Analyzing Structure in 'Spies' by Michael Frayn

Attached is a lesson where students are asked to identify how a writer has structured a text and comment on how that interests a reader (AO2, 3, 4). It uses an extract from 'Spies' by Michael Frayn. To start, students are asked to define the word 'structure' when we apply it to texts and as a 'challenge task' to list all the forms of structural devices that they are aware of. Slides follow with suggestions and a brief explanation of the AOs that they are assessed on by AQA in the English Language Paper 1. Students are then presented with the exam style question which in pairs they can identify the key words and suggest what the examiner is really looking for.

The extract is attached with a word box and planning tasks which, after reading, students can tackle alone or with others. Other useful planning tasks follow such as colour coding structural devices and breaking down the story down into 4 stages.

The lesson ends with a chance for students to write structured paragraphs in response to the question and there are sentence starters in the form of PEA attached to help. The lesson ends with a chance to self assess, referring to the success criteria for a grade 5.

There is also a suggested homework task asking for student to research spies during the war and an accompanying video.

This lesson, as my others, includes 'Talk for Writing' activities, pair and group tasks and differentiated tasks.