Hunting of the Snark: A Creative Exploration
Delve into the whimsical world of Lewis Carroll's "Hunting of the Snark" project, where Y7 and Y8 classes at JLS embark on a 2-week journey to produce FITs in the style of the original poem. Through this endeavor, students engage in hand-drawn illustrations, poetic forms, and the quest for their own scholarly "Snark." Join this imaginative pursuit culminating in a display of artistic and literary creations, inspired by the classic Victorian nonsense poetry.
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Presentation Transcript
Hunting of the Snark: A short scheme to produce material for JLS140
Involvement Y7 & Y8 classes for 2 weeks in June, culminating in display 31stJune Each class to produce 1 FIT in style of original based on the outline of Snark seen as part of the quest for a Snark undertaken by each boy on arrival at JLS. Work to be electronically produced illustrations hand drawn and scanned in by teachers. Each teacher responsible for delivery of their section of the text. Teaching can also embed awareness of poetic form (ballad); development of nonsense lexis and performance of poetry.
Introductory note for final document. First published in Easter 1876, Lewis Carroll s Hunting of the Snark is a classic piece of Victorian nonsense poetry. It is easy to imagine the new boys at The John Lyon School being in receipt of this book as a present and learning to recite the verse among their friends. There meaning of the poem is obscure if it has one at all! Certainly the original group of travellers are left in little doubt that the Snark IS a boojum, you see . The suggestion is that the object of our desire is somehow a deceit a fantasy which will cause the finder to disappear entirely perhaps to lose their individuality in the faceless world of a wider society. Today, in our anniversary year, we are revisiting this text in Years 7&8 and electing to find our JLS Snark in 2016. A Snark is some form of scholarly success certainly not solely academic that might be the boojum- a one-trick pony who offers little to society than an obsession with personal achievement ion a narrow academic context. Our Snarks seek a wide range of skills and activities and learn that failure is only deferred success and that risk-taking in the name of progress is vital to the development not just of young minds, but of all humanity.
Outline of final document: FIT 1: Y7 The form gathers. In which forms create 4 line verse pictures of themselves and their Bellman the form tutor or English Teacher. FIT 2: Y7 The Bellman s speech. In which the form write a short poem in 4 line ballad form to reflect the information and exhortations given by their Bellman. Must engage with what a Snark might be and Bellman s rule of 3 FIT 3: Y7 The hunting (1) Ballad form recount of the main events of term 1 in the new school - aspects of life: music, sport, art, drama and academic life possibly playing with the idea that their Snark is a boojum unless it engages with a range of areas FIT 4: Y7 Hunting (2) Developing the idea of new skills and new experiences: Hockey? Cricket? FIT 5: Y8 Have we found it? Looks back into y7 and considers whether it has been found FIT 6: Y8 Is our Snark a Boojum? If so why (it should be) FIT 7: Y8 The vanishing and the determination to keep looking what is needed in y9,10, 11 and so forth to develop boys as Snarks?
Fit 2: Focus on advice from tutor Empty map might be a book of school rules why would it be empty? Mixed orders work in silence whilst discussing a plot? Nonsense verse examples http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/GENBRIT/199 8-10/0908995321 Needs to describe the JLS Snark Must raise fear of the Boojum without giving away the fear
Teaching Fit 2: Lesson 1 Read FIT and discuss meaning Identify structure: Iambs and anapaests in 4&3 (per- tiddurly- tiddurly-tiddurly tum/ per- tiddurly tiddurly tum.) Rhymes 4 lines to tell a little story. School rhymes Rules Fools Books Looks Teacher creature exams Lambs ( to the slaughter?)
Rhythm This is important for our poem Consider these lines, which ones fit the rhythm: A tall teacher standing in front of the class/cried out in a voice fit to burst A teacher stood in front of the class/ and shouted loudly the boys started talking together, at once/ each striving to outdo the next. The more you read the poem aloud, the more you will get used to the pattern.
Try these couplets Describing the atmosphere in a maths test Describing the smallest member of the group use your imagination no copies and no unkind personal comment, please. A list of school rules that might confuse the reader. Share them .
FIT 2 FIT THE SECOND The Bellman himself they all praised to the skies Such a carriage, such ease and such grace! Such solemnity, too! One could see he was wise, The moment one looked in his face! He had bought a large map representing the sea, Without the least vestige of land: And the crew were much pleased when they found it to be A map they could all understand. "What's the good of Mercator's North Poles and Equators, Tropics, Zones, and Meridian Lines?" So the Bellman would cry: and the crew would reply "They are merely conventional signs! "Other maps are such shapes, with their islands and capes! But we've got our brave Captain to thank (So the crew would protest) "that he's bought us the best A perfect and absolute blank!" This was charming, no doubt; but they shortly found out That the Captain they trusted so well Had only one notion for crossing the ocean, And that was to tingle his bell. He was thoughtful and grave but the orders he gave Were enough to bewilder a crew. When he cried "Steer to starboard, but keep her head larboard!" What on earth was the helmsman to do? Then the bowsprit got mixed with the rudder sometimes: A thing, as the Bellman remarked, That frequently happens in tropical climes, When a vessel is, so to speak, "snarked." But the principal failing occurred in the sailing, And the Bellman, perplexed and distressed, Said he had hoped, at least, when the wind blew due East, That the ship would not travel due West! "Its habit of getting up late you'll agree That it carries too far, when I say That it frequently breakfasts at five-o'clock tea, And dines on the following day. The Bellman's Speech But the danger was past they had landed at last, With their boxes, portmanteaus, and bags: Yet at first sight the crew were not pleased with the view, Which consisted to chasms and crags. "The third is its slowness in taking a jest. Should you happen to venture on one, It will sigh like a thing that is deeply distressed: And it always looks grave at a pun. The Bellman perceived that their spirits were low, And repeated in musical tone Some jokes he had kept for a season of woe But the crew would do nothing but groan. "The fourth is its fondness for bathing-machines, Which it constantly carries about, And believes that they add to the beauty of scenes A sentiment open to doubt. He served out some grog with a liberal hand, And bade them sit down on the beach: And they could not but own that their Captain looked grand, As he stood and delivered his speech. "The fifth is ambition. It next will be right To describe each particular batch: Distinguishing those that have feathers, and bite, From those that have whiskers, and scratch. "Friends, Romans, and countrymen, lend me your ears!" (They were all of them fond of quotations: So they drank to his health, and they gave him three cheers, While he served out additional rations). "For, although common Snarks do no manner of harm, Yet, I feel it my duty to say, Some are Boojums " The Bellman broke off in alarm, For the Baker had fainted away. "We have sailed many months, we have sailed many weeks, (Four weeks to the month you may mark), But never as yet ('tis your Captain who speaks) Have we caught the least glimpse of a Snark! "We have sailed many weeks, we have sailed many days, (Seven days to the week I allow), But a Snark, on the which we might lovingly gaze, We have never beheld till now! "Come, listen, my men, while I tell you again The five unmistakable marks By which you may know, wheresoever you go, The warranted genuine Snarks. "Let us take them in order. The first is the taste, Which is meagre and hollow, but crisp: Like a coat that is rather too tight in the waist, With a flavour of Will-o'-the-wisp.
What links can we find to life at JLS? The Bellman himself they all praised to the skies Such a carriage, such ease and such grace! Such solemnity, too! One could see he was wise, The moment one looked in his face! He had bought a large map representing the sea, Without the least vestige of land: And the crew were much pleased when they found it to be A map they could all understand. "What's the good of Mercator's North Poles and Equators, Tropics, Zones, and Meridian Lines?" So the Bellman would cry: and the crew would reply "They are merely conventional signs! "Other maps are such shapes, with their islands and capes! But we've got our brave Captain to thank (So the crew would protest) "that he's bought us the best A perfect and absolute blank!" Describing the form tutor/teacher A book of school rules? Why would a blank rule book be so good?
This was charming, no doubt; but they shortly found out That the Captain they trusted so well Had only one notion for crossing the ocean, And that was to tingle his bell. He was thoughtful and grave but the orders he gave Were enough to bewilder a crew. When he cried "Steer to starboard, but keep her head larboard!" What on earth was the helmsman to do? Then the bowsprit got mixed with the rudder sometimes: A thing, as the Bellman remarked, That frequently happens in tropical climes, When a vessel is, so to speak, "snarked." But the principal failing occurred in the sailing, And the Bellman, perplexed and distressed, Said he had hoped, at least, when the wind blew due East, That the ship would not travel due West! But the danger was past they had landed at last, With their boxes, portmanteaus, and bags: Yet at first sight the crew were not pleased with the view, Which consisted to chasms and crags. Teacher gives contradic tory advice is this like work hard/play hard? After some difficulties, they settle into school life
The Bellman perceived that their spirits were low, And repeated in musical tone Some jokes he had kept for a season of woe But the crew would do nothing but groan. He served out some grog with a liberal hand, And bade them sit down on the beach: And they could not but own that their Captain looked grand, As he stood and delivered his speech. "Friends, Romans, and countrymen, lend me your ears!" (They were all of them fond of quotations: So they drank to his health, and they gave him three cheers, While he served out additional rations). "We have sailed many months, we have sailed many weeks, (Four weeks to the month you may mark), But never as yet ('tis your Captain who speaks) Have we caught the least glimpse of a Snark! How does the teacher encourage the students? merits? The speech begins
"We have sailed many weeks, we have sailed many days, (Seven days to the week I allow), But a Snark, on the which we might lovingly gaze, We have never beheld till now! "Come, listen, my men, while I tell you again The five unmistakable marks By which you may know, wheresoever you go, The warranted genuine Snarks. "Let us take them in order. The first is the taste, Which is meagre and hollow, but crisp: Like a coat that is rather too tight in the waist, With a flavour of Will-o'-the-wisp. "Its habit of getting up late you'll agree That it carries too far, when I say That it frequently breakfasts at five-o'clock tea, And dines on the following day Lists the features of a snark Can we think of four or five ways to describe the appearance of our snark the perfect, well rounded schoolboy?
"The third is its slowness in taking a jest. Should you happen to venture on one, It will sigh like a thing that is deeply distressed: And it always looks grave at a pun. "The fourth is its fondness for bathing-machines, Which it constantly carries about, And believes that they add to the beauty of scenes A sentiment open to doubt. "The fifth is ambition. It next will be right To describe each particular batch: Distinguishing those that have feathers, and bite, From those that have whiskers, and scratch. "For, although common Snarks do no manner of harm, Yet, I feel it my duty to say, Some are Boojums " The Bellman broke off in alarm, For the Baker had fainted away. Now, what might our snark sound like? What might it want out of life? The warning!
Fit 2 Structure: TASKS Sta nza content Boys working on the stanza 1 Response to the form tutor Akshay and Roshan 2 Tutor s rule book Dylan and James 3 Tutor s contrary advice Vinay and Paul 4 Day 1 in the school Ali and Sohil 5 At the end of term one Soji and Ethan 6 Tells of the quest to find a Snark Odin and Laith 7 Snark: Appearance Yusuf and Abdullah 8 Snark: Sound Zain and Taran 9 Snark: Ambitions Haaris and Ashil 10 Boojum warning Dev and Roman
HWK: Write/draft your specific stanza focused on the topic issued. Ensure it rhymes and try to get the rhythm to work You can use Google Classroom to stay in touch if you need ot do so.
Finally. Bring in draft stanzas Work with teacher to improve as required. When allowed, move to PCs to create a complete poem. Type up stanza and send to teacher to collate.