Analytical paragraphs: Puck and the supernatural in ‘A Midsummer Night's Dream'
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can write focused analytical paragraphs about how Shakespeare uses the character of Puck to explore ideas about the supernatural in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’.
Key learning points
- Topic sentences state a paragraph’s main idea.
- Topic sentences should develop and maintain your thesis.
- Select main quotations and supporting quotations to include in an essay.
- Main quotations should be analysed; supporting quotations don’t need to be analysed.
Keywords
Thesis - an idea you develop and maintain throughout an essay
Topic sentence - the first sentence of a paragraph stating its main idea
Capricious - impulsive, reckless, changeable
Main quotations - quotations which support your topic sentence, and that require analysis
Supporting quotations - quotations which support your topic sentence, but don’t require analysis
Common misconception
Every quotation in a main body paragraph should be analysed.
Some quotations should be analysed, but others you can simply embed into sentences.
Teacher tip
Consider that at the end of this lesson, pupils could have written an introduction and three main body paragraphs. Timing is going to be key, as well as knowing if your pupils have already written parts of this essay in a previous lesson (i.e. their introduction).
Equipment
You need access to William Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'. However, the relevant extracts for this lesson can also be found in the additional materials.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of peer pressure or bullying
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.When writing about 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', you should include quotations. What is a quotation?
Q2.When writing about 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', you could start with an introduction which follows a three part structure. Starting with the first sentence, put the three part structure in order.
Q3.When writing about 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', you should analyse quotations from the play. What does it mean to analyse?
Q4.In 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', why might the characters of Puck and Oberon be considered dangerous?
Q5.In 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', why might the characters of Puck and Oberon be considered harmless?
Q6.Starting with the first plot point, order Puck's role in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.When writing about 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', it can be helpful to know some key terms relating to essays. Match the key terms to their definitions.
an idea you develop and maintain throughout an essay
the first sentence of a paragraph stating its main idea
quotations that support your topic sentence, and that require analysis
quotations that support your topic sentence, but don’t need analysis
Q2.When writing about 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', you will include main quotations in your paragraphs. What is true of main quotations?
Q3.When writing about 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', you will include supporting quotations in your paragraphs. What is true of supporting quotations?
Q4.When writing about 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', you will include a thesis and topic sentences. What is the relationship between these two aspects of the essay?
Q5.Which is the strongest topic sentence which answers a question about 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' and the supernatural?
Q6.In 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', Puck uses his ability to transform to scare the Rude Mechanicals. He says he will be "A hog, a , sometime fire."
To help you plan your 8 English lesson on: Analytical paragraphs: Puck and the supernatural in ‘A Midsummer Night's Dream', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 8 English lesson on: Analytical paragraphs: Puck and the supernatural in ‘A Midsummer Night's Dream', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 English lessons from the 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' unit, dive into the full secondary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.