Starter quiz
- Viv is one of the five characters in 'Leave Taking'. What do we find out about her over the course of the play?
- She is pregnant.
- She is disillusioned with the education system. ✓
- She migrates to Jamaica.
- She goes to university to pursue Black Studies. ✓
- She becomes a playwright.
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- Viv appears in five of 'Leave Taking's' eight scenes. Match her scenes to their plot points.
- Scene One⇔Attends an obeah reading with her mum and sister ✓
- Scene Two⇔Studies whilst her mum prepares for the Pastor's visit ✓
- Scene Three⇔Tells her mother she wants to take a gap year ✓
- Scene Four⇔Has a heart to heart with Enid following her mother's death ✓
- Scene Five⇔Tells Del she skipped one of her English exams ✓
- In 'Leave Taking', Viv is presented as a very successful and academic student. Why, though, is she dissatisfied with her education?
- She would rather be out partying.
- She wants to go to school in Jamaica.
- She can't see herself in the materials she is given in school. ✓
- School increases her sense of being out of place in Britain. ✓
- The work is too hard, which is why she skips one of her exams.
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- In Scene Four of 'Leave Taking', Viv complains to her mother that she spends "my life bent over books that have ______ to do with me."
- 'nothing' ✓
- In Scene Five of 'Leave Taking', Viv tells Del that she skipped one of her exams. One reason for doing this is, she says, "no matter how hard I search for myself in them books, I'm ______ there."
- 'never' ✓
- 'Leave Taking' is a play concerned with the idea of belonging. But it is also concerned with its opposite: the feeling of dislocation. What does dislocation mean?
- A feeling of disloyalty.
- A feeling of migration.
- A feeling of being in the wrong place. ✓
- A feeling of unsettlement. ✓
- A feeling of being out of place. ✓
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Exit quiz
- Starting with the first element, put the essay structure for analytical writing on 'Leave Taking' in chronological order.
- 1⇔introduction
- 2⇔main body paragraph 1, starting with a clear topic sentence
- 3⇔main body paragraph 2, starting with a clear topic sentence
- 4⇔main body paragraph 3, starting with a clear topic sentence
- 5⇔conclusion
- When writing essays on 'Leave Taking', you will include a thesis. Where should your thesis be found?
- at the start of each paragraph
- at the end of each paragraph
- in your introduction ✓
- in your planning materials ✓
- in your introduction, and then repeated, word for word, in your conclusion
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- Essays are made up of different elements. Match each element to its definition and purpose.
- introduction⇔moves from the general to the specific, includes your thesis ✓
- topic sentence⇔first sentence of each paragraph stating its main idea ✓
- analysis⇔exploration of moments, quotations and methods from the text ✓
- concluding sentence⇔last sentence of each paragraph; focus on writer's intention ✓
- conclusion⇔moves from the specific to the general; focus on the writer ✓
- When you read an essay question on 'Leave Taking', what is the first step of the planning process?
- making a list of all the dramatic methods you can remember
- re-reading the text
- starting the essay, refining ideas in the editing stage
- writing a thesis statement
- annotating the question's keywords ✓
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- When planning an essay on 'Leave Taking', you should complete a detailed plan. Match each section of the planning grid to its definition.
- thesis⇔overarching argument supported by the whole text ✓
- topic sentence⇔first sentence of the paragraph stating your main idea ✓
- supporting details⇔references to the text ✓
- concluding sentence⇔final sentence of a paragraph, concluding your idea ✓
- conclusion⇔sums up your essay's overall thesis ✓
- A pupil drafts a sentence answering a question about Viv in 'Leave Taking': "Pinnock reveals Viv's unhappiness with the education system in Scene Two." Is this a topic sentence, or a thesis statement?
- thesis - it is about the character of Viv and no-one else
- thesis - it begins with Pinnock's name showing she crafted the character
- neither - this is analysis because it refers to a particular scene
- topic sentence - it is focussed on one clear idea ✓
- topic sentence - one idea supported by a moment in text rather than whole text ✓
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Worksheet
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Lesson Details
Key learning points
- Use the essay question as a planning tool by annotating its keywords.
- 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.
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.
Keywords
Thesis - The overarching argument to an essay, supported by the entire text.
Eurocentric - When there is a focus on European culture or history, ignoring or excluding cultures and history from the wider world.
Dislocation - A feeling of being out of place, or in the wrong place.
Belonging - The feeling that you are accepted in a group, community or society.
Specific - A precise detail.
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