Hi all,
OK - time for an update of the learning we have covered so far this year, along with some thoughts about how you can prepare for your mocks.
Obviously, we've been focused on reading and analysing Of Mice and Men , with a particular focus so far on Steinbeck's use of setting, the strategies he uses for characterisation, and his use of language. We tried to learn about these features in a way which pushes us in the analysis we provide, with focus on ideas such as precision, sophistication and originality in the points we come up with.
Your mock exams will not involve OMAM, however, as they are English Language only, and OMAM is for Literature. The two exams you will do are:
English Paper 1 - Section A: Reading Non-Fiction texts, and Section B: Writing to Argue, Persuade or Advise
English Paper 2 - Section A: Poetry from Different Cultures, and Section B: Writing to Explain, Inform or Describe
For revision, you need to complete the following:
- create a revision resource for each of the poems we've studied - you will need to take your anthologies home to do this. You need to choose how exactly you'll do this, but I would recommend a series of mindmaps as the most effective way to do it; you could, however, choose to do notes cards, posters, podcasts or something else. Each mindmap or resource should provide notes about the poet, the meaning and attitudes in the poems, 3 points about the use of language in the poems and something about the use of structure / layout. Excellent work will be precise and sophisticated, and will also consider aspects such as pace, rhythm and the sound of the poems.
Deadlines are:
Four resources completed by 15th
Four resources completed by 22nd
I would like to see all the resources that you've created on Tuesday 23rd. Your own minds and the interpretations you bring are the most important resource for this task, but you will also find help on Bitesize and various other websites if you google the poems.
Extension:
- the best extension work you can be doing at the moment is to be pushing your reading. I would suggest reading the following: To Kill a Mockingbird, Catcher in the Rye and Lord of the Flies are all great novels with the advantage that you can also write about them in the exam if you choose. I would also recommend reading some other Steinbeck novels, such as The Grapes of Wrath, which is fantastic in its own right, but will also shed interesting light on Steinbeck's key themes, interests and approaches.
OK, thanks for continuing to be such a great group,
Mr Boulter
