'I love it when a plan comes together!'

Right!  Let's get this planning going!  There are three clear steps to effective planning.  Did you get that?  I said, three clear steps to effective planning.  Don't be a fool, fool!  Follow these steps and keep on repeating them.  Then, and only then, your plan will come together!

 Step One  Know what you must do!  Read the task carefully.  Underline or

highlight the words in the task that 'steer' you/direct you on what to do. 

For example:

How does Shakespeare create tension in Romeo and Juliet?

(now I know that I need to discuss the techniques that Shakespeare uses to create tension in Romeo and Juliet)

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Step Two Get your ideas flowing!  Step two is all about thinking and writing quickly:  blast the page with ideas in the form of lists or words/quotations thrown all over the place.  The order does not need to be logical at this point.

For example:

prologue - 'star-crossed lovers'/'Romeo (on way to party) - I fear, too early: for my mind misgives Some consequence yet hanging in the stars'/ Juliet (after night with Romeo) 'Methinks I see thee, As one dead in the bottom of a tomb'. Audience knows that R and J married when parents are arranging marriage to Paris, the letter and knowledge of Juliet's staged death, crazy Tybalt,  Death of Mercutio

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Step Three Order, order, order!  In other words, collate your ideas into a structure.  At this point, it is vital that you identify the theme of each paragraph, write out the topic sentence and list the quotes/references that you will make.  Applying key terminology and discourse markers is always wise to do at this point.  Let me show you how I would sort out the notes from step two.

Task: tension/romeo & juliet

Paragraph one: Foreshadowing.

Topic sentence:  Throughout the play, Shakespeare cleverly uses foreshadowing to remind the audience  that Romeo and Juliet will die and, thereby, ensures that tension is sustained. 

Quotes:

prologue - 'star-crossed lovers' (fate has determined their destiny and they will not be able to escape it)

'Romeo (on way to party) - I fear, too early: for my mind misgives Some consequence yet hanging in the stars' (even before he meets Juliet, Romeo believes that going to the party will result in a negative 'concequence')

Juliet (after night with Romeo) 'Methinks I see thee, As one dead in the bottom of a tomb'. (at this point, the audience have been charmed by these two teenagers falling in love and it is a shock when, as Romeo is leaving Juliet for a short while, she looks in his face and imagines him dead.  The image of being in a tomb is particularly disturbing).

Paragraph one: Dramatic Irony.

Topic sentence:  Shakespeare reveals information to the audience that the main characters do not know and this use of dramatic irony would result in the audience being frustrated at not having the opportunity to share what they know with the characters who need to know.

Quotes:

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