Reading & viewing options for topics opened up in our satire research so far

Topic: NASA
The satirical article on NASA expenditure could link to exploring ideas about science exploration, and to amazing achievements by NASA and to the ways in which NASA has underacknowledged the brilliant people in its organisation.

Hidden Figures (film)
New York Times obituary for Katherine Johnson
Guardian obituary for Katherine Johnson
Hidden Figures (non-fiction book - on order for English dept)
A list of books on space exploration here
Short Stories on life on Mars


Topic: fashion, film and feminism
Some students looked at a satirical article on fashion and the Academy awards for acting.  There is lots of potential to explore this topic across a range of texts, exploring literature on fashion, or a feminist critique of how acting awards press coverage focuses on a woman's body/clothes rather than her acting.

Why do 'male tales' tend to win awards?

Charlize Theron is being called ‘brave’ for gaining weight for a role – here’s why that’s a problem

Geena Davis on representations of women in film (from Academy Awards speech 2019)

Literature & feminism

A Room of Ones Own - the Virginia Woolf classic

The use of horror and satire to expose societal weaknesses
Also about scapegoats.
"A Modest Proposal" does this.
Shirley Jackson's The Lottery also does.

Science writing
This article links to some top quality science writing, including on insomnia, being a climate change refugee, PTSD and autism.

Exploring inequality in Literature
This article considers the American writers who have written about poverty powerfully.
John Steinbeck has written The Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men which are both classics (and short novels) exploring life in the US for poor people.
Frederick Siedel, Widening Income Inequality (poem)

On racism in America
James Baldwin, Letter from a Region in my Mind

Exploring exemplars: analysing connections and possibilities for our own texts

Today we are looking at the exemplars for 91104 Analyse significant connections across texts, supported by evidence.

Very usefully, in this set of exemplars, the markers have identified the key connection for each exemplar:

1. How manifestations and interpretations of evil reflect the values and norms of society
2. Alienation and its consequences
3. Alienation through stereotyping and racism
4. Racism, revenge and attitudes to racism
5. Discrimination and difference
6. Some connections about people's disconnection from society

As you read through the exemplars and the annotation, think about the themes you see emerging, the language techniques being discussed, the ideas, what is interesting or perceptive, what words are new to you and what new ideas you have from reading the exemplars to help you dig into your own texts and select some more.  

We will do an activity exploring the possibilities of linking in A Modest Proposal to a connections report where we want to show a perceptive understanding of the connections across texts, and of each text.

Analysing satire #1

1. Choose an example of satire
2. Identify the title and author
3. Describe what happens or is proposed in your text.
4. Explain who is being mocked in the satire, and how you can tell.
5. Analyse what the message is for the group being mocked/satirised, and for us.
6. How is this structured to make the author seem reasonable?  
7. What are three language techniques used to develop the argument, and how are they effective?
8. What would your response to this article be if you wrote an article for The Civilian/The Onion/another satirical magazine or website?

Literature can change lives

Journal writing prompt for Friday 14th February:

Literature can change lives

- do you agree?
- write about a book or film which has influenced you to see the world differently

-> twelve minutes of individual writing

Time to share our writing if we wish to.

What change do you think Swift wanted to make in the perceptions of his readers?

Final task:
In the comments section of this blog post, add something you have learned this week. 
It could be:

• An excerpt from your journal writing today
• A reflection on Swift's A Modest Proposal - what it was about and what you thought of it
• A discussion of a piece of modern satire which you have read or watched from The Onion, The Civilian or The Daily Show.

ENL212 Course Outline

Exploring the features of satire

Features of satire - a good explanation is here, from the softschools website.  As you read through the short but very useful website, I want you to think about and check your understanding of the following terms:

• vice
• foolishness
• ridicule
• humour
• social change
• implied/implication
• adulterer
• prideful
• wit
• irony
• comic juxtaposition
• understatement
• diminution
• inflation
• grotesque
• parody

I will have a set of paper cards for you to write definitions on and organise into groups.

Then we are going to explore The Daily Show, The Onion and the Civilian.

In the second part of our double lesson today, each student will select one modern example of satire. You will focus on the:

• purpose of the text
• three key ways that the writer/creator develops their ideas
• how successful you think the text is at achieving its purpose, with evidence

I will set up a Socrative task for you to add your answers in written form.

A Modest Proposal and SOLO taxonomy

Starter: "Swift thought the poor deserved to be poor."  True or false?  Find evidence to support your decision in the text (A Modest Proposal).

Today we are going to look at SOLO thinking in relation to our first text for the year.  Using a SOLO will be a big focus for us in 2020.  It is a very successful tool for gaining merit and excellence results in both internals and externals.

SOLO
Pre-structural - you do not know anything about the topic.
Unistructural - you know a little bit about a topic, but it is a bit random.
Multistructural - you know several things about a topic, but cannot yet link them together.
Relational - you can explain how different parts of a text relate to each other and why (merit level answer)
Extended abstract - you can link the text to your own experiences, to other texts and to the wider world.


Have a read of these two sites: The Onion and The Civilian.

Welcome to Level Two English Literature 2020

I am looking forward to a fabulous year with you all.  We are starting the year looking at satire.  As we explore the first few texts, I will be learning more about what you are all interested in, and I will shape the programme according to your interests, strengths and goals. 

Here is a draft programme:
Term One: connections (4 credits - internal)
Term Two: writing portfolio (6 credits - internal)
Term Three: novel study (4 credits - external) & speech (3 credits - internal)
Term Four: unfamiliar texts (4 credits - external)

Today we go back to 1729, to a man called Jonathan Swift who wrote A Modest Proposal.  Then we will explore modern examples of satire from The Onion and The Civilian.