Most resources I develop are geared towards GCSE 2016-18 (AQA and Edexcel) curriculum and are practical solutions to classroom teaching. I keep most of these black and white for simple/cost-effective print.
I read each novel/play/poem and break down into manageable parts.
I find this most effective within classrooms where students require chunks of information they can order, in sequence. The 'study-packs' I create can apply to any book/play/poem and provide visual tools for memory recall.
Most resources I develop are geared towards GCSE 2016-18 (AQA and Edexcel) curriculum and are practical solutions to classroom teaching. I keep most of these black and white for simple/cost-effective print.
I read each novel/play/poem and break down into manageable parts.
I find this most effective within classrooms where students require chunks of information they can order, in sequence. The 'study-packs' I create can apply to any book/play/poem and provide visual tools for memory recall.
A straightforward resource for comparing poems. The student lists one poem in the left-side column and the other in the right, then compares. This resource includes poetry terminology in the central column and has been used in classrooms in 2016. If studying AQA or Edexcel this resource can be linked to other resources as listed.
What to focus on in GCSE Reading and Writing.
Includes: Deduction and Inference / Implicit versus Explicit / Subjectivity and Bias
Figurative Language / Skimming and Scanning / Adapting to accommodate audience.
A 9-page resource (prints double-sided as a five-page mini-booklet) with a column for student notes to cite evidence.
The original 8,000+ word magazine article (1993) which preceded the 1996 non-fiction book and 2007 American biographical drama survival film written and directed by Sean Penn. The book is a brilliant example of investigative journalism and details the adventure-fuelled and tenacious life of Christopher Johnson McCandless, also known by his self-attributed title: Alexander Supertramp.
A lesson starter or research-resource with key facts relating to William Shakespeare.
This can be printed double-sided as a four-page A4 workbook (7 sheets in total).
The resource has a question sheet on the final page, which would ideally be used in-front of a computer so students can research key facts and note two of their favorite lines from any of William Shakespeare's works.
A four-page resource/study aid, to log new words/terms/abbreviations and their source/meanings, to use alongside any text. Provides examples from Macbeth and the abbreviation N.B. for Nota Bene. Originally developed for use within a Year 9 class studying Robert Louis Stevenson and William Shakespeare.
N.B. This resource is available within the combined Study-Assist Pack.
A pack containing combined resources to create a complete study-aid for students which includes:
New Word Chart / Quotation Booklet / Timeline / Visual-Mapping / Internet-Research Booklet.
This prints as a double-sided 12-page booklet or could be printed in individual sections and introduced throughout the period of study.
I recently introduced this with Year 9's who are studying Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, i.e. as one full pack to use alongside this text. I am about to use the same pack, with the same class, as they enter the engaging realms of Macbeth.
The feedback from the pack was that the students (as a majority) felt it made greater sense to them to have all of the paperwork together and then filed in this way. We booked the IT Suite over two lessons, to introduce the Internet Research booklet and used the visual aids (Timeline/Visual-Mapping) in class with the interactive whiteboard.
The Timelines were particularly effective and we printed these A3-size. One student comment was that she felt that it "provided a visual-snapshot" so she could rely on/recall a "picture", rather than words, to consider the "chronological-order of events" when she was studying, or in an exam.
These tools are all available individually, but I've combined them in a single-pack and kept the cost reasonable, as I felt this could save some preparation time for teachers.
Personally, I would print off the whole pack A4 and then figure the order/sizing from there, as this could easily work as a combined booklet and introduced to a class where applicable.
Kind regards
Tor Alexander Bruce
A single-sheet to allow students to see at a glance the 'mammoth' (seven and a half hour) requirement and workload for GCSE 2016+ exams. Includes insight into both Literature and Language, together with Grades, noting what is considered to be a 'good' pass.
This could link to the 'Whole Exam Practice' resource depending on your department's choice of texts.
An original rhyme/reading and discussion resource/lesson starter, presented to Year 9 students prior to them entering the reading of a Shakespeare play. Relates to the students interacting and being on their feet, to enter and understand a play from the viewpoint of The Player, i.e. delivering the lines as they were intended, rather than solely reading or being read to.
This resource breaks down each scene into a manageable table and condenses the action from the play into 39 pages (prints as a double-sided 20-page booklet). Each Act can be printed individually if required.
All of the 29 scenes are broken down.
Includes ‘Character List’ and facts relating to the history behind ‘The Scottish Play’ and The Clan System of Scotland + Details of how student can identify: Soliloquy, Personification, Imagery, Metaphor, Allegory, Foreshadowing, Dramatic Irony.
Also includes information relating to the history of plays and a student revision notes section relating to metacognitive development.
This resource has been developed in class with Year 9's/10's and is proving to be a strong complimentary learning tool, i.e. alongside the play (I use this resource for the first 4-6 lessons and 'then' introduce the actual play). The resource contains spaces all the way through to allow for total student 'interaction', i.e. for their hands-on involvement.
I've used this resource in class recently with Year 9's who are studying MacBeth and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll. The resource applies to any KS4 Year Group. I've found that by delivering the classes, then relating individual classes to this workbook, it has provided them with an opportunity to 'draft' their exam-style responses, whilst drilling down to the types of response required to hit high-level GCSE. I am becoming more aware, as a teacher working between two outstanding schools, that the level of resource, matched to superb teaching, can help raise the aspirations of the students in a quite straightforward manner, i.e. pitching high from the start and working hard to maintain this level of dedication to task (for student and teacher) - Note: this is but a personal view, though the students I am working with are both responding and flying.
This resource contains whole exam content (Edexcel) and can be printed as a double-sided A4 booklet of 22-pages, or in individual sections, i.e. per Play, Book or Poem.
The resource combines student tasks + key information relating to the texts (Macbeth/An Inspector Calls/Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde/Poetry) + technical information relating to the Edexcel Indicative Content and Descriptors.
The resource was designed in line with the Edexcel sample assessment materials (First Certification from June 2017).
It comprises:
COMPONENT 1/SECTION A
Shakespeare
Part A and B – Extract/Whole 1 hour 45 minutes 80 Marks
MACBETH (Control and Conflict)
SECTION B
Post 1914 Play or Novel
Essay question from quote
AN INSPECTOR CALLS (Experiential Learning and Exploitation)
COMPONENT 2/SECTION A
19th Century Novel
Part 1 and Part 2 – Extract/Whole 2 hours 15 minutes 80 Marks
THE STRANGE CASE OF DR JEKYLL AND MR HYDE (Atmosphere and Settings)
SECTION B
Poetry since 1789
Part 1 – Named poem/Poem of choice
Part 2 – Two unseen poems
POETRY (Tension and Character Presentation)
Ideas, Context, Language, Form and Structure
Catrin by Gillian Clarke is used in this resource with option boxes for the additional
+ UNSEEN POETRY
This resource fluidly combines the technical information with guidance tools and student tasks so, in theory, a student can:
- Work through the entire content of all parts of a trial exam in a single day/week
- Understand the Indicative Content suggestions and gain insight into Exemplar Responses
- Gain insight into the Descriptor-language and comprehend the level of dedication to achieve a high grade
An A-Z of 44 poetry forms and types; techniques and figures of speech; rhythm and meter.
The resource is set out in a table across four page, so can print as a two page, stapled document with front title sheet.
A resource developed to capture key quotes/passages/lines from Book, Play or Poem.
This booklet is well laid out with ample space and a subject line, so the student can use it once, e.g. key quotes from Macbeth, or use the same booklet multiple times and keep it as a revision tool throughout a term.
In my personal experience, I print a Quotation Booklet per task, i.e. one for An Inspector Calls; one for The Tempest; one for GCSE Poetry, usually half the size of this one.
The resource is set out across 12 pages, so this could be printed back to back as a six page booklet, or added to/reduced as required.
The resource provides an example from a scene in Hamlet, in the first table boxes on the first page, to guide the student.
Used in Class throughout May-June with KS3-4 to provide an extensive insight at a glance for students who then used a copy of a variety of poems and the 'comparison' resource to make notes.
This resource was revised from its original format in April 2016 after teaching/further analysis of the wonderful 'Poppies' - Jane Weir and Belfast Confetti by Ciaran Carson. All poems listed have extensive notes within each table.
An extensive resource showing Title / Author / Birth-Date / Learning Objective / Poem Structure / Context / Subject-overview / Poem Exploration, in very easy to analyse seven-column tables across 16 (or 8 back-to-back/booklet) A4 sheets.
A Poison Tree / Belfast Confetti / Catrin / Cousin Kate / Exposure
Extract From, 'The Prelude' / Half-Caste / No Problem / Poppies / The Charge Of The Light Brigade
The Class Game / The Destruction of Sennacherib / The Man He Killed
War Photographer / What They Were Like
This resource contains a table per page/poem analysis per page, so student or teacher can annotate and review poem by poem. Works very well in class as a tool to be used alongside each of the poems.
Through the teaching of poetry as a subject, I find that students can often become overwhelmed by the thought of deconstructing and analysing. When fully explained, demythologised and likened to song-lyrics, photographs or paintings, soon the fear dissolves and they enter the reading from a fresh perspective.
The terms “lyrical photographs” and “word-paintings” stemmed from work with Year 9 students.
This four-page resource was developed to provide students with a view, from a writer’s perspective, providing a fantastic starting-point for critical-questioning. The resource also contains a list of 24 forms of poetry and a Task Sheet to allow the student to attempt their own poem, in any format, post-classroom discussion.
Revised after classroom-delivery (April 2016)
A resource containing:
Truth about the play/Facts relating to witchcraft
Full character list with space for written student observations/ Word meanings
The entire play content in brief / Table for student quote additions and Act by Act summary
Exam question example with a table containing 'traditional versus translated' text
Socratic-thinking/Critical-Questioning - with a description of the origin of Socratic-thinking
Online research project section to support Socratic analysis
This type of resource, together with others available in 'Premium Resources' is developed to allow the student a means of approaching the material from a range of perspectives, i.e. to fully grasp the context of the work; have the opportunity to explore it visually 'and' on their feet (kinaesthetic/tactile), i.e. speaking about it/acting it out/researching it in a way that informs the student and engages them in critical analysis.
Every resource contains space on each printed page for the student to comment/make notes/summarise and these form excellent classroom tools to compliment working directly from the play/book/poem.
Can be printed in booklet format or in individual sections
A ten-page resource with all 12-chapters summarised in a table with a section for student-notes and comment alongside. Includes: Author background notes/Book context notes/Book title-meaning.
Could be used throughout a whole-term as the students read the book in parallel, or printed in booklet-form and used as a research/study tool in itself.
This resource was completely overhauled on May 24, 2016 after considerable teaching to mixed year groups.
The resource now contains a 'Student Notes' page after each table.
The content works very well alongside the poem/poems and provides the initial discussion point(s) in relation to language/structure/context.
I took the Year 7 and 8 students outside and delivered this lesson on a grass-hill within the school grounds. We compared the size of a miniature Andrew Waterhouse to a maple seed ‘helicopter’ and the students took one each in hand, to work it up their bodies from their feet to their foreheads, to relate to him 'Climbing My Grandfather' - such a beautiful and touching example of Extended Metaphor.
An extensive resource showing Title / Author / Birth-Date / Poem Structure / Context / Subject-overview /
Poem Exploration, in very easy to analyse six-column tables across 32 x A4 sheets (or prints as a 16-page booklet).
A fantastic starting-point for student exploration, noting comparisons and interpreting facts in relation to all 15 poems.
Compare and Contrast at a glance / Formulate Ideas and Opinions / Interpret / Examine Metaphorical Content.
When We Two Parted; Love's Philosophy; Porphyria's Lover; Sonnet 29 - 'I think of thee!'; Neutral Tones;
Letters From Yorkshire; The Farmer's Bride; Walking Away; Eden Rock; Follower; Mother, any distance;
Before You Were Mine; Winter Swans; Singh Song!; Climbing My Grandfather
A student-research resource (4-pages) and understanding of the Author's life. Provides initial insight prior to the reading of the whole text and puts the book in context. Background to the Author's turbulent life / A well-read young girl who could often be found with books beside her Mother's grave / Bringing up her children alone from Age 24 / Her death and the death of her husband / The true-to-life Frankenstein castle and stories surrounding its former inhabitants / 'Prometheus' meaning and origins.
A 27-page resource (reduces to 13-pages printed as double-sided booklet) designed for student's covering the entire book. This resource was revised in March 2016 after introducing it to a Year 9 and 10 class and gathering some excellent feedback.
Provides: Author background, Synopsis, Character List, Chapter and Page Number Listing, Word Meaning/Dictionary Exercises, Whole Book Overview in Five Sections and a Breakdown Analysis of every chapter, including an Internet-Research project. This is an effective tool for any student reading the book in a classroom or home-study setting and as with all current resources, links to on-going requirements for GCSE.