Until then, I had quite liked English, so, naïve but valiant, I drew out the only key to the canon I had: a dictionary. And within twenty minutes Ms Brontë and I had parted company.
Now, as you will have guessed, our estrangement was shorter and less turbulent than Jane and Rochester’s, if similar in that its ending was partly due to the intervention of a saint – in my case (ironically) another Ms Mason, my excellent English teacher.
But, thank goodness, this is the 21st century and we can hand this power-tool website – Teaching 19th Century Texts – to every teenager encountering Brontë, Dickens, Stevenson, Shelley, Austen et al., especially at the advent of a more knowledge-based curriculum with its requirement that every child must read 19th-century texts and have this thoroughly assessed by their GCSEs at the end of two years.
The passionate determination of Cambridge University Press and Zondle is to collaborate in providing you with a one-stop-resource hub that links gaming with learning, and so will meet the needs and engage the interest of every one of your students. That is why, in Teaching 19th Century Texts you will find:
Onscreen and pdf resources galore including:
- engaging 19th-century set text and non-fiction extracts supported by pop-out glossaries
- lively and empowering context and student notes
- inspiring teacher notes that offer targeted activities, lesson sequences and learning suggestions.
Tell us what else you need – we’re listening and ready to respond.
Bespoke quizzes targeting the reading Assessment Objectives for every text, using Zondle’s fun, games-based learning for knowledge-building, skills practise and revision. Gamification is proven to
- motivate the disaffected
- support SEN students
- differentiate and personalise
- empower and equip learners at all attainment levels, to make huge strides in their learning
- lead pupils into flow
- improve behaviour.
(And just how many OFSTED criteria does this list tick?)
Zondle test builders so that you can add and share your own test resources. Please do – we need each other’s dynamism and innovation.
Gradebook feedback on how each of your students is performing, so you can reward them as well as target support and challenge effectively.
Exciting live revision tests in the run-up to the exams.
A community. We are going to support each other because we are going to make this new knowledge-based curriculum not just work for, but enthral and empower, our pupils.
Zondle and Cambridge’s quest is to develop the best resources to support you in ensuring every child can love literature – not fear it. So, genuinely, every suggestion for how to improve this site is gratefully received (don’t miss the ‘Feedback’ buttons on every page). Please join me on the Teaching 19th Century Texts forum (where there’s only one rule: you can get bashed and discouraged elsewhere, but not here) and let’s kick off by sharing our What Works Well and Wishes. See you there!
Clare Constant
