words or language that are meaningful, but not literally true

extremely delicate and light in an otherworldly-way

Using figurative language to create a gothic atmosphere

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

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

The structure of an opinion article

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

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

Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

language that you have to decode to work out what the writer is trying to say

any language method that a writer can use

language that is meaningful, but not literally true

any language that creates vivid imagery in the reader's mind

Which of the following are figurative language methods? 

when the weather reflects the mood of the main character

when the writer moves the text forward into the future

it makes your writing sound more sophisticated 

it makes your reader like your characters more

it creates vivid imagery by giving the reader a point of comparison

it creates a sense of uncertainty for the reader

Why is using figurative language useful in descriptive writing?

He lived about three miles away, in a gnarly neighbourhood. 

The great trees had thick and gnarly branches.

The old man's gnarly fingers were knotted together tightly.

She had thick, fluttering eyelashes that were gnarly.

Which of the following sentences uses the word 'gnarly' correctly? 

Imagine you are writing a Gothic description of a lady's face. Which of the following animals might you compare her face to? 

when the weather reflects the mood (usually of the main character)

giving something that is not an animal, animal characteristics

using 'like' or 'as' to compare two things that are not the same

comparing two things that are not the same, by stating that one 'is' the other

when the word sounds like the noise it represents

Which of the following is an example of onomatopoeia? 

The lightning cracked like a whip overhead

The teacher hissed an inaudible silencing command in his direction

The trees danced freely in the warm summer breeze

She could see him, prowling through the aisles, his narrow eyes flashing

They came thundering down the corridor like a herd of wild elephants

Which of the following is an example of zoomorphism? 

Starting with the first, put the following words in order from most loud to least loud. 

Using figurative language to create a gothic atmosphere

Lesson outcome

Content guidance