1a Gothic Underground
The following collection of writing ideas are from a LATE/NWP writing workshop at the British Library, 9 October 2014. The workshop was part of a conference for teachers exploring the British Library's exhibition, 'Terror and Wonder: The Gothic Imagination', 3 October - 20 January 2015.
There are two short exercises (1&2) looking at the vocabulary, attitudes and structures of Gothic literature, and a longer investigative writing prompt (3) based partly on internet articles on the unexplained Erdstall tunnels in Bavaria.
There is a final paper-cutting exercise which is based on the Gothic 'steps' illustrated in the linked You Tube video.
1a. Gothic underground
The learning intention is to familiarise students with some of the characteristic 'vocabulary of Gothic', and to explore those images, connections, themes, tropes and sequences in their own writing. (This exercise might be preceded, accompanied or followed by reading from texts such as 'Frankenstein', 'Dracula', 'Rebecca', 'Titus Alone')
Using the attached 1b Gothic Lexicon, work with a partner to identify clusters or 'lines' of related words. The connection/narrative/sequence is for you to find. Find as many 'lines' as you can (adding words as you wish), create 'station names' from them, and then arrange them in your own version of a Gothic underground map.
Tip: try to identify 'junctions' where the lines cross - or where a spur line might branch off, or connect to English Literature mainline (Canon street, ha ha!)
e.g. one 'line' could be the 'architecture line' (brown) calling at Castle Road - Dungeon Street - Passage Lane - North Vault. Dungeon Street could be a junction where the architecture line crosses the 'torture line' (green) which calls at Terror Gardens - Murder and Mayhem - Dungeon Street - Sacrifice Square and Sacrifice Central.
The RSC have made a Shakespeare Underground map in which the lines are the common roles in Shakespeare's plays - heroes, villains, lovers, fathers and daughters etc and the stations are the characters. (Junctions are interesting!)
There are many other examples of actor/theatre/themed 'underground' maps online at
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=shakespeare+underground+map&biw=1440&bih=809&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=8EI2VIO6GLP9sASAq4CgCw&ved=0CDIQsAQ
There are two short exercises (1&2) looking at the vocabulary, attitudes and structures of Gothic literature, and a longer investigative writing prompt (3) based partly on internet articles on the unexplained Erdstall tunnels in Bavaria.
There is a final paper-cutting exercise which is based on the Gothic 'steps' illustrated in the linked You Tube video.
1a. Gothic underground
The learning intention is to familiarise students with some of the characteristic 'vocabulary of Gothic', and to explore those images, connections, themes, tropes and sequences in their own writing. (This exercise might be preceded, accompanied or followed by reading from texts such as 'Frankenstein', 'Dracula', 'Rebecca', 'Titus Alone')
Using the attached 1b Gothic Lexicon, work with a partner to identify clusters or 'lines' of related words. The connection/narrative/sequence is for you to find. Find as many 'lines' as you can (adding words as you wish), create 'station names' from them, and then arrange them in your own version of a Gothic underground map.
Tip: try to identify 'junctions' where the lines cross - or where a spur line might branch off, or connect to English Literature mainline (Canon street, ha ha!)
e.g. one 'line' could be the 'architecture line' (brown) calling at Castle Road - Dungeon Street - Passage Lane - North Vault. Dungeon Street could be a junction where the architecture line crosses the 'torture line' (green) which calls at Terror Gardens - Murder and Mayhem - Dungeon Street - Sacrifice Square and Sacrifice Central.
The RSC have made a Shakespeare Underground map in which the lines are the common roles in Shakespeare's plays - heroes, villains, lovers, fathers and daughters etc and the stations are the characters. (Junctions are interesting!)
There are many other examples of actor/theatre/themed 'underground' maps online at
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=shakespeare+underground+map&biw=1440&bih=809&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=8EI2VIO6GLP9sASAq4CgCw&ved=0CDIQsAQ