Kestrel. Actividades

GCSE English Literature for AQA Specification A resource sheets

A Kestrel for a Knave Barry Hines
Activities by Kath Seredyn

© Harcourt Education Limited, 2006 The following pages consist of teacher’s notes and classroom support sheets for A Kestrel for a Knave by Barry Hines. These resources are to help students who are studying A Kestrel for a Knave as part of the AQA GCSE EnglishLiterature specification. These pages can be freely downloaded and printed out as required. This material may be freely copied for institutional use. However, this material is copyright and under no circumstances can copies be offered for sale. The publishers gratefully acknowledge permission to reproduce copyright material.

AQA GCSE English Literature

A Kestrel for a Knave – Barry HinesContents
Introduction 3

Synopsis

4

The Assessment Objectives explained

5

How to study a character

6

How to study a theme

8

Looking at language

11

Looking at structure

13

Preparing for the examination

14

Exam practice questions

15

Sample planning for a Foundation question

16

© Harcourt Education Limited, 2006

AQA GCSE English Literature

AKestrel for a Knave – Barry Hines

Introduction
Barry Hines’s novel A Kestrel for a Knave is one of the set prose texts for AQA GCSE 3 English Literature Specification A. The examination is 1 – hours long and Section A is the 4 Prose section, on which it is recommended that students spend 45 minutes. The examination is worth 70 per cent of the final assessment; coursework is worth 30 per cent.Aim and content
These sheets can be used in two main ways: 1 During the course as students prepare for essays on, for example, character or theme. 2 At the end of the course, to consolidate learning and for students to use individually as revision aids. Most important is familiarity with the Assessment Objectives – the key to success! The page references in these resources refer to theHeinemann New Windmills edition of A Kestrel for a Knave: ISBN 0 435 12460 9.

© Harcourt Education Limited, 2006

Teaching Sheet

3

AQA GCSE English Literature

A Kestrel for a Knave – Barry Hines

Synopsis
A Kestrel for a Knave tells the story of a day in the life of Billy Casper. The story is written in the third person, but there is little doubt that we are encouraged to look throughBilly’s eyes. The setting is South Yorkshire in the 1960s – probably Barnsley – though Hines never names places. We know the town is in a mining area: Billy’s brother Jud works down the pit, a fate that Billy wants to avoid, but the reader feels that inevitably he will not succeed. For boys like Billy, there was little else available. The novel has several flashbacks that move away from the actionof the day and fill in gaps from the past, such as how Billy came by Kes and trained her. Billy lives with his feckless mother, Mrs Casper, and his brutal brother, Jud. It is not a loving home and Billy is not well provided for. He does, however, have his kestrel, Kes; she is the centre of his life and he dedicates all his time and efforts to her. Billy’s day starts with an unpleasant conversationwith Jud and continues with his paper round for Mr Porter, who clearly believes Billy is inferior to the boys from the middle-class Firs Hill Estate. His day continues at school, where he is humiliated by both his form tutor, Mr Crossley, and the headmaster, Mr Gryce. After being caned for daydreaming in assembly, he goes to his English lesson with Mr Farthing. This lesson is one of the fewpositive times in his day: he is made to feel valued when he gives a talk to the class about his kestrel. At break, he is involved in a fight which is sorted out by Mr Farthing. Billy then goes to a PE lesson where the teacher, Mr Sugden, continues the humiliation because Billy has no kit and cannot play football. At lunchtime, Billy goes to feed and fly Kes – a high point in his day. He is watched...