When the Wasps Drowned
An Introduction to the Story
That was the summer Therese
stepped on the wasps’ nest and
brought an end to our barefoot
wanderings.
We heard her screams from
inside.
She came back a moment later
and we angled the light. At the
end of the tunnel…
Read lines 1-20
• Underline any words or phrases
which give you a clue about
WHEN this story happened.
Read lines 21-34
• Underline the VERBS used in this
section.
• What do you notice? Why do you
think the writer has done this?
Read lines 35-56
• Underline THREE quotations which
show us something about the
narrator.
• Label your quotation with an
explanation about what this shows us
about the narrator.
Read lines 57- 84
• Find an example of each of the following
techniques and annotate your copy of the story.
• Speech
• A short sentence
• A complex sentence
• Careful use of adjectives (describing words)
• Appeal to the senses
(see/hear/touch/smell/taste)
Read lines 85 - 129
• How old is the narrator?
• What makes you think this?
• Re-read line 20. Now you know the
ending, what does this line suggest?
What would you do?
DECIDE WITH YOUR SHOULDER PARTNER WHETHER YOU
AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH THE STATEMENTS ON THE CARDS.
BE PREPARED TO GIVE REASONS FOR YOUR VIEWS.
In my opinion…
Another reason I
think that is...
I agree with you
because…
I disagree with
this statement as…
I’m in two minds
about this one. On
the one hand…
I don’t agree with
what you said
about… because…
Rights and Wrongs
Some psychologists say that
babies as young as 15 months
know the difference between
right and wrong.
In the UK, the age of criminal
responsibility is 10 years old.
Which sentence do you agree
with the most and why?
Statement
In the story ‘When the Wasps Drowned’ the children behave in a
shocking, evil way. The narrator is only interested in keeping the
diamond ring. She doesn’t care what happens to the body in the garden.
In the story ‘When the Wasps Drowned’ the children behave in an
understandable way. They don’t know what to do so they pretend
nothing has happened.
In the story ‘When the Wasps Drowned’ the children are old enough to
take responsibility and do the right thing.
In the story ‘When the Wasps Drowned’ the children don’t know what is
the right thing to do. How would they? They’re just children after all.
Life is not about right and wrong, good and bad; it’s a lot more
complicated than that. I don’t think the children in ‘When the Wasps
Drowned’ should be judged in these terms.
QUOTE
Learning Objectives
• To explore
Blind Sequencing
1. One person should deals the cards out face down.
2. Mark the back of your cards with your initials.
3. You have a few minutes to look at and memorise your
cards then put them face down on the table.
4. Describe your cards as well as possible to your
teammates without looking!
5. After all the cards have been described, the team
works together to sequence your cards (face down) on
the table. (No looking!)
6. Once you think you have properly sequenced the cards,
flip over the cards and check to see how you did.
Exploring Symbolism
• Denotes – the literal meaning. The word is
used to name the object or thing.
• Connotes – (connotation) the things that
we think about that is associated with that
word.
WASP
DENOTES
Danger
CONNOTATIONS
Pain
Carousel
• Consider the symbolism of the following from
the story:
• The wasps
• The dead body
• The diamond ring
• Therese’s dream
• The garden
USE THE THINKING QUESTIONS AT THE SIDE TO
HELP YOU COMPLETE YOUR BUBBLE MAPS.
Pathetic Fallacy
• Pathetic fallacy n. when human emotions or characteristics
are given to objects, nature or the weather (especially in art or
literature).
• This is a type of symbolism that a writer can use to show the
mood or atmosphere of a scene.
• Pathetic fallacy is when the weather or seasons is used
symbolically to suggest a certain tone or mood.
Rally Robin adjectives to describe
the mood of this picture.
Rally Robin adjectives to describe
the mood of this picture.
Rally Robin 3 adjectives to describe
the mood of this picture.
Choose the best word to describe
the mood of this extract.
• Charles Dickens,
Great Expectations
And the sky was just a row of long angry red lines and
black lines intermixed…
Pathetic Fallacy in the Story
Example of weather
from the story
What mood or feeling is
coming across in the
story?
Structure Reminder!
• Unscramble the following terms to do with structure…
• TROTIINDCUNO
• IONECST
• FLICCTON
• LOTP
• MBOLYS