The presentation of Black British experiences in Pinnock's 'Leave Taking'
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain how 'Leave Taking’ is a social commentary on Black British experiences.
Key learning points
- Pinnock wrote 'Leave Taking’ to share the “distinct” Black British experience.
- The character of Enid speaks to the complex history and relationship Jamaica and Britain share.
- Arguably, both Viv and Del struggle in different ways with being a second generation Black British immigrant.
- Arguably, both Viv and Del struggle with being second generation immigrants and Black British citizens.
- Arguably, the ending of the play is ambiguous but hopeful for both the Del and Viv.
Keywords
Social commentary - a text which explores and critiques particular problems in society
Colonisation - when a country establishes control over another country, exploiting it for economic gain
Commonwealth - an international association of 56 independent countries many of which used to be British colonies
Transatlantic slave trade - whereby slave traders enslaved African people and transported them, often to America
Crown colony - a colony which was controlled by the British Crown with a governor representing the Crown in the colony
Common misconception
Viv, Del and Enid are not British citizens.
All three women are British citizens. Enid relocated from one part of the Commonwealth to another. During this post war period, this ensured legal status in Britain. Viv and Del were born in Britain.
Teacher tip
The model in learning cycle 2 uses embedded quotations to include context. Consider how you can prepare them for this during learning cycle 1 when there is lots of contextual information which pupils might want to draw on when writing.
Equipment
You need access to Winsome Pinnock's 'Leave Taking' by Nick Hern Books.
Content guidance
Contains strong language
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
5 Questions
Q1.Match the resolution for each character of 'Leave Taking' to their name.
resolves her conflict with Del; expresses her vulnerability
becomes an obeah woman; prepares for the birth of her child
is going to pursue Black Studies at university
finds out she has a terminal illness
Q2.In her introduction to 'Leave Taking', Pinnock discusses the heroine of the play. Who does Pinnock name as the heroine?
Q3.In Scene Four of 'Leave Taking', Enid recalls when she and her future husband were in Jamaica, preparing to migrate to England. How did they feel before migrating?
Q4.In her introduction to 'Leave Taking', what words does Pinnock use to describe the feelings many migrants felt when they relocated to Britain post World War Two?
Q5.In Scene Eight of 'Leave Taking', which one-word quotation does Enid use to express her emotional exhaustion? It is something she states she has been doing for a long time.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.A pupil argues, "‘Leave Taking’ is a social __________ on the specific Black British experience."
Q2.A pupil was asked to describe the ending of the play 'Leave Taking' for the characters of Viv and Del. What words might they have used?
Q3.In 'Leave Taking's' intro, Pinnock says, "I wanted to make Enid the heroine of the play because I couldn’t recall ever seeing such a character - a hospital cleaner - as the lead in a __________ play."
Q4.When writing about 'Leave Taking', it is important to include context. Each of these words helps unpack and explore 'Leave Taking's' context. Match them to their definitions.
a text which explores and critiques particular problems in society
when a country establishes control over another and exploits it
an association of 56 independent countries - many used to be colonies
whereby slave traders enslaved African people and transported them
a colony which was controlled by the British Crown
Q5.In the introduction to 'Leave Taking', which one-word quotation does Pinnock use to show she views the black British experience as separate from African American culture?
Q6.In 'Leave Taking's' intro, Pinnock says that producers often seemed to think Black British experiences and African American experiences were " ".
To help you plan your 11 English lesson on: The presentation of Black British experiences in Pinnock's 'Leave Taking', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 English lesson on: The presentation of Black British experiences in Pinnock's 'Leave Taking', 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 Leave Taking: an intersectional analysis unit, dive into the full secondary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.