YEAR 12 LESSON TWENTY-SEVEN [25th April 13]: Homework.

The sermon began with feedback related to the last set of essays. The general feedback inspired by the last batch of essays was:

• Students must explain how textual reference supports viewpoint.
• Always consider author's aim...especially when concluding a paragraph.
• Students need to be aware of how Coleridge uses the ballad form to shape meaning in TROTAM.
• Understand that CLARITY is the key feature of an essay. STUDENTS NEED TO RESPECT THE POTENTIAL OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. At times students are offering an ambiguous critical argument that hinders the quality of the written response. THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE IS BEAUTIFUL. FAILURE TO RESPECT ITS POWER CAN RESULT IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF AN UGLY RESPONSE.

The next section of the lesson considered the Section Ai question:

HOW DOES FITZGERALD TELL THE STORY IN CHAPTER 1?

Students were encouraged to offer a three paragraph and conclusion response to this question. As the assessment objective is ...HOW DOES LANGUAGE STRUCTURE AND FORM SHAPE MEANING?...students were encouraged to:

• produce one paragraph exploring issues relating to FORM.
• produce one paragraph exploring issues relating to LANGUAGE.
• produce one paragraph exploring issues relating to STRUCTURE.

The second section of this session considered the question:

'TROTAM IS A SIMPLE TALE OF CRIME AND PUNISHMENT.' To what extent do you agree with this statement?

Class discussion then crashed into a timed essay.

HOMEWORK: Complete the Gatsby essay and watch the John Green Gatsby resources.

John Green explores THE GREAT GATSBY:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xw9Au9OoN88
John Green IS GATSBY GREAT?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cn0WZ8-0Z1Y
John Green looks at THE VALLEY OF ASHES:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VhYMdnAsyM
John Green provides a critical reading of chapter one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehjTS6AhMJ8

READ READ READ READ READ READ READ. SLEEP.

YEAR 13 LESSON TWENTY-EIGHT [24th April 13]: Homework.

The lesson began with the students being pointed towards the comments of Nick Dear and the Dear/Boyle interview where both men discuss how they transformed Shelley's novel for their successful stage production. The interpretations of the text offered within these interviews should be of interest to any student studying the novel and may help students develop their own interpretations of this fine gothic text.
Nick Dear discusses Frankenstein: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFsvLYtGGXg
Nick Dear and Danny Boyle discuss the recent stage play version of Frankenstein that was performed at The National Theatre in 2012:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mbDmwpJ_h0

The lesson then moved into a consideration of the question:
'FAUSTUS AND FRANKENSTEIN ARE TEXTS THAT EXPLORE THE THEME OF REBELLION.' To what extent do you agree with this view?
Lady Macbeth's speech from Act Five Scene One of Macbeth was also fire-bombed into the lesson for consideration within the essay. I can only apologise for my reading of Lady Macbeth. Once more i reduce tragedy to comical absurdity. Sorry!

The lesson then rampaged towards a discussion of the essay title:
DOES MARLOWE'S PLAY PROVOKE MORE LAUGHTER IN THE AUDIENCE THAN TERROR?
The whole focus of this discussion was the function of the comedy and the comical representation of Mephistophilis. It is essential that students understand how Marlowe uses comedy within the play and students must comprehend why the representation of Mephistophilis could be considered to be innovative and controversial.

HOMEWORK: Attempt BOTH essays. READ READ READ.

YEAR 12 LESSON TWENTY-SIX [18th April 13]: Homework.

THIS WAS A BIG SESSION. The timed essays from last week were weak therefore this lesson aimed to improve student understanding of the Section B section of the exam. The essays that were handed back to students lacked an understanding of author's aim, lacked specific textual reference accompanied by an explanation of how text supports opinion, and some arguments lacked clarity. We need to learn from the mistakes made within these essays.
The session began with a consideration of the question:
HOW IS SYMBOLISM USED TO SHAPE MEANING BY 3 WRITERS?
Class discussion aimed to create a framework of ideas that would allow students to construct a detailed, convincing and relevant Section B response. Students offered lots of relevant connections. The basic framework created through class discussion was:

• Linking the ballad form of Miss.Gee to the use of the ballad form in TROTAM. Discussion explored the significance of Auden's regular rhyme when linked to meaning and author's aim and the significance of the irregular use of ballad form in TROTAM.
• The significance of T. J. Eckleburg's eyes and how this symbol allows Fitzgerald to offer a commentary concerning the role of religion in an America that appears to have lost all moral perspective. This was linked to the symbol of the Albatross and the eyes of the Mariner....and eventually linked to religious symbolism in Miss. Gee. All three texts deal with religion and contain symbols that allow each author to project ideas relating to religion. 
• The third section explored the symbolic significance of colour across all three texts. The significance of the colour green in Gatsby is an interesting symbol as the meaning changes through the course of the novel to suggest the life and death of Gatsby's dream. This was linked to the significance of the colour green in TROTAM and colour imagery in Miss.Gee.

CLASS DISCUSSION WAS EXCELLENT. The quality of student commentary needs to be reflected within the written work.

The second phase of the lesson considered the Section Ai question:
HOW DOES COLERIDGE TELL THE STORY IN THE FINAL SECTION OF TROTAM?
The only assessment objective for this response is 'how does language, structure, and form shape meaning?' Students were encouraged to produce a paragraph for each aspect of the assessment objective. Class discussion shaped potential content and students attempted to produce a 25 minute written response.

HOMEWORK: Attempt the Section B question. KEEP READING. Student reading should attempt to link the exam texts through theme, structure, symbolism, form and language. Check your notes and use all the work undertaken throughout the course to inform your understanding of the exam texts.

Today a student asked 'What is a ballad'? This question, asked four weeks before the exam made me want to eat my own face. Please listen to this podcast. Click on link below:
https://soundcloud.com/fishymedia/literature-podcast-two-the
Below is a link to the Gatsby podcast:
https://soundcloud.com/fishymedia/literature-podcast-an-as-level

YEAR 13 LESSON TWENTY-SEVEN [17th April 13]: Homework.

Students were asked a series of SYMBOLISM questions in relation to Shelley's FRANKENSTEIN. For example:

• What is the symbolic significance of Victor's character?
• What is the sybolic significance of the Creature?
• What is the symbolic significance of location?

The class were also asked to consider the narrative significance of Walton's letters at the beginning of the novel and the significance of the Creature's final speech. STUDENTS ARE EXPECTED TO USE THE AREAS DISCUSSED TO PROVIDE A FOCUS FOR THEIR OWN READING. These five features of Shelley's novel are key areas of the text. Students need to be aware of how Shelley shapes meaning through these features of the novel.

The carnival of literary delights moved on to consider how Marlowe presents the character of MEPHISTOPHILIS in Dr.Faustus. Students need to be aware of how the devil and devilish figures are represented in some sixteenth century art. Click on link below:
http://becuriouslit.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/sixteenth-century-images-of-devil-to.html
Key areas of discussion included:

• The 'human' representation of Meph when first introduced to the audience in Scene 3. Obviously his shape is grotesque before assuming the physical form of a Franciscan Friar but he seems reluctant to accept the demands of Faustus. He seems honest and attempts to enlighten Faustus about the exact nature of 'damnation'. This 'honesty' seems to dissipate in Scene 5 but some students interpreted Meph's actions as that of a character undertaking a routine task. His actions being that of a character repeating a familiar routine that  relates to the everyday nature of his work. Discussion considered how Marlowe uses Mephistophilis as a narrative device to amplify the arrogance and delusional nature of Faustus.
• The discussion moved on to consider the comical scenes within which Meph appears to be a catalyst for comedy. He clearly engages the audience with his comical behaviour but his 'devilish' nature is revealed in the scene with the Old Man. Students were asked to consider why Marlowe suddenly changes the tone of Meph's character and there were some excellent comments about Meph's comedic nature being used to suggest the engaging and duplicitous nature of evil. STUDENTS MUST CONSIDER WHY MARLOWE PLACES MEPHISTOPHILIS AT THE CENTRE OF COMEDIC SCENES BEFORE REVEALING HIS TRUE NATURE IN THE SCENE WITH THE OLD MAN.
• Students were then bullied into a consideration of the significance of Scene 4 involving Wagner and the Clown. Students were encouraged to consider how this comedic scene reflects the thematic nature of the main plot involving Mephistophilis and Faustus. 

HOMEWORK: Next week the focus of the lesson will revolve around the consideration of two questions:

1. 'Faustus and Frankenstein are texts that explore the theme of rebellion.' To what extent do you agree with this view?
2. Does Marlowe's play provoke more laughter in the audience than terror?

Students should use these questions as the focus of their reading. Your homework is to read and prepare to ATTACK these two questions next week.

SIXTEENTH CENTURY IMAGES OF THE DEVIL TO COMPARE WITH MARLOWE'S REPRESENTATION OF MEPHISTOPHILIS.

DANIEL HOPFER

JACOB DE BACKER.

FUSELI'S THE NIGHTMARE 1781.

BBC FRANKENSTEIN DOCUMENTARY: BIRTH OF A MONSTER.

Students should watch this BBC4 documentary that was recently posted to YOU TUBE.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5po0yQa_UJU
The narrative commentary is occasionally comical and some of the re-enactments are toe-curling but this is still a very good resource for historical context. At times the commentary is 'tabloid' but this is definitely worth your attention.

YEAR 12 LESSON TWENTY-FIVE [11th April 13]: Homework.

Students were introduced to the assessment objectives that relate to SECTION B of the AS LITERATURE EXAMINATION.
The question that served as the critical focus of the session was:
WRITE ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE WAYS 3 WRITERS YOU HAVE STUDIED USED PLACES/LOCATIONS IN THEIR NARRATIVES.

Class discussion was excellent and the discussion moved towards a 40 minute written response. Students were encouraged to MAKE CONNECTIONS between texts as this is the main critical focus of SECTION B.

HOMEWORK: READ THE TEXTS. If students are feeling particularly keen they could attempt today's Section B question at home and offer a full three paragraphs and conclusion response.
READ  READ  READ  READ  READ  READ  READ  READ  READ  READ  READ.

YEAR 13 LESSON TWENTY-SIX [10th April 13]: Homework.

Students were asked to consider the question:
TO WHAT EXTENT DO YOU AGREE WITH THE VIEW THAT IN FRANKENSTEIN, MARY SHELLEY IS 'EXPLORING THE DARK SIDE OF THE HUMAN PSYCHE'?

Class discussion engineered the following structure:

• Yes....as the novel seems to warn against the kind of deluded human ambition that believes that humanity can replicate divine power. This is the warning to science argument.
• The novel also explores...the role of women in a male world. Victor represents scientific arrogance and the belief that science could usurp the maternal role of women. Check your notes. Reference could/should be made to Anne Mellor who identified the first-person male perspective narrative, and lack of omniscient narrator, as 'anxiety of authorship' and evidence that 'Mary Shelley doubted the legitimacy of her own literary voice.' This reading of the text is an interpretation that students should consider.
• The novel also seems to yearn for a more tolerant and empathic society. The experience of the creature shapes his behaviour allowing Shelley to champion the philosophy of John Locke. This reading of the text views the novel as an attempt to improve the condition of society.
• Conclusion needs to offer some form of gothic link and reference to a critical reading of the text. READ YOUR NOTES FROM LAST TERM.

HOMEWORK: Provide a written response that consists of the last two paragraphs and conclusion.
Next week we will discuss:
Shelley's use of Walton at the beginning of the novel.
The Creature's final speech.
Shelley's use of location.