Understanding Berry's 'On an Afternoon Train from Purley to Victoria, 1955'
I can understand how Berry presents ideas of migration, connection, difference, and journeys within ‘On an Afternoon Train from Purley to Victoria, 1955’.
Understanding Berry's 'On an Afternoon Train from Purley to Victoria, 1955'
I can understand how Berry presents ideas of migration, connection, difference, and journeys within ‘On an Afternoon Train from Purley to Victoria, 1955’.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- The image of the train in the title could symbolise ideas of journeys, growth, and progress.
- The specific use of a Quaker to make an ignorant mistake could be Berry’s way of saying we all make mistakes.
- Potentially, the title could symbolise how we are all ultimately journeying around the same place: Earth.
- Berry’s work often explores the experiences of Caribbean migrants.
Keywords
Migrant - a person who moves from one place to another, predominantly to find work or better living conditions
Ignorance - lack of knowledge or information
Quaker - a member of the Religious Society of Friends and devoted to peaceful principles
Symbolism - the use of a symbol, which can be a word or an image, to communicate a distinct idea
Inference - a guess that you make or an opinion that you form based on the information that you have
Common misconception
That a journey is always a physical undertaking.
While many journeys are physical undertakings, you can also take a personal or spiritual journey towards improvement and growth.
To help you plan your year 10 english lesson on: Understanding Berry's 'On an Afternoon Train from Purley to Victoria, 1955', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 10 english lesson on: Understanding Berry's 'On an Afternoon Train from Purley to Victoria, 1955', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
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The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
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Explore more key stage 4 english lessons from the 'World and Lives' unit, dive into the full secondary english curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
You will need a copy of the AQA Worlds and Lives anthology for GCSE.
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
- Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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