Overview

This 60-minute lesson introduces Year 10 students to the character of Sheila Birling from J.B. Priestley’s An Inspector Calls, in alignment with the National Curriculum for England (Key Stage 4 English Literature). The lesson focuses on developing students’ analytical skills, understanding of characterisation, and the social and historical context of the play. It integrates speaking, listening, reading and writing skills with critical thinking.

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National Curriculum Links

• English Literature (KS4)

  • Pupils should be taught to develop an appreciation and understanding of literature, including plays, through detailed reading and discussion (National Curriculum, English Programmes of Study, 2013).
  • Analyze the themes, characters and contexts in literature (PoS, 2013).
  • Use relevant textual references, supporting ideas and arguments with quotations (PoS, 2013).
  • Develop speaking and listening skills through collaborative discussions (PoS, 2013).

• Assessment Objectives for GCSE English Literature

  • AO1: Read, understand and respond to texts, maintaining a critical style and developing an informed personal response.
  • AO2: Analyse the language, form and structure used by a writer to create meanings and effects.
  • AO3: Show understanding of the relationships between texts and the contexts in which they were written.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will:

1. Identify and describe key traits and developments of Sheila Birling’s character in An Inspector Calls.
2. Analyse how Priestley uses Sheila to convey social criticism.
3. Understand how Sheila reflects the context of early 20th-century Britain (class, gender, social responsibility).
4. Use quotations to support informed interpretations.
5. Engage collaboratively in group discussions to develop and share understanding.

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Resources

• Copies of selected extracts from An Inspector Calls featuring Sheila Birling (e.g., Act 1 scenes 1 and 2)
• Whiteboard or projector
• Character profile cards
• “Sheila’s Voice” worksheet (includes key quotes and guided questions)
• Post-it notes
• Timer or stopwatch

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Lesson Structure

Starter (10 minutes) – Engaging Prior Knowledge

• Activity: Quick Write & Pair Share
  • Prompt: “What kind of person do you expect Sheila Birling to be based on her social class and the play’s setting?”
  • Students write their ideas for 3 minutes.
  • Pair up and share ideas briefly.
  • Whole-class brainstorming: Teacher records key words on the board under “First Impressions of Sheila”.

Purpose: Engage students with prior knowledge of the play’s social context and encourage prediction.

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Introduction (10 minutes) – Contextual Foundation

• Brief presentation/teacher-led discussion about:
  • Sheila’s social position & family background.
  • 1912 British context: class, gender roles, and social responsibility (link to AO3).
• Explain Priestley’s intention to critique the wealthy pre-WWI society through characters like Sheila.

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Main Activity (25 minutes) – Close Reading & Group Work

• Divide class into 4 groups of 7.
• Give each group a different extract where Sheila shows key traits (e.g., naivety, guilt, growth, and responsibility).
• Task:
  • Identify key words/phrases that reveal Sheila’s character.
  • Annotate extracts focusing on: language, tone, Priestley’s purpose.
  • Use “Sheila’s Voice” worksheet for guiding questions (e.g., How does Sheila’s attitude change in this extract? What does this tell us about her character?).
• Groups prepare a 3-minute presentation analysing Sheila’s character development in their extract, using quotations as evidence.
• Encourage use of tier 2 vocabulary: e.g., transformation, remorse, social critique, naivety.

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Plenary (10 minutes) – Sharing & Reflecting

• Each group presents their analysis.
• Whole-class discussion on:
  • How does Sheila’s character challenge or conform to her social class?
  • What message about social responsibility does Priestley communicate through Sheila?
• Final task: Students write one sentence on a post-it summarising what Sheila’s character reveals about society in the play.
• Stick post-its under “Sheila’s Social Message” on the board for visual synthesis.

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Assessment and Feedback

• Formative throughout:
  • Monitor paired and group discussions to assess understanding and vocabulary use.
  • Review annotations for focus on quotations and language analysis.
• Summative:
  • Group presentations assessed against AO1 and AO2 (textual reference, critical analysis).
  • Post-it plenary sentence assessed for insight into social context (AO3).
• Provide verbal feedback emphasising use of textual evidence and consideration of historical context.

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Differentiation

• Support: Scaffolded “Sheila’s Voice” worksheet with sentence starters for less confident writers/readers.
• Challenge: Extension tasks for more able students to explore Priestley’s dramatic techniques or compare Sheila with other characters briefly.
• Use mixed-ability groups to enable peer support.

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Cross-Curricular Links

• History: Understanding Edwardian social structure and early 20th-century Britain.
• PSHE: Themes of social responsibility and moral development.

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Teacher’s Notes

• Encourage students to consider how Sheila’s transformation contributes to the play’s overall message about collective responsibility.
• Emphasise the importance of historical and social context for understanding character motivation.
• Use a mix of teacher direction and student-led inquiry to maximise engagement and ownership of learning.

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Summary

This lesson plan combines critical literacy skills with contextual understanding to develop a nuanced portrait of Sheila Birling that meets National Curriculum standards. Through interactive, scaffolded exploration and group presentations, students gain confidence interpreting literature in a creative and analytical way.