A ready-to-go lesson on ‘Remains’ in the P&C Anthology. It is aimed at low ability learners whose primary goal is understanding the poem. The lesson includes: A starter that encourages learners to think about PTSD and how they might advise someone who is showing symptoms of PTSD Feedback slide What is trauma? What events could be considered traumatic? Discuss in pairs. Feedback slide with link to YouTube video A storyboarding activity in which learners read the poem and then label the nine scenes with quotations from the poem. This comes with two additional challenge tasks. A straightforward comparison table with ‘Poppies’, by Jane Weir, on the subject of internal conflict. Review. A free lesson on ‘Poppies’ can be found here: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/poppies-for-lower-ability-12073600 You may wish to undertake this lesson before moving onto ‘Remains’.

A lesson on Jane Weir’s ‘Poppies’ in the AQA Power and Conflict Anthology. It is aimed at a lower ability set and includes: A true or false starter about the important of the poppy (answers provided) A double-sided activity worksheet to enable comprehension Role on the wall activity Letter-writing extension task Review Learning Expected time: 1.5 - 2 hours

A lesson that follows on from this introduction to speech writing for KS3: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/an-introduction-to-speech-writing-for-ks3-12049010 This is a speech-writing lesson based on the issue of arming teachers, similar to the US. It includes: Starter - learners examine four related images and say how they are similar and different A keywords match-up task with extension A link to a relevant article which serves as useful research/pre-reading A summary of the main arguments and some key statistics about gun crime in the US versus the UK Sample GCSE question (AQA-style) WAGOLL Writing time Peer assessment and review This lesson is aimed at lower-middle ability learners and should take about two hours. If you like this lesson, please consider other lessons in the KS3 speech writing series, as and when they are published. For example: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/ks3-speech-writing-the-plastics-debate-12058293 UPDATE: Corrections made to Teacher/Pupil Keywords sheets.

A straightforward lesson on the homophones there, they’re and their. It is part of the lower ability skills series and follows on from this lesson on ending sentence correctly: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/lower-ability-ks3-ending-sentences-12066805 It could stand alone but assumes some knowledge of when to use a full stop. This lesson includes: A starter (see cover image) with feedback slide What is a homophone? Homophone identification challenge The differece between there, they’re and their There, they’re and their worksheet Learning Review

The fifth in the ‘MRS SOAP’ Creative Writing series for lower ability KS3. This is an extended lesson that covers some basic grammatical concepts: Subject Predicate Main clause Dependent clause Simple Sentence Compound Sentences Complex Sentences The starter links to the previous lesson on adverbs and adjectives. After this, the lesson progresses steadily towards complex sentences. There are activities to test and apply learning at each stage and the lesson culminates in a creative writing task with a picture prompt. You would need to allocate about 2 hours, maybe a shade longer, depending on your group.

The fourth in the creative writing series for lower ability KS3. It includes: Identify the personification, simile and metaphors in a passage of fiction (links to previous lesson) Feedback from starter slide What are adverbs and adjectives? Identifying adverbs and adjectives in a range of sentences, with extension task. Re-writing sentences using more ambitious adverb and adjective choices (list provided) Review

A straightforward lesson on personification for lower ability KS3 learners. It is the third in a series that begins with this introductory lesson: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/introduction-to-creative-writing-la-ks3-12065152 It provides: A lesson starter in which learners use a series of pictures as a prompt for creating similes and metaphors What is personification? Identifying personification and its effects in an extract from the opening of a story A storyboarding task that encourages learners to use personification in a six-scene description of their day Plenary

This is a ‘crash course’ in Act Five aimed at lower ability learners who need to get through the text quite quickly. It includes: An overview of Act 5 (see cover image) with tasks. Scene summaries for Scenes 1, 5 and 8. A storyboard for learners to fill in for Scenes 1 and 8. On a basic level, they can use the scene summaries to create captions for each scene, although you can increase the challenge by removing the quotations as well. An activity which encourages learners to contrast the presentation of Lady Macbeth in Acts 1-3 with the sleepwalking scene. A focus on Macbeth’s ‘Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow’ speech. Learners number the images according to when they appear in the speech. These resources were created for low-ability learners who only had a limited amount of time in which to approach Act 5. However, you could use these as starters or revision tasks for more able learners.

This is a ‘crash course’ in Act 4 for lower ability learners. It comprises of three storyboards and scene summaries for Act Four of ‘Macbeth’. The aim is for learners to use the scene summaries to describe what is happening in each scene, based on the images and quotations. This could be used for revision of Act Four or to promote understanding. It was designed with time pressure in mind.

A straightforward lesson on choosing between a full stop and a comma. The starter encourages learners to revise the terms subject and main verb. The term predicate is introduced. Learners identify the subject, main verb and predicate in a range of different sentences contained within a table. Slide 2: The idea of a comma splice is introduced. Slide 3: Learners identify whether a comma splice exists in five different sentences. It would be helpful to have an interactive board so that the sentences can be annotated on screen. Slide 4: Learners are directed to a paragraph which contains multiple comma splices. They must identify them. Slide 5: Feedback on screen Slide 6: Learners write a paragraph about themselves, ending their sentences correctly. Slide 7 Review/Check Learning

Following on from this introductory lesson: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/an-introduction-to-creative-writing-ks3-12065152 This lesson develops learners’ understanding of similes and metaphors. It draws slightly on material from this much older lesson: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/simile-metaphor-and-personification-11747189 This lesson provides: Anagram starter using devices from MRS SOAP (descriptive techniques) What is a simile? Learners identify which statements, 1-3, are similes. Simile challenge worksheet What is a metaphor? Check understanding with common metaphors from everyday language Learners then complete metaphors 1-8 using their own imagination. Review task. Target ability: Lower KS3 Lesson time: 1hr approx.

A straightforward introduction to creative writing for lower ability KS3 learners. It provides: A starter (see cover image) An introduction to using language descriptively. Learners read two sentences, A and B. B incorporates personification whereas A is simple ‘telling’. Learners say which one they prefer and why. An introduction to descriptive writing techniques using the acronym MRS SOAP. Learners match the technique to the letter in the acronym. Learners go on to create a structured poster that lists the letters of the acronym, what they mean and one example. Two extension tasks. Review.

This is a ‘crash course’ that teaches the main events in Act 3. Could be used as revision or to promote understanding in lower ability learners. There are three scene summary files: Scenes 1 and 2 Scenes 3 and 4 Scenes 5 and 6 These should be read before undertaking the activities: Activity 1 = storyboard (learners describe what is happening in each square based on the image and the quotes) Activity 2 = extended storyboard (some missing descriptions, some missing quotes) Activity 3: Focus on Lennox’s speech.

A lesson that aims to develop learners’ confidence with complex sentences. It includes: Sentence Bingo starter (also sold separately) What is a complex sentence? The difference between the main clause and dependent clause An exercise in producing complex sentences using prompt material An independent writing task Review Time suggested: 1 hour Target Ability : Lower to middle KS3

A starter activity that tests learners’ recognition of simple, compound and complex sentences. There are 5 different boards and one teacher sheet. Board 1 is the winning board. All being well, this resource will soon be incorporated into a wider lesson on developing complex sentences, but in the meantime, you may wish to purchase it separately. It is aimed at a lower-middle ability Year 8.

This is a newly differentiated version of this resource: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/macbeth-annotated-act-two-11875453 This lower ability version contains: The full text of Act 2, translated (same as original) Scene summaries for Scenes 1-4 Scene 2 (the immediate aftermath) full text with corresponding questions 5 Worksheets to be carried out alongside the reading of Act 2. This unit contains fewer resources than the corresponding unit for Act 1, but this reflected in the price. It was created with the issue of time pressure in mind.

An extended lesson that follows on from this introduction to speech writing for KS3: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/an-introduction-to-speech-writing-for-ks3-12049010 This lesson can stand alone but assumes some pre-teaching of AFOREST. A starter tasks invites learners to examine a range of images relating to plastic waste (see cover image). They then examine a list of keywords and attempt to match them to the correct definition. This is accompanied by a challenge task for more able learners, in which learners attempt to make connections between the keywords. The answers to the definitions tasks are provided. After this, learners discuss in pairs whether there is a need to ban plastics in the UK. A YouTube video link on the ‘plastic problem’ is also provided but optional. Learners then read the arguments for and against a plastic ban and transform these onto a summary sheet of six boxes. The aim is for each box to contain one point, one relevant image and one piece of evidence. They go on to thinking about how they could apply their knowledge of AFOREST to this debate. There is a sample GCSE question (AQA style) with a WAGOLL for annotation according to 5 success criteria. Learners then write their own speech in relation to the plastics debate. The lesson ends with learners peer assessing each other’s work. The material is aimed at middle-ability KS3 but could be used with KS4 with some tailoring.

A straightforward lesson that follows on from: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/lower-ability-ks3-what-is-a-sentence-12053604 It includes: A starter in which learners identify the missing features of a range of sentences. These features are categorised as either ‘missing subject’, ‘missing verb’ or ‘missing verb or more’. There is also the option of ‘no errors’. Slides 1-2 contain the sentence ready for correction, so it would help to have access to an interactive board. An introduction to simple, compound and complex sentences. Learners read an example of each type and see if they can work out how they are different. A guide sheet that explains the nature of simple, compound and complex sentences. Learners then identify whether sentences A-J are either simple, compound or complex and have a go at writing their own complex sentences, choosing from a list of subordinating conjunctions. The lesson concludes with a game involving five different pictures. The impetus is on learners to come up with a sentence in relation to each picture, with a simple sentence being worth 1 point and a complex sentence being worth 3. The instruction is, ‘Look at the picture, think of a sentence, raise your hand.’ This lesson should take about an hour and is aimed at lower-middle ability learners. It could be used as a cover lesson.

This is a newly-differentiated version of the following resource: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/macbeth-annotated-act-one-11875448 This lower-ability version contains: The full text of Act 1, translated (same as original) Several key extracts for study Scene summaries for Scenes 2-7 A range of activities to develop understanding. Simplified contextual notes with a corresponding worksheet Key information with corresponding worksheet. This resource is aimed at lower-middle ability learners.

A lesson for lower ability KS3. It covers: A short punctuation starter Paired discussion: what is the difference between a sentence and a group of words? What is a subject and a verb? Learners then read and identify ten statements and identify the sentences. Making simple sentences interesting using adverbs and adjectives. Learners use a table of words to create a range of sentences with suggested structures (increasing difficulty). Review Estimated time: 1 hour. NB: These lessons increase in demand through the series.