Planning and writing an essay on 'An Inspector Calls'
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can plan and write an extended and developed response about ‘An Inspector Calls’.
Key learning points
- Use the essay question as a planning tool by annotating its keywords.
- It's helpful to create a detailed plan which includes a clear thesis and focused topic sentences.
- A thesis is your overarching argument.
- A topic sentence states the paragraph’s main idea.
- Essays should follow a structure: introduction, main body paragraphs, conclusion.
Keywords
Thesis - the overarching argument to an essay, supported by the entire text
Essay - a piece of writing that explains and develops your own argument
Dramatic methods - the tools a playwright uses to create drama. Examples are: setting, stage directions, dialogue and language choices
Theme - an idea that is explored in a text in a number of different ways to fully explore the complexity
Specific - a precise detail
Common misconception
All planning should be in note form.
Foundations of your essay - thesis and topic sentences - should be written in full so you know they are powerful, precise and purposeful.
Teacher tip
Consider the time your class needs to both plan the essay (first practice task) and write the essay (second practice task). Use this to inform your planning for this lesson.
Equipment
You will need access to a copy of ‘An Inspector Calls’ by J.B. Priestley, Heinemann 2014 edition.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Depiction or discussion of mental health issues
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which word beginning with 't' can be used to describe a statement that presents your overarching argument in an essay and is found in the introduction?
Q2.In 'An Inspector Calls', which character dismisses the idea of community and social responsibility as "nonsense"?
Q3.In 'An Inspector Calls', which character had Eva Smith fired from her job a the department store Milwards?
Q4.Is the answer true or false? In 'An Inspector Calls', Mrs. Birling refuses help to Eva Smith because of her social status.
Q5.Here is an essay question about 'An Inspector Calls': 'How does Priestley use the character of Mr. Birling to comment on ideas about power?' What are the key words in the question?
Q6.In 'An Inspector Calls', how does Gerald Croft react to the Inspector’s investigation?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1. Starting with the first element, put the essay structure for analytical writing on 'An Inspector Calls' in chronological order.
Q2.When writing essays on 'An Inspector Calls', you will include a thesis. Where should your thesis be found?
Q3.Essays are made up of different elements. Match each element to its definition and purpose.
moves from the general to the specific, includes your thesis
first sentence of each paragraph stating its main idea
exploration of moments, quotations and methods from the text
last sentence of each paragraph; focus on writer's intention
moves from the specific to the general; focus on the writer's impact
Q4.When you read an essay question on 'An Inspector Calls', what is the first step of the planning process?
Q5.When planning an essay on 'An Inspector Calls', you should complete a detailed plan. Match each section of the planning grid to its definition.
overarching argument supported by the whole text
first sentence of the paragraph stating your main idea
references to the text
final sentence of a paragraph, concluding your idea
sums up your essay's overall thesis
Q6.A pupil drafts a sentence answering a question about Eric in 'An Inspector Calls': "Priestley reveals Eric's relationship to responsibility in Act 3." Is this a topic sentence or a thesis statement?
To help you plan your 10 English lesson on: Planning and writing an essay on 'An Inspector Calls', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 English lesson on: Planning and writing an essay on 'An Inspector Calls', 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 An Inspector Calls: power and responsibility unit, dive into the full secondary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.