YEAR 13 LESSON SIX [10th Oct 12]: Homework.

Students were offered Duffy's HAVISHAM and Hughes' WIND and encouraged to identify the significance of metaphor in each poem. Students need to consider the text that will become the critical stimulus for the Anthology Coursework.

The heart of the lesson was a consideration of the title:
HOW DOES SHELLEY CREATE A SENSE OF DRAMATIC EXPECTATION IN THE OPENING SECTION OF FRANKENSTEIN?

Class discussion considered Shelley's use of shocking content, the significance of the alternative title, the use of language, the representation of the creature, the representation of Victor, the narrative purpose of Walton's letters and the significance of location. This discussion will continue next lesson.

HOMEWORK: Students are expected to direct their reading towards a consideration of the title used as the focus for class discussion in today's lesson. THIS TITLE WILL BE YOUR NEXT ESSAY SO YOU MUST CONSIDER POTENTIAL CONTENT. I expect next week's discussion to be sophisticated and detailed. READ READ READ.

MR.STEVENSON'S 12/13 LESSONS.

Wed 3rd October.
AM group. Back on the gothic express with a quick tour of Emily B. Q and A session regarding what we gain from reading Wuthering Heights uncovered the horrible vision of A Level students who have not read the texts.
READ THE BOOK AND THE MATERIAL THAT I HAVE GONE THROUGH WITH YOU.
Next week we will look at exemplar metaphor essays and prepare your 2 chapters presentations!

PM group. Finished our exploration of Duffy's Mrs.T's class then moved on to look at the big message in Wuthering. Interesting thoughts about the text returning to sparse realism and rejecting the supernatural. Y13 should aim to 'firm up' their personal response to the novel as a whole.
READ THE BOOK.BRING THE JOYCE CAROL OATES ESSAY AND THE ANTHOLOGY NEXT WEEK.

Year 12: THE CARETAKER.
Decent exploration of the comic nature of pages 1-25. The legend that is H swept her group to chocolate cake heaven with some good feedback.
Second hour-timed essay. Results next week.
Work for 11th.
You must produce 2 sides of detailed notes on how KH tells the story in Chapters 2-6 of Kite and explain any key thematic issues.

AS.

YEAR 12 LESSON FOUR [4th Oct 12]: Homework.

Students were introduced to some white board fever and asked to consider the nature of Tom, Nick and Daisy and concoct an alternative title for the novel. The class then received their first marked essays. The written work was extremely encouraging. You are a fine bunch.

The main focus of today's session was to develop the skills needed to construct a convincing and detailed written response. The first essays lacked the precise critical analysis required to access the higher grades at AS Level so the whole aim of this session was to develop student awareness of the required paragraph structure that will help create a decent critical response. The classic model of literary analysis was offered to the students. This paragraph model being:

• Opinion
• Textual reference
• Explain how textual reference supports opinion
• A fusion of author's aim and question focus.

The text used to promote the critical writing skills was the beginning of chapter two in Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. The representation of THE VALLEY OF ASHES became the critical focus of the lesson. Students were encouraged to consider Fitzgerald's description of movement, use of aural imagery [sound], use of colour, the significance of the farm metaphor, etc. Students were encouraged to identify key words and consider why Fitzgerald is offering this Valley of Ashes. The aim of this task was to encourage students to understand that specific textual reference is an essential feature of literary analysis as is a coherent consideration of author's aim. The key element of the paragraph structure is THE EXPLANATION THAT ACCOMPANIES THE TEXTUAL REFERENCE when attempting to illustrate how specific textual reference supports opinion. THIS IS THE CRUCIAL ELEMENT OF A LEVEL STUDY. If students can develop this skill alongside a clear understanding of author's aim....academic success is assured!

The last twenty minutes of the session involved students constructing a paragraph response to the question: How does Fitzgerald represent the Valley of Ashes at the beginning of Chapter Two?
The challenge to students was to produce a response that achieves a more impressive grade than the grade achieved in the first class essay.

Class discussion was, once more, superb. The discussion was briefly interrupted by a screaming duel with the Year 8 group across the corridor...and CC had two chocolate biscuits. MB had one biscuit.KE missed the biscuit. Lima indeed.

HOMEWORK: READ READ READ. Read chapter two and three of Gatsby. Next week we will be comparing the description of the Valley of Ashes with the description of Gatsby's party at the beginning of chapter three. Is Gatsby's party a joyous occasion? How does Fitzgerald introduce Gatsby? How would you describe the conclusion to the party? What is the significance of the owl-eyed man and the library? What is the significance of Nick's comments at the end of the chapter?

READING IS THE KEY TO TEXTUAL UNDERSTANDING. STUDENTS CANNOT OFFER A SOPHISTICATED READING OF THE TEXT WITHOUT READING IN A THOROUGH AND PRECISE MANNER.

YEAR 13 LESSON FIVE [3rd Oct 12]: Homework.

Class discussion considered the representation of the creature and Victor in chapter five of the novel. Reference was made to the dream that Victor experiences after the animation of the creature and whether Shelley wants the reader to sympathise with Victor. Is Victor a villainous character? The discussion was punctuated with reference to the filmic representations of chapter five. Click on links below to access these resources:
James Whale 1930 Frankenstein Trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKyiXjyVsfw
James Whale's version of chapter five:  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8H3dFh6GA-A
Branagh's 1994 version of the creature's animation:
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOcJwt8XB4M&feature=related

Class discussion considered the key moments from the opening chapters before considering the following question:
How does Shelley attempt to engage the reader in the opening section of Frankenstein?
The following areas need to be considered when considering this question:

• The dramatic significance of the location.
• The shocking nature of the content. A reader in 1818 would be shocked by Victor's behaviour. Students were asked to consider the controversial nature of the content as a device used by Shelley to engage the reader.
• The significance of the references to Coleridge's Mariner.
• The representation of the creature.
• Walton's letters and the dramatic expectation created by Shelley.
• Victor's dream in chapter five.
• The significance of the alternative title: The Modern Prometheus.
• Shelley's use of language.
• The narrative shift from Walton to Victor.

HOMEWORK: Read the novel. I expect all students to have read Victor's narrative. Furthermore, I would like students to consider how Shelley engages the reader at the beginning of the novel. This will be your next essay.

MR.STEVENSON'S LESSONS 12/13.

Wed 26th Sept Year 13:
The am session concentrated upon Duffy's HATHAWAY. We then cracked on with Big Ted's WORK AND PLAY. Finally, we probed MRS T's class. Next week we return to WUTHERING.
The pm session concentrated upon WORK AND PLAY and MRS T's class. Students must be ready to feedback next week linked to the Anthology.

FIRST DRAFT DEADLINES...last WED of this term or Nov 7th...Both groups.

Thurs 27th Year 12:
Due to the reduced nature of the class we placed feedback on hold until next week.AS badgered the group with some notions as to what constitutes COMEDY. We then attempted to view the classic Bates version. AS emphasised the pulse of the course- the ASSESSMENT OBJECTIVES.
Remember, have a look at the material on the Z drive. You must read both KITE/CARETAKER asap.
Some odd behaviour this week from some of the group. Keep a check on it........

YEAR 12 LESSON THREE [27th Sept 12]: Homework.

This was a big session as this lesson was the first real exploration of Fitzgerald's THE GREAT GATSBY. Students were asked to consider the nature of Tom, Daisy and NICK. Class discussion considered the nature of Tom and Daisy's marriage and the significance of key lines such as:

..'I wanted no more riotous excursions with privileged glimpses into the human heart'...
'No-Gatsby turned out all right at the end; it is what preyed on Gatsby, what foul dust floated in the wake of his dreams that temporarily closed out my interest in the abortive sorrows and short-winded elations of men..'.....
...'the Middle West now seemed like the ragged edge of the universe..'.......
'I'm p-paralysed with happiness..'...
'Tom Buchanan compelled me from the room as though he were moving a checker to another square'...
'I saw that turbulent emotions possessed her, so I asked what I thought would be some sedative questions about her little girl.'.....
'that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.'....

Students were asked to consider the character of Nick Carraway as he is the most important character in the novel as he is Fitzgerald's narrative voice.

The final section of the session considered the representation of Gatsby in the opening chapter. Specific focus was placed on the significance of the final section of the opening chapter.

HOMEWORK: READREADREADREADREAD....Read Gatsby. We will be discussing the opening two chapters in Thursday's session.

YEAR 13 LESSON FOUR [26th Sept 12]: Homework.

Students were asked to consider the gothic tradition through a consideration of Poe's 'Tell-Tale Heart' and Angela Carter's 'The Werewolf'. If these two texts can be considered to be examples of the gothic tradition....what can we expect from gothic literature? Reference was made to themes, form, location and philosophy/ideas.

The lesson moved into a consideration of the first four chapters of the novel Frankenstein and how Shelley represents the character of Victor.

HOMEWORK: Read the first five chapters. Next session we will be discussing the key themes and issues being explored within the opening chapters of Victor's narrative.