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