GCSE Literature: (15) ‘An Inspector Calls’ – The Characterisation of Eric Birling

GCSE Literature: (15) ‘An Inspector Calls’ – The Characterisation of Eric Birling

JB Priestley’s timeless classic attacks the class system and sexual bias. In a tense setting, the Birling family are put on trial by the ghostly Inspector Goole and made to confront the outcomes of their discrimination towards the working-classes. In our post-modern world, the class system and its privileges are currently on trial in many different ways. Therefore, this text remains essential reading for our students. I have taught this text many times over the last twenty years and I have used this specific resource (revised in 2021) to: lead my teaching in class, as a distance learning material in online lessons, as a homework assignment and even as a tool of revision – All have worked well for the students.

This dynamically presented PowerPoint lesson (21 slides, approximately ninety minutes teaching time) includes: a starter activity, direct and indirect characterisation questions, textual analysis tasks, an academic writing exercise, an extension task connected to critical vocabulary, a homework assignment and a plenary. This is a complete resource with no further work required from the teacher.

1 PowerPoint with 21 ready to display slides