Analyzing Sawbones Lesson 1: Unraveling the Mystery through Prologue and Character Study

SAWBONES: LESSON 1 Saturday, 22 March 2025

Think about it Why do we read We all read novels . fiction? WHY?

SAWBONES What s in a name? THIS TERM What do you think this book might be about? Why? Is it a successful title?

Any Help?

First of all, look at the cover Let s look at the Then read the blurb book Then look inside!

Look at the double page of advertisements Why are they here? First of all Read them. What is the author helping you to do?

What is a prologue? Why do you think a prologue is necessary? NOW, turn to the PROLOGUE We will delay reading it for a moment

This term, there is a project to complete, alongside the usual array of classwork and home learning. The groups and materials for this are all on Edmodo. handbookproject-options.docx You will be given an activity book in which to complete much of the work work-book-sawbones.docx PROJECT We will be building an incident room display with the best of the work produced. House points will be awarded for this work. You will take care to present all work to the very best of your ability I want you to take a pride in your work.

Read the prologue. As you do so, make a list of the questions to which you wish to have answers Title: Prologue: SHOW, DON T TELL FINALLY What are the major mysteries which you want to have cleared up?

READING the text in small groups You should prepare a 2/3 1/3 notes page and make notes as you read on the following topics: What do we learn about the character of Ezra? Give some evidence for any statements you make FOCUSED READING What other characters are introduced? What can we say about them If you notice any location in London in the story, se if you can find it on the map on the wall we will pin it and you can write a quick comment on a post it

You have read of a suspicious death. Write a brief description of the murdered man with a drawing of his face for the purposes of use as an identification poster. The face should be undamaged, but you can annotate. This will be the first item in our incident room. HOMELEARNING The class will vote on the best drawing/poster next week. There will be House points!

As we watch the slideshow, make notes. Spider the features and add detail FEATURES OF A MURDER slideshow/blog Which of these features have we seen in the story so far?

1 table have control of the incident room. They will discuss the artwork created overnight to present the best image and notes of Ezra and William Macadam. INCIDENT ROOM What else would our detectives need to know? HL: reading 3-5 AND a poster with details of the dead man.

How does Johnson engage the reader in the opening section of the novel? Let s discuss this before you write anything A short assessment

1: break down the question How does Johnson The HOW stem means a question about writer s craft. You need to comment on devices and choices of language rather than retelling the story. engage the reader to avoid telling the story, look for choices of language which make the writing more exciting Word choice Senses Description Pace Variety of content and structure Imagery Steps to success:

2: Remind yourself of PEARLs POINT EVIDENCE ZOOM IN TO ANALYSE ZOOM OUT TO ESTABLISH RELATIONSHIP TO THE READER OR THE QUESTION LINK Steps to success

3: Ensure you choose three interesting and different points to discuss Example After delaying the point of the operation in chapter 1, Johnson uses a short sentence to show the speed with which McAdam works: The knives flashed . Here he not only uses a short sentence but chooses words to create the effect of a blur of speed flashed appeals to the reader s senses and suggests speed like lightening as well as the brilliance of the reflected lights. The reader is brought into the audience in the theatre in this way. Steps to success

Table one are todays detectives We need to choose what we need for the display. Allocate the following to tables and work with them to produce the work: Updated locations and descriptors More detail on Ezra Any suspects yet? Ask for pictures and notes LOVEDAY: one table to prepare images and descriptions Finch s body another murder victim prepare material INCIDENT ROOM

How does the author make the writing interesting? What devices can you observe being used, and what is the effect of them? Reading: writer s craft How do they help us to understand character?

POINT: EZRA IS Task: EVIDENCE: To trace the character of Ezra. ZOOM IN to analyse: key word or idea explained. Table-top working! Zoom out relate to other elements of character or to the reader.

The incident room, week 2

1: How are your projects? Use 10 minutes in your pairs to ensure you are working efficiently. We will feedback. Ezra and Loveday: Can you empathise? Next time we will HOTSEAT Ezra and Loveday. Catching up and moving on. Each group will allocate an Ezra and a Loveday. They will answer questions posed by the class Today: planning: Ezras, Lovedays and questionners in groups. Plan and discuss. HL: Reading on: 9-11 and prep Hot Seat for next week (INCIDENT ROOM 2 next time).

Focus: clear and informative question and answer Obviously, subject knowledge matters HOT SEAT Make notes to help each other to improve Who spoke well? Why? Who held your interest? How? How can some you improve your delivery? What are we looking for?

What do we need? Suspects? Further detail about locations Ezra s notebook entry? Loveday s notebook entry INCIDENT ROOM 2 What clues have we found? Do we have a motive? What do we know??? Work to be submitted for scrutiny after half term.

How is the character of Loveday presented? How do we first meet her? Look back at Pages 38-48 What impression do we get of Loveday from these pages? Character creation: In your books write 2 PEARL paragraphs to explore how the author presents Loveday. Remember to ZOOM IN to the key words! LOVEDAY Extension: Choose one episode from later in the novel and consider how Loveday s character has either altered or developed. Write a PEARL for this as well. Asma, Asia, Myia, Taha, Sarah, Pratik SHOULD do this, anyone else may choose to do so!

Look at the notes and Pearl you wrote for Loveday. Next, on your tables , use the post it notes to start to organise your thinking. Write a single word on a single post it to describe Loveday s character. LINKING OUR THOUGHTS She might be Proud, Brave, Cheeky, Courageous, Clever, Resilient you choose. As a table, choose three of these character traits to find evidence for

Your headings need evidence You have each been given a section of the novel to use to find your evidence Collect quotations which prove your point. Write them on post its and organise this into a table Relational thinking She is proud: hah! I am less of a visitor than you, sir. My people have lived here for She initially feels that she is of higher status than Ezra Extension: what else could you use this to show? Note that she breaks off

When you have your ideas and your evidence move to the sugar paper These will be scanned and uploaded to support your learning Draw an outline: Inside the body Write quotations Said by Loveday Display Outside the body Write the evidence from other sources. Colour code to link To the point being Made. HL: look at your ideas and be ready to write a short essay next week.

It is interesting to see how authors create and diffuse tension within a chapter. In pairs you will create a tension graph for a chapter of your choice TENSION GRAPH What do you notice? Is tension consistent or does it rise and fall? CatherineJohnson (@catwrote) Tension quotient 26/06/2014 12:24 @mrpeel @UCGSEnglish am utterly blown away! UCGS students are fab! xx Quotation Page number

You need to use the notes from the whole term to help you to complete this writing task: You have been asked to write a review of SAWBONES for your local library. Write your review, being careful to include: A short summary of the plot (no spoilers) Comment about the effectiveness of the key characters Comment about the writing and how Johnson engages the readers Qualitative comment with explanation. Writing Task a string of PEARLs I will post the best reviews (3) on my blog for public reading.

You are assessed in this way: project cover sheet.docx As you can see, I have not used levels as such, but divided your work into categories because it is simply too diverse. PROJECT FEEDBACK We will be the assessors!

On the central table, I have placed the pieces of work which I consider to be the strongest whether because of the quality of research, writing, effort, artistic flair GALLERY CRITIQUE You should use Post-It notes to comment on the work. Which do you think is best, and why? The best work, a voted by you, will receive a prize. You should be sure to give your reasons!