Ysgol Gyfun Pantycelyn Llanymddyfri / Llandovery
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English Curriculum.
Key Stage 3.
Key Stage 4.
Key Stage 5
Of Mice and Men.
A few miles south of Soledad, the SalinasRiver drops in close to the hillside bank and runs deep and green. The water is warm too, for it has slipped twinkling over the yellow sands in the sunlight before reaching the narrow pool. |
Evening of a hot day started the little wind to moving among the leaves. The shade climbed up the hills toward the top. On the sand banks the rabbits sat as quietly as little gray, sculptured stones. |
Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don't belong no place. . . . With us it ain't like that. We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us. We don't have to sit in no bar room blowin' in our jack jus' because we got no place else to go. If them other guys gets in jail they can rot for all anybody gives a damn. But not us. |
Whatever we ain't got, that's what you want. God a'mighty, if I was alone I could live so easy. I could go get a job an' work, an no trouble. No mess at all, and when the end of the month come I could take my fifty bucks and go into town and get whatever I want. |
All kin's a vegetables in the garden, and if we want a little whisky we can sell a few eggs or something, or some milk. We'd jus' live there. We'd belong there. There wouldn't be no more runnin' round the country and gettin' fed by a Jap cook. No, sir, we'd have our own place where we belonged and not sleep in no bunk house. |
I ain't got no people. I seen the guys that go around on the ranches alone. That ain't no good. They don't have no fun. After a long time they get mean. They get wantin' to fight all the time. . . 'Course Lennie's a God damn nuisance most of the time, but you get used to goin' around with a guy an' you can't get rid of him. |
We could live offa the fatta the lan'. |
S'pose you didn't have nobody. S'pose you couldn't go into the bunk house and play rummy 'cause you was black. How'd you like that? S'pose you had to sit out here an' read books. Sure you could play horseshoes till it got dark, but then you got to read books. Books ain't no good. A guy needs somebody - to be near him. A guy goes nuts if he ain't got nobody. Don't make no difference who the guy is, long's he's with you. I tell ya, I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an' he gets sick. |
I seen hunderds of men come by on the road an' on the ranches, with their bindles on their back an' that same damn thing in their heads. Hunderds of them. They come, an' they quit an' go on; an' every damn one of 'em's got a little piece of land in his head. An' never a God damn one of 'em ever gets it. Just like heaven. Everybody wants a little piece of lan'. I read plenty of books out here. Nobody never gets to heaven, and nobody gets no land. It's just in their head. They're all the time talkin' about it, but it's jus' in their head. |
Never you mind. A guy got to sometimes. |
1. Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don’t belong no place. . . . With us it ain’t like that. We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us. We don’t have to sit in no bar room blowin’ in our jack jus’ because we got no place else to go. If them other guys gets in jail they can rot for all anybody gives a damn. But not us.
2. “S’pose they was a carnival or a circus come to town, or a ball game, or any damn thing.” Old Candy nodded in appreciation of the idea. “We’d just go to her,” George said. “We wouldn’t ask nobody if we could. Jus’ say, ‘We’ll go to her,’ an’ we would. Jus’ milk the cow and sling some grain to the chickens an’ go to her.”
3. A guy sets alone out here at night, maybe readin’ books or thinkin’ or stuff like that. Sometimes he gets thinkin’, an’ he got nothing to tell him what’s so an’ what ain’t so. Maybe if he sees somethin’, he don’t know whether it’s right or not. He can’t turn to some other guy and ast him if he sees it too. He can’t tell. He got nothing to measure by. I seen things out here. I wasn’t drunk. I don’t know if I was asleep. If some guy was with me, he could tell me I was asleep, an’ then it would be all right. But I jus’ don’t know.
4. I seen hundreds of men come by on the road an’ on the ranches, with their bindles on their back an’ that same damn thing in their heads . . . every damn one of ’em’s got a little piece of land in his head. An’ never a God damn one of ’em ever gets it. Just like heaven. Ever’body wants a little piece of lan’. I read plenty of books out here. Nobody never gets to heaven, and nobody gets no land.
5. A water snake glided smoothly up the pool, twisting its periscope head from side to side; and it swam the length of the pool and came to the legs of a motionless heron that stood in the shallows. A silent head and beak lanced down and plucked it out by the head, and the beak swallowed the little snake while its tail waved frantically.
GCSE assignment
Show how Conan Doyle entertains the reader in “The Speckled Band” and “The Hound of the Baskervilles” Both stories begin with a mysterious death. No-one can understand exactly what took place.
We are introduced to Sherlock Holmes as a clever detective who can analyse situations and work things out eg the way Miss Stoner travelled and the owner of the stick in HB.
Holmes uses his skills to analyse the mysterious letter in HB. He notices the font of the cuttings, the ink, the kind of paper, the fluff, the fact that it is crumpled; all these help him to arrive at a logical conclusion that it is a friendly warning.
Holmes uses research in his cases. Conan Doyle makes him use his intellectual powers and research with public records to discover the motive in both cases. Holmes is a keen observer who notices details others miss eg the footmarks on the chair in Dr Roylott’s room, the dummy bell pull, the way the bed is fixed to the floor, the fact that the smell of the cigar was noticed in Julia’s room, as well as the curious dog leash. In HB he observes Sir Charles’ footprints and realises he was not tiptoeing but running.
Both stories are melodramatic and highly entertaining: Conan Doyle introduces strong and mysterious characters: the aggressive and violent Dr Roylott, the vulnerable and terrified Helen Stoner and Mrs Stapleton, the deceived Laura Lyons, and the cold-blooded, cunning Stapleton. We also meet the suspicious Barrymores.
Both stories use dangerous animals and the mysterious deaths seem to have a supernatural element. The atmospheric locations and settings, inside and out, add to the mystery.
False trails. Dramatic action and climax.
In this story, Conan Doyle lays a number of false trails to distract the reader from the real solution. Explain some of them briefly.
It may help to add to your mindmaps to remember events, details and characters.
Compare this to another crime story you have read or seen on television or as a film. Which do you think was better? Justify your choice.
Imagine you are directing a film version.
Choose one episode from the story.
Draw out the storyboard and write the dialogue for part of it- about a page. Concentrate on what would make the film and dialogue dramatic and exciting .
Use the storyboard to plan shots, camera angles, cuts, close-ups, telephoto (distant shot).
Include directions for the cast, but do not use a narrator. Remember, all the information must come from the dialogue or what is shown on the screen.
Key Stage 3.
Macbeth. The Banquet scene.
Write an account of this scene, showing what makes it dramatic and exciting.
Begin by finding quotations to illustrate each of these points:
The way the scene begins in an orderly way, but ends in chaos.
The interruption of the murderers.
Macbeth’s frustration at Fleance’s escape.
Macbeth’s reaction to the appearance of Banquo’s ghost- that no-one else can see, but is terrifying to Macbeth.
Macbeth’s inexplicable behaviour- the increasing fear and suspicion of the Thanes.
Lady Macbeth’s anger and frustration with her husband’s behaviour.
Lady Macbeth’s disappointment and despair at the way Macbeth has ruined the celebration.
Macbeth’s feelings at the end of the scene.
Carrie’s War.
How does Nina Bawden show the passing of time in this chapter?
How is Albert’s behaviour different from other boys?
Re-read the description of Mrs Gotobed. How does Carrie feel about her and react to her? What goes through her mind during the meeting?
What important message does she give to Carrie?
What shows that Nick is beginning to enjoy himself?Carrie’s War.
Imagine you are in charge of a group of junior school age children who are going to be evacuated.
You are naturally concerned about the problems and emotional upheaval they will face.
You decide to write a leaflet or small booklet of advice that they can refer to.
You call a meeting of people you think will be able to advise you on what to include.
Who might be in the group?
List who you would want to help you.
As a group, you note down the main headings and key pieces of advice to include.
List of Headings and advice in bullet points:
Use your knowledge of the problems in the novel to help you decide what areas and problems to focus on.
Presentation.
Writing.
Write the full version of your advice booklet.
The Gold of Lies.
Choose a page of script to practise and read out, concentrating on emphasis and expression.
Now it is your chance to think about some of the ideas raised in the play. Write your thoughts about these issues.
What kinds of lying are there?
Is it ever justified to tell a lie?
When might you be most tempted to lie?
What do you think is the worst kind of lie?
What do you think of the inhabitants of the country?
Do you think the people in the country are better or worse off after they learn how to lie?
What about the poor Courtier?
In what ways will the country be different now?
What do you think of the Stranger and his behaviour?
Is it always a good thing when people with different customs make contact?
Think of a scene to add to the play. It could be years later and involve the same characters, or in a different country when the Stranger has moved on.
The stranger meets another character, or visits another land.
A scene in the market.
A scene in the Palace.
Someone finds the gold washed up on the beach.
A fisherman finds the gold in his nets.
Write the script in pairs or threes. Prepare a presentation. Introduce your scene, explain who the characters are, and perform.
Assignment on “The Gold of Lies”.
Write a short story version- at least two pages- of your play, making any modifications you think might make it funnier or more exciting.
Remember, you will need to use description to set the scene, a narrator to describe events, and dialogue to bring the characters to life.
Eisteddfod Competition.
Design a book cover for a book you enjoy.
Include the title, author and publisher’s notes (blurb).