Julius Caesar: J.C. Wordle Collection

This week I asked my Third Year pupils to create a Wordle on Julius Caesar based on what they thought were the key terms in the play. They could pick any theme, character, moment or word that they learnt during their study of the play. I asked the pupils to first write the terms they thought were important into their copies. Once that was done, they had to review the terms and assign each one a numerical value. The term they thought was most important was to have the highest value. By entering that term the most into the Wordle box, that would result in it being visually clear which term they thought was most important. Pupils continued entering terms backwards from this value resulting in the examples below.

' I choose power as the main word in the play so far because the majority of the drama was based on power. Power caused a civil war between the people of Rome, families were turning on each other and friends were turning on friends.' —atreacy98 

'Manipulation is the key element in this play as manipulation is always the start of any event in the play. Caesar's death, civil war and Anthony's speech' —ap99

'I thought that Rome was the most important theme in Julius Caesar as all the events in the play happen because of Rome.The conspirators act because they feel the Rome that they so dearly love is threatened.'—smur14 

'I chose Rome as my main word because all key words and moments happened because of it.Ceasar was killed for the future of Rome, Brutus before he makes any decision thinks of the effects it may have on the people and the future stability of Rome'.—e.s 3f

Go Animate: Julius Caesar Revision

This week I'll be using Go Animate to set revision questions for my Junior Cert. English class. This year we studied Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare. Go Animate is a great online website that allows you to make animated videos from scratch or simply use templates (I've created examples of both below). The website also allows you to use automated voice actors so the shyer pupils don't have to give their voice to the characters. Of course, the more confident pupils can! Posted below are five videos depicting key moments and quotes from each Act.

(For pupils: The dialogue has been edited for the purposes of saving time. The videos are just a cue. Be sure to use your copy of the play for exact references/quotes.)

Q. 1) Why was this an important moment in Act 1? What did it tell us about Caesar's personality?
(10 Marks)
 
Caesar and the Soothsyarer  Julius Cesar Act 1 by NewEnglishBlog

Q. 2) How do men treat women in the play? Was it wise for men to treat women this way?
(10 Marks)

Julius Caesar Act 2 Sc.1 by NewEnglishBlog

Q.3) Name the men with ? faces and pick one theme that Shakespeare was developing with this scene.
(10 Marks)

Julius Caesar Act 3 Sc. 2 by NewEnglishBlog

Q.4) Are Cassius and Brutus friends in the play through love or necessity? (10 Marks)

Julius Caesar Act 4 by NewEnglishBlog on GoAnimate



Q.5 Overall, did you like or dislike the character of Brutus in the play? (10 Marks)

Julius Caesar Act 5 by NewEnglishBlog on GoAnimate

Animated Presentations - Powered by GoAnimate.

Unseen Poetry for J.C. and L.C. English

Please find attached a guide to attempting the Unseen Poetry section in both the Leaving and Junior Certificate English exam. Most pupils find this section particularly difficult due to both the difficulty of reading poetry and the time pressure involved in an exam situation. More than anything else, my main advice is DON'T PANIC! You almost certainly know more than you think. Have a look through the seven steps on this SnapGuide. If you have an iPad/iPhone I'd suggest you download the App SnapGuide (it's free) and then download the file to have as a revision resource.

Check out How to Answer Unseen Poetry for Exams in 7 Steps. by Eoghan Evesson on Snapguide.

StudyBlue Revision App

StudyBlue is available on any iOS device, Android and online.

This App will by no means bring an end to the long hard hours of revision needed to succeed at J.C. and L.C. exam levels...but...it might just make it more fun. Not just fun, but productive. Not just productive, but mobile.

StudyBlue is great as you can use the search bar for Flip Cards that already exist or create your own. The App allows you to put in a term on one side of a card and then the ability to flip it over for the definition. It is a simple system that pupils have been using for decades with revision cards. However StudyBlue also allows you to add media content such as picture or audio if you are more a visual or auditory learner.
The App will also group revision decks by the same class name or school. This could lead to great collaborative learning or group research projects.With the Mock season right upon us, it might be just what you need!

You can find the App on Twitter @StudyBlue. They've been in touch and are happy to take any questions you might have about the App.Just click the Follow button below.

@newenglishblog Great to hear. Reach out with any questions!
— StudyBlue (@studyblue) January 26, 2013

Julius Caesar: One minute summary!

Is it possible to summarize one of Shakespeare's great works in less than a minute!? One Third Year pupil from Newbridge College accepted the challenge. Have a listen and see how he got on. What major moments did he leave out? What moments did he capture well? You decide.

Resource Pack: Julius Caesar

Often overlooked as a play at J.C. level, Julius Caesar is a play full of love, lies, politics and murder.The play has strong key moments such as the murder of Caesar and the climatic battle at the end. Strong themes such as friendship, loyalty and public vs private persona can be charted throughout. All of which makes Julius Caesar a great choice for your Studied Drama section in your J.C. exam. Listed below are some helpful links that may assist your study and/or revision of the play. We hope to add to the list in future so don't be afraid to get in touch if you find a good link online!

Mark Anthony's emotive eulogy to the Roman crowds, as performed here by the R.S.C., is just one fantastic moment you could discuss for your J.C. Studied Drama questions. (KEY WORDS: Rhetoric and Persuasion.)

1. Complete text.
2. Sparknotes Guide to Julius Caesar.
3. CliffsNotes Guide to Julius Caesar.
4. Link to MindConnex version of Julius Caesar. They are not free but come with helpful videos and notes.
5. Julius Caesar Paraphrase - '' This paraphrase of William Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar is intended as a supplement to the original work. Read it along with the original as an aid to comprehension, not as a replacement, since no paraphrase can ever match the richness of Shakespeare's original text.''

 6. Shmoop Guide to Julius Caesar.

7. Royal Shakespeare Company - Lots of helpful links and resources.

8. A Guide to Julius Caesar from The Literature Network .

9. Gradesaver Guide to Julius Caesar.

10. Web English Teacher Collection of resources and lesson plans on Julius Caesar. An amazing list that will be of benefit to both pupils and teachers alike.


 

2B Screenr presentaion on Of Mice and Men

This is a Screenr presentation on Of Mice and Men by a second year English class from Newbridge College. The class studied Steinbeck’s classic tale of human friendship and fragility for their J.C. course. The class summarise the novel to a series of different images that represent various important themes and moments from the novel.

Resource Pack: Romeo and Juliet

William Shakespeare's tragedy of two star crossed lovers remains as popular a choice for Junior Certificate studied drama as ever. The play addresses a multitude of themes such as revenge, love, hatred, friendship and hope. The play has many interesting characters from the tempestuous Tybalt to the loving Nurse. This collection of resources begins with a video book of  the play by CC Prose.







1. The entire play online.
2. The death scene (Act 5 Sc.3) as performed by the Globe Theatre Company.
3. Shakespeare Online Guide to Romeo and Juliet with summary and analysis.
4. opensourceSHAKESPEARE text with one click quote correlation.
5. Grammarmancomic.com: Comic strip of balcony scene with worksheet.
6. BBC GCSE Bitesize: Video, analysis and more.
7. A collection of art inspired by Romeo and Juliet.
8. Lit Charts.com guide to Romeo and Juliet.

Resource Pack: Of Mice and Men

‘The best-laid schemes o' mice an 'men
Gang aft agley ‘ (Robert Burns)

Of Mice and Men is set in 1930s America and traces the fortunes of two central characters, Lennie and George. The novella is still read today due to its sensuous use of descriptive language and its myriad of engaging themes. It is a popular choice every year for the Junior Certificate Studied Fiction section. Listed below are some resources that may be helpful in the study of this classic.



1. Of Mice and Men a 'Student survival Guide'

2. Characters, Themes and more by Universalteacher  

3. Of Mice and Men - Six Chapters by @NewEnglishBlog

4. BBC GCSE Reviews,Videos and Analysis Bitesize Revision

5. Bookrags.com with analysis of the themes of; frienship, dreams, animals and landscapes.

6. Audio resources from TES English (teacher login required)

7. Read Of Mice and Men in an online eBook

Resource Pack: Lord of the Flies

This is a collection of online resources for William Golding's classic Lord of the Flies. The novel has been a favourite choice for the Junior Certificate Studied Fiction section for many years. The novel is an allegorical tale (see video below) and it follows a group of young boys that crash land on a remote island. The boys form a society but it slowly becomes corrupted and fails. The resources start with an interactive online game that can be found at nobelprize.org.






1. Nobelprize.org interactive online game Lord of the Flies
2. Find the the entire novel here.
3. BBC GCSE Bitesize collection with notes, videos and tests.
4. Bookrags.com chapter summaries and notes.
5. A collection of pictures from a movie adaptation of Lord of the Flies.
6.eNote Series of Youtube videos on; Introduction, Themes, Characters, Top Ten Questions, Summary




Ralph and Piggy try to bring order to the island.