Great Expectations: Miss Havisham!

This engaging and informative lesson enables students to make detailed and precise interpretations of the language used by Charles Dickens in describing Miss Havisham in Great Expectations. In particular, students analyse the interesting vocabulary choices, similes, metaphors, and other language devices employed to depict Miss Havisham’s decayed appearance and surroundings, before utilising the techniques in a similar manner through their own vivid descriptions.

The lesson follows a step-by-step learning journey, in which children learn through:
- Defining and exemplifying each of the descriptive language devices;
- Reading extracts from ‘Great Expectations’ in which Miss Havisham is described, identifying the descriptive devices used;
- Precisely and in detail, analysing how Dickens uses each of the descriptive language devices for effect;
- Creating their own imaginative and appropriate descriptions of mysterious characters, using a wide range of descriptive language devices;
- Peer assessing each other’s learning attempts.

Included is:
- Whole lesson PowerPoint - colourful and comprehensive;
- Extracts from Great Expectations;
- Cards for card-sorting activity;
- Analysis template with success criteria for creating well-structured responses;
- Blank character profile template;
- Model example character profile template;
- Writing to describe helpsheet;
- Comprehensive lesson plan.

All documents are attached as Word and PDF in case formatting differs on your computer.

There are also opportunities for group learning, peer assessment, and whole class discussion. This was originally taught to mixed ability year 10 groups, but can easily be differentiated for groups of different ages and abilities.

All images are licensed for commercial use, and image rights are listed on the last page of the presentation.