Hello, and thank you for joining me for today's lesson.

My name's Mrs. Butterworth and I will be your English teacher for today.

Now this lesson is all about "An Inspector Calls", so you need to make sure you have access to the text today 'cause that will be very helpful.

And we are going to focus on approaching essay questions.

So we're gonna look at how we can annotate those essay questions and then write effective thesis statements.

So we'll look at lots of ways that we can do that and make them the best that they can be.

Sound good? Great.

Then let's get started.

So in this lesson you will identify the keywords in an essay question about "An Inspector Calls" and use them to create a thesis statement.

But first, let's look at those all important keywords that you will see throughout the lesson.

These words are thesis, essay, dramatic methods, annotate and theme.

Now a thesis is the overarching argument to an essay supported by the entire text.

So we're gonna be really thinking about how we can write a thesis statement today that introduces your overarching argument.

Then we have an essay, which is obviously what we're aiming for, is a piece of writing that explains and develops your argument.

So it's an extended piece of writing.

Dramatic methods, now dramatic with methods refers to the tools a playwright uses to create drama.

So we might think about things like setting, stage directions, dialogue and specific language choices.

We are also going to be doing some annotation today.

So to annotate is to make an add notes or short explanations to text or images.

So you may have done this before in other lessons.

And then a theme is an idea that is explored in a text in a number of different ways to fully explore its complexities.

And hopefully you have an awareness of some of those key themes that are present in "An Inspector Calls".

So we're going to start by annotating essay questions.

So reading and annotating an essay question is an important part of the planning process.

You may just think I'm gonna read the question and move on, but actually spending some time looking at that question, really making sure you understand it and using that as a plan can be really effective.

Now the essay question will always include keywords which will direct your thinking.

So here's an example of a question.

How does Priestley use Mr. Birling to explore ideas around class and power in "An Inspector Calls"? Now you can see here our pupils are discussing which words they have selected as key for that essay question.

So Andeep says that he thinks the keywords are "Priestley", "ideas", and "An Inspector Calls".

Whereas Jacob thinks that, "I think the keywords are 'how', 'Mr. Birling', and 'class and power'.

Now I'd like you to discuss, please, who do you agree with and why? Do you think Andeep has the correct keywords or Jacob? Pause the video to give yourself time to come up with your answer.

Off you go.

Okay, so actually Jacob has picked out the keywords here.

So if we look at that question, how does Priestley use Mr. Birling to explore ideas around class and power? He's picked "how", "Mr. Birling" and "Class and Power".

Now the reason this is correct and the reason Jacob has done a good job here is because each of these questions really help to direct your thinking.

So how is directing you to explore Priestley's dramatic methods? So you're thinking about how Priestley presents Mr. Birling or the character in question, what is he doing to present those things? Mr. Birling, because this is directing you to explore a specific character, okay? So it may be one or more characters, but in this case that keyword is Mr. Birling.

And then finally, class and power, because this is directing you to explore a specific theme, okay, in this case, class and power.

So here are Jacob's annotations so far.

So you can see he has underlined those keywords in the question and then he's just made some notes to himself.

So he's got how underlined, reminding himself to explore Priestley's dramatic methods.

Mr. Birling, explore these characters.

Class and power, explore these themes.

So it's really clear what those keywords are and what they are asking you to do, how they are directing your thinking.

So now I'd like you to have a go.

So we have an essay question here.

How does Priestley use Sheila to explore ideas around generational conflict in "An Inspector Calls"? So I'd like you please to identify the keywords in this essay question.

And can you do that now, please? Okay, who thinks they've got the right keywords? Shall we see? Okay, so well done to everyone that picked out how and that how it explores Priestley's dramatic methods.

Well done to everyone picked out Sheila, because it's directing your thinking towards this character is telling you to explore Sheila.

And then finally well done to everyone that picked up generational conflict, it's asking you to explore that theme.

It's directing your thinking towards that theme.

So well done everyone who got that right.

So after annotating the keywords, Jacob develops his annotations with some questions.

So this is where we can start to develop our planning through those keywords.

So for how, he says, "Which methods and quotations best help me understand Mr. Birling and how he represents class and power?" For the character, he said, "What are the key points in the play that helped me understand Mr. Birling's power?" And then finally for that theme, "Where else do we see this theme explored? And what is Priestley's viewpoints?" So you can see here how those keywords have directed his thinking towards specific areas and now he is using them to generate questions that will help him to flesh out his planning and later on his essay.

Now I'd like you to discuss, we've got those questions.

So how would you answer Jacob's questions? What would you say in order to answer those questions? So pause video so you've got time to discuss those questions.

If you're working by yourself, you may want to think quietly or even drop down some ideas, but pause video to give yourself time to answer those questions.

Off you go.

Okay, great, so you may have said some of the following.

So you may have said so the methods and quotations that help you understand about Mr. Birling and class and power.

So you may have referenced those all important initial stage directions in portentous, which tells us a lot about the character.

Priestley's use of dramatic irony when Mr. Birling is talking about the Titanic as unsinkable.

And Mr. Birling sees it as his responsibility to calm down sharply.

So again, those key moments, those key methods really help to show Mr. Birling and his relationship to class and power.

Now we need to think about the key points in the play.

So you may have referred to the sacking of Eva Smith in Act 1 and referring to the strike as nonsense, okay? So again, that reveals a lot about that key character and themes.

And he dismisses responsibility and the inspector's message.

So act three, he just reveals that he thinks it's all a hoax and he just dismisses it.

You know, everything can go back to normal.

And then finally, where else do we see these themes explored and Priestley's intentions? So another thing we could do in this instance is think about Mrs. Birling.

So we could bring in another character.

So we see this through Mrs. Birling's influence to deny Eva help at the charity.

And Priestley is doing this with these characters to critique the abuse of power, showing how the privileged exploit the vulnerable.

Now there are many, many different methods, different parts of the play, other parts of the play that you could have used to explore those questions.

But these are just some examples.

Okay, so question time.

The how in an essay question refers to A, B, or C.

Give me your answer now please.

Fantastic, I hear lots of right answers amongst us.

So well done everyone that said A, dramatic methods, the how in an essay refers to dramatic methods.

So now it's over to you for task A and you are going to annotate your own essay questions.

So here is an essay question, how does Priestley use the Birlings to explore ideas around responsibility in "An Inspector Calls"? So I'd like you first to annotate the keywords with your initial ideas and make sure you include quotes, plot points, and links to other characters and themes exactly like we did with the example, okay? So make sure you have everything you need to complete this task.

And when you are ready, pause the video and off you go.

Well done, everyone.

So hopefully you'll start to see already how this process really helps to focus and direct your thinking and start to generate an interesting plan.

So you may have to considered these key questions.

So how, Birling's, and responsibility, and you may have come up with these questions, which methods and quotations help you to understand the Birlings' idea of responsibility.

What are the key points in the play that help me understand the Birlings' idea of responsibility? Where else do we see this theme explored? And what is Priestley's viewpoint? So you may have considered some of the following.

So one dramatic method is that dramatic monologue where Mr. Birling dismissed the idea of community as nonsense.

And there's that lovely simile where he's comparing community to bees and hives.

Mrs. Birling admits to be being prejudiced towards Eva.

So she actually says that.

So that's a really good use of language there.

And then the key plot points, you may have thought about Eric and Sheila's acceptance of guilt and judgement of the family.

So you may choose to explore the different reactions to responsibility from the older Birlings and the younger Birlings.

So thinking about Eric and Sheila's acceptance of guilt and judgement in Act 3 is a really important moment that explores responsibility and the Birlings.

And where else do we see this happen? Well, the inspector's final fire and anguish speech in Act 3 is really key, isn't it?, in exploring the idea of responsibility and what the inspector says will happen if we don't begin to do that.

And if we think about Priestley's intensions, Priestley advocates for shared responsibility, urging for social change.

So again, you may have something different 'cause there are lots of different ways you could answer these questions, but hopefully that's been helpfu in helping you to develop your ideas.

Okay, so we've annotated our essay questions.

We now need to think about how we can use those to write thesis statements.

So something that is quite useful to think about is how we can compare thesis statements to topic sentences and their differences.

So this can be really useful.

So we're gonna compare thesis statements to topic sentences to understand what a thesis is.

So a thesis statement is the overarching argument of the entire essay, whereas a topic sentence explains the purpose of an individual paragraph, okay? So overarching argument of the essay, individual paragraph.

A thesis statement is supported by the entire text.

So we'll say something generally about the whole text, whereas a topic sentence is supported by a moment or a specific moment in the text.

A thesis statement is found only in your introduction, whereas a topic sentence is found at the start of each main body paragraph.

So you will only have one thesis statement, whereas you will have multiple topic sentences to introduce your paragraphs.

So we've got some thesis statements and some topic sentences here.

So let's read them through together first.

So let's read the thesis statements first.

Priestley presents Mr. Birling as a character who is blind to social responsibility.

And Priestley presents Mrs. Birling's views on responsibility as an inextricably linked with her status as a member of the privileged upper class.

Now let's read the topic sentences.

In Act 1, Priestley describes Mr. Birling as a pretentious man, which reveals his self-important attitude.

And then Priestley uses Mrs. Birling's interactions with the inspector as a way to explore the importance of responsibility and social accountability.

So we've read through the thesis statements and the topic sentences and now it is over to you to discuss what are the differences.

So pause video to give yourself time to discuss your answer to that question.

Off you go.

Okay, so let's just feed back some ideas.

So what are the differences here? So you might have considered the thesis statement, the idea is supported by the whole text.

So you can see here it's talking about Mr. Birling as a character who is blind to social responsibility.

It's very much about the character and the whole text.

Whereas the topic sentence is focused on a specific moment in the text.

So it actually even refers to a specific quotation, doesn't it? It says pretentious.

Again, this thesis statement, the idea is supported by the whole text, whereas in this topic sentence is just focused on a specific relationship in the text.

Okay, so you can almost see how the thesis statements are much bigger, much more general, whereas the topic sentences are much more focused and much more specific.

True or false time.

A thesis statement should be linked to a specific moment in the play.

Is that true or false? Come up with your answer now.

Okay, ready? Well done to everyone that noticed that was false, but now you need to justify why that answer is false.

So come up with your answer now.

Okay, so I have here, the reason that is false is because a thesis statement should contain an idea supported by the whole text.

So hopefully you have something similar there.

So it isn't about specific moments, it's about the whole text.

Much more general, much bigger.

So here is an example of a thesis statement.

Through the presentation of Sheila as a character influenced by both privileged and guilt, Priestley makes his audience consider the impact of class and power on an individual's sense of responsibility.

Okay, so why do you think that this is a powerful thesis statement? So thinking back to everything we said a thesis statement should be, why is this a powerful thesis statement? So pause a video to give yourself time to reread that thesis statement and discuss your answer to the question.

Off you go.

Thank you, everyone.

Let's just share some ideas together.

So why is this a powerful thesis statement? Well, it establishes that Priestley crafted Sheila's character.

So through the presentation of Sheila as a character.

So this is a really good thing to do, okay? To acknowledge that you understand that Priestley has made up this character.

So that first little bit through the presentation of, is a really good way to start thesis statements and link it to those keywords in the question.

So through the presentation of Sheila as a character.

We can see here we get an overview of the character in a few brief words.

So is influenced by both privilege and guilt.

And then also this second part it links to the question and the writer's intention.

So Priestley makes his audience consider, writer's intention, the impact of class and power on an individual sense of responsibility.

So we've got Priestley's intention and clearly there linking back to those keywords in the question.

So question for you.

Which of these would serve as the most powerful thesis statement? Should we read them through together first, 'cause they're quite long answers, aren't they? So let's read them through together and as we read, think about what a thesis statement should do.

So A, after the revelation of her role in Eva Smith's death in Act 1, Priestley reveal Sheila's acceptance of accountability when she admits she's ashamed and breaks down.

B, Priestley uses many dramatic methods to explore the idea of class through the character of Mr. Birling.

For example, structure, dialogue, and stage directions.

And then finally, C, in the character of Eric, Priestley presents a character who struggles with his own role in society, torn between his privileged background and his growing awareness of social responsibility.

So you need to pick now A, B, or C, which of these would serve as the most powerful thesis statement.

Come up with your answer now.

Great, well done to everyone that noticed that the answer is C, okay? So let's just think about why this is the best or the most powerful.

So in the character of Eric, again, we are talking about Priestley, what he's doing.

So earlier it was through the presentation of, here we've got in the character of Eric.

We've got Priestley presents a character who struggles with his own role in society, an overview of the character, and then some keywords from the question as well as Priestley's intention.

Now A, if we look at A, A serves more as a topic sentence because we've got those really specific moments from the play, we've got Act 1 and even ashamed and breaks down.

So key quotations.

So A would be more like a topic sentence, whereas C is much more about the text as a whole and setting up that argument for your essay.

So now it is over to you.

So thinking about all of the examples we've looked at, I would now like you to write your own thesis statement for this question.

How does Priestley use the Birlings to explore ideas around responsibility in "An Inspector Calls"? So make sure that your thesis statement introduces the overarching argument of the entire essay and is supported by the entire text.

So you may want to look back at your annotations from task A, just to help you really think about what your overarching argument is.

Okay, so when you are ready, gather everything you need to complete the writing of your own thesis statement.

I'm really looking forward to what you come up with.

So pause the video and off you go.

Great work, everyone, really good.

So you can see sometimes a thesis statement can feel really daunting.

I think maybe 'cause of what it's called.

But actually when you pick it apart and start to really consider what a thesis statement is, it's okay, isn't it? And obviously the more you practise doing it, the easier it'll become.

So we have Jacob's thesis here.

So Priestley reveals Eric struggling with his sense of responsibility in Act 3 where he says he's unlikely to forget.

So Jacob's thesis, and I'm sure some of you have already realised this, doesn't meet the checklist, okay? Because it's not supported by the entire text.

So it focuses on a specific part, doesn't it? Act 3 and forget.

And it doesn't really give us the overarching argument of the entire essay.

So what is the essay focusing on? Which characters, which theme? Priestley's intention.

So it's a bit too specific.

It's a fantastic topic sentence, but it's not quite a thesis statement.

So Jacob has another go and we can see here how it meets the checklist.

So Priestley uses Eric's character to explore the theme of responsibility, highlighting his internal conflict and growing recognition of guilt.

So you can see again how that meets that checklist.

It shows us the overarching argument of the essay and it is supported by the entire text.

So it is over to you now.

What I would like you to do is look at your own thesis statement and self-assess it using that checklist.

So pause a video to give yourself time to do this and make sure your thesis statement is ready to go.

Off you go.

Well done, everyone.

You have reached the end of the lesson and thank you so much for your contributions today.

Hopefully the idea of starting an essay or writing a thesis statement feels a little less daunting now.

And as I always say, the more you do these things, the easier they will become.

So let's just remind ourselves of everything we have learned this lesson.

We know that essays are extended pieces of writing in which you establish and explain your own ideas.

Underlining keywords and annotating an essay question helps direct your thinking.

It is useful to connect keywords to plot points and themes.

Essays begin with a thesis and a thesis is an idea supported by the whole text.

I've really enjoyed today's lesson, so I hope you join me for another lesson again soon.

I'll see you then.

Goodbye.