Essay Writing Skills Meeting Needs http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/english/gcse/english-literature-8702/assessment-resources

-To understand the format of an essay. Lesson Objectives -To understand the format of an essay. Lesson Objectives Lesson Outcomes (Expected progress…) To become familiar with the format and attempt an answer. http://filestore.aqa.org.uk/resources/english/AQA-87022-SMS.PDF (Better than expected progress…) To mark an assessment response.

What is an essay? It is a way of showing an opinion you have formed on a novel or poems; It shows your interpretation (working out what things mean) of the text; It is backed up with evidence from the text – this shows it is firmly based on the text, not just random ideas.

Beginning ... If you were asked the exam question, how would you reply? You couldn’t say a whole essay in a quick Q&A session in class; You would give your answer in a nutshell, making a clear statement in response to the question; You would then be asked to explain how you’ve come to that conclusion; This is what your introduction should do.

Try answering this in a nutshell ... Starting with the extract on page 168, how does Priestley present Birling in ‘An Inspector Calls’? Example: How and why does Shelia change in an Inspector Calls? At the beginning of the play, Sheila is presented as a delicate, subdued and proper young lady who is quite fragile. Her fiancée Gerald asserts that Sheila should be left out of the investigation as it would be 'unpleasant and disturbing' for her, suggesting she has perhaps not been involved with 'unpleasant' business before as she has lead a very sheltered and comfortable life in her upper class family so far, or that she doesn't have the stomach for matters beyond her usual day to day life. Extension: -How does Priestly contrast the character of Mr Birling with the Inspector? -Introduce a comparison of both characters. Use ambitious words to describe their personalities.

The main body ... You should have made some points in your nutshell introduction that you now need to expand upon; Focus on developing these points with evidence, this will show your response is firmly grounded in the text and that you can explain the effects of the methods that the writer has used and their intended purpose.

PEA You should be doing this in each paragraph; Make your point – a statement about the poem/novel that relates to the question and that you have hopefully mentioned in your nutshell introduction; Then use evidence to back up what you are saying – to prove that you know what you are talking about and haven’t just made it up; Then explain the effects that the language has on the reader – that’s you – how does it make you feel, what does it tell us about a character or a theme? Analyse- a chance to ‘show off’ questioning why about something in your answer.

You try ... Look at one of your nutshell responses; Write down the key points you have made; Now try to find the evidence to support your points; Then take a tip from a toddler, keep asking why? Why has the writer used those words? Why does the writer put the character/idea across in that way? Why does that have an impact on the reader? Why does the writer structure it in that way? The answers to all of those why? questions form your explanation.

Using quotations effectively ... Embed; This means you are essentially ‘tucking-in’ your evidence into your sentence; You can use a word or phrase, yes that does count as evidence, and you make it part of your own writing, which shows you really understand how it works; Eric’s use of ‘it’s a bit thick, when you think of it’ suggests early on in the play that he has socialist tendencies, as he shows empathy for Eva Smith’s situation when she worked for his father. TIP avoid using long quotations; your explanations should do the work for you. The examiner will not be fooled into thinking that half a page of quotations is your own work.

Sir! Miss! I can’t do conclusions! Ending ... Sir! Miss! I can’t do conclusions! Conclusion might be a big word, but it’s really easy; You are returning to the original question/task and answering it with a brief summary – back to the nutshell – of how you’ve arrived at your conclusion.

Next step ... You have your ‘nutshell’ introduction; You have your plan; Now try writing the body of the essay; Use evidence effectively by embedding it into your sentences; Write a snappy conclusion that puts your final ideas back into that nutshell.

Success criteria. Use the keywords from the start of the lesson. Write about Priestley’s intention. Identify the dramatic techniques in the extract and their impact on the audience. A clear structured essay. P.E.A responses that ask why.

Homework for Friday 5th February 2016. Complete the essay; introduction, body of the essay and conclusion. Focus on the question. Write about Priestley’s intention. Identify the dramatic techniques in the extract and their impact on the audience. A clear structured essay. P.E.A responses that ask why.