I am an experienced English teacher and Literacy Coordinator. All of my resources are organised, engaging, ready to teach and designed to save you - the teacher - your valuable time!
Please have a look at all of my resources - at least 20% of which are free.
I am an experienced English teacher and Literacy Coordinator. All of my resources are organised, engaging, ready to teach and designed to save you - the teacher - your valuable time!
Please have a look at all of my resources - at least 20% of which are free.
Fully resourced and ready-to-teach 1 hour lesson which introduces students to poetry analysis of the poem ‘The Lesson’ by Roger McGough.
This lesson is aimed at KS3 and would be suitable for an introduction to poetry unit - but it could easily be adapted to younger or older students. Students will need to know what personification, similes, alliteration and repetition are already.
This lesson includes:
Differentiated learning outcomes
Copies of the poem with a glossary (in both word and pdf formats - for editing or printing).
A scaffold to prompt students to consider the effect of poetic techniques (in word and pdf).
An answer key for teachers to facilitate class discussion.
Structured peer assessment.
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Fully resourced and ready-to-teach 1 hour lesson which leads students towards writing a poem about an everyday object using personification.
This lesson is aimed at KS3 and would be suitable for an introduction to poetry unit - but it could easily be adapted to younger or older students. It is best suited to students who already know what personification is but need to practise using it effectively.
This lesson includes:
Explanation of personification
Differentiated learning outcomes
An extract from ‘Neverwhere’ by Neil Gaiman with questions for students to consider the effect of the personification.
Structured peer assessment.
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This unit is designed as an introduction to poetry for key stage 3 to build upon the knowledge they will have from key stage 2. It aims to challenge students to apply poetic techniques in a creative and sophisticated way and also to support them in their own poetry analysis.
This bundle contains:
A detailed knowledge organiser for homework and class quizzing.
A 40 question quiz that covers the key knowledge on the knowledge organiser.
A poetic terms match-up exercise for revision.
An adaptable booklet to help students to create their own anthology of poetry.
A unit overview document and end of unit assessment.
An easy start-of-year activity to write an acrostic poem about yourself. This could be set as homework.
Lesson 1: Poetry vs prose
Lesson 2: Figurative language - write powerful similes and metaphors.
Lesson 3: Personification
Lesson 4: Poetry analysis for beginners - The Lesson by Roger McGough
Lesson 5: Sibilance
Lesson 6: Assonance
Lesson 7: Annotating poetry - ‘I am Offering this Poem’
Lesson 8: Write a PEE analytical paragraph about poetry
Bonus lesson: how to write a slam poem.
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Fully resourced and ready-to-teach 1 hour lesson which pushes students to be more creative with writing similes and metaphors.
This lesson is aimed at KS3 and would be suitable for an introduction to poetry unit - but it could easily be adapted to younger or older students. It is best suited to students who already know what similes and metaphors are but need to learn to experiment creatively with them for effect.
This lesson includes:
Full explanantion of similes and metaphors
Differentiated learning outcomes
Practice activities to write exciting similes and metaphors (with modelled examples)
A chance for students to apply their knowledge by analysing the figurative language in ‘Dreams’ by Langston Hughes
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Fully resourced and differentiated 1 hour lesson in which students compare and contrast the features of poetry and prose. They then move on to considering the effect of poetry by looking at three examples.
This lesson is aimed at KS3 and would be suitable for the beginning of an introduction to poetry unit - but it could easily be adapted to younger or older students.
This lesson includes:
Full explanantion of poetry and prose
Differentiated learning outcomes
Worksheet available as word (for easy editing) and as a pdf (for easy printing)
All teaching and printing instructions.
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A simple start of year activity that requires students to write an acrostic poem to describe themselves. This worksheet is very versatile and could be used as a lesson or homework activity in an English or PSHE lesson. It could be used for key stages 2 or 3.
It is included as a pdf for easy printing and as a word document in case you would like to edit it.
For other English, PSHE and Media activities, see my Like An Expert shop.
A fully-resourced engaging English or Drama lesson which explores the narrative of act 1 scene 2 of Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice and Portia’s choice of suitors. It also prompts students to consider the importance of exposition and spacing on stage when performing a play.
This lesson is ready to teach and easily adaptable. It develops both English and Drama skills.
Learning Objective: Explore the Scenario of Portia’s Choice in Act 1 Scene 2.
Learning Outcomes:
Students will consider how spacing and staging can be used to show character and setting.
-Students will understand Portia’s dilemma in act 1 scene 2.
Students will understand the features of a script and will put these into practice by writing their own.
Lesson Outline:
Do it now: Mind-map features of a script
Starter: Thinking about exposition, the students create freeze frames of different scenarios in large groups.
Activity 1: Summary of act 1 scene 2. Drama task where students act as Portia and her suitors.
Activity 2: Modelling of script layout and script-writing task in pairs.
Performances and peer assessment
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.
I am grateful for all reviews and feedback. If you found this helpful, have a look at the other resources in my LikeAnExpert shop.
A detailed knowledge organiser and homework menu to support students studying ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ by John Boyne
The knowledge organiser includes:
21 literary terms and their definitions of techniques analysed in the novel such as juxtaposition, foreboding, mondegreen etc…
10 contextual terms and their definitions such as Holocaust, Antisemitism, Aryan Race etc…
10 reading terms and their definitions such as scanning, skimming, synthesis etc…
The homework menu includes:
Four weeks worth of homework: for each week students are able to select the specifics of their task from a menu.
The options include research, informational writing, artistic and creative writing tasks.
This is suitable for any age group studying The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas.
If you find these resources useful, consider purchasing this ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ Bundle or have a look at other resources available in my shop.
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A comprehensive and engaging one hour lesson to help students to improve their group discussion skills. This lesson looks at two short examples of discussions and asks students to explicitly label what techniques are being used and how the chairperson is moving the discussion forward. The lesson ends with students completing a short discussion on the topic of ‘which subject should be removed from the timetable?’ They then self-reflect upon this using the success criteria that they created earlier.
This could be used with key stages 3 or 4 to introduce group discussion skills or to revise them.
11 slides in total plus a worksheet.
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An engaging and detailed quiz Powerpoint containing 30 questions and answers to question students on their general knowledge about books - both classic and modern! There are four rounds in total over 41 PowerPoint slides: three question rounds and one round in which students make up their own riddles. This is ideal for World Book Day.
This is aimed at secondary age students both in key stage 3 and key stage 4. There is a range of difficulty of questions covering books from Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Harry Potter to Sophie’s World and Animal Farm. The Powerpoint and is editable so that you can remove and alter questions to suit your students.
The Rounds
Round One: Book titles (these questions have various levels of scaffolding so that there is a range of difficulty).
Round Two: Characters and Settings
Round Three: Book Covers
This lesson works well for Book Day or for an end of term English or form time lesson.
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A fully-resourced one hour lesson to guide students to independently analyse Macbeth’s soliloquy in act 2 scene 1. Students will paraphrase what Macbeth is saying and then work in groups to discuss the effect of the techniques used by Shakespeare, such as lexical fields, rhetorical questions and repetition.
This resource includes:
a full Powerpoint including all teacher instructions that is ready to download and teach straight away.
a ready-to-print extract including a glossary.
a printable copy of the instructions for the group task (also included within the powerpoint).
For detailed character profiles, please click here.
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A free worksheet for use in class or for homework to extend analysis of act 1 scene 7 of Macbeth (Lady Macbeth persuading Macbeth to kill Duncan).
This worksheet outlines some of the persuasive devices that Lady Macbeth uses (rhetorical questions, direct mode of address, emotive language, flattery and hyperbole) to persuade Macbeth and then gives students the choice between five tasks in which they have to apply these techniques to their own persuasive speech-writing.
This would be suitable for any age group studying Macbeth.
A fully-resourced one hour lesson to guide students through analysing the persuasive techniques used by Lady Macbeth in act 1 scene 7 of Macbeth.
This resource includes:
a full Powerpoint including all teacher instructions that is ready to download and teach straight away.
a ready-to-print worksheet.
For detailed character profiles, please click here.
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A fully-resourced one hour lesson to guide students through annotating an extract from Lady Macbeth’s soliloquy in act 1 scene 5 of Macbeth by Shakespeare.
This resource includes:
a full Powerpoint including all teacher instructions that is ready to download and teach straight away.
a photo of an example annotation
a printable version of the extract which includes a glossary for key words.
For detailed character profiles, please click here.
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A fully-resourced one hour lesson to introduce students to the character of Jessica in act 2 scene 3 of The Merchant of Venice . Students will complete a guided annotation and then consider different ways of staging the scene to make Jessica appear more or less sympathetic.
Learning Objective: Explore Jessica’s Character in Act 2.
Learning Outcomes:
Students will read a summary of act 2 scenes 1 and 2.
Students will read act 2 scene 3 and be guided through annotation of the scene before participating in a class discussion.
Students will consider different ways of staging the scene to make Jessica more or less sympathetic to the audience.
Lesson Outline:
Do it now: Summarise act 1 in five sentences and then five words.
Starter: As a class, read a summary of Act 2 Scenes 1 & 2. Then as a class, read Act 2 Scene 3. Students then answer questions and share in a class discussion.
Activity 1: Guided annotation of scene.
Activity 2: Stage the scene with Jessica portraying different emotions to make her sympathetic to the audience.
Plenary: Personal response – to what extent is Jessica a victim?
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.
A fully-resourced one hour lesson to introduce students to the character of Shylock in The Merchant of Venice in the context of the history of anti-Semitism. Students will read the scene and consider how Antonio and Shylock treat each other as well as considering how Shakespeare presents Shylock. Students will be scaffolded to independently find quotes from act 1 scene 3 and explain what this shows us about the characters.
Learning Objective: Explore Shakespeare’s portrayal of Shylock.
Learning Outcomes:
Students will understand a basic history of anti-Semitism.
Students will understand the events of act 1 scene 3 and consider how Shylock is introduced.
Students will work in pairs to independently find and analyse quotes to show what they learn about Shylock.
Lesson Outline:
Do it now: Think – Pair – Share: What do we learn about Shylock from his opening quote?
Activity 1: The history of anti-Semitism teacher explanation and student discussion of anti-Semitic propaganda. Group and class discussion of propaganda posters. You may want to edit this down if you feel it would be distressing to members of your class.
Activity 2: Read act 1 scene 3.
Activity 3: In pairs, students complete worksheet by finding quotes and considering what this tells us about the characters.
Plenary: Who do you have more sympathy for: Antonio or Shylock? Class discussion
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.
This is an engaging and fully-resourced one hour lesson to introduce students to the characters of the witches and some of the key themes in Act 1 Scene 1 of ‘Macbeth’ by William Shakespeare.
This resource includes a full PowerPoint including all teacher instructions that is ready to download and teach straight away. Students will consider pathetic fallacy and the paradox of ‘fair is foul, and foul is fair’.
Students will work in groups to complete an engaging worksheet and then will work individually to write an analysis paragraph (which is scaffolded with an example paragraph included).
Students will also have the opportunity to stage the opening scene and consider how they could increase the fear for the audience.
Lesson Objective: Analyse how Shakespeare creates fear at the start of Macbeth.
Learning Outcomes:
Understand how the opening scene introduces some important themes in Macbeth.
Evaluate Shakespeare’s use of literary devices.
Distinguish between the reactions of a Shakespearean audience and a modern audience.
Lesson Outline:
Do it now: Questions for students to consider how a Shakespearean audience would have reacted to the witches.
Starter: Think – Pair – Share about witches in Shakespeare’s time.
Activity 1: Read act 1 scene 1 and students complete worksheet to identify language techniques with answers provided.
Activity 2: Students write an analytical paragraph to answer the question ‘how did Shakespeare create fear for a Shakespearean audience?’ They will see a modelled paragraph first and peer assess afterwards.
Activity 3: In groups of 3, consider how they would stage and direct the scene to really terrify a Shakespearean audience.
Plenary: How would a modern audience react differently to the opening of Macbeth? Do you think it is still as scary even though the belief in witchcraft isn’t as widespread?
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This bundle contains:
A detailed knowledge organiser containing key quotes, facts about Shakespeare and a character summary!
An engaging lesson introducing the context of Macbeth.
A detailed lesson introducing the characters and themes of the play (including all teacher instructions).
A detailed lesson introducing the themes in act 1 scene 1.
A lesson introducing Macbeth in act 1 scene 2.
A detailed lesson on act 1 scenes 3 and 4.
A detailed lesson on act 1 scene 5 analysing Lady Macbeth’s soliloquy.
A lesson examining the persuasive techniques used by Lady Macbeth in act 1 scene 7.
A lesson guiding students to analysing Macbeth’s soliloquy in act 2 scene 1.
A lesson on independent STEAL analysis in act 2 scene 2.
A lesson on dramatic tension in act 2 scene 3.
An extension task/homework sheet for further application of the skills analysed in act 1 scene 7.
Detailed character profiles of the five main characters: Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, King Duncan, Banquo and the three witches.
A Shakespeare pub-style quiz with 40 questions about the Bard!
A homework menu to give students ownership over their extended study.
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An hour long engaging lesson in which students are introduced to the main characters and themes in Macbeth. Through individual and group work, students will practise reading skills - in particular comprehension, inference and summarising - and collaborate with each other to share information that they have gleaned from profiles about the key characters in the play.
Students will also be shown images representing Macbeth and prompted to infer themes they think will be evident in the play.
Learning Objective: Get to know the main characters and themes in Macbeth.
Learning Outcomes:
Find and highlight key information about your character in the play.
Re-write information about your character and share it with others in your own words.
Question others about their characters and make connections between different characters.
Lesson Outline:
Do it now: Think – Pair – Share question about ambition
Starter: Students look at five images representing Macbeth and infer themes from them.
Activity one: Students are assigned a character from Macbeth. They read the information sheet and take bullet points notes in their graphic organiser.
Activity two: Students circulate around the room swapping facts until they have completed all five character profiles.
Plenary: Mini quiz based on the characters in the lesson.
This lesson contains a 16-slide PowerPoint and five printable character profiles.
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Detailed character profiles for five of the main characters in Macbeth: Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, Banquo, King Duncan and the three witches.
These profiles contain a description of each character and some of their important quotes.
They could be used for revision or for learning about the characters before reading the play.
To purchase the accompanying lesson with the profiles included, please click here.
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