ENGLISH DEPARTMENT MEDIUM TERM PLAN
GCSE Scheme of Work: Prose Study coursework
‘Great Expectations’ by Charles Dickens
Duration: 4 weeks
Aims:
Taught with the following essay title in mind:
Having read ‘Great Expectations’ how effective is the
opening chapter? Discuss the methods Dickens used to
ensure his readers’ continuing interest.
GCSE Coverage:
AO1
AO2
AO4
respond to texts critically, sensitively and in detail, selecting appropriate
ways to convey their response, using textual evidence as appropriate;
explore how language, structure and forms contribute to the meanings of
texts, considering different approaches to texts and alternative
interpretations;
relate texts to their social, cultural and historical contexts and literary
traditions.
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GCSE Scheme of Work: Prose Study coursework
‘Great Expectations’ by Charles Dickens
Resources
Week 1
o Synopsis of novel/ Background to Great
Expectations
o Copy of Chapter 1
o Questions on Pip
o Film of ‘Great Expectations’ (David Lean, 1944)
Week 2
o Timeline of events (Chapters 1-10)
o Miss Havisham worksheet
o Copy of poem ‘Miss Havisham’ by Carol Ann
Duffy (and questions)
o Chapter summaries (Chapters 11-20)
o Copy of Chapter 18
o Film of ‘Great Expectations’ (David Lean, 1944)
o Chapter summaries (Chapters 21-30)
o Social context research worksheet
Week 3
o Chapter summaries (Chapters 31-40)
o Copy of Chapter 39
o Chapter summaries (Chapters 41-50)
o Copy of Chapter 42
o Chapter summaries (Chapters 51-59)
o Copy of Chapter 54
Week 4
o Essay sheet
o Background to Great Expectations
o Film of ‘Great Expectations’ (David Lean, 1944)
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GCSE Scheme of Work: Prose Study coursework
‘Great Expectations’ by Charles Dickens
Possible Teaching Sequence
Week 1:
Objectives:
AO2
AO4
explore how language, structure and forms contribute to the meanings of
texts, considering different approaches to texts and alternative
interpretations;
relate texts to their social, cultural and historical contexts and literary
traditions.
 RESOURCES - Synopsis of novel, Copy of Chapter 1, Questions on Pip, Film
of ‘Great Expectations’ (David Lean, 1944)
 COVERAGE – Chapter 1 of ‘Great Expectations’
FOCUS  Lesson 1:
Starter
 Discuss what makes a novel opening successful. Ask for examples.
 Take and evaluate all suggestions.
Development
 Introduce the essay title and criteria. Give the students the essay title
and work through the features of the novel they must look out for during
reading. Explain they will read and analyse some chapters in class, they
may read some chapters for homework and some will be summarised.
Students may, of course, read the whole novel independently if they wish!
 Give the class a synopsis of the novel written 1860-1. (Optional, you may
wish to give this to them later on.)
 Explain that the key themes are in the opening chapter and the rest of
the novel: Gentleman and respectability; Crime and punishment; Parents
and children; Power and powerlessness.
 Read chapter 1 - give a copy of the chapter as a worksheet to the
students for them to highlight and annotate later (will need for essay
writing).
Plenary:
 Return to class list of criteria for a successful opening to a novel. How
far does Great Expectations meet these criteria?
 Homework = Answer 12 questions on the hero, Pip.
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 Lesson 2:
Starter
 Discuss and mark homework.
Development
 Re-read chapter 1 and students to highlight and annotate as we discuss
the following:
- Humour
- Setting (time, place, weather)
- Atmosphere (suspense)
- Language (verb choices, sentence construction and repetition of
phrases)
- Characterisation
- Introduce pathetic fallacy and analyse where it occurs. Definition:
the presentation of nature possessing human feelings.
- The ending leaves the reader in suspense wanting to know more.
Explore this idea by asking the class what the reader wants to
know e.g. will Pip tell Joe about the convict? Will the convict be
caught? What happens next?
Plenary
 What do you think happens next?
 Lesson 3:
Starter
 What differences would you expect between the opening of the novel and
the opening of the film adaptation? (background, feelings, etc.)
 Watch the opening of David Lean’s 1944 film.
Development
 Compare the opening of the film to the first chapter of the novel e.g.
similarities/differences grid.
 Extension: Students to produce a plotline through the chapter to show
the development of an atmosphere of fear and suspense throughout the
chapter.
Plenary
 What are the expectations of the reader at this moment? How do we
feel towards the convict and how has this happened?
Week 2:
Objectives:
AO1
AO4
respond to texts critically, sensitively and in detail, selecting appropriate
ways to convey their response, using textual evidence as appropriate;
relate texts to their social, cultural and historical contexts and literary
traditions.
 RESOURCES – Chapter summaries of events (Chapters 1-10),Miss
Havisham worksheet, Copy of poem ‘Havisham’ by Carol Ann Duffy and
questions, Chapter summaries (Chapters 11-20), Copy of Chapter 18, Film
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of ‘Great Expectations’ (David Lean, 1944), Chapter summaries (Chapters
21-30),Social context research worksheet
 COVERAGE – Chapters 1-30 of ‘Great Expectations’
FOCUS –
 Lesson 1:
Starter
 Look at an example of a typical Dickensian sentence. Ask students how
this dates the novel as Victorian. Introduce notion of social context.
Development
 Option to reflect upon AQA poem by Duffy. Read poem as a class.
Discuss central character. Students may answer questions to form a
detailed reading and analysis of the poem.
 Chapter summaries to guide them on events so far (1-10).
 Read Chapter 8 as a class. Discuss Miss Havisham as a character. Is she
how they expected her to be, having read the poem?
Plenary
 To a partner, describe Miss Havisham in three words. Justify your
answers if necessary. Share some as a class.
 Homework option: Write her account of meeting Pip in the first person.
 Lesson 2:
Starter
 Chapter summaries to guide them on events so far (11-20)
 Students share their first person accounts of meeting, if completed for
homework.
Development
 Read Chapter 18 as a class: Pip is given his fortune and believes it to be
from Miss Havisham. Why does he think this? Discuss the mixed
emotions about Pip’s expectations. Note also the characterisation of
Jaggers.
 Watch the opening of the film again and continue to watch the rest. Stop
at key moments to explain who the characters are and what is happening.
Students should make notes as appropriate.
Plenary
 Summarise what we know about Pip so far. What are his expectations?
Relate to the title of the novel.
 Lesson 3:
Starter
 Pose the question: How does money affect the way someone is treated?
Was it the same, or different in Victorian England?
 Chapter summaries to guide them on events so far (21-30)
Development
 Continue to watch the film. Stop at key moments to explain who the
characters are and what is happening.
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And/or read Chapter 22 as a class. Discuss Pip’s lesson on being a
gentleman. Are these social rules important? Draw attention to the
flashback technique used to give us facts that Pip could not otherwise
know. Compare to any other examples of this technique they know.
Plenary
 Homework: Worksheet on researching Charles Dickens and the Victorian
era for social context. (Use the Internet or LRC)

Week 3:
Objectives:
AO1
AO2
respond to texts critically, sensitively and in detail, selecting appropriate
ways to convey their response, using textual evidence as appropriate;
explore how language, structure and forms contribute to the meanings of
texts, considering different approaches to texts and alternative
interpretations;
 RESOURCES - Chapter summaries (Chapters 31-40), Copy of Chapter 39,
Chapter summaries (Chapters 41-50), Copy of Chapter 42, Chapter
summaries (Chapters 51-59), Copy of Chapter 54
 COVERAGE – Chapters 31-54 of ‘Great Expectations’
FOCUS –
 Lesson 1:
Starter
 Brainstorm what they know about Magwitch. Share ideas.
 Chapter summaries to guide them on events so far (31-40)
Development
 Read Chapter 39: Pip finally learns the truth about how he acquired his
fortune.
 Discuss our attitudes towards both Pip and Magwitch. Do we divide our
sympathies evenly between the two and if so, how does Dickens achieve
this in a first person narrative? See if students can come up with an idea
that links Magwitch to Miss Havisham. (The idea of owning a gentleman as
an act of revenge.)
 Option: for some classes you may want to read Chapter 34 before looking
at Chapter 39. Discuss the moral decline of Pip and, in pairs, brainstorm
on a plain sheet of A4 all events or suggestions that Pip is no longer the
morally upstanding boy he once was when under the influence of Joe.
Plenary
 What is your opinion of Pip, at this point?
 Possible homework: Read Chapter 35 and write 50 words on how comedy
is used alongside pathos for effect in this chapter. Note also the use of
pathetic fallacy at the end – for what purpose?
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 Lesson 2:
Starter
 Recap the themes raised in the opening chapter.
 Look at summaries of Chapters 40-41.
Development
 Read chapter 42: Pip hears Magwitch’s story. Link to the themes in the
opening chapter e.g. social injustice, crime and punishment, parents and
lack of, etc.
 Remind them of the essay title and make notes on what aspects of this
chapter they will draw on to answer the question – e.g. the change in
Magwitch and our shifting sympathies.
 Option: Go back to the film version. How is Magwitch portrayed
differently in this section? Have they softened his features? Discuss
how/why.
Plenary
 Chapter summaries to guide them on events so far (43-50) and discuss
developments.
 What point was Dickens trying to make by making Estella’s parents from
the lower classes? Is it effective? Do you think Pip will keep the secret
or reveal the truth?
 Homework option: Read Chapter 44. Comment on the use of cliff hanger
ending to conclude this weekly part.
 Lesson 3:
Starter
 Chapter summaries to guide them on events so far (51-2)
 Either summarise Chapter 53 in more detail and/or read key passages to
highlight the confrontation as necessary for pip to purge his ‘darker’ self.
 Also point out the pathetic fallacy at the end of the chapter – the bright
weather symbolising Pip’s cleansing of guilt.
Development
 Read Chapter 54: Magwitch is captured and Pip stays beside him. (Pip has
now lost all his expectations. ‘I only saw in him a much better man than I
had been to Joe’ ).
 Hot seat Pip at this time.
Plenary
 Look at chapter summaries 55-59.
 Discuss the ambiguous ending. How would students like to interpret this?
Do Estella and Pip part for ever? Was Dickens right to change the
ending? (Refer to Background to Great Expectations sheet).
Week 4:
Objectives:
AO1
AO2
respond to texts critically, sensitively and in detail, selecting appropriate
ways to convey their response, using textual evidence as appropriate;
explore how language, structure and forms contribute to the meanings of
texts, considering different approaches to texts and alternative
interpretations;
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AO4
relate texts to their social, cultural and historical contexts and literary
traditions.
 RESOURCES – Chapter summaries, essay sheet, Background to Great
Expectations, film, Research Homework
 COVERAGE – Whole novel of ‘Great Expectations’, with a focus on Chapter
1
FOCUS –
 Lesson 1:
Starter
 What should a good essay introduction include?
 Look at a good example or come up with a list of sentence stems or
phrases to use.
Development
 If possible, look at an exemplar essay and discuss good points and areas
for improvement. (Could be same essay or another prose study response.)
 Distribute the essay sheet (if not done so already) and discuss each point
with the class.
 Refer back to/introduce Background to Great Expectations.
 Option: For higher achieving candidates focus them on certain
passages/chapters, Dickens’ use of language, stylistic features, etc.
Plenary
 Draft own introduction.
 Lesson 2:
Starter
 Discuss the research task and link to the essay. Share information.
Development
 Read through the opening chapter again giving students time to make
detailed observations and comments about the essay task.
 Some students may be ready to start drafting their essay.
Plenary
 Share ideas with a partner and add any new details to notes.
 Lesson 3:
Starter
 Students may benefit from watching the opening of the film one final
time.
Development
 Continue with essay.
Plenary
 Did Dickens ‘hook’ you as a reader? Class vote. Get students’ with
opposing views to explain their answer.
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