Theseus and the Minotaur Bundle
Set of English topic related resources
Theseus and the Minotaur Diary example with 24 KS2 comprehension questions.
Set in pre 40AD, Theseus writes about his observations as he travels on his quest to slay the Minotaur. The diary is written in the first person and is separated into two main sections (Part 1: The quest to slay the Minotaur/ Part 2 : The return to Athens). Each part is broken into smaller, readable sections based upon location as Theseus travels through the myth. This recount demonstrates features of a diary and acts as a continuous recount of the event including Theseus’s personal feelings and points of view.
Can be used as a stimulus for Myths and Legends, creative writing and to identify the features and structure of diary writing or as a Recount Checklist activity.
Also attached are two sets of 12 comprehension questions relating to each of the two parts of the text.
Comprehension Learning Objectives:
I can respond to a range of texts.
I can locate ideas and use information.
I can refer to the text when explaining a view or reason.
I can deduce and infer ideas from the text.
I can select sentences or phrases to support my answers.
Guided reading based on Theseus and the Minotaur with learning objective, suggested questions (7) and a simple chronological story activity.
Learning Objective:
I can retell the myth Theseus and the Minotaur.
I can summarise the story.
I wrote this shorter version of the myth for a Year four reading group but it could be used with HA Y3, LA Y5 and Y6.
Fits well with cross curricular topic work on Ancient Greeks, Greece, Myths and Legends, Mythological beasts and narrative writing.
Theseus and the Minotaur set of 4 English descriptive worksheets for LA/MA KS2. Learning Objective: I can use key words to describe mythological characters.
Worksheet 1: Adjective selection from a prepared set of vocabulary to best describe questions about Theseus, the Minotaur and the labyrinth.
Worksheet2: Noun, verb, adjective brainstorm to describe Ariadne, Athena, King Minos, Theseus, the Minotaur.
Worksheet 3: Creating own mythological beast and adding verbs and adjectives.
Worksheet 4: Simple label the characters cut and stick activity.
Can be used following introduction of the myth to develop vocabulary and language in writing.
Story board activity. Simple summary of the story of Theseus and the Minotaur reduced into six boxes with blank spaces for pupils to fill in the missing word in the sentences. Suitable for SEN/LA KS2.
This bundle can be used for cross curricular topics English -Myths and Legends/ writing a diary or recount, comprehension. History – The Greeks/ Greek Gods and Goddesses, Mythical Beasts, Geography – Greece.
Myth planning template with structure and ideas for pupils to use to plan their own myth.
KS2 set of 2 differentiated Geography physical features of the Arctic worksheets.
Worksheet 1 – Match the key physical feature vocabulary (ocean, coastline, sea ice, river, mountain, glacier, iceberg) to the photographs.
Worksheet 2- Cut out and stick physical descriptions (as worksheet 1) next to the photographs.
Useful for Geography topics on ‘Water’, ‘Glaciers’, ‘Explorers’, ‘Arctic’.
KS1 & 2 Diamond Ranking activity: Keeping safe in the sun. Blank diamond ranking template and a set of 9 activity cards for pupils to discuss in groups of three or pairs.
Pupils discuss the merits of each item in a set and rank them from most to least important by sticking them on the blank template. Can be used to develop understanding and promote awareness in the sun through cross curricular topics such as ‘Summer’, ‘Seaside’, ‘Outdoors’ and PSHE. Works well as a pre sports day or outdoor visit activity.
Bundle of 5 items including KS1/Y3 Powerpoint lesson (s) of 37 slides on the topic ‘Norman castles’.
KS1/Y3 Powerpoint lesson (s) of 37 slides on the topic ‘Norman castles’.
Learning Objectives:
To use the correct historical vocabulary when talking about the features of a castle.
To compare the similarities and differences between motte and bailey and stone built castles.
To identify William the Conqueror , where he came from and his link to castles.
To use my knowledge about castles to make my own information book.
The slides are easy to follow and devised to encourage partner/trio discussion and collaboration through key questioning and small group activities. Slides 2-4 use pupil knowledge as a starting point assessment through a reflection activity. Slides 5-11 focus on William the Conqueror and include a paired map activity using atlases. Slides 12-20 look at early motte and bailey castles and include a short clip from Youtube. Included is a simple DT planning sheet for pupils to design then build a motte and bailey castle. Slides 21-23 encourage pupils to consider the purposes of castles in war and peace time. Slides 24-32 can be used as a castle features class quiz or a paired assessment. Slides 33- 36 look at famous castles belonging to Normans. The final slide offers a suggestion for making a ‘castle’ booklet or scrap book.
KS1 &2 Attack or Defend Medieval Castle Activity: 12 battle statements to classify under ’attack’ or ‘defend’ on the activity board. Pupils work in small groups or pairs to discuss and categorise the statements. A fun activity to help pupils improve historical vocabulary and understanding of the methods of defence and attack strategy. Can also be used as a plenary to assess pupil knowledge following a topic on Medieval Castles.
KS1 & 2 Set of 32 Quiz questions about Medieval Castles.
32 differentiated questions (and answers!) to challenge and develop pupil knowledge about Medieval castles. Each question card is differentiated with a star symbol (1 star = easy, 2 stars = harder, 3 stars= difficult) so pupils can answer at their knowledge level. Useful as a lesson starter or plenary of for a small group activity.
KS1 & 2 Label the Knight’s armour and Label the Castle (2 worksheets)
Two separate worksheets to enable pupils to match the historical medieval vocabulary to the correct part of the picture. There are nine items of armour to label on the Knight and 9 parts of to label on the castle. The vocabulary list is included beneath the picture on each worksheet for pupil use. This is a useful activity to assess pupil knowledge of historical vocabulary at the end of a mini topic.
A blank project book is included for pupils to develop their knowledge in this topic.
(Versions: 1= HA, 2= MA, 3= LA) in KS2. Each simplified biography is up to one page long. Can be used to identify features of biographies, to aid understanding of how to structure a biography and support content understanding. Also can be used to support historical research.
KS2 Years 4,5,6 - A series of 5 consecutive power-point lessons about the amazing country Australia (56 slides). Lesson 1 introduces the topic with visual clues using pupil’s own experiences as a starting point. The pupils are encouraged to use a Project Book to record their journey through each lesson. Lesson 2 focuses on the Australian territories, climate, landscape and capital and Lesson 3 uses seasonal rainfall and temperature data to enable pupils to compare, differentiate and analyse weather and climate between Australia and Britain. Pupils are set a challenge to apply their knowledge to advise a traveller with specific needs where to go for a holiday. Lesson 4 focuses on Australain people and Aboriginal culture including ‘Dreamtime’, Art and Music. There are links to Youtube clips to enable you to develop the learning into creative lessons. Lesson 5 looks at things to do in Australia, including wildlife and sports.
Each lesson offers clear steps for pupils to work in partners, small groups and individually. Each slide can be printed separately to enable pupils to have access to information tables and data. Differentiation is possible through limiting or increasing the data tables and amount of information for different ability groups. The Project book used throughout the topic will provide an assessment opportunity for cross curricular recording as well as Geographical understanding and data handling.
KS1 & 2 Book review blank template. A quick review resource for pupils to use to comment on books they have read in class and as part of a special Book Day or library events. Space to write a short summary, draw a favourite character and rate the illustrations and text difficulty. Great to use in a class library for pupils to share ideas about their favourite fiction and non -fiction texts.
KS1 interactive cross curricular Powerpoint
lesson(s) about the life of Florence Nightingale and her impact on hospitals and hygiene today.
Florence's Facebook page which can be used as a research resource for developing writing.
Blank 13 page project booklet for pupils to use to record information about Florence Nightingale throughout the topic. Who am I? blank template for pupils to use to describe Florence Nightingale and her work. Can be used as a class or homework activity or as an assessment at the end of the project.
Grace Darling KS1 Powerpoint lesson on the life of Grace Darling and her bravery. The slides are interactive and include key questions and opportunities for pupils to discuss the story, order her family tree and appreciate how Grace lived in the lighthouse with her family. Included in the bundle are a blank project book template for pupils to record their facts and ideas about the topic and a blank Who am I? template which can act as a mini assessment activity at the end of the topic.
Cross curricular powerpoint lesson for 5th November. Interactive with a range of cross curricular activities. use them all or select the ones you like for your class. bundle includes a set of differentiated Bonfire Night quiz cards for a warm up or plenary session. A blank project book is included for pupils to record their ideas and learning throughout the topic.
A simple scaffold to aid pupil writing. A scaffold of a poem which can be adapted by theme to support cross curricular writing or to develop a specific aspect of English such as alliteration, similes. Can be modified to provide challenge or support with the aid of dictionaries, Thesaurus and word banks. Very useful as a starter or plenary session.
KS2 Y4 Lesson powerpoint and lesson plan.
Learning Objectives: Speaking & Listening: Increase contextual subject vocabulary. Ask relevant questions to extend subject knowledge. Explore ideas and participate in collaborative conversations.
Reading: Recognising poetry (narrative, cultural), discuss words & phrases which capture imagination, develop prediction from images and inference. Summarise main ideas.
Writing: Compose and rehearse sentences orally, build vocabulary and noun phrases.
The Powerpoint slides include a topic related vocabulary list for pupil use. There is a comprehensive lesson plan for teacher use at the end of the powerpoint on slides 14 and 15.
The lesson is created around the story of the Willow Pattern and the image of the plate to generate ideas and collaborative discussion. There are opportunities for pupils to read the poem, extend vocabulary, discuss the characters and watch a short clip of the story on Youtube before creating their own five box storyboard linked to their own collected vocabulary from the lesson.
This is the first in a series of three lessons on the Willow Pattern theme.
Florence Nightingale's Facebook page can be used as a reference for information gathering for work on biographies, non fiction writing, comprehension, discussion work and as a template for writing a Facebook page about a non fiction famous character or person. Can be used with KS1 and KS2.
History Detectives -The Mystery of the lost property/Petra the Rose City : Two complete power-point History lessons for pupils in KS1. Lesson one begins with a role play scenario asking pupils to solve a lost property mystery. The learning includes developing historical investigation skills: gathering information from photographic source material, developing historical vocabulary, asking questions and analysing and drawing conclusions to build a character profile. Lesson two builds upon the skills used in the previous lesson using the archaeological world heritage site, the ‘Rose City’ of Petra as a stimulus. Learning focuses on developing understanding of facts, guesses and questions. Included is a simple Petra information sheet which can be printed for pupil use in the lesson.
Lesson slides include simple paired tasks to encourage discussion and collaboration and written activities to develop recording skills.
A 13 page blank booklet including cover page, contents, glossary and author page. Each page is divided into different layouts with space for illustrations, photos and recording.
Pupils can use this booklet for their own individual fiction or non-fiction project work or within a whole class project. Great for display at the end of a topic or for pupils to share in the class library.
A set of 32 differentiated quiz questions on the topic of Bonfire Night/Gunpowder Plot. Cards are graded into three levels. Great to use as a lesson starter or an end of lesson assessment. Can be used to play as a whole class or with a smaller group.
KS1 & KS2 New Year/New Me: Set of Circle time reflection and affirmation cards. 16 cards (green border) which reflect on the current year and thoughts/actions/achievements and 16 cards (blue border) which help pupils focus on affirmations and positive actions to continue or create a new beginning/new year or fresh start.
Useful to use as an end of year activity to welcome in a New Year or new term.
KS1 & KS2 New Year/New Me: Set of Circle time reflection and affirmation cards. 16 cards (green border) which reflect on the current year and thoughts/actions/achievements and 16 cards (blue border) which help pupils focus on affirmations and positive actions to continue or create a new beginning/new year or fresh start.
Useful to use as an end of year activity to welcome in a New Year or new term.
KS1 Babushka descriptive account.
A first- hand account, written by Babushka. This example demonstrates acts as a recount of the search for the baby king Jesus including personal feelings and points of view.
Useful in the lesson for pupils to use to identify features and structure of first hand accounts or as a starting point for discussing a dilemma, or point of view activity.
Can also be used with a cross curricular Christmas topic.
KS2 Babushka descriptive account.
A first- hand account, written by Babushka. This example demonstrates acts as a recount of the search for the baby king Jesus including personal feelings and points of view.
Useful in the lesson for pupils to use to identify features and structure of first hand accounts or as a starting point for discussing a dilemma, or point of view activity.
Can also be used with a cross curricular Christmas topic.