1. © 2006 www.teachit.co.uk5662 1www.teachit.co.uk AQA Anthology Prose Chemistry by Graham Swift

2. © 2006 www.teachit.co.uk5662 2www.teachit.co.uk Learning objectives: Respond to texts critically, sensitively and in detail; Use textual evidence as appropriate; Explore how language, structure and forms contribute to the meanings of texts; Consider different approaches to texts and alternative interpretations.

3. © 2006 www.teachit.co.uk5662 3www.teachit.co.uk Starter: initial ideas Put the following statements in the order you agree with them. Number 1 is the one you most agree with. Number 5 is the one you least agree with.

4. © 2006 www.teachit.co.uk5662 4www.teachit.co.uk Starter: initial ideas (a) Old people are irritating and get in the way. (b) Old people and young people have nothing in common: each is suspicious of the other. (c) Old people are treated badly by society: they are seen to have lost all value which isn’t true. (d) Old people have wisdom and experience and should be valued. (e) Old people always look to the past and feel left out of the current world.

5. © 2006 www.teachit.co.uk5662 5www.teachit.co.uk Chemistry: connections It is told using 1 st person narration Which other stories use first person narratives? It deals with family relationships Can you think of two other family-centred stories? The narrator and main character is a young boy In which other story is the main character a boy? The text deals with death (like which other story …?) It also deals with endings (like ….?) The story is mysterious and the reader has to make deductions about the plot and characters.

6. © 2006 www.teachit.co.uk5662 6www.teachit.co.uk Chemistry: main points The narrator remembers events from his childhood What is the most important event? Water is a recurring image What relevance might this have? Who are the main characters? List some details about each one.

7. © 2006 www.teachit.co.uk5662 7www.teachit.co.uk Chemistry: the opening Write down five quotations to describe the setting. What are your first impressions of the characters?

8. © 2006 www.teachit.co.uk5662 8www.teachit.co.uk Chemistry: the opening What do you think this may mean? Look for clues about characters and events ‘The launch wallowed, sank…I remember what he said to me, on this, the first loss in my life that I had witnessed. He said very gravely: “You must accept it – you can’t get it back – it’s the only way”…I remember mother’s face as she got up from the bench to leave. It was very still and very white…’ (Lines 124-129)

9. © 2006 www.teachit.co.uk5662 9www.teachit.co.uk Family relationships: What does the second section of the story tell you about the family and their relationships?

10. © 2006 www.teachit.co.uk5662 10www.teachit.co.uk Part three: What do we find out about the boy’s family? What do you think of the way the family live now? Do you think the family seem happy? Explain your answer.

11. © 2006 www.teachit.co.uk5662 11www.teachit.co.uk Your task: Draw a family tree to show the family and relationships between them. Add quotations and line numbers.