6 week teaching pack – An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley
Contents
Introduction
Summary of pack ................................................................................................................................................ 1
Route through – week one
Suggested starter activities .............................................................................................................................................. 2
Suggested introduction activities ...................................................................................................................................... 2
Suggested activities to show students’ understanding .................................................................................................. 2-3
Suggested plenary activities ............................................................................................................................................. 3
Suggested additional creative opportunities ..................................................................................................................... 3
Route through – week two
Suggested starter activities .............................................................................................................................................. 4
Suggested introduction activities ...................................................................................................................................... 4
Suggested activities to show students’ understanding .................................................................................................. 4-5
Suggested plenary activities ............................................................................................................................................. 5
Suggested additional creative opportunities ..................................................................................................................... 5
Route through – week three
Suggested starter activities .............................................................................................................................................. 6
Suggested introduction activities ...................................................................................................................................... 6
Suggested activities to show students’ understanding .................................................................................................. 6-7
Suggested plenary activities ............................................................................................................................................. 7
Suggested additional creative opportunities ..................................................................................................................... 7
Route through – week four
Suggested starter activities .............................................................................................................................................. 8
Suggested introduction activities ...................................................................................................................................... 8
Suggested activities to show students’ understanding .................................................................................................. 8-9
Suggested plenary activities ............................................................................................................................................. 9
Suggested additional creative opportunities ..................................................................................................................... 9
Route through – week five
Suggested starter activities ............................................................................................................................................ 10
Suggested introduction activities .................................................................................................................................... 10
Suggested activities to show students’ understanding .............................................................................................. 10-11
Suggested plenary activities ........................................................................................................................................... 11
Suggested additional creative opportunities ................................................................................................................... 11
Route through – week six
Suggested starter activities ............................................................................................................................................ 12
Suggested introduction activities .................................................................................................................................... 12
Suggested activities to show students’ understanding .............................................................................................. 12-13
Suggested plenary activities ........................................................................................................................................... 13
Suggested additional creative opportunities ................................................................................................................... 13
Cover image © Credit: ands456/istock.com
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6 week teaching pack – An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley
Resource
Where it’s used in the pack
de Bono’s detective skills (21327)
Week one – starter
14
Word wall (inspwordw)
Week one – starter
17
Play production template (20550)
Week one – introduction
18
Pre-teaching (intro)
Week one – introduction
Week one – understanding
19
Quiz on BBC’s Text in Context series
(4097)
Week one – introduction
20
Tension graph (14804)
Week one – understanding
Week three – understanding
22
Historical context (20444)
Week one – understanding
Week one – creative
23
Jigsaw pieces (14861)
Week one – plenary
25
Role on the wall (18079)
Week two – starter
Week five – understanding
26
Analysing stage directions (20433)
Week two – starter
27
Pyramid (7128)
Week two – starter
28
Tricky situations (21312)
Week two – introduction
29
Act One: Who said …? (21452)
Week two – introduction
Week two – understanding
31
Act One learning grid (21450)
Week two – understanding
33
Page number
Week two – plenary
Point, evidence, explanation technique
(4140)
Week two – understanding
37
Wordplay in Act Two (21478)
Week three – starter
38
Gerald’s affair (21479)
Week three – introduction
40
Week three – understanding
Chat show: who is to blame? (1351)
Week three – introduction
43
Week three – understanding
Describing character (3480)
Week three – introduction
45
Week three – understanding
Write Eva Smith’s diary (10842)
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Week three – understanding
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6 week teaching pack – An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley
Resource
Where it’s used in the pack
Page number
Bullseye (14844)
Week three – understanding
49
Whose bag is it? (18919)
Week three – plenary
50
Theme definitions (21504)
Week four – starter
53
An Inspector called … (21505)
Week four – introduction
55
Speaking and listening: The committee
meeting (1350)
Week four – understanding
58
Socialism and capitalism (17332)
Week four – understanding
59
Links in a chain (10582)
Week four – understanding
60
Pictures strip exercise (3447)
Week five – starter
62
Bingo! (16579)
Week five – starter
64
Socratic discussion (21524)
Week five – introduction
66
Week five – understanding
Week five – plenary
Moral message team game (21525)
Week five – understanding
71
Politics and persuasion in the final speech
(21313)
Week five – understanding
76
Snakes and ladders (3238)
Week five – creative
78
Treasure hunt (14768)
Week five – creative
80
Engdoku (21379)
Week six – starter
82
Week six – introduction
Taboo revision game (17196)
Week six – starter
86
Tension graph (7112)
Week six – introduction
89
Week six – understanding
Word analysis quadrant (18172)
Week six – understanding
91
Revision game (15727)
Week six – understanding
92
Mind palace revision (18445)
Week six – understanding
97
Decorate a chair! (15502)
Week six – understanding
99
Revision calendar (20887)
Week six – creative
100
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6 week teaching pack – An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley
This KS4 pack is designed as a ‘route through’ the play with teaching ideas,
accompanying resources and suggestions for differentiation. The pack contains all of the
Teachit resources you need, some of which were commissioned for the purposes of the
pack. It is organised into six weekly sections and there is a wealth of material within each
week. Simply choose your favourite activities which are organised in the following way:
 starter activities
 introduction activities
 activities to show students’ understanding
 plenary activities
 creative opportunities.
We’ve included the file number or name for each original resource – just pop this into
Teachit’s search engine.
To help with navigation, there is a contents table detailing which part each resource is
used in and the page number.
Our thanks go to contributor Helen Stacey who has written this pack and to the following
contributors whose resources are also included:
Kevin Brown, Chris Cox, Sara Dowey, Richard Durant, Emily Evans, Keziah Featherstone,
Emma Gardiner, Holly Gocoul, Rosalina Lionetti, London Teacher Training College,
Matthew Lynch, Debbie Morris, Fran Nantongwe, Alison Powell, Stuart Scott, Ruth Smith
Christine Sweeney, Matthew Venton, David Wheeldon.
We hope you enjoy using this pack. If you have any questions, please get in touch: email
support@teachit.co.uk or call us on 01225 788850. Alternatively, you might like to give
some feedback for other Teachit members – you can do this by adding a comment on the
Teaching packs page on Teachit (please log in to access this!).
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6 week teaching pack – An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley
Route through - week one
1.
Suggested starter activities
Trailer: Watch the trailer for the most recent West End production of An Inspector Calls
(http://www.aninspectorcalls.com/#/video/). Use the resource de Bono’s detective skills (Teachit
filename: 21327) to make predictions about the text.
Word wall: Give out words from the Teachit resource Word wall (Teachit filename: inspwordw), and
ask students to group themselves so that words with some sort of connection are together.
Differentiation: in a mixed ability class, you will be able to differentiate according to the complexity of
the word.
Kim’s game: Present students with a bag/tray of ‘props’ from the play or just from the opening scene.
Show students how to play by memorising the set of props in front of them, hiding one away, and
quizzing them to remember which is missing. If you can provide enough sets for pairs/groups, this
works even better.
Burning questions: Using the set of Burning questions from the plenary activities, and redistribute
these to provide some answers. Discussion is likely to arise!
Jigsaw: See plenary section of week one. This activity would work well as a starter too.
2.
Suggested introduction activities
Predict: Using their work from the Trailer starter, a selection of theatre posters, the front cover of the
text, and the stage directions at the start of the play, students could discuss and record their first
impressions of the text. Differentiation: higher attaining students could record their first impressions in
categories (events, characters, atmosphere and setting).
Word investigation: Following on from the Word wall starter activity, students could work in teams to
investigate their word groups (using the internet, copies of the play or dictionaries).
Stage directions: Read the stage directions at the start of the play, and using the Teachit Play
production template (Teachit filename: 20550) students should record the key information.
Peek at the plot: Using the Teachit resource Pre-teaching (Teachit filename: intro), show students the
play’s plot. Students should discuss who is to blame and whether the girl is to be pitied. Alternatively,
students could work in small groups to stage the key events, and create freeze frames of each event.
Video: Show the BBC Texts in Context video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Svz8_dyhok and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7OHthxcR1c). Students could record the information using Teachit
resource Quiz on BBC’s Texts in Context (Teachit filename: 4097). Differentiation: split the questions
up so that teams of students are responsible for different bits of information.
Read: Read the first part of the play up to the Inspector’s entrance. If you have completed the Kim’s
game starter, you could ask students to note the significance of each item as you read.
3.
Suggested activities to show students’ understanding
Character posters: Students could be split into character teams. Each team could create a large poster
with an outline of their character and then record a quotation about their designated character using the
stage directions at the start of the play. They could then analyse their first impressions of each character
from their appearance, props and mannerisms.
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6 week teaching pack – An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley
Route through - week one
Plot the plot: Using the Teachit resource Pre-teaching (Teachit filename: intro), present students with
the play’s plot. Students should create a Tension graph (Teachit filename: 14804) using the template to
predict the peaks and troughs of the drama. Differentiation: higher attaining students could use the
character names from the stage directions and add these.
In context: Use the Teachit resource Historical context (Teachit filename: 20444) to connect the play
with some significant contextual events, then select quotations to match with the relevant events (with or
without the research task).
Character quotations: Once your class has read the first part of the play up to the Inspector’s entrance,
they could regroup into character teams and use sticky notes to record some key quotations that are
representative of their character. Teams could report back to the rest of the class, or you could send
peer envoys around to share their understanding of their character.
Spotlight on Birling: After reading the first part of the play up to the Inspector’s entrance, students
could focus on the character of Arthur Birling, and create his vision of what his family are to become now
that Gerald Croft is to be part of the family. This could take any form - a monologue tracking his thoughts
(not using the script); stage an interview; put him in the hot seat; a conscience alley activity (see p.11 for
guidance); a letter to Sir George Croft (Gerald’s father); or a collage using magazines etc. - to identify his
optimistic outlook on all that Sheila’s marriage will bring.
4.
Suggested plenary activities
Poster blurb: Using key words identified from the trailer, posters, the text’s front cover and the opening
stage directions, students should write a blurb for a poster advertising the play to a contemporary
audience.
Quote representation: To follow up reading the first part of the play up to the Inspector’s entrance, and
using sticky notes from the Character quotations task, students could choose the most representative
quotation for each character and argue why it sums up their character.
Burning questions: Students could write a burning question to which they would like to know the
answer to on a card, based on what they have learnt so far.
Jigsaw: Use the Teachit template Jigsaw pieces (Teachit filename: 14861) for students to add
information about the characters, and how they relate to each other. They could create complete jigsaws
for other students to complete as a starter.
5.



Suggested additional creative opportunities
Students could complete the research task on the Teachit resource Historical context (Teachit filename:
20444) to explore three of the key events mentioned in the play. Differentiation: higher attaining students
could then analyse the significance of these events using appropriate textual extracts.
Students could research past productions and produce an information leaflet about the play and how it
has been perceived over time.
If time allows, you could stage a Come Dine With Me parody of the first part of the scene, or invite
students to work on this over the course of the term.
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6 week teaching pack – An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley
Route through – week two
1.
Suggested starter activities
Role on the wall: Use the Teachit template Role on the wall (Teachit filename: 18079) to complete a
silhouette for the Inspector, using the stage directions for his appearance on the inside of the silhouette
and some key quotations on the outside.
Analysing stage directions: Use the Teachit resource Analysing stage directions (Teachit filename:
20433) to recap the atmosphere of the scene, and to discuss the class and status values of the Birlings.
Pyramid: Ask students to draw a pyramid in their book, or adapt the Teachit Pyramid plenary template
(Teachit filename: 7128) on the whiteboard to rank the status of the characters in Act One. Best done
after a reading of the act, and could prompt interesting discussion based on how status is recognised –
remind them to include Edna for a discussion of her role too.
2.
Suggested introduction activities
The tricky customer: As a pre-reading task before Sheila’s confession, have students enact the
situations using the resource Tricky situations (Teachit filename: 21312). Discuss the potential
outcomes and further consequences as a flowchart or similar.
Chain of events: Read from the ring of the doorbell to the first showing of the photograph; then to
Sheila’s entrance; then to the Inspector mentioning Milwards; then to Sheila’s full confession; then to the
end of Act One. Students could begin making a paper chain for the events so far.
Act One: who said...? Use the Teachit resource Act One: who said ...? (Teachit filename: 21452) to
identify the speakers, and discuss the contrasts between Sheila, Mr Birling and the Inspector. This sets
up the Peg puppets activity nicely (see below).
3.
Suggested activities to show students’ understanding
Freeze frames: Following on from Chain of events, you could allocate each part of this Act to a
different group, who should then choose one moment to freeze frame, and present by performing a short
dramatisation leading up to the frozen moment. Photograph these if your students are willing to be
snapped – for a handy plenary.
Body movers: Again, as a follow-up (or to break up the reading) in Freeze frames, assign small groups
to sections of the text, and either allow them to perform part of that scene, or to simply position
themselves to indicate and exaggerate the relationships between the characters in the scene. Groups
should explain their positioning in turn.
Peg puppets: Following on from Act one: who said …? (Teachit filename: 21452) students could make
peg puppets for Sheila, Mr Birling and the Inspector for this scene, selecting key quotations that reveal
their contrasting ‘tales’; choosing quotations that demonstrate lack of, versus acceptance of
responsibility. The peg puppet for the Inspector should feature quotations that demonstrate his ‘moral’,
omniscient viewpoint.
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6 week teaching pack – An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley
Route through – week two
Act One learning grid: Use the Teachit resource Act One learning grid (Teachit filename: 21450) to
explore meanings and links within Act One. You could do this on the whiteboard together to
demonstrate possibilities, set up pairs or teams, then task individuals to feed back in the plenary session.
You could set up student spies who simply record details from pairs’ or teams’ discussions instead.
Birling explained: Use the Teachit resource Point, evidence, explanation technique (Teachit filename:
4140) to deepen students’ understanding of Birling, and to raise the issue of Priestley’s intentions and
perspective. Differentiation: Higher attaining students should repeat the exercise for the Inspector,
including links with Priestley.
4.
Suggested plenary activities
Symbolism: Using Act One learning grid (Teachit filename: 21450) students should feed back on this
activity if you’ve set it in the main part of the lesson. Your spies might be feeding back at this point.
Captions: If you’ve completed the Freeze frames activity and taken photos of each moment, you could
project these on the whiteboard and ask students to create captions for them (using character names of
course!).
Birling explained: Following on from close analysis of Mr Birling in this Act, students should create up to
three questions to ask him. Task a willing volunteer to perform as Mr Birling to field the questions!
20 questions: Put a sticker on the back of a volunteer student, with the name of a character written
clearly on it. Give them a maximum of 20 questions to figure out who they are and differentiate if
necessary with fewer questions allowed. Also works well in groups.
5.




Suggested additional creative opportunities
Students could create a paper chain to demonstrate the Chain of events as you read the play together.
This could be developed into a multi-sensory resource including scraps of material, packaging, tickets,
images, and anything else appropriate to the events in the play, designed as a revision resource.
Students could research workers’ strikes of the 1910s and the rise of trade unions in the mid-1940s.
Alternatively, you could set an investigation into the Women’s Suffrage movements of the time. The
National Archives, BBC and The British Library all have lots of information and resources that would
help.
You could split students into teams to research the Trade Unions, the Welfare State and the General
Strike of 1926; the National Archives have a good summary of each – designed for A Level students, but
appropriate for higher attaining GCSE students:
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/cabinetpapers/alevelstudies/tradeunion.htm?WT.ac=The%20Trade%20Union%20Movement.
If you’ve got the kit available, ensure that you’ve taken photos of the Freeze frames, or commission a
willing group to perform a series, and then publish these photos on your school website or VLE.
Students could then use them to storyboard Act One.
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6 week teaching pack – An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley
Route through – week three
1.
Suggested starter activities
Call my bluff: Use the Teachit resource Wordplay in Act Two (Teachit filename: 21478) to explore some
of the vocabulary at the start of the scene, and (for higher attaining students) to unearth the source of
humour in two short extracts.
Odd one out: List these words on the board: bar girl confession guilt hysterical. Ask students to decide
which one is the odd one out, and to give reasons for their thinking. Choose different words that apply to
the scene if you wish – there are no right answers, simply let them decide!
If they were a ...what would they be? Give the students a category, and character options – perhaps
Sheila, Gerald, Mrs Birling or the Inspector when studying the start of Act Two. Ask them this question to
prompt some metaphorical thinking about the characters. For instance, if Gerald were a fruit, what would
he be?
2.
Suggested introduction activities
Reading: Read up to Gerald’s exit in Act Two.
Events in order: Use the resource Gerald’s affair (Teachit filename: 21479) to sequence the events of
Gerald’s confession. This would lead into the chat show task at the bottom of the sheet, or try a task
based on the whole play in Chat show: who is to blame? (Teachit filename: 1351) instead.
Plotting Gerald: Gerald’s titled upbringing pales into insignificance in this scene. Ask students to select
quotations that reveal his story, and comment on his character.
Describing character: Using the adjectives listed on the Teachit resource Describing character (Teachit
filename: 3480), students could sort the words into those that they know, and new vocabulary, then look
up or swap sheets to discuss new meanings. Differentiation: higher attaining students could alternatively
list close synonyms.
3.
Suggested activities to show students’ understanding
Plot the tension: Use the Teachit resource Tension graph (Teachit filename: 14804) to plot the drama
leading up to Gerald’s exit. Discuss the impact that Mrs Birling has on the events, and the differences
between the relationships between the younger characters and the Inspector, contrasted with the older
characters.
Describing character: A group task involving colour coding key adjectives and explaining quotations is
included in the Teachit resource Describing character (Teachit filename: 3480). It’s a perfect
consolidation exercise to embed understanding of characters, as well as providing useful vocabulary to
describe them.
Write Eva’s diary: Use the Teachit resource Write Eva Smith’s diary (Teachit filename: 10824) to recap
on the events so far in Eva’s life.
Spotlight on Sheila: Display the quotation ‘You and I aren’t the same people who sat down to dinner
here.’ Ask students to select quotations and list the ways that Sheila has changed since the start of the
play. Alternatively, use the Teachit Bullseye! template (Teachit filename: 14844) to add notes from the
start (in the centre of the bullseye) to Gerald’s exit (on the outer edge).
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6 week teaching pack – An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley
Route through – week three
Sheila versus Sybil: Contrast the two characters by having students draw up a table of their reactions
to the Inspector, up to Gerald’s exit. Ask students to consider how the two are representative of the
young and the old, and how impressionable each generation is.
Chat show revelation: Set students the task of performing Gerald’s revelation as a Jeremy Kyle style
chat show, featuring Sheila, Gerald, the Inspector, Mrs Birling, Mr Birling and (for higher attaining) Daisy.
The resource Gerald’s affair (Teachit filename: 21479) has some handy quotations to get students
started, and for an alternative looking at the whole play, you could use Chat show: who is to blame?
(Teachit filename: 1351) instead.
4.
Suggested plenary activities
Inspector’s notepad: Ask students to complete the Inspector’s notepad so far with: five details he’s
learnt since his arrival; four character traits he’s seen in the Birlings; three events that have impacted on
Eva’s death; two opinions on working conditions for young women in Brumley and one definition of who
is responsible for Eva’s death.
Bags of identity: Use the Teachit template Whose bag is it? (Teachit filename: 18919) to distinguish
between the characters so far, and as the resource suggests, host a bag swap to revise the characters.
Gender issues continuum: Write the statements ‘Eva was cheap labour and a mistress to be discarded
at will’ and ‘Eva was a real person who deserved to be heard and respected’ on large sheets of paper
and place these at opposite ends of the room. Students should line up according to how they feel
towards her, then discuss where each character would fit in the line – perhaps with puppets or named
cards.
A-Z: You could do this at any point, but once you’ve read the first half of Act Two, you’ll have taught the
first half of the play, so it seems like a logical time to include an A-Z. No preparation or answers required
– simply ask students to create an A-Z of the play so far, with appropriate words and prizes for those
who get closest to the full set!
5.
Suggested additional creative opportunities

For higher attaining students, challenge them to read Ibsen’s Ghosts – available as a free download from
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/8121. Once they have read the play, they should make comparisons
with the families’ guilt in both texts.


Ask students to look for relevant news stories that will set them up for the moral issues to come: stories
about asylum seekers, teenage pregnancy, charity donations, care in the community or the divide
between the rich and the poor. They could bring in the articles and swap them to make links with the
text, write articles in response as a character from the play, or sort articles into relevant categories or
themes that relate to the text.
Set students the task of creating a Facebook page or Wikipedia entry for their peers (i.e. a potted version
rather than the lengthy and extensive tomes in Wikipedia!) for one of the following people: George
Bernard Shaw, H.G.Wells, Winston Churchill, Clement Atlee, Margaret Thatcher. Emphasis should be
on their political viewpoints, in particular their attitudes to social behaviours and responsibility.
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6 week teaching pack – An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley
Route through – week four
1.
Suggested starter activities
Who is to blame? Based on their reading of the play so far, students rank the characters according to
their level of responsibility for Eva’s death on sticky notes. There’s no need to tell them the characters –
some might include Eva herself, which links well with Mrs Birling’s view in Act Two.
Memory memo: List the following words on the board: education, relationships, class, gender,
individual, power, community, society, guilt, lies. Allow students a set time limit to remember these, then
set the Teachit Timer for one minute, so that they may list as many as they can. Differentiation: higher
attaining students should list not the words, but their definitions – you might like to give them a little extra
time!
Paired up definitions: As an alternative to Memory memo, give some students terms using the Teachit
resource Theme definitions (Teachit filename: 21504), and others their definitions. Students should find
their partner.
Stir up a debate: If you’re going to broach either of the key issues at the heart of the second part of Act
Two, write the statement(s) ‘Teen mums are selfish’ and/or ‘Charities are a scam’ on the whiteboard and
invite opinions.
2.
Suggested introduction activities
Read: From Gerald’s exit to the end of Act Two.
Theme teams: Following on from the Memory memo starter, allocate themes to teams (whichever you
wish to study in detail), and get each team to create a mind map exploring the relevance of each theme
to the play. They could add characters, events and quotations, and you could do this at any point during
Act Two.
Teenage pregnancy: Show this clip:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/content/articles/2009/02/12/east_mids_s15_w6_teen_preg_video_feature
.shtml. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages to bringing up a child without adequate support. If
your class have read Act Two, make links with Eva to discuss family support, financial support, the
mother’s preparedness, and compare the ‘factors’ that Dr Gates says leads to high levels of teenage
pregnancy in Aspley, with those of Brumley.
An Inspector called ...: Using the Teachit resource An Inspector called ... (Teachit resource: 21505),
give students the Venn diagram task to sort the Inspector’s role in Act Two into three categories: storyteller, social commentator or humanist philosopher. Designed for higher attaining students.
3.
Suggested activities to show students’ understanding
Theme team jigsaw: Mix up the teams from the Theme team introduction task, so that each new team
is represented by one of each theme team. Students should share their understanding of the theme they
studied, and other students should make notes and ask questions.
The committee meeting: Stage a role play activity for the committee meeting, using the resource
Speaking and Listening: The committee meeting (Teachit filename: 1350) as a prompt.
Teenage pregnancy: Following the introduction task, ask students to write a letter to the director of this
programme in role as Mrs Birling, to explain her viewpoint on the responsibility of the mother and father
of unplanned families, factors involved, and the likely consequences.
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6 week teaching pack – An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley
Route through – week four
Socialism and capitalism: Sort the statements into the relevant political viewpoints in the Teachit
resource Socialism and capitalism (Teachit filename: 17332). This would work well following the creative
task in week 3 where students create Facebook or Wikipedia entries for the relevant political
commentators and politicians. Differentiation: higher attaining students should add the relevant
characters from the play to this table, and select quotations as evidence of their views.
An Inspector called ...: Following on from this introduction activity, students could use the quotations as
evidence to answer an exam-style question on the Inspector.
Links in a chain: Once you have finished reading Act Two, students could complete the Teachit
resource Links in a chain (Teachit resource: 10582) and make some predictions about Eric’s
involvement.
4.
Suggested plenary activities
The committee meeting: If students perform the committee meeting in role, place the characters in the
hot seat to prompt further understanding of their viewpoints.
Pass the parcel: If you did the Memory memo starter activity, you could put the terms (or the definitions
instead for differentiation) into a box and pass it round with some music playing in the background.
When the music stops, that student has to define the term. Differentiation: for a further challenge upon
completion of a ‘turn’, higher attaining students could nominate someone else to explain the relevance to
the play.
Taboo: As an alternative to pass the parcel, you could use the same terms, and ask students to define
them without using the word itself. If you want to surprise them, this works well if you’ve stuck the words
under various desks/chairs before the start of the lesson.
5.



Suggested additional creative opportunities
Students could research their family history, and select an interesting ancestor. They could present their
findings in any form, and bring in interesting props etc. if there’s something curious to talk about.
You could task the students to create a ‘lucky dip prop box’ for the play so far, so that other students
could guess the character / theme / relevance to the play from the prop they select from the box. A
handy starter for a revision lesson – which you could do blindfolded for even more fun!
As preparation for studying Act Three, students could investigate the ingredients of a well-made play,
and consider how An Inspector Calls fits the model. You could ask them to present their findings as a
spoof recipe, with measurements based on characters’ levels of responsibility or similar. The
Encyclopaedia Britannica is a good place for students to begin:
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/639300/well-made-play.
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Route through – week five
1.
Suggested starter activities
Picture strip exercise: Students first complete a cloze exercise, then design images for the storyboard
on the Teachit resource A picture strip exercise (Teachit filename: 3447). Would work best photocopied
onto A3 and potentially useful for display.
Predictions: Before you read any of Act Three, ask students to make predictions for Eric’s reaction,
what the Inspector will do once he has the stories from all the characters, and how the play will end.
Bingo: Revise the characters and some of the context for the play with the Teachit Bingo! resource
(Teachit filename: 16579).
2.
Suggested introduction activities
Read: Read from the start of Act Three up to Gerald’s return.
Eric’s story: Separate reading this part of the play by taking a close look at Eric’s story first. The
Teachit resource Socratic discussion (Teachit filename: 21524) incorporates reading this section until the
Inspector’s exit.
Detective’s notepad: Read from the Inspector’s exit to Gerald’s return, and ask students to create a
detective’s notepad for the characters’ speculations about the Inspector – selecting quotations and
commenting on the potential guises of the Inspector.
Picture strip exercise: Following on from the first stages of this activity from the starter, students will
spend time completing the quotations section of this resource. This is a useful exercise to discuss the
chronology of the events, and that Eric’s story is saved until last despite being the penultimate event in
chronological time.
3.
Suggested activities to show students’ understanding
Eric’s story: Study the events of Eric’s story in detail by selecting this part of the text for a speaking and
listening lesson. The Teachit resource Socratic discussion (Teachit filename: 21524) enables a group to
read and explore the relevant section of the text, while the rest of the class make notes on their speaking
and listening strengths.
Moral message team game: Explore Priestley’s attitude with the Teachit resource(s) Moral message
team game (Teachit filename: 21525). Set your students an active challenge to look at a range of
sources with relevance to the Inspector’s closing remarks, and Priestley’s warning for his audiences.
Follow up the activity with a closer look at the sources.
Politics and persuasion: The Teachit resource Politics and persuasion in the final speech (Teachit
filename: 21313) takes a closer look at the Inspector’s final words, and would tie in well with the Moral
message team game (Teachit filename: 21525), or would work as an alternative task.
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6 week teaching pack – An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley
Route through – week five
Will the real Inspector please stand up?: Following on from the Detective’s notepad exercise, you
could ask students to complete a Role on the wall (Teachit filename: 18079) for the Inspector, separating
facts from hypotheses.
Cross-cutting: Task students with imagining what the Inspector is up to while the characters deliberate
on his credibility, and ask them to script a monologue for what he could be saying to the audience. You
could ask students to perform this alongside a short section of Act Three where characters discuss the
Inspector.
4.
Suggested plenary activities
Eric’s story: Following on from the Socratic discussion activity (Teachit filename: 21524), outer circle
students should regroup to provide the inner circle with their feedback. Alternatively, or additionally, you
could give out the questions individually – or use this for a starter to the subsequent lesson.
Hot seat: If you have focused on the Inspector in detail with any of the previous activities (Detective’s
notepad or Will the real Inspector please stand up?) then try putting a willing volunteer in the hot
seat. Alternatively, you could stage a conscience alley activity, as outlined below.
Conscience alley: Select one of the Birlings, cast a student in role as that character, and set up the rest
of the class in a ‘tunnel’ either side of the lead character’s path. Set the question ‘What will you do next?’
and instruct the remainder of the class to call out advice for that character as they walk through the
‘tunnel’ created by their classmates. The chosen character should decide what they will do next by the
time they reach the end of the tunnel.
Word tennis: In pairs, students should ‘bat’ associated words to each other. They shouldn’t repeat,
hesitate or go off topic. They could keep score of who wins each round. You should set a relevant
category or categories (if they are scoring each round) for the lesson – Priestley’s moral message, the
characters’ stories or the Inspector for instance.
5.
Suggested additional creative opportunities

Now that students are familiar with the events leading up to Eva’s death, challenge them to make
revision resources for the storyline. A Snakes and ladders game (Teachit filename: 3238) works well, as
does a Treasure hunt (Teachit filename 14768) – and you could set students the challenge of making
their own appropriate maps and boards with An Inspector Calls backdrop.

Set students on a film-making challenge for the Inspector’s investigation, with emphasis on his
perspective of events. Students could research existing student attempts on YouTube, or simply start
from scratch by casting a narrator/Inspector and recreating the storyline. You could give a free brief, or
set this as a 60 second staging challenge, to condense the Inspector’s view of events.
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6 week teaching pack – An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley
Route through – week six
1.
Suggested starter activities
Who’s on the phone? Before reading the second part of Act Three, explain that there are two outgoing
phone calls and one incoming call in this part of the play. Ask students to improvise these calls,
imagining who might be on either end of the phone, and what might be said.
Engdoku: Treat your students to a gentle reminder of some of the symbolism within the play with this
Teachit resource Engdoku (Teachit filename: 21379). Set the Sudoku-inspired puzzle as a starter, and
feed into a lesson with a thematic or dramatic slant where you explore the recurring images, or dramatic
devices in the play.
Taboo: Use the Taboo revision game (Teachit filename: 17196) to revise key events and characters.
The words range from key adjectives to proper nouns, and could set up a revision lesson on any aspect
of the play.
2.
Suggested introduction activities
Read: Read from Gerald’s return in Act Three to the end of the play.
Engdoku: Use the question element of the Engdoku resource (Teachit filename: 21379) to explore the
images in more depth. Differentiation: as an alternative for higher attaining students, you could task
them to create questions about each of the images to test a classmate.
Tension graph: Once you’ve read the end of the play with your students, ask them to plot various
moments on the Tension graph (Teachit filename: 7112), and invite them to add other moments of
drama to expand the task.
Revision bites: Use the BBC Bitesize video material to revise characters, themes and plot. The themes
video is particularly thorough, and would work well as preparation for the following Accepting the truths
task.
3.
Suggested activities to show students’ understanding
Accepting the truths: Use the Teachit Word analysis quadrant (Teachit filename: 18172) to examine
how willing the characters are to accept their responsibility for the events, and their willingness to
change. Choose words to represent the emphasis you wish to explore: responsible/in denial;
honesty/deception; capitalist/socialist etc. This would allow you to contrast the younger and older
generation’s attitudes, even now that the Inspector is potentially not even genuine (and to consider
where Gerald fits in).
Dramatic devices: Set groups of students to examine the relevance and effectiveness of some of the
key dramatic devices in the play: the photograph, the doorbell/telephone, Edna, entrances and exits and
time for instance. You could set this up as a jigsaw activity so that each team comprises of someone
looking at a different device, then each representative teams up with his/her true groups (i.e. from a
mixed group to a group on a single device). This would enable students to rank the effectiveness of
each device in their first group, before looking at a specified device in more depth.
Tension graph: Build on the plotting activity in the Teachit resource Tension graph (Teachit filename:
7112) by setting students the task of adding quotations to the graph. If you’re feeling more creative, you
could construct team tension graphs using straws and colour coding the quotations, or even turn the
graph into a 3D dangle representing the tension within the play.
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6 week teaching pack – An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley
Route through – week six
Revision game: Use the comprehensive Teachit resource Revision game (Teachit filename: 15727) to
consolidate students’ understanding of characteristics, actions and quotations, with competition at the
heart.
Fun and games: Visit Teachit’s Revision Central collection and get students to revise creatively! Mind
palace revision (Teachit filename: 18445) would work well to revise the look and feel of the Birlings’
house, along with relevant props, so that revision notes are ‘plotted’ on the back. Alternatively, students
could write questions for each of the squares, pair up and test each other.
Decorate a chair: The Teachit resource Decorate a chair! (Teachit filename: 15502) would prompt a
thorough exploration of the characters, perhaps within a specific context during the play.
4.
Suggested plenary activities
Accepting the truths: As a follow-up to this task, you could display the word quadrant on the board and
place the characters appropriately on the grid. It would also be useful to compare where the characters
would have fitted at the start of the play with their final position.
Paper fortune tellers: Rustle up a plenary in seconds with an online fortune teller template or by
showing a ‘how to’ video on YouTube. Students could populate the fortune tellers with images,
questions and answers.
Role play: Cast the ‘real’ Inspector for an improvised role play of how he might arrive, with the
characters’ immediate reactions and facial expressions.
5.
Suggested additional creative opportunities

If you did the Freeze frames task from week 2 (or even if you didn’t!) you could roll out this activity to
range across the whole play, this time selecting key moments to depict the plot. Again, these could be
photographed, annotated and patched together as a storyboard – on indeed form the basis of a
storyboard for your class’s Hollywood debut (on YouTube).

Give each class member responsibility for a ‘day’ in your class countdown calendar to revise the play.
The Teachit resource Revision calendar (Teachit filename: 20887) would make a useful template for this
– and you could revisit the calendar when it’s time to revise.

If you’ve used any of the creative opportunities from previous weeks as homework opportunities, then
now would be a useful time to collate the learning. If you’ve set more than one, or differentiated these
according to learning preferences, then you could spend a productive lesson or two assembling these so
that students are able to share their learning with the rest of the class.
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de Bono’s detective skills [21327]
Teaching notes
Show your students the trailer for the 2011/2012 West End production of An
Inspector Calls:
http://www.aninspectorcalls.com/#/video/
or
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7jGR61PM6k
You may need to show this clip more than once.
The questions that follow are based on de Bono’s six thinking hats and
colour-coded accordingly. Students could be given just one colour so that
they ‘wear’ a specific hat, or you could get them to answer just a couple of
questions for each colour to expand their thinking. If you’re feeling brave, you
could ask them all to answer all of the questions!
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6 week teaching pack – An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley
White hat
What evidence can you find for the historical period in which the play is set?
What can we predict about the play’s setting?
What lighting effects were used in this production?
What can we assume about the play’s characters?
What clues are there about the events in the play?
Red hat
What do the lighting effects suggest about the emotions in the play?
How does the music make you feel?
What can you predict about the play’s themes?
Black hat
What difficulties might the characters face?
What, if anything, would put you off watching a production of An Inspector
Calls based on this trailer?
Are there any characters or events that make you feel uneasy?
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6 week teaching pack – An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley
Yellow hat
What do you like the look of based on your viewing of this trailer?
What, if anything, would make you want to watch a production of An Inspector
Calls, based on this trailer?
What do the reviews suggest about this particular production?
Green hat
How else could you inspire theatre-goers to see this production?
What questions do you have about the play from viewing just this trailer?
How would this trailer be different if the lighting and music were changed?
Have you got any ideas about what you would use instead?
Blue hat
How does the director combine different elements to have an effect on you?
What key words are spoken by the actors? What could you guess about their
significance?
What stands out most for you from watching this trailer?
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6 week teaching pack – An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley
Word wall [inspwordw]
Make connections between the words then group them accordingly.
responsibility
power
individual
community
old order
new order
society
capitalist
labour
social context
J.B. Priestley
historical context
audience
social hierarchy
dramatic irony
stage directions
generation
characterisation
performance
hypocrisy
conscience
guilt
respectability
youth and age
dialogue
Arthur Birling
characterisation
Sybil Birling
Sheila Birling
Eric Birling
Gerald Croft
Eva Smith
Daisy Renton
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6 week teaching pack – An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley
Play production template [20550]
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6 week teaching pack – An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley
Pre-teaching [intro]
A young woman has committed suicide
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The events leading up to her death were as follows:

Whilst working in a factory, in bad conditions and for low pay, she was part of a group which
organised a strike. Her employer sacked her for being a trouble maker.

She then got a job as a sales assistant in an expensive clothes shop. An important
customer (in a bad mood) thought she was giggling at her, and used her influence to get the
girl sacked.

She then became despondent and thought about becoming a prostitute. She got picked up
in a bar by a man who pitied her and ‘keeps’ her for several months. She fell in love with
him, but he was forced to dump her because he was engaged to be married.

She went back to the same bar, thinking again of becoming a prostitute to earn a living, when
she was picked up by a younger man, who saw her twice, but then left her.

She found she was pregnant and applied for help to a charity. The head of the charity
refused her help because she didn’t believe her.
WHO IS TO BLAME FOR HER DEATH?
-----------------------------------------------------------  ----------------------------------------------------------------
A young woman has committed suicide
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The events leading up to her death were as follows:

Whilst working in a factory, in bad conditions and for low pay, she was part of a group which
organised a strike. Her employer sacked her for being a trouble maker.

She then got a job as a sales assistant in an expensive clothes shop. An important
customer (in a bad mood) thought she was giggling at her, and used her influence to get the
girl sacked.

She then became despondent and thought about becoming a prostitute. She got picked up
in a bar by a man who pitied her and ‘kept’ her for several months. She fell in love with him,
but he was forced to dump her because he was engaged to be married.

She went back to the same bar, thinking again of becoming a prostitute to earn a living, when
she was picked up by a younger man, who saw her twice, but then left her.

She found she was pregnant and applied for help to a charity. The head of the charity
refused her help because she didn’t believe her.
WHO IS TO BLAME FOR HER DEATH?
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6 week teaching pack – An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley
Quiz on BBC’s Texts in Context series
Answer the following questions which are based on the BBC Texts in Context series for
An Inspector Calls.
1)
What adjective is used to describe J. B. Priestley’s play?
2)
How does the speaker describe Priestley? As a conformist or a radical?
3)
What two historical periods do we need to know about in order to understand the
play?
4)
How had Priestley become well known during WWII?
5)
What, according to his son, did Priestley want for the people after WWII?
6)
Write down three reasons that the social face of Britain altered during WWII.
7)
What did people want after the war?
8)
Why did Priestley set his play in 1912?
9)
What was about to collapse?
10) How many people were paid less than 25 shillings a week?
11) Who were at the bottom of the pile?
12) Why were the British manufacturers so successful?
13) What happened on March 1st 1912?
14) How was Britain divided?
15) What does Edna represent?
16) Who were concerned about the way people were living?
17) What rarely met in the world of Edwardian Britain?
18) What’s the best thing about Sheila?
19) What was the real purpose of the charity groups?
20) What were unmarried mothers driven into?
21) What does Eric know is coming?
22) How does Tom Priestley describe his father?
23) What happened to Edwardian Britain in 1914?
24) What would Gerald betray if he changed?
25) The actress suggests that the play finishes in a certain way. What adjective does
she use?
26) The film suggests a group of people won and a group of people lost, who were
they?
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6 week teaching pack – An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley
Answers
1) What adjective is used to describe J. B. Priestley’s play? Controversial
2) How does the speaker describe Priestley? As a conformist or a radical?
Conformist
3) What two historical periods do we need to know about in order to understand the
play? 1912 and 1945
4) How had Priestley become well known during WWII? He made a series of morale
boosting radio broadcasts
5) What, according to his son, did Priestley want for the people after WWII? A better
world
6) Write down three reasons that the social face of Britain altered during WWII.
a. full employment
b. moral welfare of the workers
c. evacuation meant that poor city children could end up with wealthy
country people
d. the armed forces mixed together the different classes
e. clothes rationing meant everybody looked the same
7) What did people want after the war? A new Britain
8) Why did Priestley set his play in 1912?
Because it represented the total opposite
9) What was about to collapse? The great dream
10) How many people were paid less than 25 shillings a week? 8 million
11) Who were at the bottom of the pile? Working women
12) Why were the British manufacturers so successful? Prices high, wages low
13) What happened on March 1st 1912? A miners’ strike
14) How was Britain divided? Into different classes
15) What does Edna represent? The underdog
16) Who were concerned about the way people were living? Writers
17) What rarely meet in the world of Edwardian Britain?
The two worlds of the different classes
18) What’s the best thing about Sheila? Her curiosity and willingness to learn
19) What was the real purpose of the charity groups?
To ease the conscience of the privileged few
20) What were unmarried mothers driven into? Prostitution
21) What does Eric know is coming? Judgement day
22) How does Tom Priestley describe his father? As a conscience of the nation
23) What happened to Edwardian Britain in 1914? It was shattered forever
24) What would Gerald betray if he changed? His class
25) The actress suggests that the play finishes in a certain way. What adjective does
she use? Optimistic
26) The film suggests a group of people won and a group of people lost, who were
they? Young won, the old lost
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6 week teaching pack – An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley
Tension graph [14804]
1
Key event
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Tension/excitement
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6 week teaching pack – An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley
Historical context [20444]
Put the following events into the correct order of when they happened.
Hitler comes to power in Germany.
Elizabeth II becomes Queen.
The first old age pensions are paid.
The Titanic sinks (in April).
An Inspector Calls is performed for the first time in the UK.
Captain Scott finally reaches the South Pole (in January, behind
Amundsen).
An Inspector Calls is set (shortly before the Titanic sinks).
The First World War happens.
The Wall Street Crash in the USA affects the world’s banking system.
Queen Victoria dies.
The Wright brothers make the first flight in a petrol-powered aeroplane.
Television arrives in the UK.
The Second World War happens.
Read back through Act 1 and find any references to historical context. Which of the above
events are mentioned?
Choose at least three events and research what happened. How would mentioning these
events in the play affect the audience watching at the time of the play’s first performance?
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6 week teaching pack – An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley
Answers
Queen Victoria dies (1901).
The Wright brothers make the first flight in a petrol-powered aeroplane (1903).
The first old age pensions are paid (1909).
Captain Scott finally reaches the South Pole (in January, behind Amundsen) (1912).
An Inspector Calls is set (shortly before the Titanic sinks) (1912).
The Titanic sinks (in April) (1912).
The First World War happens (1914 -1918).
The Wall Street Crash in the USA affects the world’s banking system (1929).
Hitler comes to power in Germany (1933).
Television arrives in the UK (1936).
The Second World War happens (1939 -1945).
An Inspector Calls is performed for the first time (1946).
Elizabeth II becomes Queen (1952).
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6 week teaching pack – An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley
Jigsaw pieces [14861]
Create a jigsaw of connections, questions and quotations for your text using the outline below.
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6 week teaching pack – An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley
Role on the wall [18079]
Fill the figure with information, quotes and stage directions that relate to the Inspector.
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6 week teaching pack – An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley
Analysing stage directions [20433]
Complete the table to show what the stage directions in Act One reveal about the characters.
Stage direction
What it means
‘[Edna, the parlourmaid, is
just clearing the table …’
The Birlings are wealthy and can afford servants. They do
not need to do much for themselves.
‘[… champagne glasses,
etc., …decanter of port,
cigar box and cigarettes.]’
Champagne is used to celebrate and is linked to good
times, wealth and happiness. This suggests the Birlings are
celebrating something.
‘It has good solid furniture
of the period. The general
effect is substantial and
heavily comfortable, but not
cosy and homelike.’
‘The lighting should be pink
and intimate …’
‘…the four Birlings and
Gerald are seated at the
table, with Arthur Birling at
one end, his wife at the
other …’
‘…all five are in evening
dress of the period.’
Now choose another act and create your own table with a selection of stage directions and
what they reveal about the characters.
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6 week teaching pack – An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley
Pyramid [7128]
 Rank the characters in order of status.
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6 week teaching pack – An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley
Tricky situations [21312]
The committee meeting – role play
A young working class factory girl has appealed to a women’s charity for some money to help
her out with her unplanned pregnancy. The father has deserted her, and in any case drank
too much and was too young to help out too. To make matters worse, the only money
offered so far from her father was money she fears was stolen. Will the committee grant her
the money?
Your task
You need to stage the interview in which the young girl appeals for help. Role play the event
from start to finish, practising until you’re happy, and making notes to prompt a sort of ‘script’
(but no reading when performing!). You will need to work in a small team, and should include
at least the first three characters listed. Other roles may be allocated according to the
number in your team:
The roles you need to cast:

Sarah Jones – the young girl. She is soon to be a single mother, on a factory wage,
and is desperate for help. She first introduces herself as Mrs Hardasnails, because
she thinks the committee may have more pity for a married girl in the situation, but it
turns out to be a mistake.

Mrs Hardasnails – chair of the committee who will make the final decision. She is
upper class, and is offended that the girl used the name ‘Mrs Hardasnails’ when she
first introduced herself. She has no idea why this was the case, but takes an instant
dislike to the girl. She may be a tricky lady to persuade!

Mrs Givealot – another member of the committee, who is known for her generosity.
She has two young daughters and is concerned by the young girl’s appearance and
story. She is more likely to be generous to the young girl.

Miss Wall – another member of the committee, who is elderly and has traditional
values about marriage before starting a family. She could be hard to convince.

Mr Kind – a new father himself, he may have more sympathy with the young girl. He
knows how costly a new child can be, and wants to know more about the father. He
will raise lots of questions about the role of fathers in family life.
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6 week teaching pack – An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley
The tricky customer – role play
A young, pretty girl works in the ladies’ clothing department in Debenhams. She has worked
there for two months, and after a miserable existence in a factory, she likes her new job. The
staff have no complaints about her, but one day she comes across a tricky customer. The
customer, a well-known celebrity shopping with her mother, is very put out that when the
young girl holds up a dress next to herself, she looks stunning. When the customer tries it
on, she catches sight of the girl, who seems to be smiling, knowing that the dress is no good
on her. While the customer knows this, she is cross and offended, and instantly goes to the
Manager to complain. What happens next?
Your task
You need to stage the episode in Debenhams, and come up with the Manager’s solution. He
wants to keep his celebrity customer, but will he value his member of staff more?
Cast roles in your group, and role play the event from start to finish, practising until you’re
happy, and making notes to prompt a sort of ‘script’ (but no reading when performing!).
The roles you need to cast:

Sarah Jones – the young girl who works in Debenhams, who has just started the job
and is doing well until that fateful day. She is a perfect store assistant, and happens to
smile at the wrong moment. Will she be able to keep her job?

Miss Hilton – the celebrity customer, who tries on a dress. She has doubts about the
dress herself, but when Sarah held it up against herself, it looked great. She is used
to being well looked after and getting her own way, and is very cross that Sarah smiled
as she did. What will she demand of the manager?

Mrs Hilton – mother of the celebrity who tries on the dress. She persuaded her
daughter to try on the dress in the first place, and has a dubious sense of style herself.
She is a very opinionated lady, and may well get involved when her daughter is upset
by the behaviour of the young shop assistant.

The Manager – he will decide what happens as a result of the episode. Remember
that he will not want to lose an important customer, however he has so far been very
impressed by his new shop assistant.
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6 week teaching pack – An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley
Act One: who said …? [21452]
These quotations demonstrate the contrast between Mr Birling’s shameless belittling of Eva Smith
and Sheila’s pity for her. They also reveal their contrasting rejection and acceptance of
responsibility for being involved in her death.
Sort the statements to fit the relevant character: Mr Birling, Sheila and the Inspector.
When you have finished, write an explanation of the tone and message implied by the Inspector’s
words.
‘It’s a perfectly straightforward case ... obviously
it has nothing whatever to do with the wretched
girl’s suicide.’
‘... what happened to her then may have
determined what happened to her afterwards,
and what happened afterwards may have driven
her to suicide. A chain of events.’
‘I can’t accept any responsibility.’
‘It’s a free country, I told them.’
‘If you don’t come down sharply on some of
these people, they’d soon be asking for the
earth.’
‘... it’s better to ask for the earth than to take it.’
‘Have you any idea what happened to her after
that? Get into trouble? Go on the streets?’
‘... I can’t help thinking about this girl –
destroying herself so horribly – and I’ve been so
happy tonight ... What was she like? Quite
young?’
‘There are a lot of young women living that sort
of existence in every city and big town in this
country ... If there weren’t, the factories and
warehouses wouldn’t know where to look for
cheap labour.’
‘But these girls aren’t cheap labour – they’re
people.’
‘A nice little promising life there, I thought, and a
nasty mess somebody’s made of it.’
‘Sometimes there isn’t as much difference as
you might think [between respectable citizens
and criminals] ... I wouldn’t know where to draw
the line.’
‘I’m trying to tell the truth.’
‘It just didn’t suit me at all. I looked silly in the
thing.’
‘How could I know what would happen
afterwards?’
‘It’s the only time I’ve ever done anything like
that, and I’ll never, never do it again to
anybody.’
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6 week teaching pack – An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley
Answers

‘It’s a perfectly straightforward case ... obviously it has nothing whatever to do with
the wretched girl’s suicide.’ Mr Birling

‘... what happened to her then may have determined what happened to her
afterwards, and what happened afterwards may have driven her to suicide. A chain
of events.’ Inspector

‘I can’t accept any responsibility.’ Mr Birling

‘It’s a free country, I told them.’ Mr Birling

‘If you don’t come down sharply on some of these people, they’d soon be asking
for the earth.’ Mr Birling

‘... it’s better to ask for the earth than to take it.’ Inspector

‘Have you any idea what happened to her after that? Get into trouble? Go on the
streets?’ Mr Birling

‘... I can’t help thinking about this girl – destroying herself so horribly – and I’ve
been so happy tonight ... What was she like? Quite young?’ Sheila

‘There are a lot of young women living that sort of existence in every city and big
town in this country ... If there weren’t, the factories and warehouses wouldn’t know
where to look for cheap labour.’ Inspector

‘But these girls aren’t cheap labour – they’re people.’ Sheila

’A nice little promising life there, I thought, and a nasty mess somebody’s made of
it’. Inspector

‘Sometimes there isn’t as much difference as you might think [between respectable
citizens and criminals] ... I wouldn’t know where to draw the line.’ Inspector

‘I’m trying to tell the truth.’ Sheila

‘It just didn’t suit me at all. I looked silly in the thing.’ Sheila

‘How could I know what would happen afterwards?’ Sheila

‘It’s the only time I’ve ever done anything like that, and I’ll never, never do it again
to anybody.’ Sheila
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Act One learning grid [21450]
Teaching notes
The Learning Grid concept is inspired by Stephen Bowkett who ran a course on this, which in
turn featured in Outstanding Teaching: Engaging Learners. Learning grids are designed for
students to work on in pairs, but could be completed as a team challenge or pairs of pairs
who could compare their learning.
Students will need a die each (or per pair) and a learning grid (or you could project this on the
whiteboard). Students use the die to determine which two cells in the grid they will talk about
first. Each pair rolls a die once to determine the number of the row; they then roll the die
again to determine the number of the column. For example, if they first roll a 3 then a 6, they
would have landed on the image of a man and woman. Their first task is to explain the
relevance of that image (or word/s) to Act One of An Inspector Calls. Next, they should
repeat the process and then explain any links between the two cells. So, for example, if they
next roll a 5 then a 4, they would explain how men and women connect with Mr Birling. In
this case, they might comment that Mr Birling seems to have rather traditionalist values about
men and women; he’s clearly a man who believes in the family name and reputation being
determined by the alpha male of the household, and treats the ‘girls’ he employs as second
class citizens.
The second grid featured is designed for higher attaining students, with a few variations of
images and word/s, which depict more precise and advanced details from Act One.
You could set a time limit for students to work on this activity, or set a number of pairs of cells
for them to link together. This resource is designed to be extremely flexible, so you could
add an element of competition by pitting pairs of students against each other, or adapting the
grid to suit your students. You could even set grids for Act Two as homework!
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1
1
2
3
Cheap labour
£
Eva Smith
2
5
6
September 1910
Power
Daisy Renton
3
4
4
Colonel Roberts
5
6
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Crofts Ltd.
?
Eric
Gerald
Young vs. old
Sheila
Labour costs
Jealous
Responsibility
Mr Birling
Milwards
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Brumley
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6 week teaching pack – An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley
1
1
2
3
Cheap labour
£
Eva Smith
2
5
6
September 1910
Power
Daisy Renton
3
4
4
Crofts Ltd.
Colonel Roberts
5
6
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?
Jealous
Magistrates bench
Responsibility
Citizens vs.
criminals
Young vs. old
Officious
Labour costs
Milwards
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Brumley
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Image Credits
Images from Flickr:
Doorbell: Takomabibelot, 2009. http://www.flickr.com/photos/takomabibelot/3917734943/
Photograph of woman: Kheel Center, Cornell University, 2010.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kheelcenter/5279788134/
Other images featured:
Doorbell
Champagne glasses
Bottle of disinfectant
Hospital sign
Letter/diary
Photograph (of ‘Eva’)
A chain
‘Fair wages’ placard
Standard lamp
Mirror
Dress
Engagement ring
Magnifying glass
Factory
Heart
Women/men
The Earth
Golf
Ghoul
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Point, evidence, explanation technique [4140]
Arthur Birling
Arthur Birling is an opinionated man
[DOGMATIC, of fixed views, of preconceived ideas, dictatorial, domineering, assertive,
positive, confident, assured; cocksure, pompous, self-important, adamant, arrogant,
obstinate, stubborn, pig-headed, bull-headed, obdurate, headstrong, wilful, single-minded,
inflexible, uncompromising, prejudiced, biased, bigoted.
-opposite: OPEN-MINDED.]
as we see when he says …
He is also prejudiced
[BIASED, bigoted, discriminatory, one-sided, jaundiced, intolerant, narrow-minded, unfair,
unjust, non-objective, blinkered, coloured, distorted, warped, loaded, weighted; racist,
racialist, anti-Semitic, chauvinistic, chauvinist, sexist, heterosexist, ageist, homophobic,
fattist.
-opposite(s): UNBIASED, IMPARTIAL, FAIR.]
towards the working class as we learn from his comments about Eva Smith …
By presenting him in this way, J.B. Priestley wants us to judge him harshly
and agree with him that such men are …
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Wordplay in Act Two [21478]
Task 1
J. B. Priestley uses words carefully for comic effect in Act Two of An Inspector Calls.
Sometimes the humour is due to dramatic irony, or because the audience has a better
viewpoint of all the characters at this point. It’s worth knowing the meanings of some of
these words to understand the humour.
Which is the correct definition?
Impertinent adj means ...
a. deceiving or sly
b. intrusive or presumptuous; insolently rude
c. excitable or silly; childishness
d. limp
Working in a pair, decide which of you will be ‘A’ and which will be ‘B’. If you are an ‘A’,
choose a word from the ‘A’ column and if you are a ‘B’, choose a word from the ‘B’ column.
Create three extra false definitions for your chosen word. Reword the real definition too,
so that it sounds more like something you’d write!
Once you have your word, with all four definitions (real and invented), swap with your
partner and each of you chooses what you think is the correct definition.
Words to choose from:
A
B
hysterical adj in a state of uncontrolled
excitement, anger, or panic
vindictive adj maliciously seeking
revenge
responsible adj responsible for having control or
dubious adj not entirely honest
authority over
impressionable adj easily impressed or
influenced
carcass (or carcase) n the dead body
of an animal; a person’s body
(informal)
notorious adj well-known for some bad reason
sot n a person who is frequently drunk
offence n a breaking of a law or rule; crime
imperturbable adj not easily upset;
calm
NB All definitions are adapted from the Collins English Dictionary.
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Task 2
Priestley uses some clever wordplay in Act Two before we hear Gerald’s confession.
Read the extracts below, then answer the questions that follow.
Extract 1:
Mrs Birling: If you mean that the Inspector will take offence –
Inspector: No, no. I never take offence.
Mrs Birling: I’m glad to hear it. Though I must add that it seems to me that we have more
reason for taking offence.
Inspector: Let’s leave offence out of it shall we?
Gerald: I think we’d better.
Sheila: So do I.
Mrs Birling (rebuking them): I’m talking to the Inspector now, if you don’t mind.
Questions:
1. What are the different definitions of the word ‘offence’ that seem to be in use by the
various characters here? How does the wordplay work?
2. Why do Sheila and Gerald gain the upper hand over Mrs Birling (i.e. What have
they understood that Mrs Birling hasn’t)?
Extract 2:
Birling (angrily): Inspector, I’ve told you before, I don’t like your tone nor the way you’re
handling this inquiry. And I don’t propose to give you much more rope.
Inspector: You needn’t give me any rope.
Sheila (rather wildly, with laugh): No, he’s giving us rope – so that we’ll hang ourselves.
Birling (to Mrs Birling): What’s the matter with that child?
Questions:
1. What is the meaning of the phrase ‘to give someone some/enough rope’ in the
sense that Mr Birling uses the phrase?
2. Why is the Inspector’s response funny?
3. What has Sheila understood that Mrs Birling hasn’t? How does this create humour
for the audience?
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6 week teaching pack – An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley
Gerald’s affair [21479]
Sequence the events of Gerald’s affair with Daisy Renton into the correct order:
Gerald broke off the affair due to work, and Daisy moved to the seaside, with some
savings.
Two days later, Gerald found out that Daisy was about to lose her accommodation.
Gerald found out that Daisy had lost both parents, had lost two recent jobs and was broke
and hungry.
Gerald took Daisy to the County Hotel, where they talked.
Daisy became Gerald’s mistress.
Gerald suggested to Daisy that she leave the bar.
Gerald’s friend had given him the key to some of his rooms, so he moved Daisy in.
Gerald noticed Daisy because she looked different: 'She was very pretty – soft brown hair
and big dark eyes -'
Gerald met Daisy in the Palace music hall.
Old Joe Meggarty had cornered Daisy, who looked at Gerald for help.
Task
How do you feel towards Gerald after his revelation? Choose words from the list below to
help explain how your attitude towards him has changed, or how you still feel about him:
prejudiced
proud
perceptive
authoritative
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dismissive compassionate
lucky
privileged
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respectful
patronising
serious
understanding
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6 week teaching pack – An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley
Chat show:
Imagine that Gerald reveals his affair on daytime TV. In groups, prepare a dramatisation
of his confession, ensuring that you include Gerald, Sheila, the Inspector, Mrs Birling, Mr
Birling – and if you’re confident, Daisy. Remember to include the dramatic moment when
Sheila hands back Gerald’s ring. The Inspector could take on a ‘Jeremy Kyle’ style role,
but must stay true to his character in setting the moral tone, and prompting the other
characters to speak.
Here are some quotations that might be useful when preparing your chat show:
Inspector
'At the end of January, last year, this girl Eva Smith had to leave Milwards, because Miss Birling
compelled them to discharge her, and then she stopped being Eva Smith, looking for a job, and
became Daisy Renton, with other ideas. (Sharply turning on him.) Mr Croft, when did you first get
to know her?'
Gerald
'The girl saw me
'All she wanted was to
'I became at once the
'I didn’t feel about
looking at her and then
talk.'
most important person
her as she did about
in her life.'
me.'
gave me a glance that
was nothing less than
a cry for help.'
Sheila
'You were the
'I rather respect you
'now at least you’ve
'We’d have to start all
wonderful Fairy
more than I’ve ever
been honest – '
over again, getting to
Prince. You must have
done before.'
know each other – '
adored it Gerald.'
Mrs Birling
'I must say, we are learning
'It’s disgusting to me –'
something ...'
'I think we’ve just about come
to an end of this wretched
business – '
Mr Birling
'I protest against the way in which my daughter,
'Sheila, I’m not defending him. But you must
a young unmarried girl, is being dragged into
understand that a lot of young men – '
this – '
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Sequencing activity answers:

Gerald met Daisy in the Palace music hall.

Gerald noticed Daisy because she looked different: 'She was very pretty – soft
brown hair and big dark eyes –'

Old Joe Meggarty had cornered Daisy, who looked at Gerald for help.

Gerald suggested to Daisy that she leave the bar.

Gerald took Daisy to the County Hotel, where they talked.

Gerald found out that Daisy had lost both parents, had lost two recent jobs and was
broke and hungry.

Two days later, Gerald found out that Daisy was about to lose her accommodation.

Gerald’s friend had given him the key to some of his rooms, so he moved Daisy in.

Daisy became Gerald’s mistress.

Gerald broke off the affair due to work, and Daisy moved to the seaside, with some
savings.
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6 week teaching pack – An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley
Chat show: who is to blame? [1351]
How it works
In addition to being a speaking and listening practice, this is a
lively exercise in getting students to explore in detail the
characters and the morality of the text through an extended role
play. Oh but far more fun than that sounds because they get to
be audience and participants in trashy day time TV chat show
mode: Happy days!
The resource gives useful starting points, with a quotation for
each character and a number of lines of enquiry for answering
the question ‘who is to blame?’ Students adopt a role and
prepare their initial arguments before the chat show classroom
event takes place.
Try this!
I probably wouldn’t do this as an assessed activity because of
the potential for mayhem that makes trashy daytime TV chat
shows such popular viewing. Really, if you’re going to do this,
let rip and have some fun, otherwise you’ll spend half the time
telling students off for only doing what they’ve seen on TV. The
fun is in the high stake verbal confrontations, the tears, and the
recriminations. If you’re using it to try and assess standard
English performance and sensitive listening, you’ll probably just
confuse your students. But as a dramatic exercise in its own
right, and as a way of really probing attitudes and ideas about
character and morality, this technique can push hard and
generate original and exciting ideas. You just need to make
sure that you capture them. Try videoing the event for
subsequent review (get students being the studio crew!) and/or
adopting an observer’s role (let someone very feisty in the class
be the show host).
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6 week teaching pack – An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley
In groups, prepare a ‘Jeremy Kyle’ style debate on who is to blame. Each of you must
present a particular point of view at first, but you must also listen and respond to the
arguments of others. Choose your role from one of the following:

The host of the show. He or she must manage the argument so that everybody gets
to speak, and steer the debates where necessary.

Mr Birling – ‘That wretched girl has been nothing but trouble…’

Sheila – ‘It’s the only time I’ve ever done anything like that…’

Gerald – ‘I didn’t feel about her as she felt about me …’

Mrs Birling – ‘I did nothing I’m ashamed of …’

Eric – ‘And I didn’t even remember – that’s the hellish thing …’

The Inspector – ‘Each of you is guilty …’
The audience members should question the above characters, and argue their point of
view. Start with the suggested points, but obviously you will need to really develop these if
you are to argue your case effectively.

Mr Birling – he set Eva off on her destructive path …

Gerald – he broke Eva’s heart …

Mrs Birling – she refused Eva help when she was desperate …

Eva herself – she allowed herself to get in a mess …
Make sure you:
 make a significant contribution
 engage with the ideas of others – build on and challenge where possible
 promote a point of view – be persuasive!
 speak fluently and purposefully
 always listen closely.
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6 week teaching pack – An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley
Describing character [3480]
Teaching notes:
Once students have read or watched the play once through (or even as far as
the end of Act 1) they can do the following with the worksheets below.
 Allocate each group one character: Mr Birling, Mrs Birling, Sheila, Eric,
Gerald.
 Get each group to choose the vocabulary that applies to their character
and then complete the chart.
 All completed charts can be copied for the whole class.
Instructions:
Colour code the vocabulary to identify which words belong to your character
(Mr Birling, Mrs Birling, Sheila, Eric and Gerald).
Complete the chart on your character by selecting six of the words that
describe them, finding evidence from the text to support your opinion, then
explain what that tells you about the character and their function in the play.
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6 week teaching pack – An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley
heartless
contented
polite
prejudiced
smug
prejudiced
social climber
patronising
opinionated
hypocritical
honest
lacks confidence
self-centred
nervous
discreet
secretive
self-made
compassionate
uneasy
opinionated
sympathetic
arrogant
spoilt
cold-hearted
aggressive
perceptive
traditionalist
unrepentant
remorseful
repentant
intelligent
unsympathetic
superior
indulgent
snob
self-centred
Add your own words here ...
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6 week teaching pack – An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley
Name: .........................................................................................
Point
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Evidence
Explanation
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6 week teaching pack – An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley
Write Eva Smith’s diary [10824]
Imagine you are Eva Smith in the play, and write her diary entries for the dates mentioned below.
Think carefully about how you could write the diary to best reflect Eva’s character and her
experiences in the language and style you choose to use.
Eva Smith’s Diary Part One
Date: September 1910
Task: You are going to write Eva Smith’s diary entry for this date, referring closely to Act One of
the play.
Some ideas you might like to include:
 What conditions were like at Birling’s factory, and what you felt about Mr Birling, and his attitude
to wages.
 What happened when you met with Birling about wages.
 Why you asked for more money, and then went on strike.
 What it was like being on strike over Christmas, and why you went back to work.
 How you felt when you were sacked, and what happened afterwards.
If you’re stuck, try this starting line: Work was terrible today …
Eva Smith’s Diary Part Two
Date: January 1911
Task: Write Eva’s diary entry for this date, referring closely to Act One of the play. You can do this as
one diary entry looking back over a long period of time, or break it down into separate entries.
Some ideas you might like to include:
 How you felt about the interview for the new job, and about getting the job after being
unemployed for two months.
 What you thought about your new job at Millwards.
 What happened with Sheila, and how you felt being fired again.
 How you feel about Sheila, and what you think you’ll do now.
If you’re stuck, try this starting line: The worst thing ever has happened …
Eva Smith’s Diary Part Three
Date: September 1911
Task: Write Eva’s diary for this date, referring closely to Act Two of the play.
Some ideas you might like to include:
 What it was like for you after being sacked from Millwards.
 What happened between being sacked and meeting Gerald.
 How you met Gerald, and what you thought of him.
 What you felt when he offered you the flat, and afterwards when he asked you to move out.
 How you feel towards Gerald now and what you plan to do.
If you’re stuck, try this starting line: I can’t believe it …
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6 week teaching pack – An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley
Bullseye [14844]
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6 week teaching pack – An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley
Whose bag is it? [18919]
Choose a character from the play. Draw pictures of items that you think your character
would carry in their bag and write a brief description. You could also draw symbols that
represent the character such as food, animals, weather etc. For example you could draw
storm clouds to represent a ‘moody’ character.
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6 week teaching pack – An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley
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6 week teaching pack – An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley
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6 week teaching pack – An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley
Theme definitions [21504]
Cut up, then distribute the terms and definitions to students, and ask them to pair up.
Alternatively, give the whole set for a card sort (but shuffle them up!).
education
the act or process of acquiring knowledge
relationships
the mutual dealings, connections, or feelings
that exist between two parties
class
a group of persons sharing a similar social
position and certain economic, political, and
cultural characteristics
gender
individual
power
community
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the state of being male or female
a single person, especially when regarded as
distinct from others
political, financial, social, etc. force or
influence
a group of people having cultural, religious,
ethnic, or other characteristics in common
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6 week teaching pack – An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley
society
the totality of social relationships among
organised groups of human beings
guilt
responsibility, remorse or self-reproach
caused by feeling that one is responsible for
a wrong or offence
lies
to speak untruthfully with intent to mislead or
deceive
J. B. Priestley
the playwright, a socialist
dramatic irony
the irony occurring when the implications of a
situation, speech, etc. are understood by the
audience but not by the characters in the play
conscience
love
respectability
the sense of right and wrong that governs a
person's thoughts and actions
an intense emotion of affection, warmth,
fondness, and regard towards a person or
thing
the quality or state of being respectable; the
fact of being considered socially acceptable
NB All definitions are from the Collins English Dictionary.
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6 week teaching pack – An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley
An Inspector called… [21505]
These terms could be applied to the Inspector at various stages in the play. Read the
definitions, then decide how his words from Act Two fit each role. Use the Venn diagram
to sort the quotations into the relevant category, and remember that you can use the space
between the categories for any that fit more than one category.
Humanist philosopher: concerned for the welfare, values and dignity of human beings,
and who believes that reason and strong moral values can be guiding principles for life.
Social commentator: expresses opinions on the state of society, usually with the
intention of rebelling against popular thought.
Story-teller: hooks the audience’s interest; introduces characters; establishes a sense of
place; suggests the themes and ideas the play will explore; sets up the story or the
structure around which the play will progress.
Quotations
1. ‘And you think young women ought to be
protected against unpleasant and disturbing
things?’
2. ‘A girl died tonight. A pretty, lively sort of girl,
who never did anybody any harm. But she
died in misery and agony – hating life.’
3. ‘Miss Birling has just been made to
understand what she did to this girl. She feels
responsible.’
4. ‘You see, we have to share something. If
there’s nothing else, we’ll have to share our
guilt.’
5. ‘No, he’s a young man. And some young men
drink far too much.’
6. ‘At the end of January last year, this girl Eva
Smith had to leave Milwards, because Miss
Birling compelled them to discharge her, and
then she stopped being Eva Smith, looking for
a job, and became Daisy Renton, with other
ideas.’
7. ‘She was a woman. She was lonely. Were
you in love with her?’
8. ‘Your daughter isn’t living on the moon.
She’s here in Brumley too.’
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6 week teaching pack – An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley
9. ‘I think she went away – to be alone, to be
quiet, to remember all that had happened
between you.’
10. ‘She felt there would never be anything as
good again for her – so she had to make it
last longer.’
11. ‘You’re not telling me the truth.’
12. ‘Public men, Mr Birling, have responsibilities
as well as privileges.’
13. ‘You’ll remember that Mr Croft told us –
quite truthfully, I believe – that he hadn’t
spoken to or seen Eva Smith since last
September. But Mrs Birling spoke to and saw
her only two weeks ago.’
14. ‘I think you did something terribly wrong –
and that you’re going to spend the rest of your
life regretting it.’
15. ‘... this girl was going to have a child.’
16. ‘... she’d been turned out and turned down
too many times. This was the end.’
17. ‘She came to you for help, at a time when
no woman could have needed it more. And
you not only refused it yourself, but saw to it
that the others refused it too.’
18. ‘She was here alone, friendless, almost
penniless, desperate. She needed not only
money but advice, sympathy, friendliness.’
19. ‘You’ve had children. You must have known
what she was feeling. And you slammed the
door in her face.’
20. ‘Her position now is that she lies with a
burnt-out inside on a slab.’
When you have finished sorting the quotations into the relevant parts of the Venn, answer
the question below, using the evidence you have gathered to help explain your answer.
To what extent is the Inspector actually the voice of Priestley himself, in terms
of being a story teller, a social commentator and a humanist philosopher?
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Speaking and Listening: The committee meeting [1350]
Mrs Birling was a prominent member of the Brumley Women’s Charity Organisation. She
persuaded the committee not to help Eva Smith. Imagine that you are Mrs Birling putting
your point of view against Eva Smith at the committee meeting. Other members of the
group may be more sympathetic to Eva’s plight. Some may agree with you. Act out the
scene as it might have occurred.
1. Re-read the section of Act Two where Mrs Birling tells her part of the story, to check
the events when Eva Smith appealed to the charity.
2. Make a list of all the points Mrs Birling might use in her argument against helping Eva,
and a list of all the arguments other more caring members might use to persuade the
group to help Eva.
3. Allocate roles, with an even number of people speaking for and against Eva. Use the
ideas below if you like.
Speaking against Eva
Speaking for Eva

Mrs Birling

Miss Handout

Mr Righteous

Mr Givealot

Miss Withered

Mrs Kind
Note: it might be wise to appoint a chairperson to move the discussion along.
4. Role play the committee meeting described by Mrs Birling until it runs smoothly - you
may write down a rough script if you like.
When doing this you should try to:
 speak fluently and confidently
 adapt your talk to your task - choose a style of speaking which fits in with your
character and with the context of a committee meeting
 listen closely and respond to the contributions of others
 try to manage the talk - make sure everyone gets their say
 promote your point of view by challenging what others say and making your own
points powerfully.
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6 week teaching pack – An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley
Socialism and capitalism [17332]
Cut out the following statements and place them under the correct heading.
Capitalism
Socialism
The traditional views of the Labour Party.
Views of Clement Attlee in 1945.
Introduced the National Health Service.
Views personified in the play by the
Inspector, which suggests that they are
well-informed, serious and important.
Younger characters come to share them.
The views of J.B. Priestley (who wrote the
play), George Bernard Shaw, and H.G.
Wells.
A set of beliefs represented by the character
of Mr Birling.
Describes people like George Bernard
Shaw, H.G. Wells, and J.B. Priestley as
‘cranks’ (an insult).
Has an attitude of ‘You’ve worked hard to
earn your money, and you should be
allowed to keep it all.’
Suggests that the poor should work harder
so that they can become rich. All people
should pay roughly the same amount of tax.
Has an attitude of ‘You should share your
wealth, if you are rich, with those who
aren’t.’
The traditional views of the Conservative
Party. The views of Winston Churchill in
1945.
Proposes the idea of individual
responsibility, looking out for yourself and
those close to you, but not everyone in
society.
A set of beliefs represented by the character
of Inspector Goole. This set of beliefs is
very much criticised and made to look unfair
by the play.
This set of beliefs is portrayed favourably in
the play. Suggests that the rich should
support the poor, and pay higher taxes,
related to how much they earn.
Proposes the idea of living together as a
Through the technique of dramatic irony,
community, all looking out for and protecting this political view is shown to be idiotic, as
each other.
those who hold it are shown to be fools.
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Links in a chain [10582]
Consequence
Event
Motive
Consequence
Action
Action
Motive
Event
Action
Event
Action
Action
Consequence
Motive
Motive
Consequence
Motive
Event
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Consequence
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Spring
1912
Mid–1909
Consequence
Left without any hope or
respectability and facing
starvation – SUICIDE.
The Inspector calls on
the Birlings.
Event
Fresh, pretty, lively
orphaned country
girl. Hard working.
Motive
Thought the girl was
‘impertinent’ for using the
name ‘Mrs Birling’ and laying
claim to ‘fine’ feelings.
Encouraged others to refuse
her any help.
at Birling’s.
Consequence
Out of work for two
months and facing
hunger.
Action
Dismissed a girl
from his
factory.
Action
Refused charity
to a pregnant
girl.
Event
Sep 1910
Motive
As Eva was outspoken, he
thought her a ringleader in
a strike for a 2/6d a week
pay rise. He is more
concerned with profit than
people.
Last vestiges of respectability
gone. Penniless, starving and in
abject need, seeks help from
local charity.
Nov 1910
Action
Spring
1912
Consequence
Motive
Pregnant, penniless
and unable to get a
job.
Nov 1911
1. Took advantage by
force of a girl
weakened by hunger.
2. Kept her on stolen
money until she found
out.
Drunkenness and a childish
desire to emulate the men
around him.
Action
Seeks work. Finds
it during flu epidemic
at Milward’s.
Insisted a shop
assistant was
dismissed.
Motive
1. Fed her and found
her a flat.
2. Became her lover.
Temper and jealousy. The
assistant looked prettier in
the dress, and had smiled.
Motive
1. Pity.
2. Enjoyed being her
‘Fairy Prince’.
Event
Event
Had to leave the flat.
Back to the Palace, but
not the type to solicit.
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Event
Action
Sep 1911
Consequence
Temporary
happiness. Brief
solvency.
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Consequence
She lost her job and
couldn’t find another
one.
Jan 1911
No apparent means of support
and hungry. Goes to the Palace
bar, favoured by prostitutes and
their customers.
Mar 1911
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#
Pictures strip exercise [3447]
1. It is Spring 1912. The
Birlings are
_____________ the
engagement of daughter
Sheila to wealthy Gerald
Croft. They are disturbed by
the
_____________ of an
inspector.
2. He tells them a girl has
committed
_____________ hours
earlier by drinking
disinfectant. She left a diary
and a
_____________ .
3. The Inspector shows
Birling a photograph. He
________________ the girl
as Eva Smith, who was in his
factory.
4. Birling tells the Inspector
that he sacked Eva along
with four or five others in
September 1910 for going on
strike for better
_____________ . Birling
sees nothing
_____________ with what
he did.
5. Eva was out of work for
___________________
months before she found
another job at Millwards
___________________
shop in December 1910.
Quotations
Description
Picture
Complete the storyboard below with appropriate images or symbols and the correct word choices from the bottom of the next page. Think of an
alternative title to replace An Inspector Calls, e.g. The Sad Tale of a Mystery Woman …
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6. Sheila is interrogated next
and readily admits to getting
Eva _______________ in
Jan 1911 because of her
jealousy and ________ .
She is now ashamed of her
behaviour.
7. After this the Inspector
mentions that Eva changed
her name to Daisy ____ .
Gerald seems shocked to
hear the name. He admits
that he had an _______
with her.
8. Gerald met ‘Daisy’ in the
Palace bar in March 1911.
He _______________ to
Sheila that he was working in
the _______________ .
Gerald ended the affair in
September 1911.
9. After spending two
months by the seaside,
Daisy/Eva met _______ in
the Palace __________ .
They had a short relationship
during which she became
pregnant.
10. Due to Eric’s immaturity,
Eva was forced to go to Mrs
Birling’s
_______________
organisation. Mrs Birling
turned Eva away because
she used the
_______________ name.
This was two weeks before
the play begins – Spring
1912.
Quotations
Description
Picture
6 week teaching pack – An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley
lied
wages
charitable
suicide
Renton
Eric
celebrating
dismissed
recognises
two
Birling
arrival
wrong
letter
bar
pride
dress
summer
affair
employed
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Bingo! [16579]
Fill the grid with words from the list below. As your teacher calls out the questions and
clues tick off the correct answer if you have it in your grid. The first one to a full house
wins!
Birling
Edna
Daisy Renton
Brumley
Eva Smith
Eric
Mrs Birling
Goole
Sheila
engagement
Gerald
knighthood
Milwards
each other
Titanic
port
World War
One
Colonel
Roberts
World War
Two
Crofts Ltd.
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Bingo questions and clues
1.
The head of the household.
2.
The faithful servant.
3.
He was a bit squiffy a lot of the time.
4.
He inspected them alright.
5.
Gerald’s family’s business name.
6.
What they get squiffy on.
7.
The Inspector says we must all take responsibility for whom?
8.
Birling says he’s going to get one of these.
9.
The fictional name of the town.
10. Unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable. What is?
11. ‘To that I say fiddlesticks’ – what was Birling saying fiddlesticks to?
12. Women are ‘potty’ about clothes. Where did Sheila buy them from?
13. He was up to no good last summer.
14. Believes the girl is to blame.
15. Eva changed her name to this when she met Gerald.
16. The Inspector says there are many more of this person in the world.
17. The name of the police Inspector who Birling is best chums with.
18. She is horrified by her actions and changes as a result of the Inspector’s visit.
19. What they’re celebrating at the beginning of the play.
20. This was taking place when the play was written.
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Socratic discussion [21524]
Teaching notes
This discussion exercise could take as much as a whole lesson, if done thoroughly. Based
on Socrates’ principles of learning, the discussion is designed to be led by your students,
and allows you to direct rather than dictate! It is worth introducing your students briefly to
Socrates’ philosophy before setting up the task.
The guided questions could be adapted for any text or topic, and employ Bloom’s
Taxonomy structure to probe students’ understanding. You could use Teachit’s resource
‘Bloom’s Taxonomy’ (14266) to create alternative questions.
You will need to remove all desks from the learning space, and set up two circles of chairs:
a smaller circle for six-eight students, and a larger circle for the remainder of the class
around the outside of the room. You could leave a seat or two empty in the ‘inner circle’
for any members of the ‘outer circle’ to choose to sit in at any time.
You will then need to select students who will complete the discussion in the ‘inner circle’.
The ‘outer circle’ comprises of active listeners / observers: the remainder of your class.
Your students will need a copy of the relevant text, a pen and a relevant worksheet. The
activity sheets for the ‘outer circle’ / observers could be printed onto colour coded sheets
so that you are able to distribute them equally around the class.
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Activities: information for all students
Socrates was an Ancient Greek, a philosopher and a teacher. He
encouraged his students to share their thoughts and opinions, and
gave them plenty of homework! During discussions, he remained
silent while his students talked. A ‘Socratic discussion’ is a method
of discussion based on these principles:
The inner circle
The ‘speakers’ are in this circle. They are responsible for laying down the rules of who
speaks when, and for making sure that the discussion topics are all relevant. They may
ask extra questions to clarify understanding, but must reach an agreement on each
question or agree to disagree.
The outer circle
The ‘listeners’ / observers are in this circle. They must remain silent at all times. They
may opt to sit in an empty seat in the inner circle, but must then stay in that seat. If they
are unable to hear what members of the inner circle are saying, they should raise their
hand to request that they should speak up.
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6 week teaching pack – An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley
Activities: the inner circle
Read An Inspector Calls Act Three, from Eric having a drink [Eric (miserably): Could I have
a drink first?] to the Inspector’s exit. Appoint a time-keeper, and decide how you will
discuss the events (hands-up, taking turns, a leader chooses?). Read the events aloud at
least once and then discuss the questions in detail.
1. What happened when Eric met Eva?
2. Explain what Eric meant by saying, ‘I suppose she didn’t know what to do.’
3. Explore what Eric implies when he says, ‘Well, I’m old enough to be married, aren’t
I, and I’m not married, and I hate these fat old tarts round the town – the ones I see
some of your respectable friends with –‘
4. Compare Eva’s attitude towards marriage (in 1912) with views of marriage in the
21st century, or your own views.
5. Analyse Mr Birling’s response to Eric’s theft of company money. What are his main
concerns?
6. The Inspector says, ‘You’ll be able to divide the responsibility between you when
I’ve gone.’ Consider each character separately and decide how much each is to
blame for Eva’s death.
7. Summarise how Eric’s and Mrs Birling’s involvement are connected, and examine
how Mrs Birling reacts to this realisation once Sheila has framed her.
8. Assess Eric’s condemnation of his mother, 'You don’t understand anything. You
never did. You never even tried – '. What does he suggest about his family and the
difference between the parents and children?
9. Imagine you are the Inspector. How would you rank each character’s level of
responsibility?
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Activities: the outer circle
You will be observing: gender roles
You will be observing: team work
As the discussion progresses, make notes on how the boys and
girls behave!
As the discussion progresses, make notes on how the team
behaves:

Who acts as ‘leader’?

Who stays quiet?

Who has good ideas but struggles to make themselves
heard?

Who talks too much or over other people?
How many times the girls talk:

Who has lots of their own ideas?
How many times the boys talk:

Who responds well to others’ ideas?
How many times a boy interrupts a
girl:

Keep a tally of how many times the conversation stops and
gets awkward:

Other observations:
How many girls?
How many boys?
Keep a tally of:
How many times a girl interrupts a
boy:
Other observations:
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You will be observing: .................................................................
(name of classmate)
You will be observing: discussion skills
As the discussion progresses, make notes on how they work within
the group:


Who moves the discussion on to interesting topics?

Who asks the most questions to create further discussion?

Who brings the discussion to abrupt stops?

Who says a lot about not very much?
Keep a tally of how many times they participate in the
discussion.

Who says not very much but has really interesting points.
Other observations:

Keep a tally of how many times each person speaks (choose
two people).

Other observations on discussion skills:

Write down words which seem to break down or stop the
discussion and who said them.

Who uses the most interesting and least interesting words?

Keep a tally of questions asked by the group to create further
discussion.

Other observations on good/poor use of vocabulary:
Write down words or phrases they repeat more than once.

Write down the most interesting word they say.

Write down any questions they ask.


As the discussion progresses, make notes on the use of discussion
skills by the group.
You will be observing: use of vocabulary
As the discussion progresses, make notes on the use of
vocabulary by the group.



Write down the most common word(s) used and who said
them.
Write down the most interesting word(s) used and who
said them.
Write down good questioning word(s) used and who said
them.
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Moral message team game [21525]
Teaching notes
These sources are designed to be part of a team game, where each team practises
scanning texts and becomes more familiar with Priestley’s social and political agenda for
the play by having a race! You could use the sources independently of the team game of
course, and set the tasks as comprehension, but students’ competitive spirit and any
desire for leaping out of their seats will be catered for in the team game.
Please note that due to copyright restrictions Source 5 can only be accessed via the
separate PDF file. To download this file, please type 21525 into the Teachit search bar
and click on the second PDF icon.
Instructions for the team game:
1. Your class will be working in groups of three. Each group needs a set of sources
and a set of questions.
2. Cut up the questions for each group, numbering them on the back and stacking
them with number 1 on top. Put each set of questions on a desk at the front of the
classroom.
3. Give each group a copy of the source texts and time to read them through before
you begin.
4. When you (and they) are ready, call ‘go’, and at this point, one student from each
group should ‘run’ to the front for the first question only, and return to their team.
5. The team agree an answer and a second team member takes the answer to the
teacher, which is checked before permission is given to pick up the second question
from their colour pile. If the answer is incorrect, the student must return to their
team for another go.
6. Students should rotate their roles and keep familiarising themselves with the texts
while they await their next question.
7. This process should be repeated until you have a winning team.
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Source 1
‘In the very middle of this age the First World War rises like a wall of blood-red mountains.
Its frenzied butchery, indefensible even on a military basis, killed at least ten million
Europeans, mostly young and free from obvious physical defects. After being dressed in
uniform, fed and drilled, cheered and cried over before they were packed into their cattletrucks, these ten million were then filled with hot lead, ripped apart by shell splinters, blown
to bits, bayoneted in the belly, choked with poison gas, suffocated in mud, trampled to
death or drowned, buried in collapsing dugouts, dropped out of burning aeroplanes, or
allowed to die of diseases, after rotting too long in trenches that they shared with syphilitic
rats and typhus-infected lice. Death, having come into his empire, demanded the best, and
got it. This was no ordinary generation; it was the flower and fruit of an exceptionally long
summer of European peace and prosperity, so much vintage blood; and the men among
us who fought with it and saw it being destroyed, and the women still alive who cannot
forget its wonderful bright promise, we believe to this day that the best companions of our
youth, the liveliest minds and bravest hearts, all the golden lads ... went to that war and
never came back from it. This is something that nobody born after about 1904 can ever
fully appreciate.’
Extract from J.B.Priestley, Literature and Western Man (1960)
Source 2
Priestley served in the infantry in World War I (1914–19) and then studied English
literature at Trinity College, Cambridge (B.A., 1922) ...
Priestley was also a prolific dramatist, and he achieved early successes on the stage ...
Influenced by the time theories of John William Dunne, he experimented with
expressionistic psychological drama ... He also used time distortion as the basis for a
mystery drama with moral overtones, An Inspector Calls (1946). Many of his plays
featured skilful characterisations of ordinary people in domestic settings.
An adept radio speaker, he had a wide audience for his patriotic broadcasts during World
War II and for his subsequent Sunday evening programmes. Priestley’s large literary
output of more than 120 books was complemented by his status as a commentator and
literary spokesman for his countrymen, a role he sustained through his forceful and
engaging public personality. Priestley refused both a knighthood and a peerage, but he
accepted the Order of Merit in 1977.
Extract from Encyclopaedia Britannica
(http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/475974/J-B-Priestley).
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Source 3
‘But just remember this. One Eva Smith has gone – but there are millions and millions and millions
of Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left with us, with their lives, their hopes and fears, their
suffering and chance of happiness, all intertwined with our lives, and what we think and say and
do. We don’t live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other. And I
tell you that the time will soon come when, if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught
it in fire and blood and anguish. Good night.’
The Inspector’s closing words, Act Three, An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley.
Source 4
3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of
himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God has dealt to
every man the measure of faith.
4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:
5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
From The Bible (King James), Romans 12; 3-5.
Source 5
Please note that due to copyright restrictions Source 5 can only be accessed via the
separate PDF file. To download this file, please type 21525 into the Teachit search bar
and click on the second PDF icon.
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(Source 1) What simile is used to
describe the First World War?
(Source 1) State five typical ways of
dying in the First World War
according to Priestley.
(Source 1) How are the men of this
generation described and what does
that reveal about Priestley’s attitude?
(Source 2) How is An Inspector Calls
described?
(Source 2) What did Priestley refuse
and why is this interesting?
(Source 3) Who are the ‘millions and
millions and millions’?
(Source 3) What lesson will men
learn?
(Source 3 and 4) What connection
can you make between sources 3
and 4?
(Source 5) What evidence can you
see of ‘fire and blood and anguish’?
(All sources) How would you sum up
Priestley’s moral message based on
these texts?
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Answers
1. (Source 1) What simile is used to describe the First World War?
‘… like a wall of blood-red mountains’.
2. (Source 1) State five typical ways of dying in the First World War according to Priestley.
Any five of the following:
… filled with hot lead, ripped apart by shell splinters, blown to bits, bayoneted in the
belly, choked with poison gas, suffocated in mud, trampled to death, drowned, buried in
collapsing dugouts, dropped out of burning aeroplanes or allowed to die of diseases.
3. (Source 1) How are the men of this generation described and what does that reveal
about Priestley’s attitude?
‘… the flower and fruit of an exceptionally long summer of European peace and
prosperity’ or ‘vintage blood’ with comments to suggest he is deeply bitter about the
waste.
4. (Source 2) How is An Inspector Calls described?
‘… a mystery drama with moral overtones’.
5. (Source 2) What did Priestley refuse and why is this interesting?
A knighthood: his attitude contrasts with Birling’s desperation for such public recognition.
6. (Source 3) Who are the ‘millions and millions and millions’?
Eva Smiths, John Smiths – essentially any of us.
7. (Source 3) What lesson will men learn?
If they don’t learn to be responsible for one another, they will learn the price through the
war. The Birlings will learn this through the First World War; the first audiences of the
play will be sympathetic since they have lived through the Second World War.
8. (Source 3 and 4) What connection can you make between sources 3 and 4?
They both allude to being of equal status as men and the innate responsibility we have
for one another.
9. (Source 5) What evidence can you see of ‘fire and blood and anguish’?
The deaths of both an ally and an enemy; the burnt out remains and destruction of the
countryside; the action of throwing rocks and any other relevant details.
10. (All sources) How would you sum up Priestley’s moral message based on these texts?
Any reasonable explanation of his socialist viewpoint.
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Politics and persuasion in the final speech [21313]
In the Inspector’s final speech he says ‘We are members of one body. We are responsible
for each other.’
When An Inspector Calls was written (1944-45), J.B. Priestley was keen that the then
Conservative government would be beaten by a Labour government instead.
Thatcher (Conservative Prime Minister in the 1980s) said in 1987, ‘There is no such thing
as society. There are individual men and women, and there are families. And no
government can do anything except through people, and people must look to themselves
first. It's our duty to look after ourselves and then, also to look after our neighbour. People
have got the entitlements too much in mind, without the obligations. There's no such thing
as entitlement, unless someone has first met an obligation.’
Sort it out!
1. What is Thatcher’s viewpoint about individuals and their role in ‘society’? Sum up
her viewpoint, then explain it to a partner.
2. What connection can you make between the quotation from the Inspector’s final
speech and Thatcher’s viewpoint? Are they the same or opposite viewpoints?
3. Thatcher’s viewpoint is often taken out of context to suggest that Thatcher believed
in selfish individualism, where the collective good is ignored. What else does she
suggest about the relationship between individuals and the state?
Annotate the Inspector’s speech
1. Now look in detail at the Inspector’s final speech (below):
‘But just remember this. One Eva Smith has gone – but there are millions and millions and
millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left with us, with their lives, their hopes and
fears, their suffering and chance of happiness, all intertwined with our lives, and what we
think and say and do. We don’t live alone. We are members of one body. We are
responsible for each other. And I tell you that the time will soon come when, if men will not
learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish. Good night.’
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2. Highlight all the emotive vocabulary in the extract.
3. Now annotate the extract with any persuasive techniques you find (rule of three,
personal pronouns etc.).
4. Explain how and why the Inspector’s final speech is effective for the audience,
whose voice we hear through his words, and what it might make them believe.
The Inspector thinks that ‘We are all responsible for each other.’ This is the opposite
viewpoint to Thatcher’s! Priestley was putting forward a socialist point of view.
Stephen Warbeck (musical composer for a recent production of An Inspector Calls) was
also attracted by the play’s vision of an alternative society: ‘In an era when the received
orthodoxy of the party in government is that we all look after ourselves, my feeling is that
most people do not actually believe that. Most people want to feel that they would be
looked after and cared about by other people. And people do care about other people. I
think that the Inspector’s final speech will probably have the hair standing up on the back
of a lot of people’s necks just to hear somebody stand up in front of you and say that we
have a responsibility for other people. It is exciting and reassuring at the same time.’
Some final questions for you …
1. How do you show you care for others?
2. Can you think of a situation when you have been cared for by someone else?
Discussion task
Now think of reasons why we should have a responsibility for others, and contrasting
reasons why we should have responsibility for only ourselves instead. When you are
ready, prepare a group discussion based on the topic:
To what extent do we have a responsibility for others, or should we be solely
responsible for ourselves as individuals?
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Snakes and ladders [3238]
Use the snakes and ladders board (below) to make your own game.
 Theme your questions on your chosen text or topic.
 Write questions into as many squares as possible, but ensure you have at least
filled squares at the bottom of each ladder and at the top of each snake.
 When you are ready to play, you’ll need a counter each and a die to play.
 You must answer a question correctly to roll on the next go. Miss a turn for a
wrong answer.
 You must answer a question correctly to move up a ladder. Miss a turn for a
wrong answer.
 If you answer a question at a snake’s head correctly, you can remain on that
square. If the answer is incorrect, you must go down the snake.
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30
31
32
33
Finish
29
28
27
26
25
20
21
22
23
24
19
18
17
16
15
10
11
12
13
14
9
8
7
6
5
1
2
3
4
Start
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Treasure hunt [14768]
Aim
This board game will add colour and interest to any revision,
test or quiz-like activity.
It is flexible so you can use it more than once with the same
class for a range of different topics.
It follows the usual board game pattern: students start on square 1 and move forward in a race
to reach the treasure.
Preparation
 Make one copy of the treasure hunt board for every two students.
 Prepare a list of 20-30 questions which relate to the subject which you are revising /
focusing on. You might want to write these on cards with the answers.
 You could ask the students themselves to prepare questions with answers to ask their
opponent during the game.
 Each player needs a button, a coin or a coloured piece of paper to
move as a counter. The game is for two players.
 You will also need a die for each pair of players.
Steps
1. The first player throws the die and whichever number comes up will be the number they
can move forward if they get their question right.
2. The other player asks the question either from their own questions or from your preprepared bank of questions. If the first player gets the question right, they move forward
the number on the die. If they get the answer wrong, they stay where they are.
3. This continues until one of the students reaches the treasure. You might like to offer a
prize for the winner.
4. This could also be played in groups of three with one student as the ‘quizmaster’.
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This resource has been adapted from Jamboree (Nelson, 1990) by kind permission of the authors, John Palim and Paul Power.
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Engdoku [21379]
Teaching notes
The rules of Sudoku are easy and probably well known to the students. This Engdoku (an
English-themed Sudoku) uses symbols to represent the themes and ideas in An Inspector
Calls. The students need to draw the symbols in each empty cell. Each row, column, and
3 x 3 box must contain only one of each of the nine symbols.
Although the Engdoku can be solved with no knowledge of the symbols, the students
could be quizzed as to their meanings, perhaps using the questions provided, which would
work best for lower attaining students. Higher attaining students need not be given the
symbol ‘definitions’ either.
This Engdoku is set at an easy level. Students can be set a time limit if they find this level
too easy.
Symbols used
Magnifying glass
Female/women
Ring (engagement/marriage)
Ghoul
Poppy
£

Pound sign (money)
Clock (time)
People
Door
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
£

£


£
£


£
£


£

£
£
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Who is the Inspector? Who or what does he represent?
What role do women have in the play? What are the expected
gender roles?
Whose engagement is celebrated at the start of the play? At
what other moment in the play is marriage significant? Why?
What is the significance of the word ‘ghoul’?
Why does it matter that the play is set just before the First
World War and staged just after the Second World War
ended?
£
When and why is money relevant to the play and characters?

What events show dramatic irony in the opening scene? How
does Priestley present time in the play?
How is the theme of community developed in the play?
What function does the door have in the play? Which events
rely on the open or closed door?
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Answers

£

£

£

£

£

£

£

£

£

£
£
£

£

£

£
£
£ 

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

£
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Taboo revision game [17196]
The aim of the game is for your team to guess the word or phrase in bold on
your card as quickly as possible. Your team will be awarded one point for
every word they guess correctly.
The rules
The challenge is to choose your words very carefully and to offer as much
detail as you can without saying any of the taboo words printed on your card.
If you do, your team will lose a point.
The following ‘techniques’ will also lose your team one point each time they are
used:

gestures or pointing, i.e. tapping on your wrist if the word is ‘watch’

sound effects / noises, i.e. telephones or doorbell noises

saying part of a word i.e. saying ‘phone’ if your word is telephone

explaining that the word ‘sounds like’ or ‘rhymes with’ another word.
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Milwards
Morgan Terrace
dress
Sheila
Manager
Daisy
rooms
mistress
Brumley Women’s Charity
Organisation
Responsibility
Mrs Birling
pregnant
money
help
theme
fail
Mrs Birling
Eric
Sybil
mother
arrogant
snob
stubborn
drunk
son
brother
sexual assault
pregnant
Eva Smith
Sheila
former employee
prostitute
strike
suicide
mistress
fiancée
daughter
Birling
dress
regret
Inspector Goole
Gerald Croft
Police Officer
investigation
photograph
diary
wealthy
fiancé
engagement
ring
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Mr Birling
Setting
pompous
greedy
factory owner
father
arrogant
dining room
Brumley
wealthy
house
Titanic
Deceitful
ship
sank
iceberg
maiden voyage
Gerald
Eric
Mrs Birling
Photograph
World War One
Inspector
shows
camera
Germans
1914
Stage Lighting
Doorbell
pink
harsh
bright
light
rings
Edna
arrival
Knighthood
Telephone
Mr Birling
Lord Mayor
Alderman
magistrate
scandal
rings
hospital
Colonel Roberts
twist
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Tension graph [7112]
Tension
Plot the play’s levels of tension by placing each of the jumbled up statements on the graph where you think appropriate. (You may wish
to number / put the sentences in chronological order before you begin to plot them …)
Act One
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 Eric’s entrance
 Interrogation of Gerald
 Inspector’s entrance: ‘Well?’
 A certain unease is hinted at prior to the Inspector’s arrival
 No such Inspector exists
 Interrogation of Mrs Birling
 Inspector’s exit
 No suicide cases received by the infirmary
 Interrogation of Sheila
 Inspector’s final speech
 Eric’s interrogation
 Interrogation of Birling
 Inspector’s arrival
 The telephone rings
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Word analysis quadrant [18172]
Place your chosen words in the appropriate quarter of the quadrant.
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Revision game [15727]
This resource was originally published on the Collaborative Learning website
(http://www.collaborativelearning.org/).
How to play:
1. Place all the cards face down on the table under the
appropriate headings.
2. In teams of four each player picks three cards from the
‘actions’ pile, three from the ‘quotes’ pile and six from the ‘characteristics’ pile. The
remaining cards are shuffled and placed in a separate pile.
3. The youngest member of the team goes first.
4. They roll the dice and follow the instructions given.
5. If a player is able to place down one of their ‘quote’, ‘actions’ or ‘characteristics’
cards, the other players have to agree that the card is in the right place (you might
want to provide students with a copy of the text for checking). If a player is wrong
s/he takes the card back.
6. The winner is the first player to place all their cards on the board.
To play, you will need:

A dice (template below).

An A3 sized game board (template below).

Quotes, characteristics and actions card cut up. You should have 36 characteristics
cards, 16 quote cards and 16 action cards.
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Dice
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Board
Characteristics
Quotes
Actions
Birling
Mrs Birling
Sheila
Eric
Gerald
Inspector Goole
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Action cards
Showed photos, but
didn't let everybody see
them at the same time.
Sacked Eva for leading
a strike.
Got angry because she
thought Eva laughed at
her.
Found somewhere for
Daisy to live and gave
her some money.
Slept with Daisy and
she became pregnant.
Stole money from
Birling's office to give to
Daisy.
Felt very bad about
what she did to Eva.
Refused to give the girl
any money from the
charity.
Refused to admit any
responsibility for Eva's
death.
Questioned each of the
family in turn.
Helped Daisy to get
away from Alderman
Meggarty.
Saw the engagement of
Sheila to Gerald as
good business.
Thought the father of
the girl's baby should
be responsible.
Tried to make everyone
realise that they had
contributed to the girl's
death.
Telephoned the hospital
– there was no girl who
had committed suicide.
Drank a lot throughout
the evening.
‘She was giving herself
ridiculous airs. She was
claiming elaborate fine
feelings and scruples
that were simply absurd
in a girl of her position.’
‘Your engagement to
Sheila means a
tremendous lot to me.’
‘I caught sight of this
girl smiling at Miss
Francis – as if to say:
‘Doesn't she look
awful?’ – and I was
absolutely furious.’
‘She was a lively goodlooking girl – countrybred, I fancy … A good
worker too.’
‘A nice little promising
life there, I thought, and
a nasty mess
somebody's made of it.’
‘The girl saw me
looking at her and then
gave me a glance that
was nothing less than a
cry for help.’
‘I was sorry for her, and
didn't like the idea of
her going back to the
Palace bar. I didn't ask
for anything in return.’
‘She'd impertinently
made use of our name,
though she pretended
afterwards it just
happened to be the first
she thought of.’
‘If he refused to marry
her … then he must at
least support her.’
‘Could I have a drink
first?’
‘She told me she
thought she was going
to have a baby.’
‘You'll be able to divide
the responsibility
between you when I'm
gone.’
‘One Eva Smith has
gone – but there are
millions and millions
and millions of Eva
Smiths and John
Smiths still left with us.’
‘I behaved badly, too. I
know I did. I'm
ashamed of myself.’
‘She'd had a lot to say –
far too much – so she
had to go.’
‘A girl died tonight. A
pretty, lively sort of girl
who never did anybody
any harm.’
Quotes cards
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Characteristics
prosperous/rich
heavy
mid 50s
pompous
about 50
well-mannered
pretty
early 20s
early 20s
unsophisticated
pleased with life
a businessman
attractive
around 30
not at ease/awkward
a bully
half shy/half
assertive
chivalrous but
morally weak
cold/unfeeling
socially correct
self-important
out of touch with real
life
lively
determined
a bad tempered
shopper
later repentant and
caring
immature
thoughtless
selfish
calm
has problems with
drink
a thief
self-assured
imposing
sombre
mysterious
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#
Mind palace revision [18445]
How does it work?
This map/grid is designed to help students revise a set text or poem. It should be
printed double sided so that on one side a map is plotted, and on the other side of the
sheet notes are written in ‘clusters’ around the grid. The notes are 'hidden' at the
locations which have been plotted on the map.
For example, if revising Of Mice and Men, a student may plot the bunkhouse across
squares A2, A3 and A4. On the other side of the map, they may write a selection of
bullet points on a theme or character in the same squares. As they flip back and forth, revising the
information as locations on a map, they know that all of their notes on that theme or character are
‘hidden’ in the bunkhouse.
This way, the students revise the image of the map as triggers for their revision notes. Even if they
don't remember the number-letter grid location they can remember, for example, that the bunkhouse
takes up three squares, it represents ‘The American Dream’, and there are three sets of information that
they should be able to recall for that theme.
Who’s it for?
All ages and abilities. Visual learners will find this technique particularly helpful.
What you need …
Double-sided grid sheets and pens and pencils. Coloured pens or pencils and highlighters may also be
useful.
Step by step

Plot a text map on the grid.

Encourage students to create as many locations as are relevant, and then group their
revision material into related ‘categories’.

On the opposite side of the sheet, based on the locations on the map, students should
write approximately three key points into each square.

They have now ‘hidden’ their notes on the map – all they have to do now is to try to
remember where they hid each note, and what the note was.
Further teaching ideas …
If you are not using a location in a relevant text, you could ask students to map their house and hide
information around there instead!
This technique also works well for revising language, literary techniques, non-fiction texts and writing
frames.
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5
4
3
2
1
A
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D
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Decorate a chair! [15502]
How does it work?
Students use a chair to represent a character from a play, novel or poem, and decorate in
with words, images and symbols before showing it to the rest of the class.
Who’s it for?
Groups (though does require lateral thinking, so some students will require support).
What you need …
Sticky tape, blu-tak, scissors, coloured pens and paper, newspapers and magazines and
any other craft material available … plus one chair per group.
Step by step

Students work in groups of 3-5. Each group is allocated a character to work
on.

Allow around 20 minutes for teams to decorate their chairs – encourage them
to think symbolically (e.g. they might turn a chair upside down to represent a
character with an unusual view of the world). They should aim to use
quotations as well as statements and symbols.

When the initial time limit is up, give students a further five minutes to prepare
a short presentation explaining how their chair represents their character.

Each group presents their chair. Encourage students in other groups to ask
questions.
Further teaching ideas …
Allow students time to circulate and write down any points that they consider particularly
creative or inventive.
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Revision calendar [20887]
We’ve included an extract of the PowerPoint so you can see the
resource. To use it as intended, please type 20887 into the search bar
and download it from the Teachit website.
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