When the Wasps Drowned An Introduction to the Story
Learning Objectives • To consider the key themes, issues and ideas of the story
Inside-Outside Circle • What do you think is going to happen in this story?
Read lines 1-20 • Underline any words or phrases which give you a clue about WHEN this story happened.
Read lines 21-34 • Underline the VERBS used in this section. • What do you notice? Why do you think the writer has done this?
Read lines 35-56 • Underline THREE quotations which show us something about the narrator. • Label your quotation with an explanation about what this shows us about the narrator.
Read lines 57- 84 • Find an example of three of the following techniques and annotate your copy of the story. • Speech • A short sentence • A complex sentence • Careful use of adjectives (describing words) • Appeal to the senses (see/hear/touch/smell/taste)
Read lines 85 - 129 • How old is the narrator? • What makes you think this? • Re-read line 20. Now you know the ending, what does this line suggest?
Rights and Wrongs Some psychologists say that babies as young as 15 months know the difference between right and wrong.
In the UK, the age of criminal responsibility is 10 years old.
Which sentence do you agree with the most and why? Statement
In the story ‘When the Wasps Drowned’ the children behave in a shocking, evil way. The narrator is only interested in keeping the diamond ring. She doesn’t care what happens to the body in the garden. In the story ‘When the Wasps Drowned’ the children behave in an understandable way. They don’t know what to do so they pretend nothing has happened. In the story ‘When the Wasps Drowned’ the children are old enough to take responsibility and do the right thing. In the story ‘When the Wasps Drowned’ the children don’t know what is the right thing to do. How would they? They’re just children after all. Life is not about right and wrong, good and bad; it’s a lot more complicated than that. I don’t think the children in ‘When the Wasps Drowned’ should be judged in these terms.
QUOTE
Learning Objectives • To explore
Exploring Symbolism • Denotes – the literal meaning. The word is used to name the object or thing. • Connotes – (connotation) the things that we think about that is associated with that word.
WAS PDENOTES
CONNOTATION S?
What other symbols do you think exist in the story?