Superb response by Danielle Jeffries to a poetry question. war-photographer-comparison-djeff
Black space (cutting out your waffle)
Awesome idea from a clever man called David Didau. My year 11, remember to look at this for your essay that you’re handing in on Monday.
http://www.learningspy.co.uk/writing/black-space-increasing-lexical-density/
Wanna know how to learn? The Learning Scientists.
Try this site. It’s from some chaps who’ve done their research into the ways human beings learn – they’ve then transformed this extensive knowledge into bite size chunks that are perfect for students. Check it out:
http://www.learningscientists.org/blog?category=For+Students
GCSE ENGLISH LANGUAGE EXAM
PAPER 1: Here is a knowledge organiser for Paper 1, Section A (Reading Fiction): Paper 1, Section A Knowledge Organiser.
Here is a knowledge organiser for Paper 1, Section B (Writing Fiction): Paper 1, Section B Knowledge Organiser. And 2 examples of good descriptive writing: Ed – practice piece and WJEC student exemplar
PAPER 2: Firstly, here’s my guide for SOME of those features that we discussed in class; you’ll find that this sheet will come in handy for both Section A and Section B of Paper 2, Non-fiction: SOME KEY LANGUAGE FEATURES. Don’t forget to also revise the terms in your glossaries and continue to read those opinion articles on the Guardian app.
Here is a knowledge organiser for Paper 2, Section A (Reading Non-fiction): Paper 2, Section A Knowledge Organiser
Here is a knowledge organiser for Paper 2, Section B (Writing Non-fiction): Paper 2, Section B Knowledge Organiser. And for a bit more detail, here’s a PPT that explains the various formats/conventions for non-fiction writing: LANGUAGE EXAM – PAPER 2, SECTION B ADVICE. An exemplar of a strong piece written by one of last year’s Yr 11s: Erin’s paper 2 writing
GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE EXAM (PAPER1): ‘ROMEO & JULIET’
Here’s a handy knowledge organiser for Romeo & Juliet: R&J Knowledge Organiser Start digesting the info on it! I’m also including the context PPT that we looked at in class as it contains some stuff that we couldn’t fit on the knowledge organiser: Extra context – R&J
For the extract bit of the exam, I’ve created a list of common features (we discussed what we could say about them in class): Improving AO2 Here are some key quotes (as well as their associated AO2 & AO3 points) that should enable you to answer the second bullet point which refers out to the rest of the play: ROMEO & JULIET QUOTES ANALYSIS Get revising and hand in essays for marking.
Watch this space for exemplar essays. Meanwhile, here’s an example of how to answer a question on conflict: R&J exemplar
GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE EXAM (PAPER 1): ‘A CHRISTMAS CAROL’
Alrighty! Here’s my new super-duper revision booklet for A Christmas Carol: A Christmas Carol Revision booklet. I’ve also attached a handy knowledge organiser: A Christmas Carol Knowledge Organiser
Is that all I need? Well, not really, because the more exemplars that you have, the better. Here’s a nice one that Erin Sheridan produced: Erin Sheridan’s paragraph. If you want to see high level (A-Level standard) language analysis, have a look at George Booth’s piece: GB – Language analysis And here’s another piece (again, A-Level standard) of a structural analysis (with some language analysis thrown in): GB – Structure analysis Here’s a nice discussion of narrative perspective:
As well as those exemplars, you must also check out Elliot Longworth’s theory about Dickens’ use of the ghosts: Elliot’s Theory
And here is Ed Webster’s rather sophisticated theory: ed-websters-theory
GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE (PAPER 2): ‘AN INSPECTOR CALLS’
For the second instalment of the Literature exam revision guides, click here: AN INSPECTOR CALLS REVISION BOOKLET Plus, here’s another handy knowledge organiser: An Inspector Calls Knowledge Organiser
Here’s a very good essay – not perfect, but very good: Inspector Calls essay
GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE EXAM (PAPER 2): POETRY
Ahhh…glorious poetry.
The last of my Lit revision booklets! poetry-revision-booklet-2 and of course a handy knowledge organiser for Power and Conflict Poetry (Power and Conflict Knowledge Organiser) and one for Unseen Poetry (Unseen Poetry Knowledge Organiser)
Here’s a useful little sheet for you to complete (it will remind you of the meanings/themes in each poem and help you decide which poems you might like to compare in the exam): anthology-themes
A blank anthology to help in your revision practice: blank-poetry-anthology
Just in case you forgot your mindmaps/context at school, here they are (scanned from Danny Kelly’s exercise book); use them to help you revise the key quotes, AO2 and AO3: Mindmaps and Extra contextual notes To make life easier for you, I’ve narrowed down the quotes to 3 for each poem but you’ll need to know what you’re going to say (AO2/AO3) about the quotes: Key quotes for each poem
And last but not least for the conflict collection, here’s a really good essay from Ed Webster: Ed Webster – poetry comp practice
As for the unseen poetry, here’s a nice resource which has two poems on each page: Eduqas – selection of unseen poems – useful for AQA There are no questions accompanying the poems so go with the following: 1) In the first poem, how does the poet present the speaker’s feelings (30 minutes) and 2) In both poems, what are the similarities and/or differences between the ways the poets present those feelings? (15 minutes)
A-LEVEL ENGLISH LITERATURE: AMERICAN LITERATURE (PAPER 2)
Okely dokely, folks, let’s make sure that we know our context/themes. Check out the PPT that I put together: Contextual overview of American Literature
Right, now have a look at the sample paper with which the exam board have provided us: PAPER 2
My recommended structure as well as an exemplar for Section A of the exam: section-a-structure-exemplar
Here’s the table with quotes, context & themes (needs updating/adding to) that Charlotte very kindly put together for us: Key Quotes Table
And here’s my recommended structure as well as an exemplar for Section B of the exam: section-b-structure-exemplar I’ve also come up with a few exam-style questions and provided you with some possible introductions. Check those out here: possible-exam-questions
It’s over to you now. I won’t wish you luck for your exams because it’s nothing to do with luck. How much you practise will determine the grade you get.
Yours as always,
Mr J
Poetry with Miss Glen
I popped into Miss Glen’s class AGES ago and found this very moving poetry. So sorry it’s taken so long, but here it is:
I hear the hate
Four eyes
Four eyes
FOUR EYES
I hit the ground
One tear comes down my face
As I run away from the hate
I made a secret place where no-one knows
I have a fear of going in public as the hate
could hit me in the face.
They abuse me
It’s horrid
Am scared
I just want to leave
But you can’t run away from your own eyes
Days go by as more tears flood my room
My fear closes me into a dark tomb
The number of days I try to stay off
From school it’s unbelievable
Until the school doors are forced upon me
I slowly open them with fear
As the hate starts to call
By: Brianna Murphy
Jenna walked into her new school
Her big geeky glasses pulled up, close to her eyes.
Kids stared and bullies said, ‘You don’t belong here, BYE!’
She lost all her friends when she moved to the city,
All she’s got left is self-pity.
She squeezed her eyes shut and whispered to herself …..
“I wish I was the same as everyone else”.
She sat in the back of the class to avoid getting attention.
But she couldn’t help herself
She did her homework, and avoided a class detention.
Know it all” they said. “Teacher’s pet” they said
But she couldn’t help herself
She knew she can be better than the rest.
She wanted to blend in, she wanted friends
But how could she
When it seemed like everyone wanted her life to end.
Excuse me
I’m up here
Sorry to scare you
Don’t worry
I’ve heard it all
from the funny ones
to the ones that hurt
People take one look at me
and ignore everything
except for the height.
I’ve been hit
and shoved
Bullied since a young age
I had had enough
long ago
I tried to fight
I tried to make peace
I tried it all
But nothing ever works
I’m always asked
‘What’s the air like up there’
I’m always called
Names like
‘skyscraper’ or ‘cloud head’
I’ve silenced them out now
It was the best way
I still know they are there
Talking behind my back.
But I still walk on.
I will block out the hate
I will block out the pain
I will block out the names
I will just
Walk on.
My name is Black Man
It’s also Black Guy
That’s my name
My real name’s Nigel
But you’d never tell.
Because nobody calls me that,
Well, at least not to my face.
When people talk about me,
They remember me for the colour of my skin,
Not the tone of my voice
Not the colour of my eyes,
Not the size of my feet.
Just the colour of my skin.
I also have other names,
Like the names that people can no longer use
But I can tell that they want to use them.
When they call me them it’s like a knife cutting my skin
Deeper and deeper every day.
Some day this will stop
Some day I will be equal,
But for now,
I will just have to wait.
We are all different
Red hair, brown hair, blond hair, black hair
We are all different
Blue eyes, green eyes, brown eyes, hazel eyes
We are all different
Christian, Muslim, Jew, Seikh
We are all different
Tall, strout, small
We are all different
You are too
We are all different
Why pick on me?
We are all different
Is it because I have different skin?
We are all different
Because I am tall?
We are all different
Don’t bully me
We are all different
Katy Taylor
It was the best way
I still know they are there
Talking behind my back.
But I still walk on.
I will block out the hate
I will block out the pain
I will block out the names
I will just
Walk on.