Year 13 13th/15th/20th/22nd April 16.

The first four sessions after the Spring Break involved a consideration of Faustus and also considered how Macbeth, Frankenstein and Faustus could be linked to produce a coherent and sophisticated critical response. Students are expected to produce two essays that reflect the content of these four sessions. The two questions that were the focus of these sessions are reproduced below.
THE FAUSTUS QUESTION:
To what extent do you agree with the view that Marlowe's Faustus exposes the corruption of  religious beliefs and practices?
SECTION B QUESTION:
'Gothic writing warns of the dangers of aspiring beyond our limitations.'  To what extent do you agree with this view?

These two questions provide the foundation to our final push toward the exam so it is extremely important that students hand me these essays next week. I gave you a week to concentrate on the BHS coursework. After completing this coursework you need to complete these two essays. Deadline for both essays is NEXT FRIDAY although I expect to receive many of the essays before next Friday's gothic carnival of earthly delights.

One of our Senior team had never heard of Prince! This is the same human being who had never heard of David Bowie! ART and CULTURE is OUR FOOD. Thank you Mr Nelson. The tunes are with us for our forever.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfASW6ibR-8
I hope STEVIE WONDER is under armed guard surrounded by the best medical professionals money can buy.

YEAR 12 Mon 18th April 16

The penultimate 'official' session before the exam on Thursday 26th May involved the class considering the question:

TO WHAT EXTENT DOES THE WORLD OF THE NOVEL REPRESENT AMERICA AS THE LAND OF THE FREE?

Just as last week, class discussion moved into a 15 minute written paragraph. All paragraphs have since been marked and given back to students. LAST WEEK'S WRITTEN RESPONSE WAS SUPERB. You lot are really starting to produce some very perceptive and passionate responses. This is an angry and passionate novel and your writing is beginning to grasp the idea that Fitzgerald desperately wants America to address the issues that he believes are pushing America away from its founding ethos. The AMERICAN NATIONAL ANTHEM, The Star Spangled Banner, continues to reflect the ONE NATION philosophy enshrined within the Declaration of Independence so this lesson continued to consider to what extent this novel reflects the idea that America is THE LAND OF THE FREE.

Of course the novel offers a world of entrapment and social and economic inequality. THE AMERICAN DREAM is an aspirational narrative of HOPE but in this novel social mobility is impossible. I look forward to your essays.

HOMEWORK: Complete a two paragraph and conclusion response that clearly considers the novel through the filter of TRAGEDY. Use my comments on your last essay to inform your writing.

A few weeks ago Harry B made a reference to a band named the X-Ray Spex. This band were a MASSIVE influence on me when I was a young teenager. Poly Styrene, and a few other musicians of this period in our musical history, gave me a blast of energy that changed the whole way I looked at the world. They are probably one of the reasons I am a teacher. She woke me up.  Eat some proper musical culture from 1978 through the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ue5jyj_nosc
RIP Poly Styrene.

YEAR 12 Mon 11th April 16.

This session considered the assessment objectives and how students need to construct a response to ensure that work is relevant. The focus of the session was the character of Myrtle and the class discussion evolved into a 15 minute written consideration of the title:
How significant is the character of Myrtle?

HOMEWORK: Complete the essay. Students have lots of notes and a fully marked paragraph. I expect a two paragraph and conclusion response.
KEEP READING THE TEXT.