Prelim Comparative Unit: '1984' and 'V for Vendetta'

Thought I would give the program and a few other resources for this unit as it seems to have interested a few visitors to the site. The program is only a rough guide and could be easily modified to suit student ability and teacher preference. This can be found on my year 11 wiki page:

http://stanners.wikispaces.com

There is a mass of material available for '1984' and dystopias in general but less of any real substance for 'V'. Think this unit will be an interesting one to teach.

If you are looking to do a critical study of text, there is a New Zealand teacher who offers detailed study guide/film deconstruction material, including 'V' at the following site. Her range is extensive and well worth a look.

http://www.artemis-film-guides.com/

Almost finished my holiday marking but still have a lot of work to do on Term 2 preparation.

“During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.”~George Orwell

Great 'Schindler's List' site

Home - Schindler's List
Lots of wonderful resources that could be used for a film or thematic study. This site provides a wealth of material on other teaching units. Well worth a lengthy visit.

So much time, and so little to do! Strike that, reverse it.”

That line from Willy Wonker should become the teachers' mantra.

With only a week left, it is the crunch time for fitting as much as possible into the time remaining until term resumes. The pile of marking that is the curse of English teachers is probably the biggest hurdle for most - every term I pledge that I will set less or mark more creatively.

There are some very imaginative resources available from TES at the moment, including some interesting ideas for using poetry clusters.

Have enjoyed preparing material for a Dystopian comparative unit using 'V for Vendetta' and '1984' with my Prelim class. After setting the contextual framework, I will begin with 'V' to ensure that the students finish reading the book that should (ha, ha) have read during the holidays. The unit will hopefully establish many of the ground skills needed for the Module A comparative 'Frankenstein' and 'Blade Runner' unit.

Would still like more teachers to begin using the HSC english ning that I have set up. The need for high quality resources still remains the biggest, single issue with teachers that I work with at workshops and at school. So another call to combine forces.

A Welcome break!

Term 1 has been productive but hectic, a shock to see that a month has passed since my last blog. 'Murder Most Foul' is published and the 'Science Fiction' workshop went very well.

It is now time to prepare for the next round of units. Any Term 1 resources on my school site will need to be downloaded before next week when they will be removed in readiness for new units.

http://stanners.wikispaces.com/

I will probably be removing/reworking some of the material on my other sites as well.

Have not had as much input into the HSC ning site as I would have liked. Lots of visitors but no-one has posted any new material. Will see how it goes this coming term but a lack of time seems to be a major stumbling block for most teachers.

I will be concentrating on Dystopic and Satiric texts with my seniors and drama and documentaries with my juniors and will post interesting resources as they are developed or are found en passant.

Hoping you enjoy the rest of your break,

Barbara

'Goodnight Mr. Tom'

It is pleasing to see so many teachers using resources relating to 'Goodnight Mr. Tom'. To help those looking for things to use, I also have a class wiki with more material on it for this and other topics for my other classes. Hope you find something useful. If you are looking for something in particular, drop a line and I will see what I might have that could be of use.

http://stanners.wikispaces.com/

If we do not share resources, we end up doing nothing else but preparation and marking. I also find that it is perhaps the best way to recharge the batteries and renew the 'fire in the belly' that keeps teachers going.

TTA Workshop 2010

Science Fiction Workshop

March 20th Reminder

Will be posting dates for other workshops in the next few days. Some will be on weekdays and some on Saturdays. Difficult to find enough time during term to run them on school days.

Was wondering if teachers would find evening 3 hour workshops from 4.30 -7.30 of any use?

The same eight topics that ran in 2009 will be offered again if there is enough interest as well as 'Hamlet' and 'Science Fiction'.

Most of these will be held at Liverpool Catholic Club.

Drop me a line if you want to hold a workshop at a different venue.

'Murder Most Foul' due out this week - Pleased with this mammoth effort and the overall look. Robert Doucette's artwork is great.

New Crime Writing Book is in final pre-publication phase!!!!

'Murder Most Foul'

Pleased with the final product which should be out within the fortnight. Murder and detection of course are key focus areas in line with the elective shift and the current prescribed texts. These are all covered along with general analytical and creative response skills. Suitable related texts are included as well.

The extensive research that went into writing the book served to reinforce the many, many reasons why crime writing, in all its forms and mediums, remains so universally popular.

The Extension 1 course is taxing whatever elective is studied but I find that students find this one particularly enjoyable to study.