Coleridge - The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

In this case, the presenters decided to present a short dramatic piece (using quotations from the text itself) in order to review the plot. After each short scene, they discussed the performance with their classmates, asking additional questions.

The ancient mariner (on the right) stops one of the three wedding guests to tell him his mysterious story.

The ancient mariner has a glittering eye which scares the wedding guest.

The mariner then retells the story of the mysterious voyage.

The albatross is the crucial symbol of the story. After being shot by the `mariner, the crew believes that it will bring bad luck to their ship. Shortly afterwards, the weather changes and strange things start to happen.

The mariner is forced to bear the dead bird around his neck as a symbol of his guilt.

Suddenly, a mysterious ship appears with Death and Life-in-Death on board. They play dice and since Death wins the crew, they die.

This game suggests that human beings are just like puppets in the hands of some powerful external force and they do not control their own fates.

After seeing the watersnakes in the dead see, the mariner blesses them…

and the curse falls off.

After hearing the story, the wedding guest leaves as a sadder but wiser man and the mariner’s eye glitters no more.

Final presentation

Zadie Smith - On Beauty 2011

 
Zadie Smith - On Beauty 2009
Poetry presentation
Music presentation (videos and student films included!!!)
Zadie Smith - On Beauty 2008

Art presentation (videos included)
Music presentation
Poetry presentation
Visual art presentation
Zadie Smith - On Beauty 2007

VISUAL ART GROUP - Students in this group decided to create a collage in order to contrast the two main characters.

The presentation may be divided into several activities which, after their completing, create a final product – such as collage. This technique presents a wonderful way how to analyze and discuss symbolism of the work. However, you may also demonstrate the atmosphere, tone, characters or even narrative techniques in this way.

The presenter is showing pictures to the students who discuss the possible interpretations of them. The colored figures on the board represent Kiki and Howard. The role of the students is to guess what the pictures or object may represent and they attribute it to one of the characters. The white swan picture stands, in this case, for Howard as opposed to the black swan representing Kiki.

Gradually, the figures are being covered with different pictures and objects, each having its distinct meaning which are discussed separately. Meanwhile, students can also make notes.

The final collage representing Kiki:

The heart stands for her emotionality and kind character. The lonely black swan represents her African-American origins which render her isolated in the white community of Wellington…


The final collage representing Howard:

The famous breakfast scene

MUSIC GROUP - Students present a short scene from the book thus introducing and analysing the Belsey family. Each member of the family switches on another track when he /she comes in (it characterizes him/her somehow) and presents a short monologue at the end.

This final presentation presents a short performance based on the motif of the famous breakfast scene in the Belsey house. Each member of the family contributes with his/her own speech to the discussion, presenting his/her views on the problem. Then, each member of the family holds a short monologue in which he/she provides a brief analysis of his/her character. The Belseys are a typical multiethnic patchwork family with each member being completely different from the rest. Howard is a rigid Rembrandt scholar always thinking in analytical terms and unable to show his emotions. His black wife Kiki, on the other hand, is the imaginary centre of the whole family. She is a warm and generous person who is the complete opposite of her husband Howard.

Levi, the youngest of their three children, is rebelling against his background and always speaks in a fake Brooklyn accent adopting a cool attitude. He is constantly searching for an authentic black identity.

Jerome (on the right) is the oldest child of the Belseys. Among the liberal Belseys, Jerome stands out because of his spirituality and religiosity. Zora, in contrast, represents Howard’s younger version with her interest in academic life.

On Beauty - Performance

POETRY GROUP - This group decided to present their own dramatic piece based on the novel and thus analyse the main conflict of the whole novel. The dialogues are commented on by Murdoch (Belsey's dog) who speaks in rhymes.

Videos

Caryl Churchill

TOP GIRLS – STUDY QUESTIONS

1. Briefly summarize the plot of the play.
2. Discuss the main characters. What do they have in common? Compare the women and their lives (ALLUSIONS).
3. Draw a list of achievements and losses / sufferings / mistakes for each main character.
4. Did the achievements of the women have any impact on the future generations of women?
5. What is the opening dinner scene about?
6. How do the women treat other women in their everyday lives?
7. What is Churchill´s opinion on INDIVIDUALISM and COLLECTIVITY?
8. Explain / interpret the possible readings of the play´s title.
9. Comment on the structure of the play.
10. Formulate the theme(s) of the play.

Oscar Wilde - The Picture of Dorian Grey

Press conference

The presenters announce that they organize a press conference with famous celebrities today (the characters from the novel, e.g. Dorian, Basil, Henry, Sibyl, or even Oscar Wilde himself, etc.) and the students thus face a unique opportunity to confront them with their questions as journalists. Each student then picks a piece of paper (a role card) from an envelope containing the description of his/her role during the seminar. One student becomes the celebrity (again, by drawing a respective card from the envelope). Thus, the presenters form new groups of students and fairly distribute the roles among them. In fact, the class is divided into 5 separate groups, each group representing a different magazine, newspaper or journal. The presenters represent the hosts who will guide the discussion.
Students then have few minutes to prepare questions which would interest the readers of their periodical. It is advisable that the prompt cards contain some keywords which would help learners to formulate their questions and direct the discussion. The cards should also contain the name and a short characteristic of their journal – this will limit students to ask questions only from a specific area since they need to write an article that would be interesting for their readers.
The presenters then announce the beginning of the press conference and invite and introduce the famous persons. Afterwards they direct the discussion by inviting certain group of journalists to ask some questions. The discussion continues until all questions are answered. Students playing the novel’s characters should not invent new contexts for their answers but should move within the context of the book. Thus, they will formulate their own interpretations of the events or characters’ behaviour.

Notes:
Even though the speaking is entrusted mainly to the students themselves, the presenters are responsible for keeping the discussion within certain borders and provide further prompts when necessary. At the end of the activity they may sum up and evaluate the activity as such, or they may distribute handouts with the main facts about the novel.
To create a realistic setting, classroom furniture may be rearranged – a special guest table with name-plates and bottles of water for refreshment may be placed in the front of the classroom.
Since the class stands for different magazines and journals, the presenters have the possibility to analyze the novel from different perspectives. Types of magazines may be either invented or the teacher may use titles of real ones. Their selection should also reflect the vocabulary that the students learned recently.


Sample prompt cards:

The Evening Standard is a typical tabloid. This paper is interested in scandals, affairs and private lives of famous people. Try to create questions in this manner.
Key words: relationships, secret, murder, strange relationships between Basil and Dorian…
You can ask anything you consider interesting for your readers.


Cosmopolitan is a magazine for women. Its readers are modern women and they write about them and their lives, about famous women, men’s opinions of women, etc. Try to create questions in this manner.
Key words: women, men’s (Henry, Dorian, Basil) opinions on women, women in this novel, Sybil Vane and her relationships to her mother, brother, Dorian….
You can ask anything you consider interesting for your readers.


Granta is a literary magazine. Readers of this magazine are interested in literature, art, lives of famous writers, new and old genres, etc. Try to create questions in this manner.
Key words: aestheticism, picture, decadence, parallels to other famous literary works, connection between the author and his characters…
You can ask anything you consider interesting for your readers.


The Gay & Lesbian Review is a magazine for homosexual community. They are interested in the rights of homosexuals, lives of famous homosexuals, references to homosexuality in literature, etc. Try to create questions in this manner.
Key words: unclear relationships, Basil, Dorian, Oscar Wilde…
You can ask anything you consider interesting for your readers.


Our Sunday Visitor is a catholic newspaper. Their interest also lies, apart from religion, in moral questions. Try to create questions in this manner.
Key words: New Hedonism, double life, dangerous books (yellow book)…
You can ask anything you consider interesting for your readers.

William Shakespeare - Hamlet

A court trial

The presenters divide the class into several smaller groups (up to 3 – 4 students per group) and set up the context of the activity. The classroom is transformed to a court, with the presenters being the judges and a group of 3 students representing the jury. The rest of the class represents team of lawyers who came to defend their clients = characters from Shakespeare’s play. This means that the students in the groups must decide who plays the accused person, i.e. the character – the other students then stand for his or her team of lawyers. It is important to explain that only one of all accused persons may be released from punishment. This adds a competition element to the activity and will serve as a motivation factor at the same time.
After the distribution of the roles, the teacher provides each group with a document (prompt card) containing a precise description of the accusation against the defendant. Each group then has ten minutes for reading the accusation and preparing a defense speech for their client (they may use the book/quotations to help them support their statements). They have to prepare an explanation which would answer all the questions states in the accusations (the students are in fact interpreting the characters’ behavior on the basis of their reading). Meanwhile, the jury is made familiar with the accusations as well (the presenters provide them with the same documents) and works on the formulation of few questions to the accused persons that would be asked in the process of interrogation.
The judges then announce the beginning of the trial and after reading the accusation to the whole class ask the first accused person to present his or her defense speech. After hearing the speech, the jury asks further questions (they may be tricky since their aim is to find some shortcomings in the defense – this will force the group to communicate spontaneously) in order to make the case clearer. Here, the defendant may ask his/her lawyers to help him/her to answer the questions. Other lawyers may also ask questions to confuse the character since it may help their own clients to appear in a better light.
After some time, the judges stop the cross examination and the same procedure repeats with all other groups. At the end, the jury has to decide by voting which defense they found more credible and why. Thus, they release the person from punishment and the whole group becomes the winner of the activity.

Notes:

The formal court atmosphere may be strengthened by facial expressions, serious tone and formal procedures maintained by the judges and the jury. This will ensure discipline in the class in case students will be tempted to discuss certain things after the set time limit.
Since the presenters are “the most powerful authority” in the classroom, they have the possibility to control students´ behavior and direct them throughout the activity without interrupting it. They also monitor the whole situation and facilitate students´ responses. At the end, the presenters may evaluate the whole activity and provide each group with feedback. He/she may also wish to highlight certain aspects of the analysis or distribute handouts.


Sample prompt cards:

The Ghost

You have to reveal your true identity:
Are you the ghost of the former king or just a devil to tempt Hamlet?
Did you suspect that your brother plans your murder?
What do you think about the marriage (Claudius + Gertrude)?
Why do you not show yourself to your beloved wife?

Claudius

We want to know the truth:
Why did you murder your brother?
Did you have an affair with Gertrude when the old king had lived?
Do you love Gertrude?
Are you afraid that someone will find out the truth about the murder?

Ophelia

Did you commit suicide?
If yes, why? What reasons did you have to act like that?
Do you think that Hamlet loved you? Give us some evidences.

Gertrude

Tell us the truth! Defend yourself.
Were you involved in your husband’s murder?
Why did you marry Claudius?
Do you love him?
Do you believe your son when he insists that he is not mad?
Provide as many reasons as possible.

Hamlet

There are rumors that you are NOT mad and that you only pretend to be insane. Tell us the truth.
What are your motives to act like an insane person?
Did you love Ophelia?
List as many reasons as possible.

THOMAS HARDY - Tess of the D’Urbervilles

The drawings may be used as prompts when discussing the characters or other important aspects of the novel. Visualizing the characters or certain situations makes remembering much easier.

During the May Day dance, all the girls are dressed in white, carrying white flowers. Tess is among them and it is during this occasion that she first encounters Angel. This local custom is a symbolic ritual of purity and innocence.

Tess’ s driving of the wagon results in the death of the family horse Prince. The blood of the horse on Tess’ s dress foreshadows the loss of her ‘purity’ in the future. Her feelings of guilt lead her consequently to the estate of the D’urbervilles where she meets Alec, her ‘seducer’.

The relationship between Tess and Alec may be viewed as an allegory of Good struggling with the Evil.

The period that Tess spends with Angel at the dairy is the happiest period of her life. The two of them spend a lot of time in the quiet natural surroundings, feeling as the only human beings in the world. The blooming nature and the sunny weather also correspond with their inner states of mind.

However, Tess suffers inwardly because of her impurity. She perceives herself as a sinner, not worthy of Angel’s love. Angel, on the other hand, sees Tess as the symbol of virginity and purity. Their conflicting views and Angel’s disability to reconcile with the real Tess result in their splitting.

Despite her attempts to change the course of her fate, Tess is not able to escape her destiny in the end. Her whole life is governed by some powerful, external force which manifests itself in the form of strange coincidences that happen to Tess and Angel. Therefore, one may regard human beings only as puppets in the hands of fate.

Charles Dickens - Great Expectations

Charles Dickens - Great Expectations

Pip is a young orphan, living with his strict sister and her husband Joe. While looking at his parents’ grave one day, an escaped convict surprises him and orders him to bring him some food and a file. Thus, Pip helps him to escape.

One day, Pip is taken to the Satis House to play. Miss Havisham who lives there is an eccentric lady who, after being abandoned by her fiancée, stopped all the clocks in her house and wears her old wedding dress all the time. Here, Pip meets Estella, an arrogant young girl, with whom he falls in love.

Since he is very poor, Pip does not feel worthy of Estella. Therefore, he dreams of becoming a rich gentleman. However, he is apprenticed to Joe who is a blacksmith and starts to work in his forge.

Pip’s sister is attacked one night by Orlick. Consequently, she becomes a mute invalid. Pip’s friend, Biddy, takes care of her.

A lawyer, Mr. Jaggers, appears and announces that a secret benefactor has given Pip a large fortune which enables him to come to London and begin his education as a gentleman. Pip assumes that the money was given to him by Miss Havisham.

In London, Pip meets a young gentlemen, Herbert. When Joe visits him, Pip is embarrassed and is happy when Joe leaves. Later on, he finds out that his sister has died.

Pip and Herbert become good friends and they enjoy their lives, running up debts.

Pip is called to a mysterious meeting in the marshes. He encounters Orlick who waits for him and tries to kill him. Fotunately, Herbert appears and saves Pip’s life.

After several years, Pip finds out that his secret benefactor was not Miss Havisham but Magwitch, the convict whom he helped to escape once. After his initial disappointment, Pip begins to care for him deeply.

Magwitch’s escape was not successful since Compeyson (Miss Havisham’s former fiancée) called the police. After their fight, Magwitch dies.

Pip falls ill and returns home where Joe cares for him and they are reconciled. Pip decides to marry Biddy but he discovers that she and Orlick have already married.

Joe tells Pip the news: Miss Havisham has died and Estella married Drummle, a primitive and violent man. Pip is devastated.

After 11 years, Pip returns from abroad and he encounters Estella in the garden of the Satis House. Estella has changed tremendously. They leave the garden together hand in hand.