to indicate the truth about something without explicitly saying it.

a person’s opinion or perspective on something.

to strengthen or further support something - in this context -  an idea.

a confusing and difficult-to-answer problem or question.

The structure of an opinion article

English

Context for Gothic literature: science and religion in the 19th century

Identifying features of the Gothic genre in the plot of ‘Frankenstein’

Exploring the character of Victor Frankenstein in Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’

Reading an extract from 'Frankenstein': A fateful night

Frankenstein's reaction to his creation

'Frankenstein' and the Gothic context

Regret in Mary Shelley’s 'Frankenstein'

Frankenstein's regret and the scientific revolution

Planning a written analysis of 'Frankenstein'

A written analysis of 'Frankenstein'

An introduction to 'Jane Eyre': Analysing an unseen extract

Reading an extract from Charlotte Brontë’s ‘Jane Eyre’

Lowood Institution: Gothic settings in 'Jane Eyre'

Analysing the atmosphere at Thornfield Hall in ‘Jane Eyre’

Using ‘Jane Eyre’ to inspire our use of gothic vocabulary

Using semantic fields to create a gothic atmosphere

Using figurative language to create a gothic atmosphere

Planning a Gothic description inspired by 'A monster within'

Organising our gothic writing to build tension

Writing a gothic description

Editing descriptive writing based on ‘A monster within’

Reading 'The Tell-Tale Heart'

The creation of suspense in 'The Tell-Tale Heart'

Symbolism in 'The Tell-Tale Heart'

Planning a cohesive argument about 'The Tell-Tale Heart'

A written analysis of 'The Tell-Tale Heart'

Analysing effective opinion articles

Using description in functional writing

Planning an opinion article about Gothic literature

Writing an opinion article on Gothic literature

Improving your opinion article on Gothic literature

In 'A Monster Within', pupils explore extracts from Gothic fiction. In 'Gothic Poetry', pupils apply this learning to the poetry of Edgar Allan Poe.

In 'The Twisted Tree', pupils are introduced to the Gothic genre. In 'A Monster Within', pupils explore Gothic motifs in a range of more challenging texts.

In this unit, pupils explore the Gothic. They start by learning what the Gothic is, before reading extracts from 'Frankenstein' and 'Jane Eyre', practising descriptive writing and reading 'The Tell-Tale Heart'. They finally learn how to write opinion articles and then write their own.

A monster within: reading and writing Gothic fiction

Depiction of scary, confusing or unsettling events or characters placed in danger, including creation of a scary atmosphere through the use of music and sound.

Depiction or discussion of upsetting content

Subjects which particular individuals may be sensitive to, eg, adoption, migration, bereavement or death, divorce, poverty, deprivation.

Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

it allows you to show off your writing skills

Why are engaging openings so important when writing an opinion article? 

they are scary but they are also enjoyable

they are scary and they are not enjoyable

What is being implied in the following sentence about watching horror films: “Terrifying, utterly terrifying, but, of course thrilling, so very thrilling.”?

to strengthen or further support something

a confusing and difficult-to-answer problem

Match the key terms to their definitions. 

What is being described here: 'Revisiting an idea at the end of your writing that was included at the start.'?

Present a counter-argument to leave the reader with something to consider.

Return to an earlier image or idea from the beginning, again at the end.

Leave your reader with a moral conundrum to consider.

Repeat the same paragraph that you used for your opening, again at the end.

How can you create an impactful ending to your opinion piece?

What is the 'form' of a piece of writing? 

In an opinion article, what kind of tone would you expect to find?

the tone of voice that is used in the text

What do we mean by the word 'structure' when we talk about the structure of a text? 

What is being described here: 'The attitude your words imply - the way in which you say something.'?

Which of the following is not an example of a persuasive device?

What method is being used in the following sentence: “You never forget your first horror film.”?

The structure of an opinion article

Lesson outcome

Content guidance