Power and Freedom

Lesson Overview

Subject: English Language & Literature (ELA)
Year Group: Year 10
Unit: Power and Freedom Unveiled (Lesson 1 of 17)
Duration: 60 minutes
UK Curriculum Area: AQA GCSE English Language & Literature (Applicable to other UK exam boards)

• Reading: Understanding perspectives in non-fiction and literary texts
• Writing: Exploring ideas and constructing arguments
• Spoken Language: Developing discussion and debate skills

Lesson Objective:
Students will explore the themes of power and freedom by engaging with an anticipation guide, participating in a gallery walk, and analysing excerpts from influential figures. This will introduce them to the essential question that guides the unit:

How do individuals and societies navigate the balance between power and freedom?

Lesson Breakdown

Starter (10 minutes) – The Anticipation Guide

1. Setup: Display the essential question on the board.
2. Discussion: Provide students with a printed anticipation guide containing five provocative statements related to power and freedom (e.g., "Absolute freedom can never exist in society." / "Power is always corrupting.").
3. Response: Individually, students mark statements as Agree or Disagree, writing brief justifications.
4. Pair & Share: In pairs, students compare answers, discussing where they agree/disagree.
5. Classroom Poll: Take a class vote on each statement and encourage a few students to justify their positions.

Activity 1 (15 minutes) – Gallery Walk: Power & Freedom in Images

1. Preparation: Around the room, display six thought-provoking images depicting historical and modern examples of power and freedom (e.g., suffragettes, civil rights protests, authoritarian regimes, personal expressions of freedom).
2. Silent Reflection: In pairs, students walk around, observing each image and writing down initial reactions (on sticky notes or in their books).
3. Discussion: After five minutes, pairs select one image to discuss in more depth—how it represents power/freedom, who is affected, and its relevance today.
4. Class Sharing: Invite a few pairs to share insights, emphasising different interpretations.

Activity 2 (25 minutes) – Jigsaw Reading: Perspectives on Power

1. Grouping: Divide the class into five small groups, assigning each an excerpt from influential speeches, essays, or literary texts (examples below).
2. Texts for Analysis:
   • Nelson Mandela – Long Walk to Freedom
   • George Orwell – 1984
   • Mary Wollstonecraft – A Vindication of the Rights of Woman
   • Frederick Douglass – What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?
   • Malala Yousafzai – UN Speech on education and women's rights
3. Task: Groups read their assigned text, summarise its key message, and analyse how it presents ideas of power or freedom.
4. Jigsaw Teaching: Students then form new groups (one person from each original group), teaching each other their respective texts.
5. Whole-Class Reflection: Discuss emerging ideas and connections between the texts.

Plenary (10 minutes) – Exit Ticket: "One Word, One Phrase, One Sentence"

1. Individual Task:
   • One word that captures today's lesson
   • One phrase from any discussion point that stood out
   • One sentence summarising their own perspective on power and freedom
2. Reflection Discussion: Share a few responses, recognising diverse viewpoints.
3. Preview for Next Lesson: Briefly introduce the next topic—analysing how writers manipulate language to express power and oppression.

Assessment & Differentiation

• Formative Assessment:

  • Anticipation guide responses to gauge initial understanding.
  • Observation of discussions during gallery walk and jigsaw reading.
  • Exit tickets provide insight into student comprehension.

• Differentiation Strategies:

  • Support: Provide scaffolding questions for students who need additional guidance with text analysis.
  • Challenge: Ask confident students to compare their assigned excerpt with another literary or historical source.

Resources Required

• Printed anticipation guide
• Six images for the gallery walk
• Extracts from Mandela, Orwell, Wollstonecraft, Douglass, and Malala
• Sticky notes/mini whiteboards for student reflections

Teacher Reflection Questions (Post-Lesson)

• Which activities engaged students the most?
• Did students effectively connect the texts with the essential question?
• How can discussions be deepened in future lessons about power and freedom?

This lesson lays the foundation for a thought-provoking journey into power, freedom, and the voices that have shaped our understanding of both.