This is a whole lesson resource on the topic of the rule of three. It introduces it and then puts it in context:
What does it mean if we say one thing about something, what if we use two, then three and even 4 or more.
It shows the technigue on word, sentence and whole text level.
Finally as a bonus, the technique is shown to be used in the arts as well.
This lesson material is to teach students about the importance of their first sentences into any piece. It also teaches, through great examples, how to make striking opening lines. Have fun with it, make the students experiement.
Students enjoy this lesson; they become more thoughtful about their beginning sentences - and create some fantastic first sentences.
This resource is a series of lessons worth (I have developed this series through years of teaching) - it explores all the great techniques that create good writing - you may pick and choose or simply go from beginning to end in installments. In my experience, students enjoy the lessons; there are plenty for them to do after explanations and demonstrations. Great examples are used for the students.
Also suggested:
Striking openings
The rule of three
The power of the noun phrase
This is a fully developed series of lessons for teaching what noun phrases are, how they work, how they can be built, what effect they can create. In other words, how noun phrases can create atmosphere especially for writing to describe.
It depends on you how much you want to go into details. In my experience, a bit of depth is only good as it makes the students really understand the possibilities of noun phrases. Delete what you do not need. I usually teach all of this in KS3 and KS4. The skills of the students have shown remarkable improvement.
A whole lesson with PPT - the whole lesson is outlined, nicely decorated, and notes are included in the bottom notes sections
It includes tasks, video links, analyis (just the right amount)
The PPT is prepared to a high standard.
This material is a successful lesson or two. I have delivered it many times, and students enjoy how knowing and understanding the possibilities, their writings show much improvement.
At several levels, you may teach with this about different ways you can start a sentence, and also the idea of transitions are introduced to use them as sophisticated link to a previous thought.
When it comes to the transitions at the end, I usually make students make cards of different shapes of their favourites for each logic.
I have also included a bonus material - a reference notes for students that shows the different sentence varieties in a system. Use them, give it to your students, make them use them - and it will make a change for them for the better.
Check out my other sentence structure lessons.
This lesson serves to help students, on several levels, to plan a narrative properly. This series of lesson (2) shows them what things to consider before they start to write their piece.
I have also included student notes - so that the students can concentrate on the lesson without having to write much.
Also, there is a planning sheet based on the discussed topics.
The material is better suited to a comfortable 2 lessons then rushing it in one lesson in lower levels.
A simple PEE chart that pushes students to create effective arguments - stress that the point is never a statement about technique, but atmosphere/effect/message.
This resource is for teaching spelling rules - primary, secondary - but as a revisit could be used in A level as well
The PPT presentation covers all the cases with explanations, lots of examples.
It is animated to show how the endings attach to the base word - click away
At the end, if you want to test their knowledge, there are two tests as well.
Column writing - opinion writing
This resource is for several lessons, depending on how much time you want to spend on it.
There is a presentation helping to teach column writing techniques
There is a 12-page word document that is best printed as a A3 booklet (page 11 is empty for notes or you are welcome to add something - just remember, page numbers need to be 4 or its multiples)
The booklet is a collection of columns written about this kind of writing by experts - students can read them and discuss in small groups and make notes for themselves.
They should then use the knowledge of these techniques and see how they are used in certain pieces - I have not included those it is best you choose them so they are relevant.
I asked students to choose one of the quotes about good manners and etiquette to use as base for a column. - I like the topic of good manners and etiquette, we had a great discussion on the topic.
There is a PPT with some images that I used in lessons
This a unit of several lessons for GCSE English Language students learning what to analyse - writing techniques - and how to write effective analysis, including the structuring of an essay.
The booklet and the essay writing frame makes it a great help for especially middle and lower ability students to learn how to analyse, what to look at, and how to write about literary devices - the material closely helps them make notes with leading questions through the chapter looking at almost every paragraph. It leads the analysis of the text and it teaches them how to write their paragraphs (writing frame is optional - the thing is even better students appreciated it as it is a step by step guide if they need it).
The material is a great help for teachers as well, basically the analysis of the text is done by following the booklet and the PPT presentations.
Structure and Effect - though it was created for an AS/A2 lesson - I based it on how I taught the devices used in that famous paragraph describing the convict for the first time.
Additional materials are added that I used for the unit.
Planning and drafting - you may help them by showing them a student essay and make them see what is good about it, what could be improved - students said it was great to actually see an essay and based on the essay guide in the booklet and the essay writing frame - realise that the task is doable and they could do better.
Booklet should be printed as A3 booklet (total page number must be dividable by 4)
If you have any questions, please contact me at gykinga@yahoo.co.uk
Smiley faces collection - mostly animated - can liven up your slides - simply click on an image and copy/paste to your presentation
Question mark symbols - great images, many animated
other PPT materials - countdown, traffic lights
Watch first in presentation view to see animated images move
This resource can be used maybe in year 6, but better in Key Stage 3
Weak GCSE students might improve with this as well
The presentation covers a series of lessons - 6 - but can be as many as 8 which leads teacher and students through several extracts while looking at literal information vs clues that lead the thoughts not written but implied. Students have to understand what inferring and deduction is as a process.
They also practice basic PEE style answering of question regarding text.
The program I took long time ago from a government material with some added things (deduction).
I have used this both in school and private tutoring with success. Students relate to the texts easily.
English Language - AS/A2 level
This revision lesson (or two) was created to make students aware of advanced terminology and how they can easily use them in their analysis
I included the lesson plan - this was a successful observed lesson
Cards are distributed for groups/individuals to match descriptions to terminology - there is one with a question mark as a final challenge, drawing attention to proper name for personal pronouns.
Make them push themselves to discuss possible effect/use of terminology.
Also let them create memory cards for themselves.
I have several other A-level lesson materials, check them out.
If you have any questions, please contact me at gykinga@yahoo.co.uk
This resource is for AS/A2 levels. It may, to a certain extent, be used for GCSE
English Language
Writing techniques/devices and their effects including sentence structure comments
I have used this text to make students use/improve their skills of close text analysis. The text has many things to comment on and students engaged very well with the text. I made them consider things they would not notice.
I have included a PPT presentation with the text enlarged leaving space to add comments on board.
There is a student and teacher copy. The teacher copy has my comments which may be given out at the end of the activity for further reference.
Teacher could use my notes to ask leading questions or suggest areas to examine further. There is a lot of flexibility here.
I have included quite a few structural device comments as well, as I have found that these are often neglected while they can gain good points for them. (see my other A-level materials, too)
If you have any questions, you may contact me at gykinga@yahoo.co.uk
This lesson was designed an AS English Language class. It can be done at A2 as well.
This lesson should come after analysing descriptive texts/learning of the usage of descriptive techniques.
The lesson invites students to write a travel writing piece about Margaret Island in Budapest.
Optionally, the senses sheet can be distributed, make them use some of the advices given.
The PPT is a slideshow about the island to give an idea of the place - make the students watch it with maybe the music attached - and then ask them to make notes when rewatching it - make notes of scenes/images/feelings they might want to create/colours, etc. anything that can help them write the piece. It then can silently be shown during their writing process. Also the included materials (could be printed in a few copies each) can offer further insight/information about the place. Give them some time to collect info from these - of if you have the time, make them research the place themselves on the Internet.
Evaluation of pieces can be done at your discretion.
This is a lesson designed for AS/A2 classes of English Language and English Literature.
The included lesson plan details the motives/steps of the lesson.
The lesson aims to make students realise that a text needs to be looked at and considered all its angles/aspects - only by considering all aspect one can really see how it works as a whole.
Using three very different resources (I included a lovely English poem); for the other two I used a printed ad and a travel writing piece. By making the student look at only one aspect each - when they report back, it has to be evident that they actually had to consider the other two aspects as well, even if subconsciously :) PURPOSE - TECHNIQUES - EFFECT
Their commentaries will also be whole when they let all three aspects create it.
If you have a question about the resource, please contact me at gykinga@yahoo.co.uk
This resource is a compilation of slides on the topic - more than a lesson's worth.
Depending on the group's level, one can decide what to use.
Some can be dealt with at GCSE level, but I actually taught these at AS/A2 level.
The resource looks at descriptive techniques going as far as showing sample commentaries of techniques. It is a good 2-lesson material to consider or reconsider description and its uses, including travel writing.
The accompanying reference material of sentence structures is for the last slides that looks at the sentence structures. Also the extracts with comments (maybe for after lesson distribution?) are included. Also the extract for sentence structure identification task are included.
Any questions about the resources, please contact me at gykinga@yahoo.co.uk
This is an extensive material about the use and creating of noun phrases.
This I have taught at A level, GCSE, but even at KS3 - I have found that students enjoyed the challenges this material offers and they liked to have a good understanding of the topic both to be able to identify and comment on noun phrases or actually creating them adding value to their texts.
This is more like a 2 or even 3 lessons material.
I have included a student notes to be distributed with notes and tasks and texts. This saves time in teaching it. If any one needs some advice or some clarification on some slides, please write to me: gykinga@yahoo.co.uk