The Victorian era
In this lesson, we will learn about the Victorian era and explore how this fascinating period inspired Charlotte Brontë's novel, Jane Eyre.
Unit Overview: Jane Eyre
For next step we recommend the unit: Animal Farm.
For next step we recommend the unit: Gothic Literature.
Lessons:
24 lessons
Introduction to Charlotte Brontë
In this lesson, we will learn about Charlotte Brontë's life. We will explore how the experiences and suffering of this author's life influenced her writing of Jane Eyre.
The Novel's Setting
In this lesson, we will explore the novel's setting - the bleak and barren landscape of Yorkshire.
The Novel's Protagonist
In this lesson, we will learn about the main character of our novel, 'Jane Eyre'.
Introducing the Reeds
In this lesson, we will begin reading 'Jane Eyre' and learn about Jane's miserable life with the Reed family.
The argument
In this lesson, we will read about Jane's relationship with John Reed and consider John's cruelty in more detail.
The Red Room
In this lesson, we will find out what happens to Jane when she is locked in the red room. We will also consider how Brontë creates a tense atmosphere in the red room scene.
Meeting Mr Brocklehurst
In this lesson, we will look at the difference between passion and reason. We will read about when Jane meets Mr Brocklehust and consider how Brontë presents Jane as a passionate character.
Arriving at Lowood School
In this lesson, we will learn about Brontë's experience of school and also find out what happens to Jane when she arrives at Lowood. We will learn about discourse markers and consider how Brontë presents Lowood school as an unpleasant place.
Jane meets Helen Burns
In this lesson, we will see how Jane meets a mysterious girl who gladly accepts unfair punishments from her teachers. We will try to discover what this girl's secret is.
Jane is punished by Mr Brocklehurst
In this lesson, we will see the fearsome Mr Brocklehurst arrive at Lowood School. We will see Jane make a mistake and get in big trouble.
Helen Burns becomes sick
In this lesson, we will see Helen Burns struck down by a serious illness. We will see what happens when Jane visits her in the middle of the night, and we will discover whether Helen survives her illness.
Jane decides to leave Lowood School
In this lesson, we will see Jane finish her education at Lowood. We will find out what happens when Jane is filled with a longing to leave Lowood and begin a new adventure.
Jane arrives at Thornfield
In this lesson, we will see Jane arrive at Thornfield and begin her work as a governess. We will see what happens when she finds out that this country hall holds many dark secrets.
Jane meets a mysterious stranger
In this lesson, we will learn about how women were treated in Victorian England. We will then find out what happens when Jane meets a mysterious stranger in the countryside.
The mysterious Mr Rochester
In this lesson, we will explore Mr Rochester's character. We will find out what happens when Jane goes for tea with Mr Rochester and discovers him to be a very unusual man. We will question what dark secrets Rochester might be hiding.
Fire!
In this lesson, we will see how Jane grows closer to Rochester. We will read about a fire that breaks out in Thornfield and consider who the culprit of this evil crime could be.
Jane's rival
In this lesson, we will explore what happens when a beautiful and rich lady arrives at Thornfield Hall. Jane considers this lady a rival to Rochester's heart. We will explore Blanche Ingram's character and consider how Brontë presents her in contrast to Jane.
A stabbing in the night
In this lesson, we will discover what happens when a mysterious man arrives at Thornfield Hall and a terrible crime takes place. We will then analyse how Brontë creates tension in the passage.
Rochester proposes
In this lesson, we will revise Victorian views of women and explore how Brontë challenges Victorian views of relationships in Jane Eyre.
A terrifying visit in the night
In this lesson, we will learn about foreshadowing and explore how Brontë creates a tense atmosphere before Jane's wedding.
Rochester's secret is revealed
In this lesson, we will read about Jane's wedding day and find out what happens with Mr Mason and Bertha. We will also consider why Rochester didn't tell Jane about Bertha.
Jane decides
In this lesson, we will learn about the word resolute, explore Victorian views of marriage and consider how Brontë presents Jane as a resolute character.
The End
In this lesson, we will find out what happens when Jane leaves Rochester. We will look at the end of the novel and consider how Jane has matured and changed during the novel.
Units in English
- The Oral Tradition
- Epic Poetry
- The Canterbury Tales: 'General Prologue'
- The Refugee Tales: 'Prologue', ed. Anna Pincus and David Herd
- The Canterbury Tales: 'The Knight's Tale', Chaucer
- Telling Tales, Patience Agbabi
- A Midsummer Night's Dream, Shakespeare (Introduction and Act 1)
- A Midsummer Night's Dream, Shakespeare (Act 2)
- A Midsummer Night's Dream, Shakespeare (Act 3)
- A Midsummer Night's Dream, Shakespeare (Act 4&5)
- Contemporary Short Stories (1/2): The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin
- Contemporary Short Stories (2/2): Sweetness by Toni Morrison
- Introduction to poetry
- The sonnet through time: Introduction to the sonnet
- The sonnet through time: 'Sonnet 18', Shakespeare
- The sonnet through time: 'Death, be not proud', Donne
- The sonnet through time: 'If thou must love me', Barrett-Browning
- The sonnet through time: 'If we must die', Claude McKay
- The sonnet through time: 'The sonnet-ballad', Gwendolyn Brooks
- Creative writing: short stories
- Creative writing: poetry
- Recapping the basics: simple sentences, statements, paragraphs, capital letters and past simple verbs
- Complex sentences, avoiding fragments and run-ons, capital letters
- Past simple tense, subordinate clauses, punctuating conjunctions and lists
- Writing accurate, correctly punctuated and paragraphed dialogue, using personal pronouns
- Avoiding fragments, fused sentences and comma splices. Using capital letters and writing in the past tense. Using multiple subordinate clauses, punctuating lists correctly when in a complex sentence.
- Paragraphing narratives for clarity, using possessive pronouns, using apostrophes accurately, structuring, writing and editing genre-specific narratives
- Introduction to Tragedy
- Julius Caesar, Shakespeare, Act 1
- Julius Caesar, Shakespeare, Act 2
- Julius Caesar, Shakespeare, Act 3
- Julius Caesar, Shakespeare, Act 4 and 5
- Romantic poetry and paired texts: Introduction to the Romantics
- Romantic poetry and paired texts: Romanticism and Nature
- Romantic poetry and paired texts: Nature poetry
- Romantic poetry and paired texts: Romanticism and Revolution
- Romantic poetry and paired texts: Revolutionary and Protest poetry
- Oliver Twist: Oliver and the Workhouse
- Oliver Twist: Oliver Heads to London
- Oliver Twist: Oliver is Caught
- Oliver Twist: Oliver, Bill & The Maylies
- Oliver Twist: Oliver and the Consequences
- Annie John by Jamaica Kincaid
- Creative writing: memoir
- Rhetoric: Introduction to rhetoric
- Rhetoric: Injustice: Pankhurst & Sojourner Truth
- Rhetoric: Change: Michelle Obama & Lennie James
- Rhetoric: Motivate: Churchill & Gandhi
- Rhetoric: Writing rhetoric
- Shakespearean Comedy - The Tempest
- Language Skills - Fiction - Reading
- Language Skills - Fiction - Writing
- Language Skills - Non-Fiction - Reading
- Language Skills - Non-Fiction - Writing
- Grammar for Writing
- The Short Story
- Gothic Literature
- Fiction: Reading and descriptive writing
- Non-Fiction texts and view point writing
- Jane Eyre
- Animal Farm
- Paragraphing non-fiction writing, including presenting a balanced argument