'A Midsummer Night's Dream': powerful topic sentences about Puck
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain how Puck is presented in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ using evaluative and well supported topic sentences.
Key learning points
- Topic sentences state a paragraph’s main idea.
- Evaluative topic sentences offer a judgement about a character.
- You could compare one character to another, or the complexity of a character, to create an evaluative topic sentence.
- Conjunctions can help create an evaluative topic sentence.
- You must support your evaluative topic sentence with appropriate evidence from the text.
Keywords
Topic sentences - the first sentence of a paragraph stating its main idea
Evaluate - to make a judgement about something
Irreverent - disrespectful
Conjunction - a word which connects two clauses in a sentence; for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so and although are all examples
Contemptuous - insulting
Common misconception
Paragraphs can only focus on one character at a time.
Comparing characters can be a useful way to deepen your understanding and analysis.
Teacher tip
Consider your questioning around both CfUs. What questions will help you understand if your pupils need a guided class model on the board before they embark on the practice tasks?
Equipment
You need access to a copy of William Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'. However, the extracts required for this lesson can also be found in the additional materials.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of sexual violence
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.In 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', what do we know about the character of Egeus?
Q2.Puck and Egeus are both characters in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'. What are some of the differences between them?
Q3.In 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', both Oberon and Puck use the magical potion. What are the differences between how they use it?
Q4.In 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', how do we know that Puck enjoys watching the Athenian nobles in chaos?
Q5.In 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', how do we know that Puck respects the hierarchy?
Q6.In 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', why might we describe Puck as a contemptuous character?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.When writing about 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', you should start each paragraph with a clear which states the paragraph's main idea.
Q2.When writing about 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', you could start paragraphs with a topic sentence. You must support this topic sentence in the paragraph. What does it mean to support a topic sentence?
Q3.In this topic sentence about 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', which word is the conjunction? "Shakespeare presents Puck as a mischief maker but his pranks are often harmless unlike Oberon's."
Q4.In this topic sentence about 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', which word is the conjunction? "Although Shakespeare presents Puck as an irreverent character, to Oberon he only ever shows respect."
Q5.Which quotation would best support this topic sentence about 'A Midsummer Night's Dream': "Shakespeare presents Puck as a character who restores order despite his love of chaos."?
Q6.Which quotation would best support this topic sentence about 'A Midsummer Night's Dream': "Shakespeare presents Puck as a character who is a devoted servant to Oberon despite his love of chaos."?
To help you plan your 8 English lesson on: 'A Midsummer Night's Dream': powerful topic sentences about Puck, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 8 English lesson on: 'A Midsummer Night's Dream': powerful topic sentences about Puck, 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.