I am an experienced English teacher and Literacy Coordinator. All of my resources are organised, engaging, ready to teach and designed to save you - the teacher - your valuable time!
Please have a look at all of my resources - at least 20% of which are free.
I am an experienced English teacher and Literacy Coordinator. All of my resources are organised, engaging, ready to teach and designed to save you - the teacher - your valuable time!
Please have a look at all of my resources - at least 20% of which are free.
A fully-resourced one hour lesson to guide students through annotating an extract from Lady Macbeth’s soliloquy in act 1 scene 5 of Macbeth by Shakespeare.
This resource includes:
a full Powerpoint including all teacher instructions that is ready to download and teach straight away.
a photo of an example annotation
a printable version of the extract which includes a glossary for key words.
For detailed character profiles, please click here.
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A detailed knowledge organiser to support students studying ‘The Merchant of Venice’ by William Shakespeare.
It includes the following:
A brief section on William Shakespeare
Key quotes
Overview of all the important characters
Important literary terms for studying the play
Key terminology used
This is suitable for any age group studying the play. It is an excellent resource to be used for setting homework, quizzing in classes or as a support mat.
If you find this helpful, have a look at my other resources for The Merchant of Venice:
1) A BUNDLE of lessons plus extras (knowledge organiser and revision posters) which can be bought for a big saving.
2) A 40 Question Shakespeare Quiz
3) Introduction to Characters and Themes in The Merchant of Venice
4) Act 1 Scene 1 (Antonio and Bassanio)
5) Portia’s Choice in Act 1 Scene 2 (FREE)
6) Shakespeare’s Portrayal of Shylock in Act 1 Scene 3
7) Jessica’s Character in Act 2 Scenes 1-3
8) The Casket Test in Act 2 Scene 7
9) Shylock’s Portrayal in Act 2 Scene 8
10) Prince Arragon in Act 2 Scene 9
11) Interpretations of Shylock in Act 3 Scene 1
12) Dramatic Irony in the Casket Scene in Act 3 Scene 2
13) Independently Interpreting Shakespeare Using Act 3 Scenes 3-5
14) Act 4: The Courtroom Scene
15) Evaluate the Ending of the Play in Act 5
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.
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Fully resourced and ready-to-teach 1 hour lesson which pushes students to be more creative with writing similes and metaphors.
This lesson is aimed at KS3 and would be suitable for an introduction to poetry unit - but it could easily be adapted to younger or older students. It is best suited to students who already know what similes and metaphors are but need to learn to experiment creatively with them for effect.
This lesson includes:
Full explanantion of similes and metaphors
Differentiated learning outcomes
Practice activities to write exciting similes and metaphors (with modelled examples)
A chance for students to apply their knowledge by analysing the figurative language in ‘Dreams’ by Langston Hughes
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12 engaging and fully-resourced lessons which support students studying ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time’ play by Mark Haddon, adapted by Simon Stephens. This is targeted towards students taking the Edexcel English Literature IGCSE 4ET1, but the resources could be easily adapted for key stage 3 or for another exam board.
This bundle contains:
A lesson on autism and the Edexcel Pearson assessment objectives.
A lesson considering structure and how Christopher is presented at the start of the play.
A lesson on the train station scene and how the writer creates empathy for Christopher.
A lesson on the theme of truth and lies.
A lesson on humour and dramatic irony.
A lesson on how Judy is presented.
A lesson on Judy’s letters.
A lesson on how Judy changes throughout the play.
A lesson on the relationship between Ed and Christopher.
A lesson on the theme of curiosity and investigation.
A lesson on how Siobhan is presented.
A lesson on how to approach the IGCSE exam for Curious Incident.
A detailed knowledge organiser including key vocabulary and themes (2 A3 pages)
An overview scheme of work document with a suggested order for teaching these lessons.
A poster displaying the Assessment Objectives for this IGCSE course.
If you find these resources helpful, please leave a review and have a look at other resources available in my shop.
This bundle will take you through the entire play of The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare. This is aimed at high-ability key stage 3, but it could be easily adapted for key stage 4. It contains a range of tasks that have been modelled on GCSE literature tasks.
The bundle contains:
* A detailed knowledge organiser containing key quotes, facts about Shakespeare and a character summary
* Detailed character profiles of the five main characters: Antonio, Bassanio, Shylock, Jessica and Portia.
* Character revision poster/study cards.
* 15 engaging and ready to teach lessons
Lessons:
1) A 40 question Shakespeare quiz
2) A lesson introducing the characters and themes of the play
3) A lesson introducing act 1 scene 1 of the play focusing on the relationship between Antonio and Bassanio.
4) A lesson exploring act 1 scene 2 (Portia's choice)
5) A lesson exploring anti-Semitism and Shylock's portrayal in act 1 scene 3.
6) A lesson exploring Jessica's character in act 2.
7) A lesson exploring the casket test in act 2 scene 7.
8) A lesson exploring to what extent Shakespeare was anti-Semitic focusing on act 2 scene 8
9) A lesson considering how the Prince of Arragon is presented in act 2 scene 9.
10) A lesson considering Shylock's "Hath not a Jew" speech in act 3 scene 1
11) A lesson considering how dramatic irony is used in Act 3 Scene 2 in which Bassanio chooses the lead casket.
12) A lesson to support students in independently interpreting Shakespeare using Act 3 Scenes 3-5
13) A lesson on the courtroom scene in Act 4 whereby students consider to what extent they feel sympathy for Shylock.
14) A lesson on the ending of the play where students reflect on the play as a whole.
15) A 35 question quiz with answers on the entire play.
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Engaging and ready to teach one hour lesson to cover chapter four of ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ by John Boyne. This lesson begins with a reminder of key words and techniques in the book so far. It moves onto a silent debate about statements about the Holocaust - I have used this activity a number of times and it creates a very powerful atmosphere in the classroom.
Students are then guided towards independently analysing an extract with guiding questions provided.
Learning Objective: Independently analyse an extract from the text.
Learning Outcomes:
Bronze: Independently identify literary techniques in the novel.
Silver: Explain in detail the effect on the reader.
Gold: Consider how there might be different interpretations of the novel.
Lesson Outline:
Do It Now: Key words reminder - match the word to the definition
Starter: Silent debate and gallery
Activity 1: Class reading
Activity 2: Independent analysis
Discuss students’ answers as a class
Plenary: What do you predict will happen next?
Freebies:
Two pre-reading lessons to introduce students to the context of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is available for free here.
A lesson on chapter 1 of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is available for free here.
A scheme of work for teaching the entire novel is available for free here.
If you find this lesson useful, please consider purchasing this ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ Bundle or have a look at other resources available in my shop. .
Leave a review and choose any other resource of up to the same value for free from my shop.
Unlock your students’ critical thinking skills with this 90-minute, fully resourced lesson focused on teaching inference through crime scene investigation. Designed to captivate students’ imagination, this lesson challenges them to propose solutions to a fictional crime based on evidence found at the scene, before creating their own crime scene scenarios. The lesson ends with students inferring information about their classmate’s criminals based on the clues at the crime scene.
Perfect for a range of settings, this versatile lesson can be easily adapted for different age groups and abilities. It provides a balanced mix of independent and group work, with both oracy and writing activities included to reinforce learning. Ideal as part of a detective fiction unit, a precursor to crime writing, or as a standalone lesson dedicated to honing inference skills.
This resource includes:
An 18-slide PowerPoint presentation guiding the entire lesson.
A scaffolded inference worksheet for individual student use.
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A detailed knowledge organiser to support students studying ‘Macbeth’ by William Shakespeare.
It includes the following:
A brief section on William Shakespeare
Key quotes and explanation of their importance
Overview of all the important characters
Important literary terms for studying the play
This is suitable for any age group studying the play. It is an excellent resource to be used for setting homework, quizzing in classes or as a support mat.
Leave a review and choose any other resource for free from the <a href="https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/LikeAnExpert ">LikeAnExpert</a> shop.
Two fully resourced and ready-to-teach one-hour lessons which introduce students to the skills of annotating a poem and then writing an analytical PEE paragraph about it. These lessons are designed so that they can be downloaded and taught immediately and all printing instructions are included. The poem used is ‘I am Offering this Poem’ by Jimmy Santiago Baca.
This lesson is aimed at KS3 and would be suitable for an introduction to poetry unit - but it could easily be adapted to younger or older students. Students will need to know what personification, similes, alliteration and repetition are already.
These lessons include:
A 22-slide Powerpoint
Differentiated learning outcomes
Copies of the poem with a glossary (in both word and pdf formats - for editing or printing).
Explanation of annotation
A model PEE paragraph
Structured peer assessment
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Two fully resourced and differentiated 1 hour lessons in which students are guided to independently analysing ‘Anthem for Doomed Youth’ by Wilfred Owen which culminate in students writing a PETER paragraph on it using a scaffold (explanation of PETER paragraphs included).
The second lesson was observed by two members of SLT in my school and rated ‘outstanding’.
This two lesson unit would be suitable for a high ability KS3 class but is easily adaptable.
This resource includes:
*Full Powerpoint for two lessons (20 slides) - breakdown of each lesson is provided.
* Copy of ‘Anthem for Doomed Youth’ including glossary of difficult vocabulary.
* PETER paragraph scaffold with sentence starters.
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Fully resourced and ready-to-teach 1 hour lesson which introduces students to poetry analysis of the poem ‘The Lesson’ by Roger McGough.
This lesson is aimed at KS3 and would be suitable for an introduction to poetry unit - but it could easily be adapted to younger or older students. Students will need to know what personification, similes, alliteration and repetition are already.
This lesson includes:
Differentiated learning outcomes
Copies of the poem with a glossary (in both word and pdf formats - for editing or printing).
A scaffold to prompt students to consider the effect of poetic techniques (in word and pdf).
An answer key for teachers to facilitate class discussion.
Structured peer assessment.
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A detailed knowledge organiser about Curley’s wife accompanied with a revision activity whereby students make their own knowledge organiser about one of the characters in the text.
The knowledge organiser includes the following sections:
Key vocabulary
How Curley’s wife links to the theme of dreams
How she links to the theme of loneliness
Historical context about treatment of women
Overview
Explanation of key quotes
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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).
Engaging and ready to teach one hour lesson to cover chapter two of ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ by John Boyne. This lesson introduces the key words juxtaposition and foreboding. Students then look at three quotes and consider the techniques and effects used in them before writing a scaffolded PETER paragraph about the chapter.
This resource includes a ready-to-teach lesson and a printable scaffolding worksheet.
Learning Objective: Write a PETER paragraph about the impression of Bruno’s new house.
Learning Outcomes:
Bronze: Write a paragraph using the PETER structure.
Silver: Explain the effect of the quote in detail.
Gold: Make links between different parts of the text.
Lesson Outline:
Do It Now: Students try to work out the meaning of the two key words of today’s lesson.
Starter: Students read the chapter and write down any quotes that give a foreboding impression
Activity one: Think – pair- share discussion of the literary techniques used and the effects.
Activity two: Students use PETER paragraph outline to write an analytical paragraph.
Peer assessment
Plenary: What do you think made Bruno feel “cold and unsafe” in the new house?
Freebies:
Two pre-reading lessons to introduce students to the context of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is available for free here.
A lesson on chapter 1 of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is available for free here.
A scheme of work for teaching the entire novel is available for free here.
If you find this lesson useful, please consider purchasing this ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ Bundle or have a look at other resources available in my shop. .
Leave a review and choose any other resource of up to the same value for free from my shop.
Engaging and ready to teach one hour lesson to cover chapter five of ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ by John Boyne. This lesson teaches students the difference between direct and indirect characterisation (with an exercise to practise writing their own examples). It then prompts them to consider the characterisation of Father. Students then write a personal response to an emotional extract from the text in which Father expresses his opinion on the Jewish people in Auschwitz.
Learning Objective: Write a personal response explaining how I feel about an extract.
Learning Outcomes:
Bronze: Describe how you feel about an extract.
Silver: Explain the reasons for your feelings.
Gold: Ask questions and make links between what you know from the text and your other background knowledge.
Lesson Overview:
Do It Now: True or false questions about the Holocaust
Starter: Indirect vs direct characterisation – explanation and whole-class activity.
Activity 1: Popcorn reading and class discussion of how Father is characterised.
Activity 2: Write a personal response to an extract from the text.
Plenary: Think-pair-share: how did this extract make you feel? What do you think the author wants us to feel?
Freebies:
Two pre-reading lessons to introduce students to the context of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is available for free here.
A lesson on chapter 1 of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is available for free here.
A scheme of work for teaching the entire novel is available for free here.
If you find this lesson useful, please consider purchasing this ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ Bundle or have a look at other resources available in my shop. .
Leave a review and choose any other resource of up to the same value for free from my shop.
Engaging and ready to teach one hour lesson to cover chapter thirteen of ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ by John Boyne. This lesson requires students to consider how John Boyne creates tension in the dinner party scene and to compare how this is shown in the book and the movie. Students will then devise their own drama scene to put into practice tension-building devices.
Learning Objective: Analyse how writers and directors create tension.
Learning Outcomes:
Bronze: Understand which techniques can be used by writers and directors to create tension.
Silver: Explain clearly how these techniques create tension.
Gold: Use some of these techniques yourself to construct a dramatic performance.
Lesson Outline:
Do It Now: How might a movie director create tension?
Starter: Reading focus – how does John Boyne create tension?
Activity 1: Students complete an analysis table based on quotes from this chapter with teacher support.
Activity 2: How is tension created in the film?
Activity 3: Devising their own scene in groups and performing.
Plenary: What do you think happened to Pavel? What do you think will be the consequences for Lieutenant Kotler?
Freebies:
Two pre-reading lessons to introduce students to the context of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is available for free here.
A lesson on chapter 1 of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is available for free here.
A scheme of work for teaching the entire novel is available for free here.
If you find this lesson useful, please consider purchasing this ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ Bundle or have a look at other resources available in my shop. .
Leave a review and choose any other resource of up to the same value for free from my shop.
An hour long engaging lesson in which students are introduced to the main characters and themes in Macbeth. Through individual and group work, students will practise reading skills - in particular comprehension, inference and summarising - and collaborate with each other to share information that they have gleaned from profiles about the key characters in the play.
Students will also be shown images representing Macbeth and prompted to infer themes they think will be evident in the play.
Learning Objective: Get to know the main characters and themes in Macbeth.
Learning Outcomes:
Find and highlight key information about your character in the play.
Re-write information about your character and share it with others in your own words.
Question others about their characters and make connections between different characters.
Lesson Outline:
Do it now: Think – Pair – Share question about ambition
Starter: Students look at five images representing Macbeth and infer themes from them.
Activity one: Students are assigned a character from Macbeth. They read the information sheet and take bullet points notes in their graphic organiser.
Activity two: Students circulate around the room swapping facts until they have completed all five character profiles.
Plenary: Mini quiz based on the characters in the lesson.
This lesson contains a 16-slide PowerPoint and five printable character profiles.
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A detailed and engaging one hour lesson to support students in their analysis of Christopher in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (play by Simon Stephens) for Edexcel English Literature IGCSE 4ET1. This lesson helps students to think about how Christopher is presented at the start of the play and how he changes as a character by the end of the play.
This resource contains a ready-to-teach Powerpoint with all teacher instructions included.
If you find this resource helpful, please leave a review and have a look at other resources available in my shop.
A detailed and engaging one hour lesson to support students in their analysis of Christopher in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (play by Simon Stephens) for Edexcel English Literature IGCSE 4ET1. This lesson supports students to analyse the use of dramatic irony for dramatic effect.
This resource contains a ready-to-teach Powerpoint with all teacher instructions included.
If you find this resource helpful, please leave a review and have a look at other resources available in my shop.
Fully resourced and ready-to-teach 1 hour lesson which introduces students to assonance and encourages them to question why writers use it and what its effect is. Students then write a poem using assonance.
This lesson is aimed at KS3 and would be suitable for an introduction to poetry unit - but it could easily be adapted to younger or older students.
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Fully resourced and differentiated 1 hour lesson in which students compare and contrast the features of poetry and prose. They then move on to considering the effect of poetry by looking at three examples.
This lesson is aimed at KS3 and would be suitable for the beginning of an introduction to poetry unit - but it could easily be adapted to younger or older students.
This lesson includes:
Full explanantion of poetry and prose
Differentiated learning outcomes
Worksheet available as word (for easy editing) and as a pdf (for easy printing)
All teaching and printing instructions.
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