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Spagbag

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A teacher and tutor with more than thirty years' experience working in both mainstream and independent schools. I have an Honours degree in English Literature and Linguistics from UEA and have written a dissertation about encouraging children to write. I am a mother of three and interested in all things green. I am in the process of setting up my TES shop and hope to launch my "Spagbag" resources which are suitable for both Primary and Secondary aged pupils.

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A teacher and tutor with more than thirty years' experience working in both mainstream and independent schools. I have an Honours degree in English Literature and Linguistics from UEA and have written a dissertation about encouraging children to write. I am a mother of three and interested in all things green. I am in the process of setting up my TES shop and hope to launch my "Spagbag" resources which are suitable for both Primary and Secondary aged pupils.
writing to entertain
jlimbjlimb

writing to entertain

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This animated Power Point examines different kinds of texts and literary techniques that are used to entertain us. Pupils are given examples of short and long sentence structures which achieve different effects. They are also shown examples of different techniques which appeal to different senses. Alliteration, assonance and onomatopoeia appeal to our sense of sound whilst similes, metaphors and personification often rely on a visual impact. The use of first, second and third person narrators is also covered. Short poems which can entertain us by means of shape and sound effects are included too. Lastly, students are asked to consider what kinds of literature they enjoy the most and to suggest favourite authors or genres to others in order to inspire further reading beyond the bounds of the curriculum. Extracts in this resource are by J.K.Rowling and Charles Dickens. Suitable for ages 14+
Silent letters and tricky spellings
jlimbjlimb

Silent letters and tricky spellings

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This PowerPoint focuses on those words which are especially difficult to spell because they have silent or unexpected letters in them. Pupils are asked to supply the missing letters , to complete a passage using those tricky words and to invent sentences of their own. This resource should prove useful when revising tricky spellings of all kinds and is suitable for ages 7+ depending on ability.
Proverbs and idiomatic phrases
jlimbjlimb

Proverbs and idiomatic phrases

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Turn over a new leaf and get to the bottom of some well known proverbs and idiomatic phrases, Students will enjoy matching the sayings to their meanings and even acting out such phrases as "Donald Trump doesn't sit on the fence" or "I wouldn't be seen dead wearing pink". This resource will be useful in those times when you want to have fun with the English language and demonstrate how peculiar some of our sayings really are... Suitable for ages 10+
Adjectives and nouns and  revision quiz
jlimbjlimb

Adjectives and nouns and revision quiz

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This Power Point looks at adjectives and nouns. Pupils are given animals and adjectives which describe them using the same initial letter. Students are asked to match adjectives and nouns with the same initial letter and then with different initial letters. Pupils are asked to make adjectives out of nouns ending in -ful and -ous. Examples are given when several adjectives are used to describe and so pupils need to use commas to separate. Students are required to think of different scenes such as being a football match or in a supermarket and think of five things that might be in that particular environment. This resource should prove useful when revising nouns and adjectives and the use of commas in a list. I include a more general spelling, punctuation and grammar quiz in which adjectives feature . All answers included. Suitable for ages 7+
Informative writing
jlimbjlimb

Informative writing

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This animated Power Point is about writing to inform and explain. Students are asked to think about the structure of their writing, how to organise it logically with sub-headings or bullet points, how to include facts and statistics and how to maintain a formal tone throughout. Finally students are requested to write a piece of their own and may choose to write a report to the head teacher about an accident in the science lab, a leaflet to eleven year olds explaining how to cope with an asthma attack in PE or explain how to make a healthy meal from scratch to people with no previous cooking experience. This resource is suitable for ages 10+
Alliteration and onomatopoeia
jlimbjlimb

Alliteration and onomatopoeia

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This animated Power Point discusses alliteration and onomatopoeia and asks pupils to identify these techniques within extracts from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows as well as other sources. Pupils are given phrases which they need to sort and also decide on an example which shows both these devices. Students learn that writers will try to appeal to different senses in descriptive passages and this resource focuses particularly on the sense of sound. Students are given a provocative image and are required to describe it using both techniques. This resource will be useful when encouraging descriptive writing and identifying techniques authors use to build characters and settings. Suitable for ages 10+
Descriptive writing and figurative language including pathetic fallacy
jlimbjlimb

Descriptive writing and figurative language including pathetic fallacy

(0)
This animated Power Point discusses how descriptive writing is used in travel brochures and autobiographies to describe places and events. Extracts are taken from works by J.K.Rowling, Anthony Bourdain , Susan Hill and Mary Shelley and pupils are asked to focus and discuss how techniques such as similes, metaphors, personification and pathetic fallacy are used for effect. Students are reminded to use Point, Evidence and Explain when commenting about an author’s writing. Finally, pupils are asked to match examples of figurative language to explanations and examples. They are required to provide examples of their own such as a metaphor to describe the moon or alliteration to describe a ticking clock in an examination. Worksheets are available show-casing these extracts which could be used alongside or separate from the Power Point. This resource is suitable for 14+ years (one of the extracts is quite graphic and describes the slaughter of a pig)
Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar Quiz
jlimbjlimb

Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar Quiz

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Start the term with another quiz to check understanding of plurals, tenses, prefixes,suffixes, homophones, alphabetical order and much more besides. Answers are provided for ease of marking. Each section of the quiz can be tweaked to suit specific needs within your group. This is one of many similar quizzes to be found in my shop which can be used on a rotational basis when revising spelling and grammar. Suitable for ages 10+
Spelling and punctuating with the prisoner Potter style
jlimbjlimb

Spelling and punctuating with the prisoner Potter style

3 Resources
This bundle of Harry Potter themed resources will give a new twist to grammar lessons as the exercises are based on the Prisoner of Azkaban story. A more general quiz is included for good measure. Students can test their knowledge and will hopefully be inspired to widen their reading as they dip into passages written by J.K.Rowling. Suitable for ages 10+
Writing for effect
jlimbjlimb

Writing for effect

4 Resources
This bundle contains four resources aimed at improving writing skills. Students will learn how to appreciate the tools writers use to create an effect, how to vary the length and type of sentence so that it suits its purpose and how to write an argumentative piece of their own based on animal testing. Suitable for 12+
Bundle of spelling, grammar and punctuation.
jlimbjlimb

Bundle of spelling, grammar and punctuation.

3 Resources
This bundle comprises three quizzes which will test the knowledge of various aspects of spelling , grammar and punctuation and can be rotated regularly whenever extra revision is needed.
More grammar, spelling and punctuation.
jlimbjlimb

More grammar, spelling and punctuation.

(0)
This Power Point tests understanding of its and it's, subordinate clauses, tenses that agree with each other, prefixes to form opposites, alphabetical ordering and much more besides. This is one in a series of similar quizzes which can be used to check knowledge and understanding of different aspects of grammar and spelling. There is a weirdly worded passage to decipher at the end. Answers are provided and where they are not, it is intended that students read out their own examples with suitable choices. I include a resource which encourages pupils to include a wider range of punctuation in their writing. Suitable for ages 10+
Literary techniques and presentational devices
jlimbjlimb

Literary techniques and presentational devices

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This Power Point resource looks at literary techniques and presentational devices. Pupils are asked to consider the tools a writer has at his or her disposal to create an effect. Pupils are asked to write definitions of various techniques and to provide their own examples. They will also need to sort terms into groups: linguistic feature or presentational device? Finally students are required to use their knowledge to create a leaflet or write a film review. It would be useful to provide each group with an array of printed materials such as magazines, newspapers, promotional leaflets etc so that students can hunt for examples to match the terminology. Students need to be already familiar with an array of different terminology such as oxymoron, hyperbole, juxtaposition and more besides. This resource is intended as a revision tool and is suitable for ages 12+
identifying sentence types: simple,complex,compound and minor.
jlimbjlimb

identifying sentence types: simple,complex,compound and minor.

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This animated Power point examines four different sentence types: simple, complex, compound and minor. Pupils are given examples of how sentence structure might differ according to the intended audience. Later they are given examples of how sentence structure might differ according to the effect an author is trying to achieve. Finally students are asked to discuss the sentence structures found in an extract taken from a crime novel: M.J. Arlidge's Eeny Meeny. I include a resource which requires students to demonstrate their knowledge of punctuation by inserting a range of punctuation in lengthier paragraphs as well as allowing them to show off their own descriptive writing skills by describing someone they admire. This resource is suitable for audiences aged 10+
Spelling with Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and writing skills
jlimbjlimb

Spelling with Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and writing skills

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This animated Power Point takes five extracts from J'K'Rowling's Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and asks students to identify deliberate spelling mistakes. The answers will magically appear. One of the extracts has punctuation removed and requires the students to re-write the dialogue between Harry and Sirius Black, inserting the correct punctuation. Finally, inspired by the passages they have read, pupils are required to split into houses to perform their own writing challenge. They can choose from writing a review of a lesson from a student teacher who can transform into an animal of his own choosing, a report of a Quidditch match, an argument about how Harry's parents died or a descriptive piece about the discovery of an invisibility cloak. This resource will prove useful when revising aspects of spelling and punctuation and will inspire the writing of reviews and reports in particular. Included is an informative resource about the development of the racing broom for Quidditch enthusiasts. Suitable for pupils aged 10+
Punctuate with Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
jlimbjlimb

Punctuate with Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

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This animated Power Point presents pupils with five extracts taken from J.K.Rowling's Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and asks them to provide the missing punctuation. The extracts selected will test knowledge of proper nouns, speech-marks, colloquialisms and colons in particular. The extracts will also require knowledge of how to write a formal letter and how to compose an advertisement. Pupils can be divided into Hogwarts' Houses and answer questions from each extract. Answers will magically appear. Finally, students are challenged to write their own advertisement for a super-charged broom of their own invention. This resource is suitable for ages 10+ and is intended to test knowledge of punctuation as well as comprehension . Moreover, it will encourage further reading and develop writing skills.
Punctuation, spelling and grammatical quizlet.
jlimbjlimb

Punctuation, spelling and grammatical quizlet.

(0)
This Power Point comprises twelve slides which will test students' knowledge of subordinating conjunctions, imperatives, active and passive sentences, prefixes to form opposites, identifying metaphors and similes and much more besides. There is a strangely worded passage to correct and a useful mnemonic to help with a tricky spelling. Answers are provided. This resource is one in a series of similar resources which can be found in my shop which can be used on a rotational basis for revision purposes. I include a resource which encourages the use of a wider range of punctuation. Suitable for ages 10+
Writing to argue : are you in favour of animal testing?
jlimbjlimb

Writing to argue : are you in favour of animal testing?

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This Power Point contains ten slides reminding pupils how to write an argumentative response. The use of rhetorical questions, statistics, emotive language and logical structure are encouraged amongst other techniques. Finally students are required to produce either a leaflet arguing against animal testing or a letter supporting testing cancer drugs on rats. I include a resource which includes mixed grammar revision and an opportunity to describe a favourite animal or pet. This resource is suitable for pupils aged 12+
spelling and grammar quizlet
jlimbjlimb

spelling and grammar quizlet

(0)
This Power Point tests knowledge of hear and here, pronouns, apostrophes, prefixes to form opposites, homophones and alphabetical ordering. There are some deliberate errors to spot and correct in a passage at the end. This is one of a series of similar quizzes to be found in my shop that can be used on a regular basis to test knowledge and understanding of different aspects of grammar and punctuation. I include an extra resource where knowledge of grammar can be tested and writing skills honed. Answers are included. Suitable for ages 10+
spelling, grammar and punctuation quiz
jlimbjlimb

spelling, grammar and punctuation quiz

(0)
This Power Point tests knowledge of there and their, knowledge of speech marks and commas , homophones, the use of prefixes to form opposites, alphabetical ordering, identifying deliberate mistakes and much more. Pupils are required to perfect a weirdly worded passage. Answers are provided. This resource is suitable for ages 10+ and is ideal for revision purposes.