Exploring model responses to an essay about Viv and belonging in ‘Leave Taking’
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can understand what makes an excellent analytical paragraph about ‘Leave Taking’, and develop my own excellent analytical paragraphs.
Key learning points
- Topic sentences should link to the question.
- References to the text should link to your topic sentence, come from across the play, and be rich in methods.
- Writer’s methods should be explored without always relying on single word analysis.
- Context should be woven into analysis, not bolted on to the end of a paragraph.
Keywords
Belonging - The feeling that you are accepted in a group, community or society.
Eurocentric - When there is a focus on European culture or history, ignoring or excluding cultures and history from the wider world.
Dramatic methods - The tools a playwright uses to create drama. Examples are setting, stage directions, dialogue and language choices.
Weave - In relation to context, when you embed it into paragraphs rather than including it as a series of isolated facts.
Colonialism - When a country establishes control over another country, exploiting it for economic gain.
Common misconception
Context can't be included in a topic sentence or analysis. It must be confined to its own sentences.
Context can be woven into any moment in a paragraph; you must decide where it will be most purposeful.
Teacher tip
Consider whether you can use models from your own class to replace the models in the lesson.
Equipment
You need access to a copy of Winsome Pinnock's 'Leave Taking' published 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.In 'Leave Taking', Viv and Del, Enid's children, are generation immigrants.
Q2.In Scene One of 'Leave Taking', Viv says she wants to visit the West Indies. What reason does she give?
Q3.What does Viv tell Del in Scene Five of 'Leave Taking'?
Q4.When writing an essay on 'Leave Taking', you can include context to develop your ideas. There are four different types of context you could use. Match each to its definition.
What was happening when the text was written
The text's style, genre and publication history
Attitudes and values of the time period(s)
Details from the writer's life
Q5.In Scene Two of 'Leave Taking', Viv quotes from two British writers: William Shakespeare and Rupert Brooke. How does Enid respond?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Context can be used in essays on 'Leave Taking'. How should you incorporate it?
Q2.In Scene One of 'Leave Taking', how does Viv describe Mai's house once inside?
Q3.In Scene Two of 'Leave Taking', Brod asks Viv about Nanny of the Maroons. Why?
Q4.In Scene Four of 'Leave Taking', Viv tells Enid that she is unhappy about spending her "life bent over that have nothing to do with me."
Q5.In her introduction to 'Leave Taking', Pinnock says one reason she wrote the play was to explore the experiences of "this breed of black British woman".
Q6.In Scene Five of 'Leave Taking', Viv tells Del she skipped an exam even though "pat me on the head and they [the answers] all come tumbling out, say exactly what the want to hear."
To help you plan your 10 English lesson on: Exploring model responses to an essay about Viv and belonging in ‘Leave Taking’, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 English lesson on: Exploring model responses to an essay about Viv and belonging in ‘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: a sense of belonging unit, dive into the full secondary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.