Never Let Me Go - Characterisation of Tommy!

This engaging and informative lesson enables students to make clear, detailed and well-informed interpretations of Tommy’s characterisation in ‘Never Let Me Go.’ In particular, students develop their understanding of how his character is introduced and developed, drawing on a varied range of textual evidence from across the novel, before demonstrating their understanding of how the character reflects Ishiguro’s intentions.

The lesson follows a step-by-step learning journey, in which children learn through:
Reading an extract detailing Tommy’s introduction in the novel and answering comprehension questions about the initial portrayal of his character;
Reading around quotations in order to track how Tommy’s characterisation is developed over the course of the novel;
Understanding how Tommy reflects Ishiguro’s key meanings and ideas;
Using their deep understanding of Tommy’s character to write a diary entry from his viewpoint;
Peer assessing each other’s learning attempts.

Included is:
Whole lesson PowerPoint - colourful and comprehensive;
Quote Interpretation worksheet;
Selected extract (from chapter 1);
Diary writing succcess criteria;
Comprehensive lesson plan.

There are also opportunities for group learning, speaking and listening, peer assessment, and whole class discussion. I originally used these resources with year 10 and 11 classes, however colleagues have used them for between year 9 and year 13 with some adaptations.

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