YEAR 12: Tuesday 18th Oct.

The final session of the half-term involved a consideration of the final section of Chapter Three and the representation of Gatsby in the opening section of Chapter Four. We need to improve the level of detail that is being presented in written work so the last 15 minutes of the lesson was a written 'paragraph' response to the question:
How is Carraway presented in the opening chapters and why does Fitzgerald present him in this manner?

HOMEWORK: READ Fitzgerald's novel so that you are familiar with this fine work of American art. You have been incredibly impressive this half-term folks. We have a lot of hard work ahead of us but if you maintain your current level of effort, you will have a very successful year.
Enjoy being a teenager. See you when we return to the House of Fun....

YEAR 13: Mon 17th October 16.

Today's session considered possible content for the Poetry Coursework. The first written responses were not great and it is obvious that we need to improve our ability to examine how an author uses language, structure and form to shape meaning. We now have a starting point for the coursework and can begin to construct the final essays. Students need to arrange a tutorial with me to discuss how they can move forward with their work. I am free period FIVE and after school on Thursday. I will be meeting Ben M period one and have already discussed work with Harry B and Emily H.

Two students need to meet me Thursday Period 5 and Thursday after school. The tutorials should last about ONE HOUR. This is 10% of your final A Level therefore we need to develop our work. The rest of the class will need to meet me when we return after the half-term.

One of the weak areas of the poetry essays was the ability to offer an A Level standard critical analysis and this lesson attempted to illustrate how students could link the poetry of Larkin through metaphor and how the work of Ted Hughes could be examined through the use of metaphor.

HOMEWORK: When we return we will begin the study of Dickens' HARD TIMES. I expect students to have read the book already. I expect you to re-read the text over the half-term.
I also expect students to consider how they can improve their poetry coursework. When we discuss your poetry work you need to be able to refer to the appropriate texts and illustrate a sophisticated level of independent study and critical autonomy.

YEAR 12: Friday 14th Oct 16.

This session considered the significance of the THIRD CHAPTER and the focus of discussion was OWL EYES in The Library and the Singing Girl who is sobbing as she sings. Students were asked to consider the symbolic significance of a Party that transforms from being a symbol of opulence and hedonism into a chaotic and dangerous mess!!
Students need to consider WHY Fitzgerald introduces Gatsby into the narrative in such an understated manner and the significance of Carraway's comments about his own experience in New York. There is a lot of detail within this chapter that will become significant as we travel through the next couple of chapters.

HOMEWORK: Continue to revisit previous blog entries and keep reading the novel. We will be discussing CHAPTER FOUR/FIVE in the next session. Students need to complete the essay.

TED HUGHES RESOURCES....YEAR 13..

TED HUGHES/ SYLVIA PLATH interview:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vqhsnk6vY8E
Ted Hughes brief doc...includes some comments from TH:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18DdJO9Lg
Simon Armitage on Hughes:
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2006/feb/18/poetry.simonhughes
Seamus Heaney on Hughes:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-16069214
Obituary in The Telegraph:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/5886550/Ted-Hughes.html

READ and SYNTHESISE those resources....and perhaps find a few of your own! There may be a comment here that will allow you to weave an effective critical argument.

YEAR 12 : Tue 11th Oct 16...

Today's session involved a GATSBY quiz. The quiz was marked out of 25. The highest mark was 20. The lowest mark was 6. Any student scoring less than half marks needs to read the book. There are FOUR students that need to READ THE TEXT.
WELL DONE FATIMA....Top mark...top work..much appreciated.
The majority of the session was a class discussion linked to the next essay. Students received a clear essay structure and discussion considered Fitzgerald's aim in the opening section of the text.

HOMEWORK: The essay needs to be complete for next Tuesday. Students need to keep reading the text. On Friday we will be discussing how Fitzgerald presents the character of Gatsby in the opening chapters. Students still need to visit previous blog entries to synthesise the material I have posted that links to Fitzgerald's novel. Click on links below:
http://becuriouslit.blogspot.co.uk/2016/10/year-12-lesson-5-9-23rd27th30th-septoct.html
http://becuriouslit.blogspot.co.uk/2016/09/year-12-lesson-four20th-sept-16.html
http://becuriouslit.blogspot.co.uk/2016/09/year-12-opening-three-lessons-sept-16.html

YEAR 13 ..10th Oct 16...

Today's session considered the VALUE of Literature. Students were shown two brief extracts from texts that are available via the BBC I-Player and class discussion considered a series of quotes [from Bacon and PB Shelley to TS Eliot and Laurie Anderson] that attempt to define the purpose or function of a literary text. I thought the class discussion was excellent.

HOMEWORK: Watch the WHOLE of WE BELONG HERE. This links directly to the coursework as these contemporary poets provide some wonderful definitions of poetic value. The first FIVE minutes is rich with material that students could use as reference material within their coursework.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p048s2y6/we-belong-here#group=p0499vc7
The other text ' WE ARE POETS' is also superb...it lasts 80 minutes.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p048s53p/we-are-poets#group=p0499vc7

Students need to read THE OLD FOOLS/AUBADE/THE MOWER by LARKIN and WIND/THE THOUGHT-FOX/ LOVESONG by HUGHES. We will be attempting to link the texts in the next session. Students might like to initially link the texts through metaphor and then progress from this to other aspects of how meaning is being shaped by the author.

Students will be expected to complete the first draft of their coursework before the end of this half-term....SO LOTS OF WORK TO DO FOLKS.....

YEAR 12 LESSON 5-9... 23rd/27th/30th Sept..Oct 4th/7th...

These sessions considered the first TWO chapters of Fitzgerald's THE GREAT GATSBY. Class discussion has considered the IDEALISED vision of America that is presented through the poetry of Walt Whitman, the significance of the EMMA LAZARUS poem within the Statue of Liberty, comments made by President Obama, and the philosophy enshrined within the Declaration of Independence. THIS IS OUR STARTING POINT FOR comprehending the aim of FITZGERALD. This novel was originally titled UNDER THE RED WHITE AND BLUE and can be considered to be a text that comments upon how close America is to notions such as ONE NATION and allowing all citizens equal access to the 'UNALIENABLE' right of FREEDOM, PERSONAL LIBERTY and HAPPINESS.

Specific focus was placed upon the two 'social gatherings' the opening chapters and the nature of NICK CARRAWAY. Nick is the most important character in the novel as he is the narrative filter through which Fitzgerald shapes the content of the novel.

The quality of response has been VARIABLE. WE need to raise our INTELLECTUAL GAME. I feel that some students are not adapting to the demands of an A LEVEL classroom. Our next session is a big session because if students have not attempted to read Chapter Three....some individuals will receive some very BLUNT and SINCERE comments from the bloke from HULL. Group work is not an excuse to discuss Hull Fair......bejesus! Some students are just regurgitating my comments and passing them back to me as if they are offering wisdom...this is not A Level analysis. It is grim.

WE are moving towards our first Gatsby essay. The title is....
TO WHAT EXTENT IS IDENTITY A KEY THEME IN THE OPENING CHAPTERS OF FITZGERALD'S THE GREAT GATSBY?

Students should be considering possible content for this essay. I expect students to be identifying key quotes that will allow you to construct a sophisticated A Level response and improve the grade achieved in your first essay. THIS IS A HUGE ESSAY.

HOMEWORK: Prepare for the essay and Read Chapter Three. I will expect students to consider content from this chapter in the context of the IDENTITY essay title.
If students have not synthesised these resources....DO IT NOW:
Previous blog entry...
http://becuriouslit.blogspot.co.uk/2016/09/year-12-opening-three-lessons-sept-16.html
American critic Father Barron discusses the novel...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLSVx84uPrY
John Green discusses the thematic nature of the novel....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xw9Au9OoN88
John Green's summary of The Roaring 20s in America....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfOR1XCMf7A

READ THE TEXT  READ THE TEXT  READ THE TEXT  READ THE TEXT READ READ ....

YEAR 13 LESSON THREE/FOUR..26th Sept/3rd Oct 16

These two sessions continued to discuss appropriate content for the POETRY COURSEWORK. Discussion considered work by Ted Hughes, Philip Larkin, Shakespeare and Imtiaz Darker...THE WHOLE POINT OF THESE SESSIONS is to encourage students to consider which poet will become the focus of their Cwork.

The 3rd Oct session involved students being offered two essay questions.

1. Should ???????? be considered a canonical poem?
2. '??????? is too simplistic to be considered canonical.'                                                                    To what extent do you agree with this statement?

Students should select ONE poem and use this poem to confront one of the questions. The response should be around 1000 words. It needs to be detailed and succinct. The essay structure for this task should/could be:

• Brief introduction that illustrates the themes being explored by the poem and the aim of the author. Is this poem still relevant within the contemporary world?
• The first critical paragraph needs to consider the VALUE of the poem within the context of the canon. Students will need to illustrate an understanding of ideas within the CRITICAL ANTHOLOGY. CRAFT? UNIVERSAL THEMES? Can your poem be considered canonical? If so...WHY? There must be some specific textual analysis. Creative use of Metaphor?
• The next paragraph needs to consider the value of your chosen text beyond the notion of the canon. Terry Eagleton??  Consciousness raising? Relevance for a contemporary audience?
• The final paragraph[s] are the most important.This is the moment within the essay that students should offer a strong personal voice and and offer a personal definition of VALUE. I would like to see reference to other 'critical voices' and a consideration of the purpose of literature. How does your choice of text link to your own notion of value?

This is a MASSIVE essay as this will allow me to gauge the level of intellectual engagement that is taking place when considering content for coursework. This essay will be used to inform the content of your COURSEWORK. Your coursework will be completed before the end of this term so this is basically a ROUGH DRAFT.

The board demand INDEPENDENT STUDY so I will not be allowed to mark your COURSEWORK as a draft. I am only allowed to provide brief oral feedback....SO THIS ESSAY IS A HUGE PIECE OF WORK!!

There are currently some FANTASTIC LITERATURE resources on the BBC I-Player. Links below:
WE BELONG HERE:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p048s2y6/we-belong-here#group=p0499vc7
WE ARE POETS:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p048s53p/we-are-poets#group=p0499vc7
This film opens with a poem by Joseph Buckley...AND IT IS MAGNIFICENT. WATCH IT.
KATIE TEMPEST:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b07yc9ms/performance-live-kate-tempest#group=p0499vc7

HOMEWORK: COMPLETE THE ESSAY.