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.
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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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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A complete practice CIE 0500 Language Paper 2 paper based on the specification and past papers. This includes an insert with an original question and texts. This can be used for mocks or exam preparation.Rubric not included so mark according to the specification mark scheme.
Paper 1 is available here.
CIE 0500 Freebies:
A free lesson giving an overview of CIE 0500 Language Paper One here.
A free lesson giving an overview of CIE 0500 Language Paper Two here.
Free marking templates for CIE 0500 here.
If you find this helpful, have a look at my CIE 0500 Language Paper 1 bundle here or the Language Paper 2 bundle here. If you’re interested in both, there is a combined bundle here which is cheaper than buying them separately.
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A detailed knowledge organiser about Curley’s wife accompanied with a revision activity whereby students make their own knowledge organiser about one of the characters in the text.
The knowledge organiser includes the following sections:
Key vocabulary
How Curley’s wife links to the theme of dreams
How she links to the theme of loneliness
Historical context about treatment of women
Overview
Explanation of key quotes
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I have a whole range of Of Mice and Men revision resources available in the shop and a range of revision videos on my YouTube channel (this is linked to in my shop).
This lesson unlocks the complexities of the ending of* Macbeth*. This resource focuses on the play’s powerful conclusion, helping students grasp how key themes are resolved and the characters’ journeys culminate. This is designed for Key Stage 4 or for Key Stage 3 as they develop the skills needed for GCSE/IGCSE English Literature.
Learning Objective: Understand the ending of Macbeth and how key themes are resolved.
Learning Outcomes:
Students will comprehend the events of Act 5, Scenes 6–9.
Students will analyse Macbeth’s character arc and how Shakespeare uses this resolution to comment on unchecked ambition.
Students will evaluate the play’s ending by discussing themes, the role of prophecy, and the moral implications of Macbeth’s downfall.
Lesson Outline:
Do it now: Students summarise the key characters journeys in the play in one sentence each.
Starter: Discussion questions anticipating the ending.
Activity One: Read Act 5 Scenes 6 to 9 and write a brief summary of each as you go.
Activity Two: Students complete comprehension and analysis worksheet followed by discussion of answers.
Activity Three: Class discussion of the moral message of the play.
Plenary: In one sentence, share your main takeaway from today’s lesson. Go round the class so that students can share their ideas.
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.
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Comprehensive and differentiated 1 hour lesson in which students independently analyse the beginning of 'The Tell-Tale Heart' considering the indirect characterisation of the narrator. Students will complete a graphic organiser in detail, which could then be used as a plan to write an analytical paragraph or essay.
A differentiation support sheet is provided, which could be provided to select students who need additional support. This is easily adaptable to key stages 3 and 4. It is suited to mixed or higher ability classes but could easily be adapted to lower ability and spread over multiple lessons.
This could be used as part of a unit on gothic horror, a unit on short stories or just as a one-off lesson to examine and respond to a text.
This resource includes:
* Full Powerpoint including 'do it now', differentiated learning outcomes all tasks and teacher instructions (including example teacher answers in the notes section).
* Full text of 'The Tell-Tale Heart' with page numbers.
* Graphic organiser.
* Support sheet as a prompt for students.
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Fully resourced and differentiated 1 hour lesson in which students close read in groups three classic gothic horror extracts (Frankenstein, Dracula and the Exorcist).
Easily adaptable.
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This bundle contains whole-school resources to promote literacy within your school. In includes:
A whole-school CPD presentation on explicit vocabulary instruction.
A whole-school CPD presentation on reading strategies.
An Excel yearly plan outlining which word root should be taught each week of the school year.
Assembly/homeroom slides or bulletin board posters for each of the 36 word roots. These are a great resource for displaying in assemblies or at the start of lessons to embed vocabulary.
36 lesson starters to explicitly teach and embed the understanding of each word root.
If you have any questions about how to use these, please don’t hesitate to email likeanexpertresources@gmail.com.
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Two engaging and detailed lessons to teach students how to approach the descriptive writing question in Language paper 2 of CIE 0500 English Language IGCSE.
This resource contains a ready-to-teach powerpoint with printing and teaching instructions.
LESSON ONE
Learning Objective: Plan a structure for descriptive writing for Language Paper 2
Learning Outcomes:
-Students will understand what the descriptive questions look like and what is assessed on the mark scheme.
Students will be introduced to a recommended descriptive structure and then will plan their own answer.
Lesson Outline:
Do it now: Quick recall – what skills are needed for descriptive writing? Share as part of a class discussion.
Starter: Overview of paper 2, descriptive writing and the mark scheme.
Task one: Outline of structure and students plan their structure.
Peer assessment
Plenary: Look at your zoom section and where your partner has added a ‘?’ Write a simile or metaphor to describe this feature.
LESSON TWO
Learning Objective: Improve our descriptive writing for Language Paper 2
Learning Outcomes:
Students will revise the recommended structure for descriptive writing.
Students will practise improving extracts using the success criteria.
Students will begin to write a piece of descriptive writing using their structure plan.
Lesson Outline:
Do it now: Quick recall on structure and length of exam
Starter: Gap fill exercise for descriptive writing success criteria
Task one: Improve three examples using the success criteria.
Task three: Write piece of descriptive writing.
Peer assessment
Plenary: After today’s lesson, what do you think are the top three rules for success in descriptive writing?
Freebies:
A free lesson giving an overview of CIE 0500 Language Paper One here.
A free lesson giving an overview of CIE 0500 Language Paper Two here.
Free marking templates for CIE 0500 here. #
If you find this lesson helpful, have a look at my CIE 0500 Language Paper 1 bundle here or the Language Paper 2 bundle here. If you’re interested in both, there is a combined bundle here which is cheaper than buying them separately.
Please leave a review as I value all the feedback I receive, and have a look at other resources available in my 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.
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A clear and ready-to-teach lesson on CIE 0500 Language Paper 1 Questions 1(a)-(e) which assess explicit and implicit meanings and comprehension skills. In this resource is an original exam script with Text A for questions 1(a)-(e) as well as answers with explanations adapted from the mark scheme.
Text A and the questions are included as a pdf for easy printing or as a word doc in case you wish to amend the layout (although the layout is based on the exam).
All the questions and answer scheme have been based on the Cambridge IGCSE First Language English 0500 syllabus and the questions have been worded so that they are similar/identical to the specification paper.
Learning Objective: Understand how to approach Q1(a)-(e) of language paper 1.
Learning Outcomes:
Students will practise answering question 1.
Through marking and discussing their answers, students will leave with a personalised goal of how to gain more marks for this section.
Lesson Outline:
Do it now: One minute challenge – how many reading skills can you name?
Starter: Explanation of what Q1(a)-(e) is assessing.
Main task: Students complete a practice assessment by reading Text A and completing questions 1(a)-(e)
Consolidation: Teacher goes through answers and troubleshoots any issues that arise. Hints and tips for gaining marks are given throughout.
Plenary: Class discussion – what have you learned about how to approach question 1(a)-(e). Students create a personalised target.
Freebies:
A free lesson giving an overview of CIE 0500 Language Paper One here.
A free lesson giving an overview of CIE 0500 Language Paper Two here.
Free marking templates for CIE 0500 here.
If you find this lesson helpful, have a look at my CIE 0500 Language Paper 1 bundle here or the Language Paper 2 bundle here. If you’re interested in both, there is a combined bundle here which is cheaper than buying them separately.
Please leave a review as I value all the feedback I receive, and have a look at other resources available in my shop. **
A fully-resourced and differentiated lesson to teach students what an infographic is and the purpose of one.
I have used this lesson both in teaching English (looking at purposes of texts or for a way to present student research) or as part of teaching GCSE Media Studies.
I have included it as one-lesson but it could easily be split into multiple lessons in which students research a chosen topic and then create a final version of their own infographic.
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A detailed knowledge organiser to support students studying ‘Of Mice and Men’ by John Steinbeck.
It includes the following:
Important quotes
Descriptions of the key characters (George, Lennie, Crooks, Curley, Curley’s Wife, Slim and Candy)
Important key words for studying the novel.
Literary terms found in the novel.
This can be used for setting homework, quizzing in classes or as a support mat.
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I have a whole range of Of Mice and Men revision resources available in the shop and a range of revision videos on my YouTube channel (this is linked to in my shop).
A detailed 10 page revision guide focusing on how loneliness is presented in Of Mice and Men: this includes a step-by-step guide to writing a grade 9 essay on loneliness for students studying IGCSE English Literature.
This contents of this revision guide are:
What does the mark scheme say?
Context: loneliness in 1930s America
George and Lennie
Candy
Crooks
Curly’s Wife
Other symbols of loneliness
Revision tips and tricks
I have an Of Mice and Men resources bundle available here. . I have a whole range of Of Mice and Men revision resources available in the shop and a range of revision videos on my YouTube channel (this is linked to in my shop).
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Two engaging and detailed lessons to teach students how to approach the narrative writing question in Language paper 2 of CIE 0500 English Language IGCSE.
This resource contains a ready-to-teach powerpoint with printing and teaching instructions. The first lesson covers structure and the students are guided towards completing a planning sheet for their story which includes hook, characterisation, development, climax and the resolution. The second lesson asks students to consider how to write an engaging hook and then to complete their piece of narrative writing.
LESSON ONE
Learning Objective: Plan our narrative writing for Paper 2.
Learning Outcomes:
Students will understand what the narrative questions look like and what is assessed on the mark scheme.
Students will be introduced to a recommended narrative structure and then will plan their own answer.
Lesson Outline:
Do it now: What is the difference between narrative and descriptive writing?
Starter: Overview of Language Paper 2 and the mark scheme.
Task one: A model plan for the five-part structure.
Task two: Students plan their own narrative piece of writing using the five part structure.
Peer assessment
Plenary: What questions do you have about creating effective narrative writing?
LESSON TWO
Learning Objective: Write an engaging narrative for paper 2.
Learning Outcomes:
Students will recall and revise the success criteria for narrative writing from the previous lesson.
Lesson Outline:
Do it now: What is the difference between narrative and descriptive writing?
Starter: Overview of Language Paper 2 and the mark scheme.
Task one: A model plan for the five-part structure.
Task two: Students plan their own narrative piece of writing using the five part structure.
Peer assessment
Plenary: What questions do you have about creating effective narrative writing?
Freebies:
A free lesson giving an overview of CIE 0500 Language Paper One here.
A free lesson giving an overview of CIE 0500 Language Paper Two here.
Free marking templates for CIE 0500 here.
If you find this lesson helpful, have a look at my CIE 0500 Language Paper 1 bundle here or the Language Paper 2 bundle here. If you’re interested in both, there is a combined bundle here which is cheaper than buying them separately.
Please leave a review as I value all the feedback I receive, and have a look at other resources available in my shop. **
A detailed knowledge organiser to support students in taking CIE 0500 First Language English language paper 1.
It includes the following:
Key terms defined for reading skills (skimming, scanning, PAFT etc).
An overview and suggested exam technique for questions 1, 2 and 3 adapted directly from the mark scheme.
The resource is included as a pdf for easy printing and as a ppt in case you would prefer to edit it.
This is suitable for any IGCSE students. It is an excellent resource to be used for setting homework, quizzing in classes or as a support mat.
Freebies:
A free lesson giving an overview of CIE 0500 Language Paper One here.
A free lesson giving an overview of CIE 0500 Language Paper Two here.
Free marking templates for CIE 0500 here.
If you find this lesson helpful, have a look at my CIE 0500 Language Paper 1 bundle here or the Language Paper 2 bundle here. If you’re interested in both, there is a combined bundle here which is cheaper than buying them separately.
Please leave a review as I value all the feedback I receive, and have a look at other resources available in my shop. **
Engaging and ready to teach one hour lesson to cover chapter three of ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ by John Boyne. This lesson introduces the key word mondegreen (misheard words that are given a new meaning) and prompts students to analyse the effect of the Fuhrer being misheard as “The Fury” and Auschwitz being misheard as “Out-With”. Students are given scaffolding to write an analytical paragraph to consider the effect of this technique.
Learning Objective: Analyse the effect of mondegreens as symbols in the text.
Learning Outcomes:
Bronze: Understand what a mondegreen is and give examples from the text.
Silver: Explain clearly how these words are used as symbolds.
Gold: Explain clearly what the effect is on the reader.
**Lesson Outline: **
Do It Now: What do you notice about the chapter titles?
Starter: Listen to ‘Message in a Bottle’ – what is a mondegreen?
Activity one: Discussion and reading
Activity two: PETER paragraph
Peer assessment
Plenary: Would all readers of this book be able to consider the mondegreens?
Freebies:
Two pre-reading lessons to introduce students to the context of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is available for free here.
A lesson on chapter 1 of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is available for free here.
A scheme of work for teaching the entire novel is available for free here.
If you find this lesson useful, please 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 fully-resourced one hour lesson to support students in exploring different interpretations of Shylock through the analysis of his “Hath not a Jew” monologue.
Learning Objective: Consider different interpretations of Shylock in Act 3 Scene 1.
Learning Outcomes:
Students will use a worksheet to independently analyse Shylock’s speech to find language devices and consider their effect.
Students will consider the multiple ways that Shylock’s character can be interpreted in this scene.
Lesson Outline:
Do it now: Students complete questions individually on definitions of tension and suspense.
Starter: Summary of Act 3 Scene 1 followed by reading of Shylock’s speech.
Activity one: Students individually analyse the scene using the worksheet followed by class discussion and suggested answers.
Activity two: Watch different interpretations of Shylock’s monologue followed by discussion of what different emotions they portray.
Plenary: Students perform excerpts of the speech applying different emotions to it each time.
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.
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A detailed knowledge organiser/revision mat that outlines punctuation and grammar techniques and writing styles. This could be used in English lessons or printed for desk placemats to develop literacy across the curriculum.
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A detailed knowledge organiser to support students studying ‘The Merchant of Venice’ by William Shakespeare.
It includes the following:
A brief section on William Shakespeare
Key quotes
Overview of all the important characters
Important literary terms for studying the play
Key terminology used
This is suitable for any age group studying the play. It is an excellent resource to be used for setting homework, quizzing in classes or as a support mat.
If you find this helpful, have a look at my other resources for The Merchant of Venice:
1) A BUNDLE of lessons plus extras (knowledge organiser and revision posters) which can be bought for a big saving.
2) A 40 Question Shakespeare Quiz
3) Introduction to Characters and Themes in The Merchant of Venice
4) Act 1 Scene 1 (Antonio and Bassanio)
5) Portia’s Choice in Act 1 Scene 2 (FREE)
6) Shakespeare’s Portrayal of Shylock in Act 1 Scene 3
7) Jessica’s Character in Act 2 Scenes 1-3
8) The Casket Test in Act 2 Scene 7
9) Shylock’s Portrayal in Act 2 Scene 8
10) Prince Arragon in Act 2 Scene 9
11) Interpretations of Shylock in Act 3 Scene 1
12) Dramatic Irony in the Casket Scene in Act 3 Scene 2
13) Independently Interpreting Shakespeare Using Act 3 Scenes 3-5
14) Act 4: The Courtroom Scene
15) Evaluate the Ending of the Play in Act 5
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 <a href="https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/LikeAnExpert ">LikeAnExpert</a> shop.