19th Century non-fiction, self-mark preparation for GCSE reading.

The first Power Point gives contextual information about the Great Exhibition and a visual impression of the Crystal Palace.
The handout consists of two 19th century non-fiction articles: an extract from a letter writer by Charlotte Brontë to her father about her visit to the exhibition and then extracts from Queen Victoria’s diary about her visits. There are simple questions on each passage reflecting the type of question that may be asked at GCSE: retrieval and inference. Then there are questions comparing the texts.
Once students have answered the questions, they can self- or peer assess work as the answers are on a Power Point slide that can guide feedback.
These extracts can also be used in conjunction with ‘The Diamond Necklace’ by Guy de Maupassant. For a modern writer’s version of the Great Exhibition, you could read Queenie’s description of her visit in Andrea Levey’s Small Island.