Hello and welcome.

Mrs. Butterworth here, and I'm ready to guide you through the learning, which I'm quite looking forward to today because it's all about planning a response.

Now, I'm sure some of you don't feel quite as enthusiastic as I do about planning responses, but I'm hoping by the end of this lesson you'll have some really good strategies on how to write topic sentences and how to find quotes, which will make essay writing even easier.

And we are focusing on the character of Gilbert from "Small Island" who I think is one of my favourite characters.

So let's get started.

So by the end of the lesson, you'll be able to create effective topic sentences and select main and supporting quotes.

So let's just look at some keywords for today's lesson that will really help with our understanding.

So the keywords are thesis, topic sentence, main quotations, supporting quotations and marginalise.

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

So you write a thesis to explain to your reader what it is your essay is going to be about.

So the whole essay.

Then we have a topic sentence, and this is the first sentence of a paragraph.

So you'll have more than one of these in an essay.

And it states the paragraph's main idea.

So we're gonna have a little look at the differences between a thesis and a topic sentence because it will help with our understanding.

And then we have our main quotations.

Now, main quotations are those real juicy quotes that may have dramatic techniques in them or keywords, but they're really rich and have lots to analyse.

So these are our main quotations.

And then our supporting quotations, they tend to be single words or very short quotes that don't require analysis and are usually embedded within sentences, and they can be weaved throughout your response to support your argument.

And we also have this keyword here, marginalise.

Now, the reason the word marginalise is in here is because we are focusing on the character of Gilbert.

Now, the word marginalise means to treat someone or a group of people as if they are not important.

So it's this idea of placing them outside of society.

So think of this idea that they are in the margins of society.

And as we know, Gilbert very much experiences this process of being marginalised.

You know, he experiences racism, prejudice, discrimination, and we see him being marginalised.

So that word is going to be a really useful word when we describe Gilbert in our essays.

The outline of our lesson looks like this.

We're going to start with effective topic sentences, and then we're going to move on to main quotations and supporting quotations.

So let's get started with our effective topic sentences.

So before we start planning a response, we need to know what our essay question is.

So the essay question today is how does Edmundson use the character of Gilbert to explore the theme of betrayal? What I would like you to do is I would like you to discuss what are keywords in the question and what are you being asked to do? So pause the video so you have got time to think about those keywords in the question.

Off you go.

Great, some of you were very quick in your responses there, so let's just share our answers.

So the keywords are how, Gilbert and betrayal.

Now, what are you being asked to do? So the how is all about exploring Edmundson's dramatic methods.

So in order to answer this question, we need to be thinking about how Edmundson is using language and dramatic methods to show and create the character of Gilbert.

So you will also need to analyse key quotes in relation to the writer's intention.

And then we've got our key character, and this is Gilbert.

So we'll be focusing on the character of Gilbert.

So you'll need to refer to key plot points from "Small Island" and explore his characterization.

And then finally, we have the key theme, so our character's Gilbert, in relation to the key theme, betrayal.

So you'll need to focus again on the key plot points that explore this theme best.

So we've got our question.

We now need to think about our planning.

So Sofia has decided that she's going to start planning her topic sentences, but what she wants to do is she wants to remind herself of the difference between a thesis statement and a topic sentence.

So let's look because comparing thesis statements to topic sentences can be a useful way to understand the purpose of each.

So a thesis statement is the overarching argument of the entire essay.

So it focuses on the overall argument and essay.

A topic sentence explains the purpose of an individual paragraph.

And a thesis statement is it's supported by the entire text.

So you talk generally about the text as a whole in relation to the question, and then the topic sentences are supported by moments in the text.

So it's about the thesis statement is focusing on the bigger things in the text, the entire text where the topic sentence starts to really focus in on those key plot points and moments.

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

So you will have more than one topic sentence, but only one thesis statement.

So consider these thesis statements in contrast to the topic sentences and discuss what are the differences? So before you discuss, let's read through these thesis statements and topic sentences together.

So let's look at the thesis statements together first.

Edmundson's powerful adaptation explores the exploitation of colonial ideology and the feelings of betrayal associated with this.

Edmundson's "Small Island foregrounds the experiences of marginalised voices in relation to the theme of betrayal, specifically those of Caribbean World War II soldiers and Windrush migrants.

Now let's look at our topic sentences.

Let's read them together.

Edmundson focuses on Gilbert's experiences of enlistment and the expectations created as a result of these promises.

And then Edmundson uses Gilbert to explore the realities of migration and the betrayal associated with this.

So read through those thesis statements and topic sentences again and discuss what are the differences.

Pause the video to give yourself time to do this.

Off you go.

Okay, so let's just feed back some of our answers.

So you might have noticed this, this thesis statement is supported by the whole text.

So if we go back to it, we're talking about Edmundson's powerful adaptation and those big ideas.

So it's supported by the whole of "Small Island," whereas this topic sentence, we can see focuses on a specific moment in the text.

So going back to the topic sentence, that specific moment is Gilbert enlisting in the RAF.

So it is really focusing on the key character and a key moment from the text.

Let's look at the other thesis statement.

So you may have noticed that again, this is supported by the whole text.

So it says, Edmundson's "Small Island" foregrounds the experiences of marginalised voices.

So it's a very big idea in terms of the whole text.

And then the topic sentence, Edmundson uses Gilbert to explore the realities of migration.

So again, it's focused on a specific idea.

So this idea of migration and the character in the text.

So it focuses on Gilbert and the reality of Windrush migration.

So a real key moment for Gilbert.

So now it's over to you to read these.

Which pupil has crafted a thesis, which answers this question: how does Edmundson use the character of Gilbert to explore the theme of betrayal? So let's just read these thesis statements together first.

So Laura has written, "Edmundson uses her play to explore the impact of colonial ideology and its betrayal in the form of broken promises and inflated expectations." And then Jacob, "At the beginning of Act 2, Edmundson uses Gilbert's experiences of his new home to emphasise the realities of the Mother Country." So thinking about all of that exploration we have just done and the feedback, which pupil has crafted a thesis? Pause the video to give yourself time to decide.

Off you go.

Well done everyone that picked up that Laura has written a thesis, whereas Jacob is a topic sentence because we can see here that Jacob has talked "At the beginning of Act 2." So it's that specific moment in the play.

And Edmundson uses Gilbert, the specific character, and what he is experiencing.

So we can see that that is our topic sentence.

It's referring to a specific moment and a specific character, whereas Laura's thesis is about Edmundson's play, so the entire text and those big themes.

So colonial ideology and betrayal.

So hopefully you can start to see the differences between a thesis and our specific topic sentences.

So now let's just think about how we are going to start answering this question.

So where do we see the theme of betrayal happening in the play? So what I would like you to do is I'd like you to mind map some ideas in relation to Gilbert because before we start writing our topic sentences, we need to have some ideas about what we're going to refer to.

So I want you to refer to points, rather than writer's methods.

So you're gonna need to pause the video to give yourself time to mind map where we see the theme of betrayal happening in the play in relation to Gilbert.

So pause the video now and we'll share our answers in a moment.

Great.

Some really specific excellent ideas around the theme of betrayal being selected there.

So let's just share some ideas.

So if you're struggling or you don't have as many ideas as you would like, you can steal some now.

So let's have a look.

So Gilbert's experiences in the RAF and his migration on the Empire Windrush do not live up to expectations.

So these are real key moments to do with betrayal, the RAF and his migration.

And then Gilbert endures overt and covert racism throughout the play.

So again, there's this idea of betrayal in those moments by the betrayal of society, but also betrayal of the soldiers that he encounters in the cinema.

So it's this idea of he's being betrayed by the people he's supposed to be a part of.

And then Gilbert is a victim of multiple broken promises, and it's clear that these multiple broken promises will give him this sense of betrayal.

So now we have some initial ideas about the question.

What we will need to think about is how we can use those ideas from the mind map and turn them into topic sentences.

So let's have a look at how we do that.

So the idea that I'm going to use is Gilbert experiences overt and covert racism throughout the play.

So if you remember, that was on my initial mind map.

Now, this becomes as a topic sentence, Edmundson foregrounds Gilbert's experiences of racism to portray a shocking reality and the feelings of betrayal associated with this.

In particular, the dramatic and violent events of act one, scene three.

So let's now think about what makes this topic sentence effective.

So what makes this effective is we are using the writer's name, so Edmundson and the intention.

So Edmundson foregrounds Gilbert's experiences of racism.

Okay, so we've used the writer's name.

And that in this topic sentence there is a focus on the question.

So we are talking about Gilbert's experiences and feelings of betrayal.

So we've got our two keywords from the question in there.

And then what this topic sentence does is it focuses on a specific idea and moment in the text.

So we know and it uses the phrase, in particular, the dramatic and violent events of act one, scene three.

So what this does is it sets up the rest of the paragraph and tells the reader what it is we are going to be focusing on in that paragraph.

We're going to be focusing on Gilbert, his feelings of betrayal and how Edmundson shows this in the dramatic and violent events of act one, scene three.

So true or false time.

Topic sentences should refer to the whole text.

This is false.

Well done.

Now justify your answer picking A or B.

Yes, absolutely.

Topic sentences are focused on specific ideas, moments, and characters.

So it's really important that in those topic sentences, we are getting those keywords in from the question and then the key moment we are going to focus on from the text.

So with all of that in mind, you are now going to write your three topic sentences for the question: how does Edmundson use the character of Gilbert to explore the theme of betrayal? So the thesis has been done for you.

So let's read the thesis.

Edmundson's "Small Island foregrounds the experiences of marginalised voices in relation to the theme of betrayal and colonial ideologies, specifically those of Caribbean World War II soldiers and Windrush migrants.

So refer back to your mind maps and those key ideas and use those to help you write your three topic sentences.

So pause the video now.

Well done, everyone.

I really like how some of you were referring back to those mind maps, those first initial ideas, and transforming them into those specific topic sentences, focusing on keywords from the questions and key moments.

Well done.

So here is one of Sofia's topic sentences.

So let's just read.

It says, Edmundson foregrounds Gilbert's experience of migration to explore ideas around colonial ideologies and betrayal.

Now, Sofia has checked through her topic sentences and she has identified that she has used a clear focus because she's talking about Gilbert and his experience of migration.

So this topic sentence is telling us that this paragraph will focus on Gilbert and it will also look at his experience of migration and it links to the question.

So it's got that keyword betrayal in there, and also Gilbert as well.

So be like Sofia and make sure that you check each of your topic sentences and make sure it has a clear focus and links to the question.

We're now at the second part of our lesson.

In this part of the lesson, we're going to be focusing on main quotations and supporting quotations.

So when writing a main body paragraph, the way you select and write about quotations is really key to create a convincing argument.

So your quotation should support your topic sentence, come from across the play.

So try and pick evidence from different parts of the play to really elevate your response.

And they should be divided into main quotations and supporting quotations.

So we looked at this a little bit in our keywords.

So the main quotations you will analyse in depth.

So you really need to think about selecting some really good rich, juicy quotes to analyse, and they will focus on dramatic methods.

So you really need to think about those main quotations in terms of your whole argument too.

And then your supporting quotations are much shorter and these will be embedded in sentences.

So very often, they're one word, very short and they don't need to be analysed.

So Sofia gathers quotations to support her first topic sentence.

So let's just have a look at Sofia's work.

So Edmundson foregrounds Gilbert's experiences of migration to explore ideas around colonial ideologies and betrayals.

So we've got our topic sentence there.

So let's look at these quotations.

So the main quotations are Gilbert says, "I'm done with this small island.

I've seen too much of the world now." So we get this idea of his expectations of migration.

And then we get this key quote from Act 2, "A grey, starkly realistic world." And that's a very rich quotation in terms of that topic sentence.

And that other quote from act two, scene one.

"We hear a rat scurrying over the roof." So that really links to Gilbert's reality and what would make him feel betrayed in "Small Island." And then our supporting quotes will be things like "opportunities in England." So we could even just use the word opportunities and when Gilbert says, "like a fairytale castle," and again, we could just use the fairy castle bit within our responses.

So as we can see, main quotations come from across the play and are rich in methods.

So we've got some from act one and some from act two, and there's lots of kind of interesting language choices that we can really analyse here in terms of that topic sentence.

Okay, so what I would like you to do now is I'd like you to read through this section, this section of work, and identify the main quotation and supporting quotation.

So let's read it through together first, okay? So Edmundson creates a contrasting atmosphere in act two to mirror the realities of migration and Gilbert's feelings of betrayal.

Edmundson uses the stage directions to describe "a grey, starkly realistic world." The adjectives emphasise Gilbert's dim and dismal living conditions, which in turn highlights the distinct difference between his expectations and the reality.

Gilbert expected a "fairytale castle" and "opportunities," but instead is faced with hostility and bleak prospects.

So pause the video so you can reread that paragraph and identify where the main quotations are and where the supporting quotations are.

Okay, off you go.

Okay, great.

Are we ready to check our answers? Let's have a look.

So where are those main quotations? Yeah, absolutely.

We've got here this "grey, starkly realistic world." So we've got the adjectives here that really add to this sense of dim and dismal, the sense of a dim and dismal atmosphere.

And then the supporting quotations.

We have the fairy castle and the opportunities.

So you can see here how those supporting quotations are much shorter and they are just weaved into that sentence.

So he expected a fairytale castle and opportunities, but actually is instead faced with hostility.

So they're not analysed.

We are moving swiftly on to our second practise task.

So a reminder of our key question today, which is how does Edmundson use the character of Gilbert to explore the theme of betrayal? So what I would like you to do is I would like you to continue the plan we started in task A by selecting your main quotations and supporting quotations for each of your three topic sentences.

So if you remember, we wrote three topic sentences in task A.

So you need to make sure that you have picked your main quotations.

Remember, these will be rich in things to talk about.

They'll be juicy, lots to say, and your supporting quotations, which can just be singular words, which would you would aim to embed in the main body of your paragraph.

So I'm really looking forward to seeing these plans.

So let's pause the video to get this task done.

Off you go.

Well done, everyone.

I loved seeing you all with your noses in "Small Island," really looking for those interesting quotes to use for your main quotations.

That's really great.

So let's just check our main and supporting quotations.

So Sofia has begun the task, but she just wants to check that she has selected both main and supporting quotations.

So shall we help her check? Let's have a look.

So we've got her topic sentence here, which is in act two, Edmundson uses Gilbert's experiences of his new home to emphasise the realities of the Mother Country.

So the supporting detail is this main quotation, "Write to your mummy to tell her the Mother Country is so fine," and those supporting quotations of grey, dim, starkly.

So are these correct in terms of main supporting quotations? Let's have a look.

So actually, yes, well done, Sofia.

She has a main quotation and it links to her question and has lots of things to comment on.

So we've got the idea of the Mother Country there and lots of other things we can talk about.

And then the supporting quotations of grey, dim and starkly will really help to develop the topic sentence and further any comments that Sofia has made on her main quotation.

So make sure that you check your own quotations in the same way.

Okay, so we're at the end of the lesson and well done, you have done it.

So you've got a really good idea of how to write those topic sentences and how you can select excellent quotations.

So hopefully that will make essay writing a lot easier.

So let's just go through everything we have learned today.

A thesis statement is a clear overarching argument.

Topic sentences give focus to individual paragraphs.

Select main quotations and supporting quotations to include in an essay.

So using both of these will really elevate your responses.

Main quotations should be analysed and supporting quotations don't need to be analysed.

So hopefully that's lots of new strategies that you can use to make planning your essays even easier.

So very well done, everyone, and I'm sure I will see you soon.

Goodbye.