English matters: the SPIDER approach to poetry

An excellent and straightforward explanation by Kevin Archer on how to approach a poem by using the "spider" model.

AQA GCSE ENGLISH COURSEWORK DESCRIPTORS AND GRADES

English Course Work Descriptors and Grades

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Study Guides, Notes, School Work marking guidelines a

ENGLISH YEAR 10: BACK IN THE PLAYGROUND BLUES

The question sheet for this poem can be downloaded here:

http://www.mediafire.com/?zfntznm3yhm

YEAR 10 ENGLISH JOHN COOPER-CLARKE

Apparently you'll always get a guy with a pie... more pearls of wisdom from JCC.

VISUAL GRAMMAR

A great activity on visual grammar at

http://aspirations.english.cam.ac.uk/converse/movies/visual_grammar.swf

YEAR 13 ENGLISH

Following on from Thursday's lesson on lyrical poems, narrative structure, monologues and the ballad form, I've posted the video of "Camouflage".

VISUAL METAPHORS

In your studies of disaster movies (films) you will "read" many visual metaphors (VMs). A number of important VMs appear in "War of the Worlds" (2005) and "Cloverfield" (2007) and involve paper floating down from the sky. What does this represent and where do you think this idea has come from: that falling paper paper represents destruction and mayhem?

In "Superman Returns" (2006) Superman prevents a large passenger plane from crashing into a baseball park. Again, what is the VM here and what is it representing? Why baseball?

The dates of these films are all very important in developing your answers. In the 1980s and 1990s with a few exceptions, disaster movies as a genre fell into decline. However, following a real disaster, this genre has found a new lease of life, a new connection with audiences around the world.

Questions.

1. What event prompted the increase in disaster movie production?

2. What does this tell us about the attitudes of our present society?

3. What other VMs could you design and place in your own film to represent disaster/destruction and to tie it to the "real-life" disaster that affected the whole world?

Link to "War of the Worlds" trailer below

SIXTH FORM ENGLISH - THE BURIAL AT THEBES

As you know this play was commissioned by the Abbey Theatre Dublin. This theatre is showing a new production of the play commencing in early April.

Visit the site at; http://www.abbeytheatre.ie/2008season/the-burial-at-thebes.html

Here you will find a brief but good description (synopsis) of the main themes in the play. In readiness for your first English lesson with me when you return from the Easter holidays, be prepared to discuss the contents of the webpage at the Abbey theatre especially the connections that can be drawn between the story of the play and the "War on terror" following the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the USA. What parallels can you draw?

PODCASTING RESOURCES

Remember to visit my other site at: http://evansmedia.podbean.com/


Here you will be able to access podcasts and other materials to help you with your English and Media Studies GCSE's. It works the same as the old website you used but it allows me to store more resources.

The podcasts and resources are fully downloadable. If you have problems downloading or playing the podcasts contact me at the email adress you will find at the bottom of this webpage.

YEAR 12 MEDIA STUDENTS AND ENGLISH STUDENTS

CAMERA ANGLES

In Friday's English lesson we will be considering film language and the elements of composition for the media module of your English coursework. Media students, Monday's lesson - we are also studying some of these elements in readiness for your practical production.

A great site highlighting camera angles is "Elements of Cinematography". Media students, I expect you all to visit over the weekend in advance of Monday's lesson.

Follow the link below:

http://accad.osu.edu/~midori/Materials/camera.html

THE SIGNAL-MAN

Very good resourse from Nick Evans at www.englishresources.co.uk

The direct link to the signal-man resource is below

http://www.newi.ac.uk/englishresources/workunits/ks4/wideread/sigman.html

YEAR 10T COURSEWORK - ANNOTATED PASSAGE

Click the link below for a copy of the annotated passage from "The Red Room".

http://www.zshare.net/download/annotate-pdf.html

10T Coursework - Specifications

Vincent and Peter wishing you "good luck".

Click on this link to download the specifications for top grades on your coursework unit. I have not listed the specifications for lower grades for obvious reasons...


http://www.zshare.net/download/specs-pdf.html

10T Coursework Essay, "The Red Room"

A synopsis of this story and details on H. G. Wells can be found at this link

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Red_Room_(Wells)

YEAR 10T "The Monkey's Paw" coursework essay

Information on W. W. Jacobs and a good synopsis of the story can be found by clicking this link

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Monkey%27s_Paw

You can find the answers to the questions set on "The Monkey's Paw" by clicking this link:

http://www.zshare.net/download/the-monkeys-paw-doc.html

Coursework and assessment results

All results to be published here second week of holidays. Don't worry about the "fingers crossed" image, however emotive. luck plays no part in the marking scheme...

In the meantime enjoy your break but keep focussed on your homeworks and the additional activities I have set you.

Mr E

YEAR 10 MEDIA

We have been reading "Donnie Darko" as part of our analysis of codes and conventions of the cinema.

For a review of DD click the link below:

www.imdb.com/title/tt0246578



For a "Donnie Darko Codes and Conventions" worksheet click the link below:


www.zshare.net/download/codes-and-conventions-donnie-darko-doc.html

YEAR 10 T: "THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH"

You have been studying this film as part of your research on the conventions of a gothic horror story.

Read a review of this film at:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058333/

Find out more about the late, great, Vincent Price at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_Price