Stimulating, engaging and promoting thinking beyond the lesson of the day - that's the support material I seek to produce in the English, Maths and Humanities areas. As a resource manager and classroom teacher for over 30 years, I want to offer practical, get-to-the-point material to broaden, challenge and deepen understanding, provide for a range of skill levels, and make teaching and learning stimulating and enjoyable.
Stimulating, engaging and promoting thinking beyond the lesson of the day - that's the support material I seek to produce in the English, Maths and Humanities areas. As a resource manager and classroom teacher for over 30 years, I want to offer practical, get-to-the-point material to broaden, challenge and deepen understanding, provide for a range of skill levels, and make teaching and learning stimulating and enjoyable.
This 20 page study guide for students is a complete unit, covering the plot, characters and themes of Ken Kesey’s “One Flew
Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” in a visually rich and stimulating format. This is the product of my twenty five years of teaching the novel, and covers
Background to the writing of the book / analysis of Kesey’s purpose / socio-political context of sixties counter-culture
Comprehension on all significant parts of the novel, involving close exercises, short answers, paragraph writing and creative reflection responses
Character analysis and outline of conflicting representations (focus on point of view in literature)
Further reading and research stimulus
This is intended as a complete, step by step guide to understanding the novel in depth, using cartoons, stimulus poetry and extension activity, and can be useful in teaching to a range of ability levels, with students able to progress at their own rate to grasp the essential social commentary of the novel.
This is a unit to prepare secondary students to produce their own short story, by a close study of five short stories each of which have enquiry and discussion questions about characterization and language use, together with explicit powerpoint instruction on genre, the creation of conflict, the construction of tension, using implicit description, and using figurative language devices for effect
The 5 stories are formatted with graphic art and sidebar explanation of the vocabulary and each are provided with a set of comprehension questions on plot, character,writer’s purpose and use of language. As a way of close analysis with the full class, each comes as both a document / pdf for digital transmission / printing, and also in powerpoint form so that focus on particular language in the text can be best managed in class. These powerpoints come in separate student and teacher versions - teacher copy contains answerson slides to all questions.
This study guide, with extensive visuals and historic inserts framing key questions students want answered about the Holocaust, is envisaged as a three week program of vocabulary building, language and literacy exercises, extended responses and opportunities for students to debate, reflect and extend themselves in further reading.
Intended to reflect the power of the text, the material is focused on close reading together with historical backgrounding to give students context and detailed knowledge to enable students to make detailed, justified responses in extended prose, as well as in genres of letter writing, persuasive writing and creative reflection.
The sections covers, in a visually engaging manner, the plot, characters and ideas of the memoir, with focus questions on each of the numbered pages. There is a vocabulary list of historical terminology, as well as vocab building exercises based on the language used by the author in the memoir. In addition to close analysis of the use of language there are sections on
~ the author’s themes and purpose, with text examples immediately following in close reading exercises, with
comprehension questions on authorial positioning, implied reading and language devices
~ compare and contrast exercises
~ practice paragraph and essay topics
~ language activities on euphemism
~ topics for class debate and discussion
~ list of extension material for further reading and viewing
The study guide is intended to be a complete self-contained program of course work which can be assigned to the students for completion at their own pace.
Year 10- 12 Term Unit to guide students in close literary analysis of the novel through a variety of visually engaging activities on plot, characters, themes, setting, literary and language elements, vocabulary building, comparing and contrasting with other texts, extension exercises for able students, crossword with answers, and individual chapter summaries each with comprehension questions.
27 page student study guide - activities on each numbered page - answers for
all questions in teacher powerpoint. Material is cumulative to develop
understanding from literal to metaphorical, and unit can be used as a self-
directed program with students working at their own pace or as teacher
directed learning for whole class progression.
Teacher powerpoint contains all answers to all activites
One Master Powerpoint for teacher - contains answers to comprehension
questions.
One powerpoint - crossword answers
Class activity (pre or post reading task)
‘Personal Reflection - Issues in LORD OF THE FLIES’
to connect student experience with understanding of concepts & themes in
the novel.
Study Guide Contents (each section containing text comprehension testing
with answers for all questions in teacher powerpoint
(i) Background to the Novel
(ii) Language and vocabulary - terms to know
(iii) Setting in the Novel
(iv) Charcter Analysis (a) Ralph (b) Jack (c) Simon (d) Piggy
(v) Literary Techniques (a) symbolism (b) foreshadowing
(vi) Themes and Ideas in the Novel
(vii) Extension activity - Where Is the Beast? Neuroscience and the novel
(viii) Revision Crossword
(ix) Extension activity - Poetry on the theme of Lord of the Flies
(x) Chapter Questions - Separate analysis for each of the twelve chapters
EDITORIAL CARTOONS – A COMPLETE UNIT
This is a unit on editorial / political cartoons, ready to teach for approximately three weeks, made up of daily powerpoints covering all aspects of editorial cartooning (see full list of content at bottom of page), culminating in explicit step-by-step teaching of paragraph and essay response writing to editorial cartoons. The package is made up of daily powerpoint lessons, step by step activities to check for understanding, annotated exemplars of paragraph and essay responses, and scaffolding handouts to assist in the practice .
Please note - the cartoons have been chosen to be on universal topics like the environment and technology and are not reliant on culture-specific knowledge of politicians and localised systems for understanding. Those cartoons included in the material that relate to historical events are accompanied with snapshot explanations and brief context details.
CONTENTS IN FULL package is
(i) Teacher Master PPT (answers for all questions on pp) / Student copy of PPT minus answers
I. Definitions and Purpose of editorial cartoons
II. Targeting
III. Prior knowledge test of cartoon commentary
IV. Prior knowledge test of key terms to be used in unit
V. Satire – purpose and impact
VI. Three case studies from history in editorial cartoon satire
VII. Application of understanding – test identifying the cartoonist’s purpose
VIII. The Techniques of Editorial Cartooning – The Visual Element
a. Exaggeration b. Caricature c. Positioning d. Symbolism e. Test on knowledge of classic symbols f. Allusion and Parody g. Analogy h. Metaphor i. Irony
j. Stereotypes k. Stereotypes, accuracy and fairness l. National stereotypes
m. Juxtaposition n. Comparing and contrasting
IX. The Techniques of Editorial Cartooning – The Written Element
a. Cartoons with no written text b. Labels in cartooning c. Dialogue in cartooning
X. Editorial Cartooning around the world
a. Censorship and taboos b. Placing limits on cartooning in democracies
XI. Writing an Extended Analysis of An Editorial Cartoon
a. Deconstructing the cartoon b. Writing the introduction c. How to write the analysis in full – pp exemplar d. Practice writing using analysis scaffold template
XII. Putting It All Together
Essay Exemplar – Annotated essay on David Low’s ‘RENDEZVOUS’ (pp. explanation and student handout for close reading)
XIII. Editorial Cartoon Analysis test – Student handout
Cartoon Analysis Scaffolding - Student Handout
XIV. Essay Writing Practice Questions – Student Handout
Essay Writing Task from Power Point Stimulus (‘Techno Generation’’) – PPT and Handout
Essay Scaffolding - Analysing an Editorial Cartoon – Student Handout
A set of five highly visual powerpoints containing ongoing focus questions, task slides and vocabulary and concept building, created to widen understanding during the class viewing of SHREK. There is also a handout on vocabulary learned during the film study. This unit of work contains most of what you will need for a close film study.
The emphasis is on a visually engaging presentation of the essential details of genre, setting, character and theme, with the slide content created specifically for student note taking and regular set questions for class discussion. There are culminating tasks on each slide set to revise and summarize what has been learned.
Set One - INTRODUCTION TO SHREK
* Reason for mass age group appeal
* Outline of origins of story
* How book is adapted to film
* Reflection task on the appeal of modernized fairy tales
Set Two - SETTING AND GENRE
* Time / Place framing
* Foreshadowing & expectations through setting and genre
* Fairy tale conventions
* Conflicts in conventional fairy tales
* Historical context - medieval society
* Shrek as a conventional fairy story - writing and discussion
Set Three - VOCABULARY
* key words from the film - slides for each viewing day
* film vocabulary with part of speech, definition and example of usage
in the film
HANDOUT based on Vocaulary PP - Crossword test of all words
Set Four - CHARACTERS
* Framing Questions on Viewing and Evaluating characters
* The difference between character and characterization
* Elements of Characterization
* Exemplar of a sympathetic animated character
* The process of animated characterization
* Characterization of Shrek the Ogre
* Flat and Rounded CHaracters in SHREK
* Character concepts - protagonist, antagonist, confidante, stock
characters
* Test of Knowledge on SHREK characterization (with answers)
* Stereotypes in Fairy Tales
* SHREK and unconventional fairy tale characterization (with tests
for understanding)
* Summarizing writing / speaking task on characters
Set Five - THEMES
* Analysis of concept of theme versus main idea
* Concept of universal and imlied themes
* analysis of key themes in SHREK ~ beauty, love, friendship,
appearance versus reality
THE POETRY OF WAR - COMPLETE UNIT
In Depth Power Point (one lesson)- overview of the evolution of attitudes and representations in war poetry, from the Victorian patriotic versifiers to the oppositional school of World War One, and up to the the poetry of the nuclear age and the anti-war poems of the Vietnam War era.
Focus is on the values and assumptions of the different time periods, and how poetry reflects the time in which it is written.
The presentation is composed of fifty slides, introducing the key poetic terms, ideological disposition of each generation, the landmark poets and their achievements, and how poets can be social legislators, not just reflecting their times but influencing them.
STUDENT STUDY GUIDE (completely self contained unit of work - approximately 3 weeks - 18 strongly illustrated pages of activities, with comprehension activities for each poem, exemplar essays on two of the poems, a practice essay rubric providing a paragraph by paragraph structured response, and discussion stimulus pages.
Poems covered - “The Charge of the Light Brigade” - Tennyson
“The Soldier” - Rupert Brooke
“The Rear Guard” - Siegfried Sassoon
“Dulce Et Decorum Est” / “Exposure” - Wilfred Owen
“The Grave”* - Don McLean
“And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda”* - Eric Bogle
“Men in Green” - David Campbell
“Your Attention Please” - Peter Porter
“I Feel Like I’n Fixin’ To Die Rag”* - Joe Macdonald
Items marked with an asterisk are verses that have been used as song lyrics - students will further engage with the material if the easy-to-find Youtube clips of these being performed are used as part of the instruction. For those wishing to go beyond a reading study of the handout text, the items set to music will enhance enjoyment and the visual presentation in the clips will give contextual clues so that students can connect the poetry to social information.
Complete unit for the drama, TWELVE ANGRY MEN, providing an engaging, varied range of student activities for rigorous analysis of plot, characters and themes. This is a unit of literary analysis, covering vocabulary of legal terms, analysis of conflicts, interpretation of cartoons related to key ideas in the text, and extension activities.
The unit can be used as
whole class, step-by-step lessons or
self-contained student-directed work program for individuals to complete at
their learning pace, complete with all questions to the varied comprehension
for student self-evaluation
**UNIT PACKAGE **
INTRODUCTION TO THE PLAY Power Point (1 - 2 lessons)
(2 copies - one TEACHER ONLY copy with all answers on vocabulary and
comprehension questions
one STUDENT copy with comprehension questions minus
answers)
Power Point contains
Understanding essential concepts - prior knowledge & vocabulary exercise
Legality, Morality and Unjust Laws - comprehension
Law making in democratic society / symbolism and law
Cartoon representations of problems with the justice system -
comprehension
**STUDENT STUDY & COMPREHENSION GUIDE (approximately 2 weeks)
(i) Fourteen comprehension activities covering all of the plot, comprehension
and interpretation of key lines, using diagrams to compare and contrast,
sequencing diagram, short answer tasks and crossword on the text.
(ii) Teacher Power Point with all answers to questions in the study guide for
class marking and assessing student understanding
3. EXEMPLAR ESSAY Handout
Annotated exemplar analytical essay
Sidebar annotation of textual construction and language features