Unique resources created by an experienced Secondary English and History teacher. These are academically rigorous resources that target children between 13 and 18 years of age.
Unique resources created by an experienced Secondary English and History teacher. These are academically rigorous resources that target children between 13 and 18 years of age.
A student workbook for watching the film including; a synopsis, a list of characters, viewing questions, themes in the film, key quotes & what others have said about the film.
The second is annotated notes taken from Cateforis, T. (2009). Rebel girls and singing boys: Performing music and gender in the teen movie. Current Musicology, (87), 161-190,247. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/224870683?accountid=16285
This 9-page booklet/resource provides 8 tips to improve your writing. These can be applied to a range of text types including narratives, essays and newspaper articles. Each tip comes with examples, activities or a suggested word bank for students to try to incorporate in their writing going forward.
Part of a set of resources created for a year 7 English class in Australia (ACARA syllabus). The other resources are also available in my store - lrigb4. Designed for use in 70 minute lessons. The focus text is ‘Black Snake: The Daring of Ned Kelly’ by Carole Wilkinson.
1) A PowerPoint for a lesson designed for the introductory phase of a 7 English unit on Ned Kelly. It is designed to provide context (teach students what Australia was like during Ned Kelly’s lifetime). By the end of the lesson, students should be able to explain what you think life would have been like for early settlers (and add some key points to the ‘L’ section of their KWL chart). There are slides on: what men and women wore, the various social groups {convicts/ex convicts, free settlers, selectors, squatters, troopers & hawkers}, bushrangers, transportation, housing and housekeeping, common foods, lifestyle, the gold rush and tools/resources. The slides include descriptions and images. Subsequently, students glue in the character table (retrieval chart) and begin reading the ‘What if you were there’ section at the opening of Chapter 1 of Black Snake. They should be recording key details about the various characters they come across as they read. The students should also be developing novel-specific vocabulary – keeping a track of any slang words, idioms or other language features we notice as they read. There are 3 checking for understanding questions at the end.
2) Character Retrieval chart (handout)
This is part of a series of resources developed for a year 8 English class in Australia. The first resource is a list of context-specific spelling words for the first six weeks of the term (24 words per week).
The second is a PowerPoint introducing the unit and key terms. It specifies the difference between a theme and an issue, gives examples of specific social issues and it has a viewing activity to help students understand a particular social issue (poverty). Finally, it includes some images and creative writing prompts to get students thinking and writing themselves.
A concept which can be used to understand Macbeth. It is connected to the idea of the ‘divine right of kings’ and the class structures of the time (feudalism). The PowerPoint includes a definition of this concept and visual representations. Students then apply this to the play and have to draw their own chain of being. It looks at characters who maintain / disrupt this chain and how they do so. It also looks at the imagery and techniques used to show a disruption to the chain of being.
A PowerPoint analysing the poem 'Men of the open spaces' with four questions that students have to write paragraphs responding to. There are example answers included. This is followed by the words for The Man From Ironbark and Waltzing Matilda and other post-reading questions.
One PowerPoint taken from a year 10 English unit taught in an Australian school. This PowerPoint is comprehensive and could be used over a few lessons. Within the unit Students compare and contrast the social, moral and ethical themes in the novel 'The Hunger Games.' Students are being prepared to evaluate how text structures and language features can be used to influence audience response.
This presentation focuses on two moral issues within the text: Inequality and murder. It begins with a definition of inequality and listing the various types of inequality. This is followed by a YouTube video (a vox pop about Inequality in America) to clarify student's understandings of these issues. Subsequently, students are introduced to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and some of the important articles within this document. Students watch a clip from the second film and must identify which of those rights are being violated in the text. Information is provided contrasting life in District 12 with life in The Capitol. Extracts are provided for students to analyse to see how Collins constructs this inequality through her use of language devices. Different examples of inequality within the novel are provided. Reflection questions are provided at the end of this section for students to demonstrate what they have learned.
In the murder section students are introduced to the terms murder and manslaughter and the differences between these crimes. Discussion questions are provided to get students to share their views on this issue. The PowerPoint then looks into the Christian perspective on murder focusing on scripture including one of the ten commandments. Following this the focus turns to killing within The Hunger Games and the various characters attitudes towards this. Film clips, quotes or summaries of each time Katniss kills in the games are provided.
5 resources which are useful for teachers who want to prepare their students for NAPLAN.
1) Is a unit outline for a four-week skills focus
2) Minimum standards for NAPLAN year 9 (copied and pasted from the internet)
3) NAPLAN tests teaching ideas (copied and pasted from the internet)
4) A list of things to teach prior to NAPLAN that I compiled
5) A spelling list (24 words per week) of words that have appeared in past NAPLAN tests
6 resources used to scaffold a short story assessment task for a year 12 authority English class in Queensland Australia.
the task sheet explaining task requirements and the marking rubric.
A PowerPoint further explaining the task. It also reviews the major elements of a narrative including: plot (aka the structure), setting, characterisation, language devices and the types of narrator.
a worksheet of planning steps the students should use prior to writing to ensure they have addressed all elements of the task.
4 & 5) two example assessments to go through with students to further exemplify the genre conventions they should be using.
A peer review activity for students to complete prior to submitting their draft.
Three resources made for a year 10 English class in Australia.
Resource 1: Spelling list (24 words per week, 6 weeks worth of words).
Resource 2: blank glossary table for students to add their definitions and example sentences into.
Resource 3: A PowerPoint introducing students to the text they will be studying (the first novel in the trilogy). The presentation includes a brief synopsis of the novel and what inspired the author to write the novel. Reviewing expectations for reading the novel and the homework students will be completing. It outlines what students need to know to successfully complete their two assessment items for this unit.
Do you fear teaching students about poetry because of how you learned about poets in school? Are you new to teaching poetry and want some ideas of where to start? If so this could be the resource for you. This lesson is the first of many created to teach learners to appreciate poems, analyse poems and write poems of their own. Each of these worksheets has been made after consulting numerous texts about best practice pedagogy and each includes links to other resources you may find helpful (see reference list).
This worksheet can be used as a one on one tutoring resource. Alternatively, you can take activities from here to use in a PowerPoint lesson, as fast finishers or homework activities. It includes a definition of poetry, some of the reasons people write poems and the effects poetry can have on the reader.
It goes back to the basics of grammar looking at how poets use adjectives, nouns, verbs and prepositions to convey meaning. Example poems are provided for students to identify these devices in.
Other poems are provided along with comprehension questions to help students see the importance of reading to glean meaning. There is also a section on tone which provides students with a list of words to describe the tones of various texts and activities to check for student understanding.
Finally, it includes a vocabulary building and spelling activity for fast finishers.
Part of a set of resources created for a senior Social & Community studies class in Australia (QCAA syllabus). The other resources are also available in my store - Aussie_Resources. Designed for use in 70 minute lessons. The end of term assessment for this unit was a 90 minute short response examination.
A PowerPoint for an assessment literacy lesson where students learn more about their upcoming exam including word limits and the communication skills needed for the exam. Students are given a copy of the ‘I can’ statements which shows what an A, B & C looks like for each of the criteria. This is followed by focused teaching around Criteria 1.1 (how to write thorough definitions). This begins with explaining what a definition is and what makes a good definition. It also unpacks what makes a definition bad. Then a sample definition for ‘Gender Identity’ is provided using the four quadrant method (modelled response). Students are informed they will complete their own definition for ‘domestic’ at the end of the lesson after viewing a range of informative videos about this issue.
‘I can’ statements handout which breaks down the criteria into simple terms for students to understand (also assists teachers to mark the assessment with ease)
7 resources created for a year 8 English Unit studying war poetry.
A PowerPoint explaining the assessment - creating a poetry anthology featuring a minimum of 3 poems. It explains what an anthology is, its components (e.g. title page, table of contents, etc.), what they are being assessed on, planning steps and some homework to get them started.
An example analysis of the poem Beach Burial (in a table outlining the structural requirements and expected langauge features)
A PowerPoint lesson designed to take students through the example analysis of Beach Burial.
A document with the STEP UP acronym for students to use to analyse their 3 poems.
A PowerPoing to help students write their analysis of poem one.
A PowerPoint explaining how to write the preface and reference list (with examples)
A completed anthology exemplar (created by a student)
PowerPoint. Learning about William Blake and British Colonial Expansion. They will learn about a fundamental ideology of the period: The divine right of kings. Students will read ‘A War Song to Englishmen’ which is accompanied by my annotations (which they may copy into their poetry booklets if they wish). Discuss how everything he wrote was infused with religious meaning so you will see that this poem operates on two levels. We will then compare this to another First World War poem written by American poet Robert Frost. After reading the poem, students will research Frost to gain further context. Afterwards they will highlight the poetic devices used in ‘Not to Keep.’
Venn Diagram for comparing the two poems
a table used for analysing the poems to prepare students for their exam (these will become their revision tools)
POWERPPOINT: Learning about the key concept socio-cultural context, what it means and how to use it when analysing poems. The difference between worldview and mindset (plus the factors which influence these). Intro to some other key terms you will need to know for this unit. An explanation of critical literacy terms including intended reading, connotation, marginalised, silenced, form, theme, symbol, atmosphere and tone. Afterwards there is a cloze strategy to check whether students havee understood and remembered these terms.
Extra resource: The Poetry Booklet used for this unit which includes poems from The British Colonial Expansion period, The Crimean War, World War 1, World War 2 (specifically Hiroshima), The Vietnam War and more contemporary conflicts. Each section includes a brief spiel which provides historical context. For some of the more famous poets, information has been provided about their background. Images and a reference list are included.
A year 8 Eng PowerPoint designed to introduce students to the concept of intended reading while touching on the idea of resistant reading. It includes questions they should ask themselves when reading a poem to help them identify the intended meaning of the text. It includes the words to Donald Bruce Dawe’s poem Homecoming and some follow-up questions to help the students learn to do this together. They are then given a poem to read independently and suggest what the author’s intended reading might be.
6 resources developed for a year 8 English Unit.
a task sheet explaining their assessment (a multimodal presentation that explains a current social issue and uses poetry to challenge how people think and feel about the issue. )
An example PowerPoint created by a student for their assessment.
A written exemplar in a table (which highlights the structural requirements and expected language features)
A planning booklet for students to use as they prepare to write their assignment
A PowerPoint for a lesson taking them through what to write for body paragraph 1
A personal checklist for the student and parent to use once they have completed their first draft to make sure they have everything they need.
Resources designed with QCIA (special needs) students in mind.
These students were encouraged to choose The Incredibles. The resource includes a QCIA task sheet, a word bank and a cloze passage (to assist the Teacher’s Aide to prompt student to develop their own response). The student this was designed for was at a grade 3-4 level.
Context: A lesson designed for use in a 12 Essential English classroom in Queensland, Australia as part of Unit 4: “Representations and popular culture texts.” During this unit students learned about Hero and Villain films and how filmmakers use cinematic techniques to portray them and create an intended message. Their assessment at the end of this unit was to write a 4-6 minute multimodal (speech) to be delivered live or pre-recorded reviewing one of the three films shown within the unit.