Crushing Comparisons

This class helps students practice comparing completely unseen poems – no past papers here! Engaging with five AQA Section C unseen poetry samples, students will stretch their quick annotation and planning skills to hone their approach to answering unseen questions calmly. This class is designed for students who are already confident with annotating poems, who want planning and writing practice or have already taken the Crushing Unseen Poetry class.

Session 1: Quick annotation and planning recap
Quick annotation and planning recap: after briefly revising key poetic terms, students will be encouraged to plan the first question for themselves under timed conditions. Students will receive feedback on their plans before being shown how to produce quick comparative plan for the second question.

Session 2: Question 1 plans recap and writing
This session focuses on planning and writing for the larger first question. We will recap effective planning for the larger question and practice writing in timed conditions. Feedback will be supplied on students’ plans and writing, time permitting.

Session 3: Question 2 planning recap and writing
This class focuses on planning and writing for the smaller second question. We will recap how to plan quickly to compare poems, before practicing writing under timed conditions. Feedback will be given on students’ practice paragraphs, time permitting.

Session 4: Comparison paragraph writing practice
Comparison paragraph writing practice: this hour will be spent finding links between two new poems and practicing writing timed paragraphs once again, first as a group and then as individuals. Feedback will be given on students’ practice paragraphs, time permitting.

Session 5: Minimock – timed unseen experience
During this hour, we will complete a realistic minimock. With a new sample, students will gain a sense of what it is like to work with truly unseen poems under timed conditions. After briefly recapping planning approaches we will undertake a timed mock, before regrouping to reflect upon the experience at the end.