A fully-resourced one hour lesson to support students in exploring the casket test in Act 2 Scene 7 of The Merchant of Venice. Students will be guided through the reading of the scene and then creatively respond by predicting what they believe will be in the other incorrect casket. Learning Objective: Explore the casket test for Portia’s suitors. Learning Outcomes: Students will read summaries of Act 2 Scenes 4-6 and complete recall questions. -Students will be guided through the reading of Act 2 Scene 7 and consider the reasons the Prince gives for rejecting or choosing each casket. -Students will creatively respond to the scene by predicting what will be in the remaining incorrect casket. Lesson Outline: Do it now: Match the character description to the name. Starter: Summary of Act 2 Scenes 4-6 followed by recall questions and think-pair-share to consider Shylock’s reaction. Activity one: Guided reading of the scene with student questions interspersed. Activity two: Students creatively predict what will be inside the other incorrect casket. Plenary: Act 2 Scene 7 ends with Portia saying “a gentle riddance” as she is happy to see the Prince leave. Why do you think she says this? Is it because she doesn’t want to marry the Prince specifically or is there another reason? More Resources for The Merchant of Venice Click here for a bundle of all the lessons to take you through the play plus a quiz, knowledge organiser and character revision posters. Freebies: For character revision posters for your classroom, click here. For an English/Drama lesson based on Portia’s choice in Act 1 Scene 2, click here. For a Scheme of Work overview for the unit, click here. Leave a review and choose any other resource for free from the LikeAnExpert shop.

A fully-resourced one hour lesson to support students in exploring the question of ‘to what extent was Shakespeare Anti-Semitic in his writing of The Merchant of Venice?’ Students will be guided through a class discussion and then work in pairs to unpack the language in act 2 scene 8. Learning Objective: Consider to what extent Shakespeare’s portrayal of Shylock is anti-Semitic. Learning Outcomes: Students will learn key vocabulary such as cultural context, stereotype etc. Students will be introduced to the cultural context of anti-Semitism in Elizabethan England and in Venice. Students will work in pairs to analyse the language in act 2 scene 8. Students will write a PEE question on Shakespeare and anti-Semitism. Lesson Outline: Do it now: Match the key terms to the definition. Starter: Cultural context of anti-Semitism in Jacobean society. Activity one: Reading Act 2 Scene 8 and discussion questions. Activity two: Students work individually or in pairs to complete the worksheet. Plenary: Write a PEE paragraph to answer the question ‘to what extent do you think Shakespeare was anti-Semitic?’ More Resources for The Merchant of Venice Click here for a bundle of all the lessons to take you through the play plus a quiz, knowledge organiser and character revision posters. Freebies: For character revision posters for your classroom, click here. For an English/Drama lesson based on Portia’s choice in Act 1 Scene 2, click here. For a Scheme of Work overview for the unit, click here. Leave a review and choose any other resource for free from the LikeAnExpert shop.

In this comprehensive lesson, students are guided through how to understand and interpret Shakespeare independently using word roots and context clues to unpick meanings of familiar words. They will work through Act 3 Scenes 3-5 with varying levels of support. Learning Objective: Independently comprehend and interpret scenes from The Merchant of Venice Learning Outcomes: -Students will be guided through how to comprehend and decipher Shakespearean English using word roots and context clues. Students will work both in pairs and individually to interpret scenes. Students will make a prediction about what will happen next in the play. Lesson Outline: Do it now: Students infer details from image. Starter: Overview of differences between Shakespearean and modern English. Task one: Teacher modelling of how to interpret Act 3 Scene 3. Task two: Students work in pairs to interpret Act 3 Scene 4. Task three: Students work individually to interpret Act 3 Scene 5. Plenary: Students predict what will happen next in the play. More Resources for The Merchant of Venice Click here for a bundle of all the lessons to take you through the play plus a quiz, knowledge organiser and character revision posters. Freebies: For character revision posters for your classroom, click here. For an English/Drama lesson based on Portia’s choice in Act 1 Scene 2, click here. For a Scheme of Work overview for the unit, click here. Leave a review and choose any other resource for free from the LikeAnExpert shop.

An engaging and detailed PowerPoint containing 40 questions and answers to introduce students to the weird and wonderful life of William Shakespeare. **The questions are split into four rounds, each containing 10 questions: ** Shakespeare’s life and family Shakespeare’s character Shakespeare’s writing The Globe theatre This could be used across a one hour or 90 minute lesson, or as a detailed starter across multiple lessons. It is aimed at key stages 3 and 4. After each round, students are prompted to mind-map what they have learned about Shakespeare. 30 slides in total. I really value all the feedback I receive. Leave a review and choose any other resource of up to the same value for free from my shop.

This is an engaging and fully-resourced one hour lesson to introduce students to the characters of the witches and some of the key themes in Act 1 Scene 1 of ‘Macbeth’ by William Shakespeare. This resource includes a full PowerPoint including all teacher instructions that is ready to download and teach straight away. Students will consider pathetic fallacy and the paradox of ‘fair is foul, and foul is fair’. Students will work in groups to complete an engaging worksheet and then will work individually to write an analysis paragraph (which is scaffolded with an example paragraph included). Students will also have the opportunity to stage the opening scene and consider how they could increase the fear for the audience. Lesson Objective: Analyse how Shakespeare creates fear at the start of Macbeth. Learning Outcomes: Understand how the opening scene introduces some important themes in Macbeth. Evaluate Shakespeare’s use of literary devices. Distinguish between the reactions of a Shakespearean audience and a modern audience. Lesson Outline: Do it now: Questions for students to consider how a Shakespearean audience would have reacted to the witches. Starter: Think – Pair – Share about witches in Shakespeare’s time. Activity 1: Read act 1 scene 1 and students complete worksheet to identify language techniques with answers provided. Activity 2: Students write an analytical paragraph to answer the question ‘how did Shakespeare create fear for a Shakespearean audience?’ They will see a modelled paragraph first and peer assess afterwards. Activity 3: In groups of 3, consider how they would stage and direct the scene to really terrify a Shakespearean audience. Plenary: How would a modern audience react differently to the opening of Macbeth? Do you think it is still as scary even though the belief in witchcraft isn’t as widespread? Leave a review and choose any other resource, of up to the same value, for free from the LikeAnExpert shop.

A fun and addictive ‘Of Mice and Men’ revision tool that lasts 20-40 minutes to help students revise themes and quotes. The game ends differently each time, so this can be played multiple times to support students in revising the themes and ideas in Of Mice and Men. Students play as either George, Lennie, Candy or Curley and the aim is to achieve their dream. They play through 40 event cards, which will give them plus or minus DPs (dream points). If they can achieve positive DPs by the end of the game then they achieve their dream. If they don’t then they are doomed to a migrant worker life of working for other people. This game helps students to revise key events in the book, important quotes and presses them to consider the challenges that characters face to achieve their dreams. Reflection questions for students are included. It is a print and play game. It is quick and easy to cut out. I would suggest laminating for quick further use, however this is not required. The only additional materials you will need are one die per game and scrap paper for students to keep track of their scores. Included: How to play card Character profiles sheet Event cards Reflection questions Leave a review and choose any other resource for free from the LikeAnExpert shop. I have a whole range of Of Mice and Men revision resources available in the shop and a range of revision videos on my YouTube channel (this is linked to in my shop).

A fully-resourced one hour lesson to support students in exploring the question of ‘how is Prince Arragon presented in The Merchant of Venice?’ Students will be guided through a class discussion of the scene and then will complete a slow writing PETER paragraph on Prince Arragon. Learning Objective: Write an analytical paragraph about how the Prince of Arragon is presented in Act 2 Scene 9. Learning Outcomes: Students will consider the morphology of the word ‘analysis’. -Students will unpick the meaning of Act 2 Scene 8 with teacher support. -Students will be guided through how to write a PETER analytical paragraph. Students will write predictions about what will come next in the play. Lesson Outline: Do it now: Recall questions about the first casket in act 2 scene 7 Starter: Think – pair – share about the meaning of the word ‘analysis’ followed by morphological explanation of the word. Activity one: Class discussion and reading of Act 2 Scene 9 to support students in unpicking the meaning of the text. Activity two: Slow writing of PETER paragraph to answer the question of ‘how is the Prince of Arragon portrayed?’ Peer Assessment Plenary: Based on selected points, students write a prediction for what will happen next in the play. More Resources for The Merchant of Venice Click here for a bundle of all the lessons to take you through the play plus a quiz, knowledge organiser and character revision posters. Freebies: For character revision posters for your classroom, click here. For an English/Drama lesson based on Portia’s choice in Act 1 Scene 2, click here. For a Scheme of Work overview for the unit, click here. Leave a review and choose any other resource for free from the LikeAnExpert shop.