YEAR 13 LESSON ELEVEN [13th Oct 14]: Homework

Today's session examined the significance of the representation of Nature in Shelley's Frankenstein. The focus of the lesson was chapter 5 to 10 and the class were asked to consider how and why Victor becomes isolated from the RESTORATIVE POWER of nature. Class discussion explored the idea that the magnificent power and beauty of the natural world reflects the divine power of God. Students were asked to consider key quotes such as..'The present season was indeed divine...the waterfalls...spoke of a  power mighty as Omnipotence...magnificent...astonishing...of singular beauty...sublime...as belonging to another earth, the habitations of another race of beings.'
Students were asked to consider the question:
HOW DOES SHELLEY REPRESENT NATURE?
The second section of the lesson examined how Shelley presents the character of Justine. Class discussion considered how Justine's faith is represented by Shelley and how Chapter 8 is used by Shelley to shape meaning.
Students were asked to consider the question:
WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF JUSTINE IN CHAPTER EIGHT?
Remember...this is a novel that explores the idea that Victor's spiritual isolation is the result of challenging the divine power of God. How does Shelley use Justine to suggest the power of faith?

HOMEWORK: Complete the two questions. Students should produce a detailed paragraph that follows the structure:

• Opinion
• Textual reference
• Explain how textual reference supports opinion. A precise explanation could gain a lot of marks.
• Fuse question focus with author's aim. The concluding fusion is incredibly important.

Students need to construct two detailed and precise paragraphs.

YEAR 12 LESSON TEN [10th Oct 14]: Homework

This session involved students considering the two questions that appeared on the last blog entry. Class discussion was excellent. The area that I really wanted to explore was AUTHOR'S AIM and the main aim of this lesson was to offer some critical clarity when considering why Fitzgerald presents Tom and Myrtle in such a brutal manner. Class discussion discussed key quotes and, hopefully, students were able to collect some useful notes. It is important that students consider the opinion of other critical voices therefore it was a little depressing to discover that so many students did not bother to listen to the views of Father Barron that I published as a resource on the previous blog entry. Please revisit the last blog entry.

HOMEWORK: Students need to provide a written response to both questions discussed in this session. The aim of this task is to encourage students to produce a structured paragraph that follows the Richardson structure:

• OPINION
• TEXTUAL REFERENCE
• EXPLAIN HOW TEXTUAL REFERENCE SUPPORTS OPINION
• CONSTRUCT A CONCLUDING COMMENT THAT EXPLORES AUTHOR'S AIM AND ALSO OFFERS A PRECISE QUESTION FOCUS.THIS IS THE FUSION MOMENT!!

Elspeth was kind enough to allow me to share her last 'paragraph' homework with the class. Students need to read this response as it is a superb example of how to organise ideas in a precise and coherent manner. Cheers Elspeth.

RESOURCES to assist with this task:

Father Barron:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLSVx84uPrY 

This blog entry offers a host of useful resources. WATCH THEM:

http://becuriouslit.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/year-12-lesson-fourfivesix-19th23rd26th.htm

YEAR 13 LESSON LESSON TEN [9th Oct 14]: Homework

This session was a reaction to the first FRANKENSTEIN essay. Students were asked to consider the nature of the gothic and were introduced to The Werewolf  by Angela Carter. Students were asked to consider to what extent this tale could be considered a gothic text.
The last section of the session considered the introduction of the creature in Chapter Ten. Students were asked to consider how Shelley represents the creature and why this may appear shocking to the reader.

HOMEWORK: Read chapters FIVE to TEN with the reading focus being Shelley's representation of NATURE.
Complete a paragraph from your essay in response to my marking.

YEAR 12 LESSON SEVEN/EIGHT/NINE [30th Sept / 3rd Oct / 7th Oct] : Homework

These three sessions aimed to explore issues relating to Fitzgerald's THE GREAT GATSBY. The first session attempted to explore author's aim. Students discussed:

• The poem THE NEW COLOSSUS written by EMMA LAZARUS that is place inside The Statue of Liberty.
• The Star Spangled Banner and its philosophical and lyrical significance.
• The poetry of Walt Whitman. Specifically I HEAR AMERICA SINGING and AMERICA.
• The philosophy and significance of the 1776 Declaration of Independence.

The aim of this session was to examine how these texts represent America and examine the extent to which this representation is reflected in the opening chapters of the novel. The key question that students need to consider is:
WHAT IS THE REPRESENTATION OF AMERICA BEING OFFERED BY FITZGERALD?

The Friday session examined why all the social gatherings in the first three chapters of the book are so joyless. The Buchanan moment in chapter one is a dull and anxious affair, the scene in Myrtle's flat descends into violence and chaos and Gatsby's party concludes with fights and tears. Students were asked to consider why Fitzgerald is offering this content.

The Tuesday sermon began with a consideration of the question:
HOW DOES FITZGERALD DEVELOP THE CHARACTER OF TOM IN CHAPTER TWO?
Students were asked to consider how Fitzgerald reinforces Tom's selfish arrogance and ignorance in this section. Students need to consider Tom as a symbolic construct. How is Tom being used by Fitzgerald to shape meaning? We really need to begin to consider each character as being symbolic.
The second question used to provoke discussion involved Myrtle:
HOW DOES FITZGERALD PRESENT MYRTLE IN CHAPTER TWO?
Students were asked to consider Myrtle's character and how she is used by Fitzgerald to shape meaning. Discussion compared Myrtle with Daisy. One student stated that 'she just wants to be Daisy'...which is a fair comment. But who would want to be Daisy?

I made a comment in the final session that this is a very moral novel despite the fact that, in the past, many states in America have banned this novel form libraries and schools because it is believed to be a novel that lacks an acceptable moral focus. The novel is full of alcohol abuse, infidelity and many characters appear to lack any form of compassion or empathy for the people with whom they share their lives. This appears to be a 'Godless' novel. Why? Is the lack of religious focus incredibly significant? When Wilson stares at the advertisement in the Valley of Ashes and states: 'God sees everything'.....why is this such a significant comment?

HOMEWORK: Students need to consider the two questions that we discussed in the final session. The focus of Friday's session will be to shape content for both questions as these questions will form the written homework at the conclusion of the next session. STUDENTS NEED TO BE ABLE TO CONSIDER AUTHOR"S AIM. IF TOM AND MYRTLE ARE SYMBOLIC CHARACTERS...WHAT ARE THE IDEAS BEING SHAPED BY FITZGERALD THROUGH THESE CHARACTERS?
Here is a wonderful resource created by a literature loving Catholic priest! THIS IS ESSENTIAL VIEWING FOR CONSIDERING AUTHOR'S AIM.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLSVx84uPrY
I expect students to have considered Father Barron's comments. What is 'THE COLLAPSE OF MEANING'?

YEAR 13 LESSON SEVEN/EIGHT/NINE [29th Sept/ 2nd/6th Oct 14]: Homework

These lessons were aimed at providing guidance for the first FRANKENSTEIN essay and also discussed the possibilities of coursework. Coursework will focus on how an author uses metaphor to shape meaning OR consider whether a text should be considered canonical. Students need to be reading poetry as it is important that students select an appropriate text to be the focus of their coursework study.
HOMEWORK: Complete essay, read Shelley's novel and read some poetry!!

YEAR 12 LESSON FOUR/FIVE/SIX [19th/23rd/26th Sept 14]: Homework

Apologies for my blog being a little 'slow to update' of late Lit kids but i have not had access to the internet for three weeks. Normal service has been resumed.

The last three sessions have all been linked to F.S.FITZGERALD'S THE GREAT GATSBY and have also offered a reaction to the first set of AS essays. It is clear that as a class there are certain skills that ALL students need to develop when constructing a written response. These skills include:

• The ability to construct a precise and coherent critical argument that offers specific textual reference to support and reinforce opinion. The first batch of essays offered a lot of vague and ambiguous argument that never really used textual reference in an appropriate manner. RESPECT THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. Please ensure that your essay offer a clear critical argument.
• The ability to clearly link your analysis to the aim of the author.

The first essay is always a SHOCK for some students. This is NOT GCSE. Students need to digest the detailed commentary/guidance that I have scribbled on your essay and make sure that the mistakes made when constructing the first essay are not repeated in the second written task. The level of effort produced by this class is wonderful...so I expect improvement to be fairly rapid!

Consequently, the focus of the last three lessons has been paragraph structure and how a critical argument needs to be shaped. The textual focus has been the opening chapters of THE GREAT GATSBY. Student response to the text has been extremely perceptive and this level of perception will only increase with READING. Students need to digest the content of class discussion as this will inform textual understanding. Students need to be considering WHY Fitzgerald bothered to construct this text and HOW he shapes his ideas. The WHY and the HOW is at the centre of our textual study. Students need to be constantly considering this focus as they read the text.

Below are some resources to help you consider the WHY and the HOW:

Historical context. THIS IS ESSENTIAL VIEWING:

http://becuriouslit.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/the-great-gatsby-historical-context.html

John Green discusses aspects of the novel. ALL these links are incredibly useful:

John Green discusses the opening chapter:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehjTS6AhMJ8

John Green discusses The Valley of Ashes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VhYMdnAsyM

John Green offers an overview of the novel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xw9Au9OoN88

John Green asks 'Was Gatsby Great?':

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cn0WZ8-0Z1Y

Here is a podcast including a voice you may recognise. This was made in 2011. It is still relevant:

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

Article from the Guardian:

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/apr/30/great-gatsby-movie-fashion-wealth

University of Leeds 'GATSBY' podcasts:

http://becuriouslit.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/gatsby-podcasts.html

Baz Luhrmann discusses The Great Gatsby:

http://www.channel4.com/news/baz-luhrmann-the-great-gatsby-film-director

Over the next couple of weeks, students need to work through the resources posted to this blog entry to develop an informed perspective of this wonderful novel.

HOMEWORK: Students need to produce a ONE PARAGRAPH response to the question:

How does Fitzgerald present The Valley of Ashes at the beginning of Chapter Two?

The aim of this homework is for students to begin to develop the ability to construct a precise critical commentary. Students need to follow the following PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE:

• OPINION
• TEXTUAL REFERENCE
• EXPLAIN HOW TEXTUAL REFERENCE SUPPORTS OPINION
• PROVIDE CONCLUDING COMMENTS THAT CONSIDER AUTHOR'S AIM AND QUESTION FOCUS. This is THE FUSION section of the paragraph. The last two bullet points are the areas that will allow students to access the higher grades. These two sections of the paragraph DEMAND a clear and textually specific critical commentary.

This paragraph needs to be in my hand at the beginning of Tuesday's session. The aim of this task is for students to improve their mark by at least one grade. Good Luck Lit Freaks.

Phew!

:) :)

  

YEAR 13 LESSON FIVE/SIX [22nd/25th Sept 14]: Homework

The aim of these two sessions was explore the issues being presented by Mary Shelley in the opening section of Frankenstein. I have BOMBARDED students with words in the last two sessions and probably talked too much....but it is essential that students are aware of the philosophical nature of the text and why this novel is considered to be part of the gothic tradition. As we are such a small group this year we have been huddled around a table discussing issues relating to Walton's letters and the MASSIVE significance of Chapters 4 and 5. I have not been entirely convinced that ALL students are wrestling with this text so the essay that we discussed in the last lesson will be an interesting challenge.

The essay title that has been the focus of class discussion this week is:

HOW DOES SHELLEY CREATE A SENSE OF DRAMATIC EXPECTATION IN THE OPENING SECTION OF SHELLEY'S NOVEL?

In Lesson Six we created the following structure for this essay. Students do not have to follow this structure....but it might be a good idea to use this structure for this FIRST A2 written task.

Potential Structure:

• Students need to explore the mysterious representation of Victor in Walton's letters. We discussed how Shelley presents Victor as having experienced some kind of experience that has had a negative effect on his physical and psychological health. This ambiguous and mysterious representation creates a sense of dramatic expectation as the reader is curious to discover why Victor appears so distressed.

• The second paragraph needs to explore the SYMBOLIC SIGNIFICANCE of location. Students need to consider the significance of Victor sharing his narrative with Walton in such a brutal, beautiful, and natural environment.

• The third paragraph should consider issues relating to LANGUAGE. We have discussed the significance of the dramatic language used in the opening chapters. We discussed the importance of Victor's comment that 'feelings bore me onwards, like a hurricane' and how this destructive simile acts as a forewarning for the horror that Victor's narrative reveals. We have also discussed other key quotes in some detail. THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT PARAGRAPH.Why does Shelley have Victor use such violent imagery? BE SPECIFIC.

• The penultimate paragraph could deal with the significance of the non-linear narrative. We have discussed the significance of Shelley offering a clue to the reader relating to how this text should be perceived. The idea that Victor wishes Walton to learn from his experience is a key point. Reference could be made to the fact that Victor clearly challenges divine power and this can be linked to the alternative title of the novel. AGAIN...THIS IS A BIG PRAGRAPH.

• The conclusion needs to offer an understanding of this novel within the context of the gothic tradition and needs to refer to comments from literary critics.

HOMEWORK: The essay is due next Thursday so students need to plan, research, think about their response. On Monday we will discuss any issues that you may have relating to the construction of the essay. Monday's lesson is important. We need to discuss issues relating to the essay. Monday's lesson is the last chance to construct clarity from confusion so bring some questions.