM. This podcast explores the content required for the coursework.
Click on link below to access the podcast:
https://soundcloud.com/fishymedia/an-as-lit-podcast-jez

YEAR 12 LESSON TWENTY-THREE [14th March 13]: Homework.

TODAY WAS A CUP FINAL. All the material discussed in today's session was aimed at providing students with material for the JERUSALEM coursework essay. Students were provided with an exemplar essay, a potential essay structure for a question, and a host of material that will allow students to create an informed critical response when responding to Butterworth's play. Class contribution was excellent. This level of engagement and participation needs to be reflected in the written work. The areas explored within class discussion today included:

• The significance of Northrop Frye's THREE WORLDS THEORY and how this can be applied to JERUSALEM. Class discussion linked the fact that the NEW WORLD section of this model could not be applied to JERUSALEM and this fact was linked to the author's aim and the thematic meaning of the play. This is a play that encourages defiance and questions the value of conformity and this reading was linked to the refusal of Butterworth to  follow the codes and conventions of this model of Shakespearean Comedy. His allusion to the world of Shakespeare seems to suggest that Butterworth values the magical nature of Shakespeare's storytelling and creativity and  the lack of order at the conclusion of JERUSALEM seems to encourage a sense of Romantic mystery. The ending is loud, violent, defiant and ambiguous.
• The class also considered how the fact that Butterworth encouraged the original cast to write their own dialogue and consider their own character's place in the play, could be linked to meaning. His very approach to the construction of the play's narrative structure could be considered unconventional and non-conformist.
• The class were asked to consider why Butterworth offers so many references to iconic English images such as the great Literature of Blake and Shakespeare, the English Folk Tradition of May Day, the significance of the Spitfire etc...ALL THESE IMAGES SEEM TO BE POSITIVE SYMBOLS OF ENGLAND AND ENGLISHNESS. Perhaps the symbol of ENGLAND that serves the symbolic heart of this play is STONEHENGE as this is a site of mystery and awe that 'experts' have failed to explain. Its function remains a mystery. This is a play that seems to embrace the ROMANTIC SENSIBILITY that the world, and life itself, is a more imaginative, exciting, and rewarding experience if the world contains mystery. Some unidentifiable quality that is not function. 
• The class also considered the importance of Myth in this play and considered whether Byron is  The Pied Piper, Robin Hood, A Troll in a Fairy Tale, or St.George or the dragon!!?? One student desribed this play as an EPIC NARRATIVE. A MYTH that celebrates the ROMANTIC SENSIBILITY and presents this sensibility for a twenty-first century audience. Why does this play seem to celebrate a sense of the mysterious? What is Butterworth's view of twenty-first century England? THIS IS KEY and crucial to any real understanding of the play. Butterworth has stated that this is a play 'about loss'. What has been lost?
• One of the most enlightening comments concerned the play as a Tragedy and considered Byron as a Tragic Hero. Class discussion considered how Byron's defiance, contempt for authority, strength of character, courage and pride could be all be viewed as his 'fatal flaw'. In contemporary England, Byron's bravery and strength is his weakness. Qualities that could be perceived as admirable are, in this play, a weakness. What does this play tell us about contemporary England? Students must refer to my Arthur Miller notes if considering this play as a tragedy. Who or what is the 'heroic finger pointing' at when illustrating the 'enemies of man's freedom' in this play? It is completely relevant to offer the viewpoint that this play begins as a comedy and concludes as a tragedy.
• Another comment offered the view that the sentiment in Blake's JERUSALEM, that England is a work in progress and the imaginative freedom of its people is being hindered by industrialisation and the routine of 'the dark satanic mills', is  the same sentiment being expressed in Butterworth's JERUSALEM. This idea that there is a 'fearful symmetry' between the two texts is an extremely relevant interpretation. Furthermore, the play seems to reflect the same sentiment as William Blake's painting 'NEWTON'. This being the idea that the we ignore the beauty, majesty, and mystery of the world when we attempt to solve its many puzzles and place life and experience within a rigid and inflexible framework!

Below is a potential essay structure for the title:

HEYWOOD BELIEVED THAT 'COMEDIES BEGIN IN TROUBLE AND END IN PEACE.' TO WHAT EXTENT IS THIS TRUE OF JEZ BUTTERWORTH'S JERUSALEM?

• This play certainly begins with trouble. Students could refer to the stage directions that shape the comedy before Byron utters a word. What is the purpose of the comedy here? Why is it funny? We discussed how the humour is used in this section of the play to suggest a fairly simple narrative. The comedy used to direct the audience through the narrative in the first Act seems to offer the audience with a simple narrative that involves an eccentric individual being evicted from a caravan by the local council. There is a sense of forewarning when it is suggested that BYRON died when he was a stuntman. The comedy in the first section seems to mask the real thematic intent of the play.
• Students could refer to the Dawn moment as this changes the whole narrative tone of the play and introduces the idea that Byron is much more than a drunken buffoon. How does the play become more than a comedy at this point?
• This could then move into a discussion of how Byron's use of language becomes more poetic and figurative in Acts 2/3 which reinforces his dramatic evolution from Shakespearean Clown/Trickster/Fool to a character much more complicated and ambiguous. This paragraph might also deal with Byron as SYMBOL. What ideas are being offered through this character in Acts 2 and 3? He evolves from a mixture of stock Shakespearean comic characters to become....A Tragic Hero?? A Fairy Tale Troll? Like the Dragon in the St.George Myth? Or is he like the symbol of the Spitfire that appears in the play, especially in Act Three. Is the audience encouraged to view Byron as a sympathetic character at the end of the play? How significant is the PHAEDRA moment just before the dramatic and violent conclusion? 
• The idea that this comedy ends in peace could be challenged with reference to Northrop Frye's THREE WORLD THEORY. FRYE, like Heywood, suggests that Shakespearean comedy follows a rigid narrative structure that concludes with a sense of order. Students could explore how the play conforms to the OLD WORLD/GREEN WORLD model but not the NEW WORLD MODEL. Students then need to state why Butterworth ends his play in such a chaotic and ambiguous manner. Why does Butterworth end the play with BYRON screaming and banging a drum, calling on all the old giants of English Myth???? 
• Students could then briefly link the play to THE ROMANTIC SENSIBILITY and the idea that this play reflects many of the concerns explored by Blake and the Romantic poets.
• CONCLUSION: The conclusion should contain a strong personal voice and precise question focus. Is this play relevant for A Level Study? Is it a valuable play? Does the play begin as comedy and conclude with tragedy?

STUDENTS CAN HAND ME THE FIRST DRAFT NEXT THURSDAY OR THE FIRST MONDAY OF THE BREAK VIA THE DIGITAL PIPE. THIS WILL GIVE SOME STUDENTS THE WEEKEND TO SHAPE THEIR RESPONSE. I WILL BE IN SCHOOL ON THE WEDNESDAY OF THE SECOND WEEK OF THE SPRING BREAK....WED 3RD of APRIL...to feedback and discuss your work. The more I see your essay, the more help and guidance I can offer.
THE FINAL DEADLINE IS OUR FIRST LESSON AFTER THE BREAK...THURSDAY 11th April.

HOMEWORK: THE JERUSALEM COURSEWORK.
FINAL DEADLINE.....11th APRIL.
GET STUCK IN TO THE ESSAY LIT FREAKS.
GOOD LUCK.
LINK TO JERUSALEM RESOURCES:
http://becuriouslit.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/jerusalem-resources.html

NEXT WEEK WE WILL NAVIGATE THROUGH TROTAM. BRING THE POEM.

YEAR 13 LESSON TWENTY-FOUR [13th March 13]: Homework.

Students were bullied into a very specific consideration of Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein'. This was the first time that we have travelled towards the text for a while therefore the textual focus was very precise. The areas that the students were encouraged to consider were:

• The significance of The Orkneys. Students were asked to consider the metaphorical association attached to Victor's experience in these remote islands.
• The inability for Victor to discern the difference between dreams and reality after Clerval's murder. 
• The marriage of Victor and Elizabeth and how and why this union is represented as being so joyless.
• Students were asked to consider the significance of Victor's language and the metaphorical association linked to images of slavery and death-in-life. 

Students were asked to consider how this section of the novel represents Victor's experience as being a hell on earth.

The final section was a timed written response to the question:

How is meaning shaped by Shelley in Chapters 18 to 23?

HOMEWORK: Read chapters 18 to 23 and consider the areas discussed in today's session. Research the concept of the double and the doppelganger as we will be applying these concepts to Frankenstein next week. Also, read the introductory and concluding Chorus in Marlowe's Faustus.

Don't forget...the Anthology coursework deadline is the first lesson after the Easter holiday.

YEAR 12 LESSON TWENTY-TWO [7th March 13]: Homework.

Students discussed issues relating to Jez Butterworth's JERUSALEM. Students were placed into groups and asked to consider the following features of the text:

• The significance of the title.
• The tragic/comic nature of Byron in the final scene of the play.
• The representation of the adult world.
• The serious issues being explored through the play.
• The extent to which the play conforms to Frye's Three World Model of comedy.
• The purpose of the comedy within the play.
• The comedic nature of Byron in the first scene before he has uttered a word.
• The significance of the scene with Dawn and Marky in Act Two.
• The significance of the dancing scene with Byron and Phaedra in Act Three.

Some feedback will be expected to the class next week.

HOMEWORK: Read the play and decide which question you will be attempting for coursework. Next week we will be discussing the play and your homework will be to construct the first draft of your coursework....so read the play.

YEAR 13 LESSON TWENTY-THREE [6th March 13]: Homework.

Students continued to discuss the nature of the gothic and attempted to complete their gothic documentary soundtracks!!

HOMEWORK: Read Frankenstein and Faustus and consider the nature of the gothic. Consider the questions:
What is gothic literature?
What are the thematic concerns of gothic literature?
What are the codes and conventions of gothic literature?
Is it possible to generalise about the key features of the gothic tradition?

YEAR 12 LESSON TWENTY-ONE [28th Feb 13]: Homework.

This session involved students receiving a verbal assault from an irritated teacher who was perturbed by the poor quality of a recent batch of Gatsby essays. Students were directed towards the mark scheme and made aware of why CHIMPNIMSKY was a tad disappointed. Exemplar material was provided in the hope that the class develop complete awareness of the intellectual expectation and assessment demands of the 'even numbered' Section A exam question.
The heart of the lesson was a reading of ACT THREE of Jez Butterworth's JERUSALEM. The class were then pushed towards a consideration of the following questions:

• How does the content of Blake's poem relate to the content of the play?
• What is the aim of Butterworth?
• What are the themes and issues being explored by Butterworth in this play?
• How is the adult world represented in this play? Why?
• In what sense can this play be considered a comedy?

Then we all went home to our own versions of England.

HOMEWORK: Read the coursework essay titles as next week we will be exploring issues relating to the play and trying to create some awareness of the content required to construct a decent piece of coursework. This will be a BIG lesson. Bring some wisdom. READ THE PLAY.

Students also need to provide a two paragraph and conclusion response to the Gatsby essay that so disappointed your teacher!! REMEMBER, THESE ESSAYS MUST:

• Offer an argument that is supported with precise textual reference.
• Provide evidence that a feature of the text may be interpreted differently by different readers. For example the symbolic meaning attached to the characters of Gatsby or Daisy.
• Provide evidence of how historical context may shape meaning.
• Provide clear question focus.

I will accept two paragraphs and a conclusion if the argument is detailed and all assessment objectives are being addressed. Three paragraphs and a conclusion may provide a more meaningful revision resource. The choice is your own!! In the exam students will only have 30 minutes to answer this question so two paragraphs and a coherent conclusion may still be enough to access the top grades. Refer to the exemplar material as this will provide a clear understanding of how this task should be approached.Only two students are exempt from this repeat task.

Good Luck.

YEAR 13 LESSON TWENTY-TWO [27th Feb 13]: Homework

Students were asked to consider the nature of the gothic. The central feature of A2 Literature is a consideration of the gothic literary tradition therefore it is essential that all students develop an understanding of the gothic codes and conventions that can be applied to our texts.
The task that was offered to the students was a challenge!! Students were asked to use Garageband musical software to compose a three minute soundtrack for a BBC Radio 4 trailer that aims to advertise a forthcoming documentary feature that will explore the nature of gothic literature. Having composed the gothic soundtrack, students were asked to consider the content of a voiceover to accompany the soundtrack that could provide BBC Radio 4's audience with an insight into the nature of the content that will be discussed in this gothic documentary.
Students will eventually have to explain to their classmates why they believe that their soundtrack reflects the nature of the gothic literary tradition and why the content of their voiceover is appropriate.

HOMEWORK: Construct an engaging gothic voiceover to accompany the musical composition created in this session. When we meet next Wednesday students will be expected to compare and contrast the content of their individual gothic voiceover so that the 'group' can merge the best ideas to record a dynamic voiceover!! That's the plan!