'Alias Grace': forming opinions on characters
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can form a personal response about a character.
Key learning points
- Making an inference means coming to a conclusion, based on evidence and reasoning.
- A variety of synonyms of 'suggests' should be used to express inferences.
- You can make inferences based on single words.
- Inferences should always be justified with evidence from the text.
- Making inferences can help you form opinions on characters.
Keywords
Alias - indicating a false identity, especially one used by a criminal
Relish - to like or enjoy something
Penitent - showing that you are sorry for doing something wrong
Common misconception
Students may not be accustomed to forming an opinion on a narrator, typically seeing them as a neutral figure in a story.
First person narrators are often protagonists of their stories and they can retell the events in any way they want to. This allows us to be critical of a narrator.
Teacher tip
Ask pupils to try to link the title of the novel to their inferences in Learning Cycle 2.
Equipment
You will need access to Chapter 3 of 'Alias Grace' for this lesson.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Depiction or discussion of serious crime
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is a narrator?
Q2.What is an inference?
Q3.Which word can you use which signals that an inference may follow when discussing a text?
Q4.What might we infer about a narrator who has "blood on his hands"?
Q5.What is social class?
Q6.What is a rumour?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is an alias?
Q2.The word 'alias' has connotations of ...
Q3.What other word can replace 'suggests' when making inferences?
Q4.The narrator in 'Alias Grace' could be described as relishing the attention she gets. What does this mean?
Q5.Which evidence suggests that Grace relishes the attention she gets in 'Alias Grace'?
Q6.The narrator in 'Alias Grace' states that her title of "murderess" "rustles", what does this suggest about her feelings towards her title?
To help you plan your 11 English lesson on: 'Alias Grace': forming opinions on characters, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 English lesson on: 'Alias Grace': forming opinions on characters, 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 4 English lessons from the Fiction: inner musings unit, dive into the full secondary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.