This complete teaching unit has been designed to support Advanced Higher English pupils in developing sophisticated comparative analysis, confident seminar discussion and successful Literary Study essays through the study of Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle and The Haunting of Hill House.

Built around a carefully structured sequence of reading, discussion, analysis and essay writing, the resource guides pupils from their first encounter with each novel through to producing sophisticated comparative critical essays that meet the demands of the Advanced Higher Literary Study examination.

The unit develops comparative thinking gradually throughout, helping pupils build secure knowledge of each novel before synthesising ideas into sophisticated literary arguments. Seminar discussion sits at the heart of the resource, encouraging pupils to construct, challenge and refine interpretations through evidence-based debate before translating those ideas into analytical writing.

What’s included:

• A complete teaching PowerPoint covering both novels from beginning to end
• Chapter-by-chapter pre-seminar preparation tasks
• Structured seminar discussion questions for every chapter
• Teacher seminar notes to support discussion and interpretation
• Regular formative analytical writing tasks throughout
• Whole-novel unpacking activities
• Whole-novel FAQ discussions exploring complex interpretations
• Comparative planning activities
• Explicit teaching of comparative essay structure
• The Comparative Argument Ladder, providing a transferable framework for comparative literary analysis
• Comparative paragraph modelling
• Essay planning support
• A complete model Advanced Higher comparative essay
• Printable resources suitable for classroom use
• Editable format for easy departmental adaptation

This unit works particularly well for:

• developing sophisticated comparative literary analysis
• preparing pupils for the Advanced Higher Literary Study examination
• building confidence in seminar discussion and independent interpretation
• teaching pupils how to compare texts rather than simply discuss them separately
• supporting the transition from Higher to Advanced Higher analytical writing
• reducing teacher planning time through a coherent, ready-to-teach sequence

Written specifically for Advanced Higher English, the resource closely reflects QualScot assessment expectations while remaining adaptable to different departmental approaches and teaching styles. The emphasis throughout is on interpretation, evaluation and sustained comparative argument rather than formulaic essay writing, enabling pupils to develop the analytical independence expected at Advanced Higher level.

Obsidian English resources are built from real classroom practice and focus on what teachers actually need: coherent units, intellectually rigorous teaching materials and resources that work with real pupils.