Sara Pakdaman
English A: Analytical Essay Writing - C1 level
English A: Analytical Essay Writing
C1 level
Description
Materials
Main Aims
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To provide clarification and practice of techniques used for brainstorming and outlining prior to essay writing in the context of analytical writing
Subsidiary Aims
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To provide the students with the opportunity for exam revision, retaining their knowledge of the literary text, and organizing their ideas
Procedure (33-41 minutes)
The instructor introduces herself and states the purpose of the lesson i.e., unpacking a sample P 2 question, brainstorming, and outlining the structure of the essay. The teacher also introduces the target text -Othello.
The instructor shares the essay question with the students, and through a whole class discussion elicits the question's keywords and their implications.
For the purpose of differentiation and to have a frame of reference, the instructor shares with the students samples of brainstorming styles. Then, she instructs the students to brainstorm, using either the worksheets provided or their electronic devices. The instructor also reminds the students that while brainstorming it is crucial to keep the key concepts of the essay prompt in mind.
The instructor draws the attention of the students to the analytical aspect of the essay, that is, organizing the content as well as the authorial choices. Since the text is a play, the instructor asks the students to organize their ideas not only under thematic categories but also the play's stylistic conventions. In order to make sure the students have a thorough recollection of Shakespearean tragedies, she shares a hand-out with the students containing some key conventions. After 5-7 minutes of individual work on the contextual and stylistic categorization of their brainstorming, the teacher asks the students to engage in a peer-feedback activity, where each student gives general feedback on the product. It is also essential that the teacher walks among the students to provide feedback whenever necessary.
The instructor asks the students to individually outline their essays, keeping in mind both the content and the authorial choices. Then, volunteer students share their outlines to be discussed in class. If there are no volunteers, the instructor will nominate a few students. In case the students are more comfortable with using their technological devices, the teacher could provide them with a QR Code to a padlet page, where all the outlines could be shared and everyone could comment on their peers' outlines. However, in this lesson, the teacher is concluding the lesson using the traditional method.
