The Three Fates - Rosemary Dobson - 3 lessons leading to written analysis

Initially taught to Year 9 but can be adapted accordingly.

Lesson 1 -

To select relevant literary devices in a poem and explore their effects To understand the themes, tone and narrative voice in the poem.

Identify literary techniques in the poem.

Evaluate how a poem can affect our previously held beliefs and attitudes.

CONTENT: Reactivate prior learning from the Classics SOW about The Three Fates, contextual information about poet, discussion about the poem’s main theme, active reading of poem, analysis of poem’s language techniques.

SKILLS: WT, AQ, E, CON The discussion about the poem’s main theme lead onto the consolidate task in which students evaluate their perspectives on immortality and its advantages / disadvantages.

This could be written as a mind map in Ss book to help with their final task.

There are 2 more lessons which follow on this same poem so students can develop insightful points of analysis to aid with their assessed writing. Grid analysing poem’s techniques printable resource – Slide 10. Can be adapted accordingly to match students’ ability.

Lesson 2 -

Analyse Dobson’s use of language to represent her thoughts and feelings about life and death in ‘The three Fates’.

Understand the structure of the poem and the events.

Analyse the language devices used in the poem.

Evaluate how the poet presents the theme of everlasting life.

CONTENT: Put the events in the poem in order, compare the main theme of the poem with the myth Sisyphus, close reading of the stanzas, evaluate statement about everlasting life based on today’s closer reading of the poem.

SKILLS: S, I, WM

Students undertake a closer reading of the poem with guided questions taking a more holistic view of the poem and analysing structural elements of the poem with questions aimed to stretch and challenge in view of the next lesson’s demonstrate to reconnect task. Slides 16 – 20 can be printed for students to complete individually, in pairs or groups.

Lesson 3 -

To understand the function of a thesis statement and write one in response to a GCSE style question

To understand the function of an effective thesis statement

Write an effective thesis statement CONTENT: Introduction to the concept of a thesis statement; students read an example thesis statement and highlight it using the success criteria; demonstrate to reconnect task - How does the poet Rosemary Dobson present the theme of life and death in ‘The Three Fates’?

SKILLS: Thesis Statement (TS); Inference (I); Writer’s Message (WM); Context (CON)
Highlight ingredients of a thesis statement

Students write their own thesis statements and highlight / label the features using the success criteria
Print slide 29 for students to demonstrate understanding of TS

Slide 33 provides key vocabulary – can be adapted to class ability as writing scaffold