This is a collection of slides that I used to help teach the play.

1. Cameron’s Great
Britain
Listen to David Cameron’s speech.
What is meant by ‘Big Society’?

2. Look at the front
and back cover of
‘An Inspector Calls’,
what clues do they
offer about the
story?
Read the blurb.
How does the blurb
try to make the play
Click the film spool
to watch a trailer sound intriguing?
for An Inspector To learn about the values of the Birlings’.
Calls To learn what the play is about.

3. To learn about the values of the Birlings’.
To learn what the play is about.
Let’s Meet The Birling’s

4. Learner’s list:
• To read the
opening.
• Perform it
• Question it.
To learn about the values of the Birlings’.
To learn what the play is about.

5. Final Act:
• Write down what you think David
Cameron would say to Mr Birling?

6. • Solve the conundrum
•YEOITSC

7. • We don’t live alone we
live in a community.

8. • Everyone should put
themselves first and look
after number one

9. • We are all
responsible for
one another

10. • We are all connected to one
another and our actions
affect other peoples lives.

11. • To learn about the key themes and the
writer.

12. Time to infer in learning
groups…
• Read stage directions and character
notes.
• Make notes on what we learn about the
furniture, props, costume, lighting and
each of characters. In learning groups.
Learning to form
assumptions about the
Birling family

13. Copy the two terms and write down what
you think the images indicate about the
terms, Socialism and Capitalism?

14. Key Themes
An Inspector Calls is a very political play. To understand it fully
you will need to discover what is meant by the following words:
Socialism
Capitalism

15. Key Themes
Socialism
a political theory or system in which the
means of production and distribution are
controlled by the people and operated
according to equity and fairness rather
than market principles
Capitalism
an economic system based on the
private ownership of the means of
production and distribution of goods,
characterized by a free competitive
market motivated by profit

16. J.B. Priestley
J B Priestley was born in Bradford
in1894 and died in 1984. He left
school at 16 in 1910 and began work as
a junior clerk at a wool firm. Priestley
said that the period just before the
first world war (1911 to 1914) ‘set
their stamp upon me’ and it is this
period of history that Priestly chose to
set his play An Inspector Calls.
Priestly was a committed socialist and
a great deal of his writing conveyed his
political beliefs. Priestley was very
critical of the social inequality of life
in Britain in the first half of the
twentieth century and he was
influential in developing the idea of
the Welfare State which the Labour
Party established in the years
following World War II.

17. The Historical
AnContext
Inspector Calls was written in 1945
just after the second world war, a time
of great change and opportunity.
Through the play J B Priestly encouraged
his audiences to take the opportunities
for progress available to them. He
wanted the public to reject the values of
early twentieth century Britain and build
a new, more equal society out of the
ruins of the second world war.
Priestley sets his play 33 years earlier in
1912, the era of the Titanic and World
War One. This was before the days of
the welfare state, Britain was a country Click here to watch an
of great social inequality and deeply episode of Andrew Marr's
divided by class. The Making of Modern
Britain - A New Dawn

18. Checking the learning.
1.When was An Inspector Calls written?
2.What was happening in Britain at this time?
3.When is An Inspector Calls set?
4.Why did Priestly setTo readplay in this era?
his to p10
What impression is formed of each of the characters and why?
5.What were Priestley’s political beliefs?
6.Explain the difference between socialism and
capitalism.
7.Why do you think Priestly chose the detective
thriller/’whodunnit’ genre for his play?

19. It’s not all about the money
or is it?

20. To learn about
the characters
First Impressions
• To read to p10
• What impression is formed of each of the
characters and why?
Character Impression Why?
Eric immature Mocks Sheila
‘Terrible temper’
Mrs Birling
Mr Birling ….

21. Learner’s Activity
• Go through the chunks of Birling’s Speech
and assign each part a headline.
• Cut it out stick onto a plain sheet and
annotate it.
Learn about Mr Birling
through analysis of his
opening speeches

22. The family must be
wealthy because…..

23. How much do they love
each other?

24. Arthur and
Sheila
Objective:
• To learn how Priestley introduces the character
of Sheila Birling
• To learn how Priestley again uses contrast to
present the character of Sheila Birling

25. "But these girls aren't cheap labour - they're
people."
This quote shows her compassion towards
the workers.

26. "I don't understand about you."
• As she is the first to wonder who the Inspector really is, she asks
him the previously mentioned quote.
This quote shows her inquisitive nature.

27. "(half serious, half playful) Yes - except for all
last summer when you never came near me,
and I wondered what had happened to you."
• The stage directions of this quote suggest that the actress
say this line seriously and playfully. This suggests that
Sheila's character although appearing cheerful is actually
sensible however, this could be betrayed as bitterness. The
quote also suggests that she holds grudges as she still
holds this knowledge from 'last summer' against her soon
to be husband.

28. Sheila Birling
What have you learned about Sheila Birling so far? Jot
down words or phrases to describe her.

29. Father and daughter
Arthur and Sheila Birling are very
different characters.
What contrasts are there between Birling
and his daughter?

30. Arthur and Sheila
The characters of
Mr. Birling and his Arthur Birling Sheila Birling
daughter are very
different. ‘about fifty’
Now you have read
the opening scenes
think about the Unaffected by the
contrast between news of Eva’s death
these two
characters. Pompous and self
centred
Draw a table like
this one in your
books then, after
discussion with a
partner, complete
the necessary
details.

31. The Final Act

32. Gerald Croft
What are your first impressions of the Mr Gerald Croft?
What words or phrases could you use to describe him?

33. Gerald Croft
Investigate Act 1 of An Inspector Calls paying close
attention to Gerald Croft.
What Gerald says / does suggests What it shows about him
Spent very little time shows
with Sheila last
summer
Agrees with Birling’s shows
decision to sack Eva
Smith
shows

34. Don’t forget to explain yourself
Use the information from your table to write about Gerald
Croft. Do not forget to use the P.E.E structure in your
writing.
For example
At the beginning of the play we
can deduce that there is some
tension between Gerald and his
fiancée when Sheila remarks,
‘all last summer…you never came
near me.’ This brief dialogue
gives the audience an immediate
insight into the relationship
between Gerald and Sheila...

35. Got the plot?
Objectives:
• To consolidate knowledge and
understanding of the plot of Act
One

36. Sybil Birling
Objective:
• To develop knowledge and understanding
of the character of Sybil Birling
• To consolidate understanding by writing a
paragraph about Mrs Birling.

37. Sybil Birling
What have you deduced so far about Mrs Birling? What
words or phrases could you use to describe her?

38. Sybil Birling
Look at how Priestley uses stage directions, dialogue and
actions to present the character of Mrs Birling.
Quotation Stage What it suggests about her
direction,
dialogue or
action
‘a rather cold woman.’ Stage Sybil appears unfriendly and
direction emotionally detached

39. ERIC
What do these reveal about him?

40. How does this relate
to Eva Smith?
• ‘If At first you don’t
succeed, lift yourself
up and try again.’
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qOnInTJsos

41. Eva’s chain of
events
Learning Objectives:
To recall the events leading to Eva’s death.

42. What’s Happened To Eva?
 Recap on the events leading to Eva’s suicide.
 Think, Pair, Share what you have learnt from
the recall.
Learning Objectives:
To recall the events leading to Eva’s death.

43. Let’s Re-interpret The Events
You will work in groups and present a
dramatisation of Eva moments before
committing suicide by using any of the
techniques below.
- Narration
- Thought-tracking
- Cross-cutting
- Forum theatre
- Conscience alley.
Learning Objectives:
To learn and apply a variety of new dramatic
techniques.

44. Eva’s Diary
Eva’s diary entry should contain the things that have
happened to her from September 1910 (the last diary
entry) to September 1911.
To write an accurate account you will need to look
closely at Act One and Act Two of An Inspector Calls. You
could mention:
• What happened at Milward’s with Sheila Birling
• What life was like before you met Gerald
• Your thoughts and feelings about Gerald
• How your life changed when Gerald offered you a flat
• How you felt when he asked you to move out
• Your feelings for Gerald and plans for
the future

45. Discuss WHO is
culpable and why?

47. DUTY

48. RESPECT

49. LOVE

50. SOCIETY

51. STATUS

53. LIES

54. IMAGE

55. WEALTH

56. DEPRIVED

57. CLASS

58. In your learning groups .
• RE-Read the ending of the play. Look
closely at the characters actions.
• Stage a scene considering how a director
might ask for each character to be
positioned before the curtain closes.
Learning Objectives:
To learn about choices made by directors.

59. Comprehend?
1 Why does Mrs Birling say ‘Arthur you’re not supposed to say
such things’. (p.2) What is wrong with what Mr Birling has
said?
2 What is it on P.3 that suggests that there is some
underlying tension between Sheila and Gerald?
3 On p.4 What is odd or inappropriate about Birling’s
congratulatory speech?
4 Looking at p. 5 what sort of character does Sheila seem to
be?
5 Read p.5-p.7 and make a list of comments that Birling
makes that we as an audience Learningto be false.
know Objectives:
To develop a deeper understanding of the
play.

60. Learning Objectives:
To develop a deeper understanding of the
play. Comprehend?
6 What does Birling try to reassure Gerald about on p. 8
and what is it that Priestley is trying to make the audience
aware of in this conversation?
7 Eric does a number of things on p.9 which highlight to the
audience that he is not as innocent and naïve as his
parents think he is. What does he do?
8 What is Birling talking about with the two young men when
Edna announces the inspector’s arrival. Why might this be
significant?
9 Why are the stage directions for the arrival of the
inspector and his appearance on p.11 so important?
10 At the end of p.13 Birling tels Eric he has drunk enough.
What might this reveal to the audience about Eric?

61. 11 Why does Birling say he can’t accept any responsibilty
for Eva Smith’s death?
12 On p.17 Birling calls the inspector ‘Officious’ Why might
this be important?
13 Compare the way that Birling and Sheila react to the
revelations of their involvement in the death of Eva
Smith.
14 On p.22 Gerald tells the Inspector ‘we’re respectable
citizens not criminal’s’ Write down what Priestly might be
trying to imply to an audience.
15 Read p.5-p.7 and make a list of comments that Birling
makes that we as an audience know to be false.
Learning Objectives:
To develop a deeper understanding of the
play.

62. • WHO IS RESPONSIBLE?
We have on the show The Birling’s.

63. Take a good look you will be
recreating this timeline
1945
2013
1912
WW1 Play is We read
begins written the play
1914 Labour
in office WW2
ends
Play is set in 1924 First woman
1912 Prime minister
Welfare
Women Equal Pay
Titanic introduced
can vote 1941 Law 1970
sinks 1918 WW2 begins
1939 NHS set
up 1948
Learning Objectives:
To learn about the context of the play.

64. Fill in the blanks
1945
2013
1912
Learning Objectives:
To learn and about the context of the play.

65. Have a go placing these
correctly on the timeline.
Play is set in 1912 WW2 begins
1939
First woman
Play is
Prime minister written WW1
WW2 Labour begins
ends in office 1914
We read
1924
the play
Welfare
Titanic introduced
sinks 1941
Women
Equal Pay NHS set can vote
Law 1970 up 1948 1918
Learning Objectives:
To learn about the context of the play.

66. Then AND Now!
• To help learn about the bigger
picture make key notes on the
learning sheets provided.
• This type of focused learning will
you to develop an understanding of
the context.
Learning Objectives:
To learn and about the bigger picture.

67. The Big Picture
THEN(1912) NOW(2013)
Gender Gender
Political Political
Issues Issues
Class Class
Learning Objectives:
To learn and about the bigger picture.

68. And again…have a go
placing these correctly on
the timeline. WW2 begins
Play is set in 1912
1939
First woman
Play is
Prime minister written WW1
WW2 Labour begins
ends in office 1914
We read
1924
the play
Welfare
Titanic introduced
sinks 1941
Women
Equal Pay NHS set can vote
Law 1970 up 1948 1918
Learning Objectives:
To learn about the context of the play.

69. Social Class
1912 1924 2013
Huge difference in Difference is Wealth is much
wealth between smaller, due to more evenly
upper and lower War and aftermath distributed,
classes. of rationing although there still
are some ‘rich’.
Lower classes Most people Strong trade
worked 11/ 12 worked to re-build unions for workers.
hour days with few Britain. Working Working day much
breaks. Many rich conditions were shorter.
did not work at all. improved.
The rich had all the Power more evenly Power is equal
power, and the distributed.
poor had little to
none.
Learning Objectives:
To learn and about the bigger picture.

70. What theme does
this relate to?
Make notes about
what the Titanic
symbolises.

71. Gender Issues
1912 1945 2013
Women were Women can vote, Equality between
second-best to men, although women the sexes.
with no power to still ‘obey’ men.
vote.
Upper class women Many women were Most women work
did not work. They housewives. at various levels
had some power, However, many did and jobs.
but still had to obey not want to give up
their husband. their war jobs.
Lower class women Still a difference in Equal Pay Law
worked for less pay pay between men 1970.
than lower class and women.
men.
Learning Objectives:
To learn and about the bigger picture.

73. Sexual Issues
1912 1945 2013
Many poor women Benefits in place Similar to 1945.
were forced into and so less
prostitution, as prostitution.
there was no
benefits.
Having a child out of Still heavily frowned Common to have a
wedlock was heavily upon, although less child out of
frowned upon. It disownment. wedlock.
could result in
disownment.
Learning Objectives:
To learn and about the bigger picture.

74. Political Issues
1912 1945 2013
Minimal health care Some benefits NHS and a variety
and benefits. including of benefits
unemployment available.
benefit available.
Some free health
care.
Political parties very Political parties Current Coalition
much orientated to more concerned Government party
benefiting the upper with the good of the (working class)
classes. country after War. orientated?
Learning Objectives:
To learn and about the bigger picture.

75. Priestly set his play in 1912 because it was a
time with big class and gender boundaries. At
this time it seemed nothing would ever
change. However, by 1945 most boundaries
had been broken, mainly due to the war.
Priestly wanted to make the most of these
changes and so wrote this play to show
people how much had been achieved in 33
years. He wanted to inspire the audience to
break these boundaries further.
Learning Objectives:
To learn and about the bigger picture.

76. For each of the issues (e.g.
Social class), choose one point
from 1912 and show how it is
relevant to ‘An Inspector Calls’.
Learning Objectives:
To learn and about the bigger picture.

77. Themes
What themes is the play concerned with?
Create a mind map to show how Priestley
uses the ‘whodunnit’ genre to explore a
number of themes in An Inspector Calls.
Pride & Responsibility
Status
An
Inspector
Calls
Love
Capitalism
Learning Objectives:
To learn and about the bigger picture.

78. You talk the talk
now …
• Write a paragraph about how Priestley
presents the theme you are working on
in the play.
• Checklist for success:
• PEE
• A paragraph
Learning Objectives:
To write a PEE response demonstrating an
understanding of the theme studied.

79. • An Inspector Calls is a play with many social and
political messages. J. B. Priestley believed a
great deal in socialism and he used several of
his plays to try and influence people to be
Socialist as well. It was written in a time when
Britain was ruled by a Labour government and
socialist policies were seen as the way forward.
It was a popular way of thinking at that time so
Priestley's aim for the play was probably to teach
the unconvinced.

80. Responsibility
• The play was set in 1912. Priestly wrote this play to send out a
message of responsibility to the people. Priestly believed that even
in 1945 they were still the same as they were in 1912, which is why
Priestly choose to set the play in 1912, along with various other
reasons, such as he wanted the audience to have the benefit of
dramatic irony....
• An inspector calls The play is written by J.B Priestly in 1945, just
after the Second World War but is set in 1912 in the dinning room of
Mr Birling who is a manufacturer. The story is about the Birling
family who are celebrating their daughter's engagement until they
are interrupted by an inspector who explains that a girl by the name
of Eva Smith had died. The main subject of the story is responsibility
to communities, to families and to each other. J.B Priestly highlights
this throughout his book using his characters.... [

81. Themes
What themes is the play concerned with?
Create a mind map to show how Priestley
uses the ‘whodunnit’ genre to explore a
number of themes in An Inspector Calls.
Pride & Responsibility
Status
An
Inspector
Calls
Love
Lies& Deceit
Learning Objectives:
To learn and about the bigger picture.

82. The Inspector and
Mrs Birling
Objective:
• To develop knowledge and understanding
of plot and the character of Sybil Birling
• To write a paragraph about how Priestley
uses dramatic devices in the scene
between Mrs. Birling and the inspector.

83. Learning Objectives:
To learn and about the bigger picture.