Literature Through the Ages Preparation for NEA 2019-20

Name: __________________________________

Literary period chosen: ______________________________

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Goals

1. To ensure you have the skills and knowledge to explore a particular period in literary history

2. To build confidence in reading and understanding academic texts

3. To build understanding of the importance of literary context so that students are well-prepared for the challenges of Non-Exam Assessment.

Overview- To conduct an independent study into the period of literature you have

selected.

- You need to read at least two texts (to include novels/ plays and poetry) from within this time period (these must be texts you have not read before/ studied before).

- You will need to produce a booklet that contains the following:

-A list of key literary texts produced during this time period, including brief plot summaries

-A reading log, recording your reading of the texts and highlighting some of your main thoughts and ideas. Dates/ times of when you read the texts over the three weeks.

-A page of research relating to the PRODUCTION of ONE of the three of your chosen texts (production includes political/ historical/ socio-economic issues of the time and how these may have permeated the text and when this text was written in the context of the author’s life/ career) This needs to be in your own words. No copying and pasting allowed.

-A page of research relating to the RECEPTION of the same text (this must include how the text was received by readers at the time and may include reviews/ critical views and how this text has since been viewed). This needs to be in your own words. No copying

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and pasting allowed.

-A presentation lasting between 5-10 minutes where you present the information above. Maximum 20 words per slide and bullet-pointed cue cards are all that is permitted (remember your Spoken Language Endorsement? Like that!)

Reading Log

This must be completed and handed in as part of your portfolio.

Date Title of Publication/ text, publishers and year published Surname, First Name (Year), Title, Page numbers

Findings/ thoughts/ key learning points

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Strategies for efficient reading

These strategies are part of your filtering strategy before deciding what to read in more

depth. They will save you time in the long run as they will help you focus your time on the

most relevant texts!

Scanning the text

➢ Scan-reading essentially means that you know what you are looking for. You identifythe chapters or sections most relevant to you and ignore the rest

➢ You are scanning for pieces of information that will give you a general impression ofit rather than trying to understand its detailed arguments.

➢ You can also scan the text to locate specific words or phrases that are of interest➢ How many sections does it have? What are they? Where are certain topics covered? Which sections do you need to read more carefully and which can you read quickly?

Skimming/speed reading

➢ Reading the words quickly and superficially to get the gist rather than reading fordeeper understanding of the arguments

➢ Try and get a feel for the scope, the content and the way the topic is being discussed whilst reading fairly quickly and superficially

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➢ You may need to slow down and read some relevant sections in a more focused way so that you can understand the arguments raised

Tips

➢ Skim read the first and last paragraphs to get the main points➢ Look at the first sentence of each paragraph to see where the content of theparagraph will lead

➢ Look at any summaries/conclusions and make a note of the key points.

Useful Sources

Here are just a few of the many useful websites to support you in your research. Don’t forget to lead with questions first- what do you want to know? How will you achieve it? How are you going to find that out? What sources could give you the answer? Look at the powerpoint on Google Drive for further sites.

Voice of the Shuttle http://vos.ucsb.edu/browse.asp?id=3

LitCharts

https://www.litcharts.com

Cambridge Authors

https://www.english.cam.ac.uk/cambridgeauthors/

Course Hero

https://www.coursehero.com/lit/

Presentation Tips

Watch these brilliant videos when preparing for your presentation.

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Make sure you don’t lose the power of your research during your delivery. You could be switching on a lightbulb for somebody in your class!