A scheme of learning overview document and end of unit assessment for an introduction to poetry; this unit is suitable for key stage 3 (particularly year 7) to build upon what they have learned in key stage 2. It embeds knowledge of poetic techniques, whilst also introducing them to poetic analysis. All the resources for teaching this scheme of learning are available in my shop (some of them are free!) Please leave a review!

A simple match-up activity with 16 poetic terms and their definitions. I keep a couple of sets laminated and use them for speed matching; over time my students have shown a real improvement. If you find this resource helpful, please leave a review and have a look at other resources available in my shop.

One academic year’s worth of Word Root of the Week lesson starters (36 weeks). Each starter prompts students to explore and practise using a root word in more detail to explicitly build in teaching vocabulary over the year. Each week has a starter that lasts between 5-15 minutes. There are 165 slides in total. If you wish to purchase further resources to support your Word Root of the Week programme, have a look at these word root slides for displaying in assembly. or a complete bundle of resources. These words correspond with this free Excel file which provides a yearly plan with 36 word roots and example words. Leave a review and choose any other resource for free, of up to the same value, from the LikeAnExpert shop.

A spreadsheet plan for an 36 weeks of explicitly teaching word roots. This spreadsheet allocates each week a word root and gives examples of three words that contain this root and are used across a range of subjects across the school. This can support you to explicitly teach students a word root per week to unlock thousands of words for your students. Have a look at this bundle of resources for embedding Word Root of the Week in your school. Related Resources * Word Root of the Week assembly/form time slides for the whole academic year. * Staff CPD on Whole-School Reading Strategies * A bundle of whole-school literacy resources including this CPD, CPD on Reading Strategies and resources for implementing a Word Root of the Week in your school. Please leave a review as I value all the feedback I receive, and have a look at other resources available in my shop.

Revision cards/posters for the five main characters in The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare - great for quizzing, introducing characters or as prompts for lessons or homework. These posters contain visual clues about the characters plus four important character quotes for students to remember. The characters included are: Antonio Bassanio Shylock Jessica Portia More Merchant of Venice Resources: A complete bundle of resources for The Merchant of Venice which includes lessons to take you through the entire play, a quiz, knowledge organiser and revision posters. . This bundle includes: 1) A 40 Question Shakespeare Quiz 2) Introduction to Characters and Themes in The Merchant of Venice 3) Act 1 Scene 1 (Antonio and Bassanio) 4) Portia’s Choice in Act 1 Scene 2 (FREE) 5) Shakespeare’s Portrayal of Shylock in Act 1 Scene 3 6) Jessica’s Character in Act 2 Scenes 1-3 7) The Casket Test in Act 2 Scene 7 8) Shylock’s Portrayal in Act 2 Scene 8 9) Prince Arragon in Act 2 Scene 9 10) Interpretations of Shylock in Act 3 Scene 1 11) Dramatic Irony in the Casket Scene in Act 3 Scene 2 12) Independently Interpreting Shakespeare Using Act 3 Scenes 3-5 13) Act 4: The Courtroom Scene 14) Evaluate the Ending of the Play in Act 5 15) A 35-Question Quiz on the Play with Answers Included 16) A knowledge organiser with key information for studying the play. Merchant of Venice Freebies: For character revision posters for your classroom, click here. For an English/Drama lesson based on Portia’s choice in Act 1 Scene 2, click here. For a Scheme of Work overview for the unit, click here. Leave a review and choose any other resource for free from the LikeAnExpert shop.

A 15 lesson scheme of work designed to support students through the entire play of The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare. This is aimed at high-ability key stage 3 (it was originally designed for a high ability year 9 class), but it would be easily adapted for key stage 4. It contains a range of tasks that have been modelled on GCSE literature tasks. All of the lessons are available to download - some of them are free. Resources for the lessons on the scheme of work: Click here for a bundle of all the lessons to take you through the play plus a quiz, knowledge organiser and character revision posters. 1) A 40 Question Shakespeare Quiz 2) Introduction to Characters and Themes in The Merchant of Venice 3) Act 1 Scene 1 (Antonio and Bassanio) 4) Portia’s Choice in Act 1 Scene 2 (FREE) 5) Shakespeare’s Portrayal of Shylock in Act 1 Scene 3 6) Jessica’s Character in Act 2 Scenes 1-3 7) The Casket Test in Act 2 Scene 7 8) Shylock’s Portrayal in Act 2 Scene 8 9) Prince Arragon in Act 2 Scene 9 10) Interpretations of Shylock in Act 3 Scene 1 11) Dramatic Irony in the Casket Scene in Act 3 Scene 2 12) Independently Interpreting Shakespeare Using Act 3 Scenes 3-5 13) Act 4: The Courtroom Scene 14) Evaluate the Ending of the Play in Act 5 15) A 35-Question Quiz on the Play with Answers Included 16) A knowledge organiser with key information for studying the play. Freebies: For character revision posters for your classroom, click here. For an English/Drama lesson based on Portia’s choice in Act 1 Scene 2, click here. For a Scheme of Work overview for the unit, click here. Please leave a review as I value all the feedback I receive, and have a look at other resources available in my shop.

A GCSE/IGCSE revision quiz on the social and historical context of Of Mice and Men as assessment preparation. The rounds included in the full quiz are: Context Setting, Structure and Symbols Literary Devices Descriptions - Name the Character Animals Character Names and First Lines George and Lennie Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapters Five and Six If you find this useful, please leave a review and consider purchasing the full 100 question quiz with 12 rounds or this Of Mice and Men revision bundle (more free resources in there too!)

Enhance your students’ analytical skills with this comprehensive lesson on Macbeth, designed to deepen their understanding of Shakespeare’s use of tension, dramatic irony, and paradox. This 90-minute lesson (or two one-hour lessons) guides students through key segments of Act 1 Scenes 3 and 4, helping them unpick the Bard’s meaning with structured support and discussion prompts. Ideal for Key Stages 3 and 4, this lesson is perfect for exploring how Macbeth’s ambition begins to consume him as the witches’ prophecies unfold. Resource Highlights: 27 Fully-Prepared Slides: All the resources you need for a complete, engaging lesson. In-Depth Literary Analysis: Focuses on Shakespeare’s use of tension, dramatic irony, and the impact of the witches’ prophecies. Teacher Support: Detailed discussion questions and provided answers ensure you can guide students effectively. Learning Outcomes: Comprehensive Understanding: Students will read and interpret key scenes from Acts 3 and 4. Collaborative Analysis: Encourages group discussions and class engagement to deepen analysis. Focused Literary Device Exploration: Students will learn to identify and explain the effect of literary devices such as dramatic irony and paradox. Lesson Breakdown: Do It Now: A quick 90-second recall on Jacobean beliefs in witches to set the context. Starter: Introduce key literary terms, followed by a guided reading and discussion of Act 3, Scene 1, leading to a 100-word student summary. Activity One: Delve into Act 3, Scene 4 with student-led discussions and summary writing. Plenary: Students reflect on how Shakespeare builds tension, using key vocabulary to articulate their thoughts. Why Choose This Resource? Designed for Confidence-Building: Helps students feel secure in their analysis of complex texts. Ready to Use: Download and start teaching immediately with no prep required. Leave a review and select another resource of equal value for free from the LikeAnExpert shop.

This treasure hunt activity is a great way for you and your students to check their understanding of how to use different punctuation marks and simple, compound and complex sentences. For this treasure hunt, each student starts of at a station with a question. Their task is to find the next card with the correct answer. That card will give them the next question. They will know that they have completed the task with the correct answers once they are taken back to their original station. You can either arrange these cards on clearly-identifiable desks around the room or you can hide them. The latter works particularly well as a fun end-of-term activity. This works well for Key Stage 3, but Key Stage 4 students have also enjoyed it as a fun activity to practise writing skills for their GCSE revision. I really hope you and your students enjoy this! Leave a review and choose any other resource, of up to the same value, for free from the LikeAnExpert shop.

A detailed PowerPoint with accompanying printable worksheets for students to explore the context of Shakespeare’s Macbeth before embarking on their reading of the play. This lesson prompts students to dive deep into the historical and cultural backdrop of the play while honing critical skills like summarising, analysis, and collaboration. The lesson includes a thorough exploration of Macbeth’s context, including the reign of King James I, the Gunpowder Plot, witchcraft and the supernatural, family life, and gender roles. Through teacher modelling, students learn effective summary writing techniques, equipping them with the tools to distill complex information into concise and impactful summaries. They then put this into practice by using one of the worksheets to summarise information on their given topic. Students then engage in a carousel activity, where they delve into each of the context topics, learning from their peers, and collaboratively constructing their understanding. Learning Objective: Summarise contextual information about British society in the Jacobean period. Learning Outcomes: Students will read and comprehend new information and life in Jacobean times. Students will summarise this information in their own words. Students will clearly articulate what they have learned to your classmates. Lesson Outline: Do it now: Students think – pair – share about the importance of understanding a text’s context. Starter: Walkthrough of how to write an effective summary using an example text about James I. Activity 1: Students write their own summary of one of the contextual topics (King James I and the Gunpowder plot, Witchcraft, Family Life and Gender – these are differentiated by ability as shown by notes on PPT slide). Students spend 15 minutes creating their summary and then self-assess. Activity 2: Summary carousel – students move around the classroom sharing their summaries and taking notes on the various topics. Plenary: Mini whiteboard questions on the topic from this lesson. Leave a review and choose any other resource, of up to the same value, for free from the LikeAnExpert shop.

This one-hour lesson is designed to help students analyze and annotate Lady Macbeth’s powerful soliloquy in Act 1, Scene 5. Perfect for teachers seeking an engaging, fully-prepared resource that saves time, boosts understanding of Lady Macbeth’s character and supports students with their annotation and analysis skills. What’s included: Ready-to-teach PowerPoint with detailed teacher instructions, so you can download and start teaching immediately. A photo of a sample annotation to guide students through the process. Printable extract of Lady Macbeth’s soliloquy with a built-in glossary for key terms, enhancing comprehension. Learning Objective: Explore Lady Macbeth’s Character in Act 1 Scene 5. Learning Outcomes: Students will be introduced to the character of Lady Macbeth and vocabulary to describe her. Students will be guided through a close annotation of Lady Macbeth’s soliloquy. Students will identify language techniques used in the soliloquy and discuss the effects of them. Lesson Outline: Do it now: Think – Pair – Share around students’ expectations of Lady Macbeth. Starter: Vocabulary – match words to describe Lady Macbeth to their definitions. Activity 1: Guided annotation of Lady Macbeth’s soliloquy. Activity 2: Answer questions followed by discussion of questions. Activity 3: Watch and discuss a modern interpretation of this scene. Plenary: What do you predict will happen next? What will Lady Macbeth’s role be in this play? Leave a review and choose any other resource for free from the LikeAnExpert shop.

This one-hour lesson is designed to guide students through Lady Macbeth’s persuasive techniques in Act 1, Scene 7, focusing on how she manipulates Macbeth to commit murder. Ideal for key stage 3 or key stage 4 classes studying Macbeth, this resource is tailored towards developing students language and literature skills and providing them with a range of practice opportunities. What’s included: Complete PowerPoint with step-by-step teacher instructions—ready to download and teach. Ready-to-print worksheet for students to label and explain Lady Macbeth’s use of persuasive techniques. Learning Objective: Students will analyse how Lady Macbeth persuades and manipulates Macbeth using powerful rhetorical techniques. Learning Outcomes: Identify the persuasive strategies Lady Macbeth uses. Practice applying these techniques in both analysis and through writing your own examples. Write an analytical paragraph exploring the effects of her language. Lesson Outline: Do It Now Activity: Persuade the teacher for extra game time. Starter: Introduction to key persuasive techniques. Activity 1: Annotate the worksheet, labeling persuasive methods and explaining their effects. Activity 2: Write an analytical paragraph answering, “How does Lady Macbeth manipulate Macbeth?” Peer Assessment to evaluate analytical writing. Activity 3: Write a persuasive letter using Lady Macbeth’s rhetorical techniques. Plenary: Reflect on the power dynamics between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Leave a review and choose any other resource for free from the LikeAnExpert shop.

This fully-resourced, one-hour lesson guides students through independent analysis of Macbeth’s soliloquy (“Is this a dagger…”) in Act 2 Scene 1 of Macbeth. Perfect for fostering critical thinking, this lesson allows students to paraphrase Macbeth’s speech and collaborate in groups to examine Shakespeare’s use of lexical fields, rhetorical questions, and repetition. This resource includes: A ready-to-teach PowerPoint with full teacher instructions. A printable extract of the soliloquy with a detailed glossary for student reference. Printable group task instructions, also embedded in the PowerPoint. Learning Objective: Analyse Macbeth’s soliloquy in Act 2 Scene 1. Learning Outcomes: Students will read and understand act 2 scene 1 and independently paraphrase it and answer questions on it. Students will work in groups to closely analyse the language in Macbeth’s soliloquy. Students will compare two different portrayals of this soliloquy. Lesson Breakdown: Do it now: ’There’s husbandry in heaven, their candles are all out’ – students explore this quote. Starter: Read act 2 scene 1 and discuss questions. Activity 1: Paraphrase the soliloquy in groups whilst watching a performance. Activity 2: Scaffolded independent analysis task Plenary: Students watch another performance of the soliloquy. How does this other portrayal of Macbeth compare to the earlier one? Why Choose This Resource? Designed for Confidence-Building: Helps students feel secure in their analysis of complex texts. Ready to Use: Download and start teaching immediately with no prep required. Leave a review and select another resource of equal value for free from the LikeAnExpert shop.

This one-hour lesson focuses on how Shakespeare uses the Porter’s scene to build tension in Act 2, Scene 3 of Macbeth. Perfect for engaging students in critical analysis, this lesson explores dramatic irony, pathetic fallacy, and comic relief to enhance their understanding of how Shakespeare builds tension. This resource includes: A ready-to-teach PowerPoint with full instructions. A worksheet to guide reflection on tension in the scene. Learning Objective: Analyse how Shakespeare uses structure to build tension in Act 2 Scene 3. Learning Outcomes: Students will read Act 2 Scene 3 and analyse the use of tension-building techniques in the scene such as dramatic irony, pathetic fallacy and comic relief. Students will independently choose quotes from the scene that use the techniques. Students will consider where else they have seen the use of these tension-building techniques. Lesson Outline: Do it now: Read these quotes on use of tension and laughter and infer what we will be studying today. Starter: Watch the short video and discuss the techniques used by Shakespeare to build tension. Activity 1: Read act 2 scene 3 and discuss the questions. Activity 2: Worksheet reflection on class discussion and peer assessment. Plenary: Can you think of an example of pathetic fallacy, dramatic irony or comic relief from another book or movie you’ve enjoyed? Leave a review and choose any other resource for free from the LikeAnExpert shop.

In this lesson, students are guided through the court room scene in Act 4 Scene 1 of The Merchant of Venice. Students will consider the implications of justice and mercy and then consider how a Shakespearean audience would have viewed Shylock’s fate as compared to a modern one. Learning Objective: Compare and contrast how a Shakespearean audience and a modern audience would respond to the trial scene in Act 4. Learning Outcomes: Students will discuss the implications of justice and mercy in practice. Students will answer comprehension questions about Act 4 Scene 1. Students will compare the response of a Shakespearean audience with a modern audience to Shylock’s fate. Students will write a paragraph to address the question of to what extent do they feel pity for Shylock. Lesson Outline: Do it now: Students write their ideas on a post-it note examining a quote by the Duke about Shylock. Starter: Introduction to key vocabulary (justice and mercy) and discussion around them. Activity 1: Read and discuss a summary/extracts from Act 4 Scene 1. Questions are interspersed. Activity 2: Class discussion exercise. Students share their opinions on to the extent that feel sorry for Shylock followed by an outline of the contextual differences between a Shakespearean and a modern audience. Plenary: Students write a paragraph to answer this question: “Shylock is the true victim of The Merchant of Venice”. To what extent do you agree with this statement?” More Resources for The Merchant of Venice Click here for a bundle of all the lessons to take you through the play plus a quiz, knowledge organiser and character revision posters. Freebies: For character revision posters for your classroom, click here. For an English/Drama lesson based on Portia’s choice in Act 1 Scene 2, click here. For a Scheme of Work overview for the unit, click here. Leave a review and choose any other resource for free from the LikeAnExpert shop.

In this comprehensive lesson, students are guided through how to understand and interpret Shakespeare independently using word roots and context clues to unpick meanings of familiar words. They will work through Act 3 Scenes 3-5 with varying levels of support. Learning Objective: Independently comprehend and interpret scenes from The Merchant of Venice Learning Outcomes: -Students will be guided through how to comprehend and decipher Shakespearean English using word roots and context clues. Students will work both in pairs and individually to interpret scenes. Students will make a prediction about what will happen next in the play. Lesson Outline: Do it now: Students infer details from image. Starter: Overview of differences between Shakespearean and modern English. Task one: Teacher modelling of how to interpret Act 3 Scene 3. Task two: Students work in pairs to interpret Act 3 Scene 4. Task three: Students work individually to interpret Act 3 Scene 5. Plenary: Students predict what will happen next in the play. More Resources for The Merchant of Venice Click here for a bundle of all the lessons to take you through the play plus a quiz, knowledge organiser and character revision posters. Freebies: For character revision posters for your classroom, click here. For an English/Drama lesson based on Portia’s choice in Act 1 Scene 2, click here. For a Scheme of Work overview for the unit, click here. Leave a review and choose any other resource for free from the LikeAnExpert shop.