Category Archives: Int 2 English

Stuff For Higher/Int 2 English Revision

May 10, 2012 Mr Kirkham Leave a comment

By popular request, here is a bunch of documents that you have asked for access to. They are already on Glow, but given the fact that whether or not one is granted access to Glow appears to be dependent on the weather/stars/time of day/the fickle mood of the Glow Pixie, then I thought it would be good to plonk them here as well. So below are some of the documents from the past year that you might find useful in the run-up to the exam:

HMs Tale Quotations

HMs Tale – Structure and Plot

Some of these were in earlier posts. If you want stuff on The Triangle of Analysis or Psycho, they can also be found in earlier posts – just search the categories. Oh, and the Visiting Hour notes are not mine. They are from elsewhere on the internet. Thanks to whoever produced them.

Good luck,

Mr K.

5A3 English, Close Reading, Higher English, Int 2 English

Psycho Notes and The Triangle of Analysis

March 20, 2012 Mr Kirkham Leave a comment

Dear 5th Year Types,

I promised and now I have delivered. Herewith are links to not one, not two, but three documents you may find useful in your study as you hurtle headlong towards your exams. Firstly I have fashioned a link to my notes on Psycho. They are based on an essay by the film critic Robin Wood on the film from 1965. The notes are a mishmash of his ideas and mine. They should give you a broader sense of the film and its themes/ideas. You can read his original essay on Google Books just here, if you care to. It is well worth it. He was one of the earliest critics to claim Psycho is a masterpiece, not just some ordinary film.

Secondly, you can access Mr Montgomery’s notes on Psycho here. His notes focus on analysing the key scenes involving Marion. They are the very ones we have used to structure some of our study in class.

Finally, I have created a diamond-encrusted interweb path to a version of my PowerPoint on the (say in a deep, resonant, slightly evil voice) Triangle of Analysis. It seems to have had a significant effect on the quality of your responses to analysis questions in Close Reading already. It is well worth your while continuing to attempt to complete questions using it as practice for your final exam. The more you practice the method and get used to it, the more flexible you will become in you approach to applying it, as you become confident in what the questions expect from you.

Now for those of you who have struggled with clicking on the links above, below are some obvious links to the documents in question:

Psycho Notes MK

Psycho notes MM

The Triangle of Analysis

Please let me know if it would be useful to have other documents linked to on this blog. Happy to oblige.

Your ever so ‘umble servant and curmudgeonly old git of a teacher,

Mr K.

5A3 English, Higher English, Int 2 English, Persuasive Writing

Persuasive Essay – An Exemplar

December 12, 2011 Mr Kirkham Leave a comment

Dear 5th Year,

Just a quickie! If you would like a gander at an exemplar Persuasive Essay I have lobbed together, try here.

Also, here is the list of techniques you could try to utilise in your essays. See how many I have used in mine!

1. Rhetorical question

Can we really expect the school to keep paying from its limited resources?

2. Emotive language

Imagine being cast out into the street, cold, lonely and frightened.

3. Parallel structures

To show kindness is praiseworthy; to show hatred is evil.

4. Sound patterns

Alliteration: Callous, calculating cruelty – is this what we must expect?

Assonance: A fine time we all had, too.

5. Contrast

Sometimes we have to be cruel to be kind.

6. Description and Imagery (i.e. using metaphor, simile and personification)

While we wait and do nothing, we must not forget that the fuse is already burning.

7. The ‘rule of three’

I ask you, is this fair, is it right, is it just?

8. Repetition

Evil minds will use evil means.

9. Hyperbole (using exaggeration for effect)

While we await your decision, the whole school holds its breath.

10. Anecdote

Using a story from your experience to illustrate a point or idea.

And while I’m at it, what about some Transition Words?

Cheers!

Mr K.

5A3 English, Higher English, Int 2 English, Uncategorized

5th Year – Homework For Mon 4th December 2012

December 2, 2011 Mr Kirkham Leave a comment

My delicious 5th Year,

Here is your homework. It is to be done by Monday 5th December 2012. It shouldn’t take long. All I want you to do is to read this article and then consider how it can link to The Handmaid’s Tale. You will need to have at least one idea on it ready to come to class with on Monday morning.

The article is very difficult, so don’t get your knickers in a twist if you don’t completely get it – try to work out something. The whole process should take no longer than 15 minutes – unless you want it to.

Here’s a clue: contrast how the Aunts say they are trying to protect women with the ways in which characters , such as Offred’s mum and friend Moira, tried to protect women in the pre-Gilead period. What is the difference?

By the way – please bring in the essay plans you produced using the “Ms. H. Method” on Monday as well. You are good!

We begin a new two week writing block on Monday. This is so you can have another go at your Writing NAB, if you need to, and/or complete a second piece for your Writing Folio. You’ll be working on producing a persuasive essay, in which you will have to give your views on an issue of your choice. If you want to get ahead of the game and, perhaps, choose a topic before Monday, have a look at the various Topic Guides here on a site called Debating Matters.

Oh, and well done those of you who completed your essays on Friday. I was really pleased with the level of analysis and understanding you managed to produce in your work. I’m like a proud father!

Good luck,
Mr K.

5A3 English, Higher English, Int 2 English, Poetry

Visiting Hour

November 21, 2011 Mr Kirkham Leave a comment

I have put up some useful stuff on “Visiting Hour” by Norman McCaig here, on our Glow Group site. You will need your password and stuff to access this. It’s just a couple of documents – don’t get too excited.

If you are too feckless, lazy, or useless to remember / be bothered to find your Glow username or password, here is a link to an online document that has some very useful notes on the poem. Nearly as good as me teaching you!

Go on then. Hurry!

Mr K.

5A3 English, Higher English, Int 2 English

How To Write an Introduction

November 14, 2011 Mr Kirkham Leave a comment

Dear all,

There is a link below for a Prezzi presentation on how to write an introduction to an English essay. It is a little bare and brief at the moment, but will give you an outline of what is expected. It also includes an example of an introduction for an essay on “The Handmaid’s Tale” which focuses on how the novel explores the idea of using Language as a Tool of Power. It’s a little rushed, but will give you the idea. You are welcome to use parts of it in your own essay and adapt it. You should notice that it basically covers four areas:

Author and Text Title – with a brief link to the essay title

The plot of the text

The main themes covered in the text

A thesis/standpoint on the title

Good see. Once on the site, select “View Together”, wait and then use the arrows in the bottom right corner of the screen to navigate around the presentation.

Here’s the link: How to Write an Introduction

Cheers!

5A3 English, Higher English, Int 2 English

The Handmaid’s Tale – Essay on Themes

November 11, 2011 Mr Kirkham Leave a comment

Lovely 5th/6th Year Types,

Below, if you click upon them, are the documents you require to help support you in your efforts to write your essay on a theme in The Handmaid’s Tale. Remember, the theme is of your choosing.

I would suggest you spend time putting together a Quotations Sheet for your theme and thesis before Monday. I have uploaded an example Quotations Sheet below to help you understand how to do this. All the quotations in my example Quotations Sheet are from the “HMs Tale Quotations” document – if that helps.

Herewith, the required resources:

HMs Tale Quotations

Handmaid’s Tale Theme Essay PowerPoint (PDF Version)

Example Quotations Sheet for An Essay

I have uploaded the PowerPoint as a PDF file to ensure that it is easy for all of you to see, as your browser should open it for you – you don’t need PowerPoint software on your computer/device. If you want to save a copy of any of the documents, you can right click each one and “Save Target As” (or whatever the equivalent is in your browser).

Any issues, you know where I am – you coud leave a request in the comment section below, on the discussions board on Glow, or on Twitter.

Good luck.

Mr K.