Resources made by a Head of English, with a background in TEFL and SEN (thus differentiation for EAL and SEN students is often a feature of lesson plans). I have also examined for AQA for the past six years, IBDP for the past 2, and have taught AQA, Edexcel and CIE specifications.
Resources made by a Head of English, with a background in TEFL and SEN (thus differentiation for EAL and SEN students is often a feature of lesson plans). I have also examined for AQA for the past six years, IBDP for the past 2, and have taught AQA, Edexcel and CIE specifications.
This printable resource includes copies of all poems in the anthology along with glossaries, explanations of contexts and visual stimuli. There is also a list of key poetic terms along with explanations and examples.
A printable Poetry Anthology for students studying the Edexcel IGCSE in English Literature (4ET1). It includes all the poems, plus glossaries, explanations of key features and contexts, and brief biographies (where relevant). There are also three pages of explanations of key terms for poetry analysis, with examples from the anthology.
This is a 12 to 14 lesson complete scheme of work on Media Analysis and Text Creation.
Students will learn the vocabulary necessary for the analysis of a range of multi-media texts (advertisements, comic strips, posters and so on) and then apply these in written and spoken assessments. Texts used include Thor posters, extracts from Heartstopper and stills from Bohemian Rhapsody. Students then create and reflect upon their own multi-media texts.
There is lots of differentiation built in and students have lots of agency, able to select their own texts and tasks. Intended for KS3 classes (I do it with Year 8), this does have an eye on preparing students for the IB Diploma Programme (the success criteria for the oral assessment comes straight from the Language A Individual Oral assessment). It was a pretty enjoyable unit, both for teachers and students, and it was amazing how some normally quite weaker students really shone once they were working with multi-media texts rather than just pages of print.
I’ve made this available for free, but it does represent HOURS of work. Therefore, if you do use it, please leave a review. Thanks.
Happy teaching!
A lesson on Tissue by Dharker (AQA Power and Conflict Anthology) for lower to middle ability students. Pages references are to the student copy of the anthology which is available for download in my resources.
Lesson on London by William Blake for the AQA Power and Conflict Anthology. Page references are to the student copy of the anthology which is also available in my resources.
A complete scheme of work for William Shakespeare’s comedy Much Ado About Nothing. We usually teach it with Year 9, using an abridged script (not included).
The 17 lessons include power points plus handouts (where relevant). There are multiple opportunities to get students up and acting, as well as getting creative (making masques). The Unit include an inquiry-based learning assessment that allows students to devise their own questions and research them, before presenting their findings. Other assessments include writing love letters, a news report, and an essay comparing the changes Beatrice and Benedick’s characters undergo. An overview document gives you a lesson by lesson breakdown.
This is always a huge hit with the students who have a lot of fun with this unit.
Happy teaching!
A 14 lesson scheme of work to study Nikolai Leskov’s novella “Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk” for the IBDP Language and Literature A course, This is a 19th century prose text written originally in Russian and appears of the prescribed list. It fits into the Time and Space unit.
The scheme covers the whole text, introducing students to Harold Bloom’s anxiety of influence as a way to explore the relationship between Leskov and Shakespeare, as well as between Leskov and Oldroyd, who adapted the novella into a film starring Florence Pugh. The film is considered here as a non-literary text, alongside reviews and films posters. There are example responses included, as well as guidance for producing Individual Orals on the text and practice questions for both Paper 1 and 2. Feedback and planning templates are also included.
Happy teaching! All feedback gratefully received.
A complete scheme of work for Night John, which I have taught (and refined) for the last 6 years. I usually teach it with Year 8, though I have also used it with Year 7 and low ability Year 9 groups.
The scheme is 18 lessons long, and covers all the main reading, writing and speaking objectives. It includes an extended creative writing task, related non-fiction texts, a persuasive speech, an ICT research lesson, a drama lesson and a debate lesson. It's great fun despite the weighty themes, and students always enjoy this unit.
A version of the classic KS3 unit, looking at poems by Linton Kwesi Johnson, Les Murray, Imitiaz Dharker, Yoruba hunters and Nissim Ezekiel (among others). There is also an emphasis on thinking critically about what culture means, plus a drama lesson exploring deaf poetry. In addition to the main 9 lessons, there are 4 additional lessons looking at specific language techniques. A reading assessment and a scheme of work overview, giving a lesson by lesson guide, is included along with resources - power points and printables - for all lessons. Happy teaching!
A ten (or more) lesson scheme of work on writing to advise, argue and persuade. Originally designed for Year 9, it would also work with high ability Year 8s and low ability Year 10s. An overview document gives a lesson by lesson guide, as well as ideas for further AFL and differentiation (lots of both are already built in to the lessons). All lessons come with powerpoints and resources. It's a very mobile and energetic unit, with speeches and debates, as well as an essay and grammar lessons on passives and phrasal verbs. Texts examined include those by Malala Yousafzai and Wilfred Owen. Happy teaching!
A complete scheme of work for Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities (25 lessons long) aimed at Year 9, intended to provide context and familiarity with Dickens for further study in KS4. The unit contains powerpoints and resources for all lessons, and includes ICT, debates, speaking and listening lessons alongside reading and writing assessments. Many activities are also differentiated by reading ability.
A 24 lesson (plus two recap lessons) scheme of work to prepare KS4 students for the AQA Literature exam. Comes with a Scheme of Work over view document giving a lesson by lesson guide: all lessons fully resourced (including model answers). Includes spoken and creative tasks. The focus is very much on studying the text as a text, rather than teaching the exam technique - though there is some of that.
A fantastic and fun introduction to Shakespeare for KS3 - I've used it with both Years 7 and 8. The 19 lessons include a five lesson lead in looking at fairy tales, with an emphasis on thinking critically, followed by a fun exploration of Shakespeare's classic comedy using an abridged script (uploaded separately as a free resource as I don't own it). The unit includes both reading and writing assessments, spoken tasks, fully resourced lessons and differentiated activities.
Background reading in preparation for studying Beatrice Garland's poem 'Kamikaze'. The reading comprehension is differentiated on three levels by reading age (12, 14, 16) but all three versions have the same answers, allowing students to peer mark the homework in class should you wish.
Two trackers for the International A2 and AS Level English Language, CIE specification 9093.
What these tracker do is give you the range of a students’ marks. By adding in classwork and mock marks on the relevant sheets, the overview then tells you the best and worst combined marks, giving you a picture of the range of grades that they are capable of securing. (Numerical marks are automatically converted to grades, using the June 2022 grade boundaries, which in future years can be updated on the look up tables sheet.)
Furthermore, by adding d (developing) s (secure) or e (extending) under the assessment objectives on each classwork sheet, you can build up a picture of the needs of individual students and the class as a whole in order to plan and differentiate more effectively.
I hope it’s helpful!
A lesson analysing 'Hoping' by Shirley Hughes: allows you to do something Christmassy with your exam classes, while still keeping a focus on the skills that they need for the GCSE LIterature exam (AQA, unseen poetry). Very accessible for Low Ability - remove the scaffolding questions for higher ability classes. Merry Christmas!
A lesson on Ozymandias by Shelley from the AQA Power and Conflict Anthology. This is aimed at middle ability classes and there is a particular focus on the way voice is used in the poem.
