Literary Analysis Planning

Overview

In this lesson, students plan a draft literary analysis using a graphic organiser. They will develop a clear structure, strong topic sentences, and evidence-focused paragraphs in preparation for writing.

Learning intentions

• Students will plan a literary analysis with an organised introduction, body paragraphs and conclusion.
• Students will use textual evidence and explain how it supports their ideas about themes, character, language and/or perspective.
• Students will select and arrange evidence to create a logical progression of arguments.

Success criteria

• I can create an outline that includes my thesis statement and the main points of my argument.
• I can write topic sentences that link back to my thesis and guide each paragraph.
• I can plan where and how I will use evidence, and briefly note the analysis for each piece of evidence.
• I can show a clear paragraph order using a graphic organiser.

Curriculum links

• Students develop skills in responding to and analysing texts by making interpretations supported by evidence.
• Students plan and draft texts using appropriate structure, cohesion and language features for purpose and audience.
• Students use strategies for editing and refining ideas during the planning stage.

Lesson structure (70 minutes)

1. 0–5 min | WALT focus + mindset

• Display the WALT: “Plan a draft of the literary analysis.”
• Quick check: students share (or teacher elicits) what “planning” should achieve before drafting.

2. 5–15 min | Model: outline as argument

• Teacher models a short example outline using a graphic organiser (introduction, three body paragraphs, conclusion).
• Explicitly demonstrate linking: thesis → topic sentence → evidence → explanation of how evidence proves the claim.

3. 15–25 min | Revisit requirements from earlier lessons

• Students revisit their chosen text and previous notes (theme/issue, key moments, author choices, quotations).
• Teacher prompts: “What is your claim about the cultural voice?” and “How do you prove it with evidence?”

4. 25–45 min | Graphic organiser planning (teacher-guided)

• Students complete their graphic organiser to plan:
• Introduction: thesis statement and sentence-level roadmap
• Body paragraphs: topic sentence + planned evidence + analysis note (1–2 sentences)
• Conclusion: restate thesis with a final insight
• Teacher circulates with a planning checklist (clarity, evidence, explanation, cohesion, paragraph order).

5. 45–55 min | Evidence sorting mini-task (small group support)

• In pairs or small groups, students swap one planned paragraph with a peer.
• Peer feedback prompt: “Does your evidence clearly support the topic sentence? What analysis is missing (if any)?”

6. 55–65 min | Revise outline for clarity

• Students revise their outline based on feedback.
• Teacher targets common gaps: evidence with no explanation, topic sentences not linked to thesis, unclear sequencing.

7. 65–70 min | Exit ticket: readiness to draft

• Students submit their completed outline (or digital version) and a one-sentence exit ticket:
• “My strongest paragraph is… because…”
• “I still need to improve… by…”

Resources

• Student graphic organiser template for literary analysis (printed or digital)
• Students’ previous lesson notes: quotations/evidence, themes, character/perspective/language ideas
• Highlighters or colour-coded sticky notes (evidence vs analysis vs linking sentences)
• Teacher model example outline (on board/handout)
• Checklists for planning: thesis clarity, topic sentence link, evidence quality, explanation
• Timer and exemplar paragraph strips (optional)
• Dyslexia-friendly reading supports: audio version of the text passages, large-print key quotes, sentence starter cards with simple structure

Assessment

• Formative assessment: teacher uses the planning checklist while conferencing during the graphic organiser task.
• Peer assessment: students provide specific feedback on whether evidence supports topic sentences and where analysis is missing.
• Summative-for-this-lesson evidence: submission of a complete outline ready for drafting.

Differentiation

• Support for students needing scaffolding:
• Provide partially completed organisers (thesis and one body paragraph) for students to finish.
• Offer sentence starters for topic sentences and analysis (e.g., “This shows… because…”).
• Provide a short list of “evidence → analysis” prompts tied to the cultural voice focus.
• Extension for students ready for more challenge:
• Require an additional layer of analysis in one paragraph (e.g., compare two techniques or show author’s perspective).
• Ask students to include a brief counterpoint or alternative interpretation in their conclusion planning.
• EAL support:
• Allow evidence to be recorded in students’ strongest language first, then collaboratively translate key analysis into academic English.
• Provide bilingual word banks for common analytical terms (theme, perspective, techniques, suggests, illustrates).
• SEN/dyslexia-friendly adjustments:
• Use audio playback of the selected passages and provide large-print excerpts of key quotes.
• Reduce visual clutter: organise the page into clear sections with consistent headings.
• Permit use of speech-to-text for planning notes, then students copy only the final outline points.