Pat Barker's 'The Silence of the Girls': understanding the extract
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can show understanding of Pat Barker's ‘The Silence of the Girls’ through comprehension and annotation.
Key learning points
- Briseis is a character from Greek mythology; she is given to Achilles (a renowned warrior) as a prize of war.
- Pat Barker wrote ‘The Silence of the Girls’ from the first person perspective of Briseis.
- The novel begins with Briseis in her home city of Lyrnessus which is under attack from the Greeks.
- Barker creates tension and suspense through descriptions of Achilles, the battle and hints about Briseis's future.
- When annotating a text, you can use a range of symbols and notes to help develop an understanding of the text’s ideas.
Keywords
First person - the narrator of the story is a character in the story, using pronouns like ‘I’ and ‘me’.
Perspective - point of view.
Tension - what readers feel when they start to anticipate something bad is going to happen.
Suspense - the state the reader is held in as they wait for an anticipated conflict, event or outcome to occur.
Annotate - to make short notes on, and about, a text.
Common misconception
When annotating, you should highlight, underline and circle interesting things. You don't need to write anything down as you will remember what you thought.
Symbols, highlights and underlinings are all useful, but only if accompanied by short written notes which remind you what it was you found interesting. Otherwise your symbols become meaningless.
Teacher tip
Consider how you want to read the extract with your class. What additional questions do you want to ask? What words will require further definition? How will you support pupil annotations?
Equipment
You will need a copy of 'The Silence of the Girls' by Pat Barker published by Hamish Hamilton in 2018.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of upsetting content
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Depiction or discussion of sexual violence
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match each term to its example sentence (‘Myths, legends and stories that inspire’).
Q2.What is true of Achilles, a character from Greek mythology? (‘Myths, legends and stories that inspire’)
Q3.Match each word to its definition (‘Myths, legends and stories that inspire’).
Q4.What does it mean to be renowned? ('Myths, legends and stories that inspire’)
Q5.Complete the sentence: A is a method of comparison by which a writer compares two things using ‘like’ or ‘as’. (‘Myths, legends and stories that inspire’)
Q6.Which of the examples below are similes? (‘Myths, legends and stories that inspire’)
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Whose perspective is Pat Barker's ‘The Silence of the Girls’ told from? (‘Myths, legends and stories that inspire’)
Q2.When annotating Pat Barker’s ‘The Silence of the Girls’ (‘Myths, legends and stories that inspire’), what are some of the things you might do?
Q3.Which words does Pat Barker use to describe Achilles in ‘The Silence of the Girls’ (‘Myths, legends and stories that inspire’).
Q4.Which of these are examples of the way Pat Barker creates tension and suspense in ‘The Silence of the Girls’? (‘Myths, legends and stories that inspire’)
Q5.Match each character, all from Pat Barker’s ‘The Silence of the Girls’ (‘Myths, legends and stories that inspire’), to what we know about them.
Q6.Starting with the first, put these plot points from Pat Barker's ‘The Silence of the Girls’ (‘Myths, legends and stories that inspire’) in chronological order.
To help you plan your 8 English lesson on: Pat Barker's 'The Silence of the Girls': understanding the extract, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 8 English lesson on: Pat Barker's 'The Silence of the Girls': understanding the extract, 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 Myths, legends and stories that inspire unit, dive into the full secondary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.