» Raising Achievement in GCSE English Literature

LESSONS

PART 1: EXPRESSING A CRITICAL AND SENSITIVE RESPONSE TO LITERATURE

• 7 I LIKE, I DON'T LIKE - Students investigate personal responses to literature; the exercises seek to encourage a sensitive response.
• 9 OPINIONS AND REASONS - Students express opinions about a text backed up with reasons.
• 11 SOUND REASONING - Students study the use of sound in poetry, reinforcing knowledge of specialist terms.
• 13 IMPORTANCE OF IMAGE - Students study the use of imagery in poetry, reinforcing knowledge of specialist terms.
• 15 EFFECTIVE CRITICISM - Students conclude the section on effective criticism by revisiting knowledge of terms and applying a critical approach to a previously unseen poem.

PART 2: STRUCTURING RESPONSES

• 17 CHARACTERISATION - Students learn to express appropriate responses to characterisation using paragraphs.
• 19 BUILDING ESSAYS - Students practise how to structure essay responses.
• PART 3: USING TEXTUAL EVIDENCE
• 21 QUOTING - Students practise selecting appropriate textual evidence from prose.
• 23 SAY IT AGAIN - Students practise selecting textual evidence from poetry.
• 25 RELEVANCE - Students select and evaluate relevant material for answering examination questions.

PART 4: USE OF LANGUAGE

• 27 BRINGING SCENES TO LIFE - Students explore how language is used in prose texts.
• 29 PAINTING WITH WORDS - Students practise the use of descriptive language and apply this knowledge to a set text.
• 31 TECHNIQUES OF PROSE - Students further explore the use of effective language in different prose texts.
• 33 THE BIGGEST AND BEST - Students explore how poetry techniques are used in advertising.
• 35 MIX AND MATCH - Students reinforce their knowledge of technical terms used in poetry and apply this knowledge to a set text.

PART 5: CONCERNING STRUCTURE

• 37 POETRY STRUCTURE - Students explore how structure and form contribute to meaning in poetry.
• 39 PROSE STRUCTURE - Students explore how structure can contribute to meaning in prose.
• 41 DRAMA STRUCTURE - Students explore how structure can contribute to meaning in drama texts.

PART 6: INTERPRETATIONS

• 43 ALTERNATIVE VIEWS - Students learn that there are different possible interpretations of texts by different people.
• 45 I THINK THIS IS… - Students learn that there are different approaches to, and alternative interpretations of, texts.
• 47 TEXTUAL EVIDENCE - Students learn to provide textual evidence to support alternative views.

PART 7: MAKING COMPARISONS

• 49 COMPARISONS - Students explore connections and make comparisons between texts.
• 51 SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES - Students explore connections and make comparisons between texts with articular reference to structure.
• 53 COMMON ELEMENTS - Students explore connections and make comparisons between texts with particular reference to theme.
• 55 ASPECTS OF LANGUAGE - Students explore connections and make comparisons between texts with particular reference to language.

PART 8: CONCERNING CONTEXT

• 57 WHY WRITE LIKE THAT? - Students learn to understand the concept of literary tradition and appreciate the social, historical and cultural contexts of writing.
• 59 CONTEXTUALISING - Students learn to understand literary tradition and to appreciate the social, cultural and historical context of writing. They demonstrate how context influences the writer.
• 61 LOVE & ROMANCE - Students contrast Shakespeare's concepts of love and romance in Tudor times to those of the present day.

APPENDICES

• 62 APPENDIX A: In Romney Marsh
• 63 APPENDIX B: Hard Times
• 64 APPENDIX C: Assessment Grid