YEAR 13 Monday 28th November 2016

This session began with a consideration of the question: CAN ART CHANGE THE WORLD?
Class discussion considered the political influence of Picasso's GUERNICA [see above] before moving into a discussion of KEN LOACH.
Reference was made to British Filmmaker KEN LOACH and his controversial 1966 film CATHY COME HOME that was broadcast on BBC1 and caused a storm of debate linked to the government's attitude to the homeless. In the film the female protagonist has her children taken from her as she struggles to pay the rent on her flat and becomes homeless. This film inspired a national debate that directly inspired the formation of the homeless charity CRISIS. This charity has helped thousands of vulnerable people to navigate through the horror of being homeless. This film forced a parliamentary debate and political pressure was placed upon social services to change their approach to the treatment of families and homelessness.
Ken Loach...
Cathy Come Home
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xky8ZqhNAlo
I Daniel Blake:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4KbJLpu7yo
In Parliament, Jeremy Corbyn asked Theresa May to watch this film to gain an insight into how welfare reforms are affecting the lives of people in the UK.
I also referred to Hitler's 1937 exhibition of art  that travelled around Germany and Austria. This exhibition attempted to highlight the kind of art that Germanic people should reject. The exhibition included some of the images below:

Hitler's Degenerate Art:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-24819441
http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/history-of-art/degenerate-art.htm

Below is the work of JOHN HEARTFIELD. The Gestapo placed Heartfield at the top of their WANTED list and attempted to kill him in 1933. He escaped from the country of his birth and continued to create art.
WHY DID HITLER DESPISE MODERNIST ART? WHY DID HE DESPISE ABSTRACT ART? WHAT DID HE FEAR? WHAT DID HE WANT TO CONTROL AND WHY? WHAT DOES THIS MOMENT TELL US ABOUT THE POWER OF HUMAN IMAGINATION?

The session looked at the SECOND section of HARD TIMES. I looked at key issues from EXPLOSION to DOWN. Students were made aware of the key moments from this section of the novel. Focus was placed upon Harthouse and the fact that Dickens clearly despises his indifference and moral vacuity. Dickens presents a potential politician who believes..'WHAT WILL BE WILL BE', and who states when speaking to Tom that '..every man is selfish in everything he does and I am exactly like the rest of my fellow creatures.' Dickens illustrates the destructive nature of Harthouse's  'ennui' with the wonderful line: 'It is the drifting icebergs setting with any current anywhere, that wreck the ships.'
We also looked at the significance of the death of Mrs. Gradgrind and her husband's reaction to her death, the representation of Bitzer and the wonderful moment when Dickens describes his snoring as similar to the sound of a 'Dutch Clock' [even asleep he sounds like a machine], the significance of Mrs Sparsit's staircase, and the significance of Tom's theft from the bank and the moment when Louisa pleads with him to be truthful. Particular focus was placed upon the final two chapters of the second section.The session concluded with a discussion linked to the final chapter of 'REAPING' and how Gradgrind responds to Louisa's emotional honesty.

HOMEWORK:
Complete a paragraph response to the question:
Why is DOWN such a significant chapter?
Students need to offer.....:

• A strong opinion.
• Support this opinion with clear textual reference that considers brief reference to the chapter FATHER AND DAUGHTER in the first book. You must offer evidence of cross reference. How has Gradgrind changed? Why? Try and refer to Dickens' use of metaphor and how he is shaping meaning.
• Question Focus?/Author's aim?/ Historical context?/ Critical comment.

THIS PARAGRAPH NEEDS TO BE PACKED WITH DETAIL.

YEAR 12 Friday 25th November 2016.

This session considered some key moments from chapters SEVEN and EIGHT and the main focus of the session was a consideration of the question:
DOES FITZGERALD PRESENT GATSBY AS A TRAGIC HERO?
The class were asked to consider the conventions of dramatic tragedy such as:
HUBRIS....the idea that a man forgets he is mortal and believes himself a God.
HARMARTIA...a good man makes a fatal mistake that leads to his destruction
CATHARSIS...the audience are made to feel a sense of FEAR and PITY that inspires a sense of 'emotional purification' that involves some form of learning linked to the human condition.
Students were also asked to consider whether Gatsby is destroyed by circumstances beyond his control and consider the definition of TRAGEDY offered by D.H.Lawrence and Arthur Miller.
At one point in the lesson we watched the resource below and briefly discussed its content:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLSVx84uPrY
Students really need to digest these two resources posted to my previous blog entry. I'm not sure YOU LOT are visiting these resources:
Definition and discussion of Dramatic Tragedy offered by The National Theatre:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSr6mP-zxUc
A GATSBY podcast created by a bloke addicted to TUNNOCKS' TEA CAKES:
https://soundcloud.com/fishymedia/literature-podcast-an-as-level

HOMEWORK: Consider how you will answer the 'GATSBY TRAGIC HERO?' question as this will be your next essay. We will be planning the written response in the next session so it is important that students READ THE TEXT and bring some ideas to the classroom. Does Fitzgerald really want the reader to view Gatsby as in any way heroic? Is it possible that CARRAWAY views Gatsby as a tragic hero but Fitzgerald wants the reader to view Gatsby in a different manner??
BIG DISCUSSION NEXT SESSION FOLKS.

YEAR 13 Monday 21st Nov 16

This session was an exploration of the FIRST SIX CHAPTERS of the SECOND SECTION of the novel. Particular focus was placed upon the character of STEPHEN BLACKPOOL. Students were asked to consider the significance of....

• The savage attack on the factory owners at the beginning of the second section.
• The representation of James Harthouse and how Dickens feels about this character. This character aspires to be an MP...how does Dickens view the morality of this character?
• SLACKBRIDGE and the way that Dickens presents the Trade Union.
• The reason why Stephen refuses to join the Union.
• When Stephen is asked to meet Bounderby, how does Stephen represent the people that seem to have alienated him? Why does Dickens represent Stephen as such a decent and compassionate man? What does Stephen represent?
• Louisa's reaction when she enters the dwelling of Stephen Blackpool.
• The KEY moment when Dickens removes any pretence that this is a third person narrative and introduces the incredible paragraph in Chapter Six that warns that 'REALITY WILL TAKE A WOLFISH TURN, AND MAKE AN END OF YOU.'

HOMEWORK: Continue to digest the resources posted to previous blog entries, read the whole of the second section, and produce a paragraph of written work that illustrates the KEY NOTE from the novel thus far.

The paragraph needs to clearly explain why you feel that your KEY MOMENT is so significant and students must clearly explain how and why this moment allows Dickens to  express his ideas.

Paragraph structure:

• OPINION
• TEXTUAL REFERENCE
• EXPLAIN SIGNIFICANCE OF THE TEXTUAL REFERENCE
• CLEARLY STATE WHY THIS IS SUCH A SIGNIFICANT MOMENT AND LINK TO AUTHOR'S AIM. THERE ALSO NEEDS TO BE SOME REFERENCE TO HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND REFERENCE TO THE VIEW OF A CRITIC. Read the notes I have provided.

Below is a link to a decent article about the novel. Well worth a read.

http://beholdthestars.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/hard-times-for-these-times-by-charles.html

YEAR 12 15th/18th/22nd Nov 16

These THREE sessions looked at the novel from CHAPTER FIVE through to the end of CHAPTER SEVEN. The Friday session considered the role of Nick Caraway and how Fitzgerald uses this character to shape meaning. Today's session considered the moment when Daisy chooses Tom. The class were asked to consider THREE key questions when considering Chapter Seven:

• How does Fitzgerald create a sense of dramatic tension in Chapter Seven?
• Why does Daisy reject Gatsby?
• How do you feel any sympathy for Gatsby at the end of Chapter Seven?

When we meet on Friday we will be discussing the key moments from Chapter Seven and Chapter Eight so students need to READ THE TEXT.

HOMEWORK: READ Chapter Seven through to the end of the novel. Our focus will be George Wilson, Carraway and Gatsby. How significant is the theme of dreams? To what extent can Gatsby be considered a tragic hero? Is he a villain? To what extent can this novel be considered a tragedy?

Here are some resources to consider. Feast on this Gatsby food !

An introduction to Greek Tragedy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSr6mP-zxUc

John Green...The Great Gatsby Part One:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xw9Au9OoN88&t=103s

A fat bloke you know talking about Gatsby:

https://soundcloud.com/fishymedia/literature-podcast-an-as-level

John Green...Is Gatsby Great?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cn0WZ8-0Z1Y&t=7s

YEAR 11..JEKYLL and HYDE resources.

2003 FULL Film:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mQt5FreIiQ
10 facts:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1_zuYlYKio
Context video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpMdy9YGdZc
Transformation Scene..American Werewolf in London...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFLQS12z8K4
The League of Extraordinary Gentleman:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCHadoTSqMs
ITV hero version:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKPUv6_-2ZA
BBC Documentary 1996....Excellent resource:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b04aSxzD4Xo

WHAT IS ART FOR? Year 13 Mon 14th Nov 16.

Today's session was a journey through the final SIX chapters of the first section of Dickens' novel. Essays have been handed to me and I am extremely impressed with the quality of the written work. In fact I would say that some of you have regenerated my faith in this class as I was incredibly disappointed with some of the work offered to me in the first half-term...so well done and thank you.
One of the features of the essays that we need to improve is the understanding of WHY Dickens values the power of the HUMAN IMAGINATION.
The following questions need to be considered by ALL students:
WHY DOES DICKENS VALUE THE POWER OF HUMAN IMAGINATION?
HOW DOES DICKENS WANT THE READER TO REACT TO THIS NARRATIVE?
HOW IS METAPHOR USED TO SHAPE AND PRESENT DICKENS' VIEWS?
WHY IS HE SO OPPOSED TO THE UTILITARIAN PHILOSOPHY?
WHO OR WHAT IS BEING ATTACKED IN THIS NOVEL?
WHAT DOES DICKENS HOPE TO ACHIEVE?

Homework: READ the first SIX chapters of the SECOND section of the novel.
Engage with these resources. They will inform your understanding of WHY DICKENS places so much value on the power of the human imagination....
WHAT IS ART FOR?...Alain de Botton...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVlQOytFCRI
A teacher discusses the role of Art in Education:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Odbcty42MaM
Sir Ken Robinson on creativity and education:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywIhJ2goiGE
Ken's famous TED lecture..'DO SCHOOLS KILL CREATIVITY ?' :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY
RICHARD FEYNMAN is one of the greatest Scientists that has ever lived. His views illuminate the role of WONDER in Scientific discovery. This bloke is a LEGEND...and he played the bongos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxmmcwvkZeM

YEAR 12 Friday 11th Nov 16.

Today's session considered how Fitzgerald shapes meaning in Chapter FIVE of the novel. Students have been encouraged in the past couple of lessons to consider AUTHOR'S AIM when concluding a written paragraph. This lesson reinforced this feature of written work. Class discussion moved into a 20 minute paragraph response. Class discussion was excellent and the precision of the written work is improving.
HOMEWORK: Read the novel. We will be discussing CHAPTER FIVE and CHAPTER SIX in the next session and if we have time, I want to discuss the key moment in Chapter EIGHT when Caraway explains WHY GATSBY fell in love with DAISY.....What are Gatsby's reasons for attempting to capture her heart???

YEAR 12 Tuesday 8th Nov 16.

The session began with a consideration of how the cruel and childish nature of the American Presidential campaign could be linked to Fitzgerald's novel. The class discussion involved a reaction to two campaign films used by Trump and Clinton. Click on links below:
Clinton campaign film:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oy8HRdlLGCQ
Trump response in campaign film:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1EuZ5ObQp8
Is there a link between the America of 2016 and the America of the novel? Errrrr......

The lesson then considered the final section of Chapter Four within which Fitzgerald has Jordan reveal the romantic link between Gatsby and Daisy. The key line from this section is CARRAWAY'S comment: ' HE CAME ALIVE TO ME, DELIVERED SUDDENLY FROM THE WOMB OF HIS PURPOSELESS SPLENDOUR.' Students need to note Daisy's reaction on her wedding night when receiving a letter...'DRUNK AS A MONKEY'!!
The session moved on to consider CHAPTER FIVE and the moment when Gatsby and Daisy meet each other after FIVE years. Students were asked to consider how Fitzgerald presents this meeting and identify the grotesque comedy that is used to fool the reader into believing that Gatsby's desire to be reunited with Daisy is doomed to fail.

HOMEWORK: READ Chapter Five in detail as we will be discussing this pivotal chapter in the next session. Consider how Fitzgerald manipulates the reader before Daisy and Gatsby are 'successfully' reunited. Why does the chapter conclude with such a melancholy tone when it surely should be euphoric??!!!

YEAR 13 Mon 7th Nov 16.

This session considered the first 8/9 chapters of CHARLES DICKENS' HARD TIMES. The class were urged to consider key moments within this opening section and consider Dickens' style of writing, how he uses metaphor to express his philosophy, and the philosophical and political aim of the author. Specific focus was placed on the description of COKETOWN. Class response was good.
Students were asked to consider the question:
WHAT IS DICKENS ATTACKING IN THE FIRST EIGHT/NINE CHAPTERS AND WHY IS HE DEALING WITH THESE THEMES AND ISSUES?
The class were provided with a very clear essay structure:

• EDUCATION....Dickens is clearly attacking the FACT obsessed UTILITARIAN educational philosophy being promoted by THOMAS GRADGRIND Senior. Evidence of Dickens' repulsion for this form of education can be found in the dehumanised descriptions of Gradgrind in the opening chapter, the description of the classroom ['plain, bare, monotonous vault'], descriptions of BITZER in Chapter Two [Bitzer being an example of the consequence of an education that has contempt for human imagination and 'WONDER'], the contempt of TOM in Chapter 8 who calls his home a 'jaundiced jail'and his desire to 'collect all the facts we hear so much about..I wish I could put a thousand barrels of gunpowder under them, and blow them up...I'll have my revenge.' This could be linked to the subjective omniscient narrative voice of Dickens who in Chapter Two uses the same destructive imagery to describe Tom's father:..'he seemed a kind of cannon loaded to the muzzle with facts and prepared to blow them clean out of the regions of childhood at one discharge.' Obviously Dickens suggests that this system is failing to connect with the human desires of childhood as Tom and Louisa attempt to witness the Circus in Chapter Two. The chapter title 'Murdering the Innocents' may also allow you to construct a decent critical argument as does the names of the characters associated with this form of education: Gradgrind and M'Choakumchild. Remember, when Sissy becomes a student in Gradgrind's school Gradgrind informs her that she will be 'reclaimed and formed'!! Why does Dickens use this language? Is it appropriate for describing the nurturing function of education? The paragraph needs to conclude with a clear evaluation of WHY Dickens is so critical of this system. AUTHOR'S  AIM? Question Focus?

• THE WORKING CONDITIONS FOR FACTORY WORKERS....here the description of COKETOWN at the beginning of Chapter FIVE should provide your textual reference for constructing a critical response. How does Dickens use metaphor to suggest the horrific working conditions and the pollution that infects the town? Note how Dickens suggests The routine, repetitious, and uninspiring existence of the working population. The town reflects the unimaginative sensibility of the Utilitarian philosophy as  'the jail might have been the infirmary, the infirmary might have been the jail...' WHY DOES DICKENS USE THE IMAGE OF A PRISON AND A HOSPITAL?? Note his use of repetition to describe the monotonous nature of the town planning. Dickens links the experience of the workers with the experience of the children when using the rhetorical question: 'Is it possible , I WONDER, that there was any analogy between the case of the Coketown population and the case of the little Gradgrinds?' In Chapter Eight Dickens refers to the reading habits of some workers when they visit the library. They, like Tom and Louisa attempting to receive some imaginative stimulus from witnessing the Circus, use literature as a means of imaginative relief from the monotony of their existence. Why does Dickens describe the workers as 'hands'? HOW DOES DICKENS REPRESENT THE QUALITY OF LIFE BEING EXPERIENCED BY THE WORKING PEOPLE OF COKETOWN? WHY DOES HE REPRESENT THEM IN THIS MANNER? Author's aim? Question Focus?

• The third paragraph needs to explore the symbolic significance of the Circus. The Circus represents the world of WONDER and IMAGINATION. Dickens gives the characters of Childers, Kidderminster and Sleary the physical appearance of characters from a fable or the kind of fairy tales that the Gradgrind philosophy despises. Note the significance of their comical physical forms. When Sissy talks of how she soothed her father's pain by reading him tales of 'fairies..the dwarf..the hunchback..' Grad grind describes these narratives as 'destructive nonsense.' The Circus people are lodging at the 'PEGASUS ARMS'; this is significant because Pegasus in Greek mythology is often linked to the gathering of wisdom, power, and victory. Note how the Circus people reflect the human qualities that Dickens clearly values. Sleazy is an intelligent and emotionally articulate man. He immediately identifies Boundary as an arrogant fool and Dickens has Sleary utter one of the key lines in the novel: 'People must be amuthed.' Note how Dickens describes the community of the Circus: '..the combined literature of the whole company would have produced a poor letter on the subject...Yet there was a remarkable gentleness and childishness about these people..deserving as much respect...as..any class of people in the world.' Also note Sissy's responses in 'Sissy's Progress' within which Dickens suggests that the Gradgrind school is making Sissy feel guilty for responding to the teacher's questions with compassion and empathy. Sissy is clearly a symbol of the humanising power of the human imagination just as Bitzer and Tom represent the destructive nature of the Utilitarian educational philosophy. WHY DOES DICKENS WANT THE READER TO SYMPATHISE WITH THIS WORLD? WHAT DOES HE WANT THE READER TO IDENTIFY OR RECOGNISE?

• The conclusion needs to provide some context. Reference to the views of Carlyle? A novel that rejects the industrial triumphalism of The Great Exhibition in 1851? The opening chapters clearly present Dickens belief that the world of the novel needs reform...much like Britain itself. What is he criticising? What is he promoting? What do the opening chapters reveal to the reader? 

HOMEWORK: Read the first section of HARD TIMES and complete the essay. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT ESSAY AS IT WILL INFORM MY ASSESSMENTS FOR THE YOUR NEXT SCHOOL REPORT. The pre-coursework writing was poor. This essay needs to reflect your academic ability and requires your time and intellectual attention.

GOOD LUCK.

YEAR 12 Friday 4th Nov 16.

Today's session considered the moment in CHAPTER FOUR when Gatsby introduces Caraway to Wolfshiem. The class were asked to consider why Fitzgerald introduces this character. Recent essays have not lacked effort but our consideration of Fitzgerald's aims need to be far more convincing. Class discussion considered Fitzgerald's possible intent when introducing this ruthless and seemingly psychotic beast!!
The final section of the session was a 15 minute one paragraph response to the question:
Why is the introduction of Wolfshiem significant in Chapter 4?

HOMEWORK: READ CHAPTER 5. I will also be discussing the moment in CHAPTER EIGHT when Gatsby discusses why he loves Daisy. This is a key moment. Read it and be prepared for a class discussion. DO YOU THINK GATSBY REALLY LOVES DAISY? WHY DOES HE LOVE HER? WHAT IS FITZGERALD'S AIM HERE?

YEAR 12 Tuesday 1st Nov 16.

Today's session was informed by the recently completed Gatsby essays. The level of effort in this group is stunning but it is clear that we need to develop an understanding of Fitzgerald's aims if we are to improve the quality of critical writing. Therefore this session considered author's aim and also included the class modelling a paragraph in response to the question:
TO WHAT EXTENT IS TOM BUCHANAN A SYMBOL?
The class produced a paragraph that follows the structure that I encourage all students to follow. I used the metaphor of the WALTZ to illustrate the structure or choreography of a paragraph. The paragraph, like the Waltz, has a clearly defined movement. A paragraph has a structure that needs to be followed if the response is to be detailed and appropriate. I include the content in this blog entry. Note the content of the three photographs.

HOMEWORK: Continue to read the text and consider the question: To what extent is Daisy a symbol? I may offer this question as a timed essay in the next session so be prepared....

YEAR 13 Mon 31st Oct 16.

Today's session was the beginning of our journey through HARD TIMES. Class discussion considered the philosophical context of the novel. Reference was made to Thomas Carlyle, Jeremy Bentham, The Great Exhibition of 1851, and the Chartist Movement. Students need to read the FACT sheet that I handed to the class at the beginning of the session.
At one point I made reference to SUMMERHILL. Click on link below to develop an understanding of this unique approach to education:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZE20ylESsY4
AS Neill and Summerhill:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-C2i9Iq9vY
The point is that there is more than one way to educate children!!! This is a school with a unique philosophy that confounds OFSTED!!
This is a lovely 10 minute YOU TUBE film. Good introduction to the life, work and times of Dickens. ESSENTIAL VIEWING. WATCH THIS RESOURCE:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9dB9BZWDBU
Armando Iannucci's BBC documentary. Watch if you have time...it is excellent. Iannucci states that 'Dickens' world is OUR world' :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lZB6E0-yCk
WE need to understand CHARTISM:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oW_p3YLkScM
Good academic article about the novel...'Fire, Fancy, and Fairy Tale' :
http://portfolio.snc.edu/stephanie_kleckner/engl-489-advanced-seminar-charles-dickens-seminar-essay-research-assignment-fire-fancy-and-fairy-tales-in-dickens-hard-times/
In Monday's session I mentioned the filmmaker KEN LOACH and how his films highlight the flaws of government policy in the hope of encouraging political and social reform...in a similar way to Dickens and his use of the literary form. Here is LOACH on last week's question time discussing whether society is less compassionate than it has been in the past. His new film deals with how the benefits system is lacking empathy and humanity...he uses the phrase 'Conscious Cruelty':
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOKRsrTavX0
KEN LOACH on Channel FOUR NEWS with TORY MP KWASI KWARTENG:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-V7Iaycp5IU
This is the trailer for LOACH'S new film 'I, Daniel Blake':
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahWgxw9E_h4
REMEMBER...Dickens was inspired to create his work because he was appalled by human cruelty and he wanted to shame a political class who he believed had lost any sense of compassion for the vulnerable and instead harbour only heartless contempt for the less fortunate members of society. He wanted to use his art to encourage social change.
Film Critic Mark Kermode reviews Loach's film:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=offpkwG9zbA
The Real Daniel Blakes.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKaX5wMyMqQ

I expect students to synthesise the information contained within these resources as this will allow us to generate an informed and detailed A LEVEL class discussion. It is important that students understand the HISTORICAL CONTEXT that surrounds this fantastic novel and can comprehend the contemporary relevance of HARD TIMES.

HOMEWORK: We will be discussing the content of the first EIGHT Chapters of the novel. The next session will not involve group work it will be an open class discussion and I expect ALL students to contribute. The two key questions that we will be discussing will be:

• How does Dickens use language, structure and form to shape meaning?
• What is Dickens ATTACKING and why? What is his aim?