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 one hour lesson to get students independently using the STEAL framework to analyse the characters of Macbeth or Lady Macbeth.
This resource includes:
a full Powerpoint including all teacher instructions that is ready to download and teach straight away.
For detailed character profiles, please click here.
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This dynamic one-hour lesson is designed to engage students in understanding how Macbeth is introduced as both a violent and loyal character. Perfect for exploring themes and character development, this lesson encourages students to think critically and creatively and prepares students to analyse how Macbeth changes later in the play.
What’s Included:
A complete PowerPoint with ready-to-use teacher instructions, allowing you to download and teach immediately.
Interactive activities where students will order the events of the battle and craft a compelling news war report based on the scene.
Ideal for:
Enhancing comprehension of Macbeth’s character and motivations.
Encouraging students to connect with the text through creative writing and discussion.
Lesson Objective: Write a news report about the battle in Act 1 Scene 2.
Learning Outcomes:
Read the scene multiple times to decipher the orders of events in battle.
Infer details about Macbeth’s character.
Add imaginative details to create a news report about the battle in this scene.
Lesson Outline:
Do it now: Think – Pair – Share What are the key features of a news war report?
Starter: Reading focus – as you read the scene as a class, students write down quotes that describe Macbeth’s character followed by an activity to list adjectives that describe him.
Activity 1: Re-read the scene in pairs and put the events in the correct order.
Activity 2: Students discuss features of a news report and then write their own based on Act 1 Scene 2.
Plenary: What are your predictions about Macbeth now that you know more about his as a character?
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A detailed and engaging homework menu to be used alongside teaching Macbeth. This menu structures homework tasks, but also gives students creative freedom to pursue their own interests.
I tend to set one homework per fortnight to ensure that students have sufficient time to produce something of high quality. The deadlines can be set by the teacher to allow more or less time for certain tasks. This has worked exceptionally well with my classes who produced some outstanding homework.
It is provided as a pdf for easy printing.
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A detailed knowledge organiser/revision mat to support students studying horror writing.
It includes sections on punctuation, grammar, conventions of horror and famous horror writers.
This is an excellent resource to be used for setting homework, quizzing in classes or as a support mat. It is included as a pdf (for easy printing) and as a ppt for editing (please be aware the ppt does not display correctly in the preview).
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A detailed and engaging homework menu to be used alongside a horror writing unit. This menu structures homework tasks, but also gives students creative freedom to pursue their own interests.
I tend to set one homework per fortnight to ensure that students have sufficient time to produce something of high quality. The deadlines can be set by the teacher to allow more or less time for certain tasks. This has worked exceptionally well with my classes who produced some outstanding homework.
All the tasks require student to synthesise the information they’ve researched to present it in a new way. Students of all abilities are able to access this homework and are still challenged by it.
It is provided as a pdf for easy printing.
Please have a look at some of the other resources in my LikeAnExpert shop.
A complete scheme of work with activities to cover every chapter of ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’. The unit starts by introducing students to the context of the Holocaust, Auschwitz and Nazi Germany. It then moves on to covering reading, writing and oracy skills whilst moving through the novel.
This is designed for key stage 3. Key vocabulary per lesson and assessment ideas are also included alongside learning objectives and differentiated learning outcomes.
Peer assessment
Plenary: What do you think made Bruno feel “cold and unsafe” in the new house?
More 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.
If you find this scheme of work 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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Two engaging and ready to teach one hour lessons to cover chapters 17 - 20 of ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ by John Boyne. The first lesson (chapters 17 - 18) requires students to use a range of reading skills and techniques - they read independently and in pairs to practise their comprehension and inference skills. The second lesson (chapters 19 - 20) requires students to think about the effects of pathetic fallacy and dramatic irony in the penultimate chapter and then to reflect on how they feel about the ending.
LESSON ONE
Learning Objective: Practise a range of reading skills.
Learning Outcomes:
Bronze: Read in pairs and individually, and use skimming, scanning and inference skills.
Silver: Support your partner by correcting them constructively in paired reading.
Gold: Make a perceptive prediction about what will happen at the end of the book.
Lesson Outline:
Do It Now: Match the reading term to the definition.
Starter: Paired reading of chapter 17 followed by comprehension and inference questions.
Activity 1: Chapter 18 individual comprehension questions and marking.
Activity 2: What do you predict will happen at the end of the book?
Plenary: How has Bruno changed over the course of the book?
LESSON TWO
Learning Objective: Reflect upon the story.
Learning Outcomes:
Bronze: Understand the terms pathetic fallacy and dramatic irony.
Silver: Explain how pathetic fallacy and dramatic irony are used to create tension.
Gold: Reflect upon the end of the novel.
Lesson Overview:
Do It Now: What are your expectations for finishing the book?
Starter: Explanation of pathetic fallacy and dramatic irony– how does that impact your expectations?
Activity 1: Reading focus for chapter 19.
Activity 2: Chapter 19 reflection followed by class questions for teacher.
Activity 3: Chapter 20 reflection.
Plenary: Questions on a post-it note.
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. .
Leave a review and choose any other resource of up to the same value for free from my shop.
Engaging and ready to teach one hour lesson to cover chapter sixteen of ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ by John Boyne. This lesson teaches students the features of an obituary and then requires them to write an obituary about Grandmother.
Learning Objective: Write an obituary for Grandmother.
Learning Outcomes:
Bronze: List the features of an obituary.
Silver: Apply these features in writing an obituary.
Gold: Creatively infer details about Grandmother.
Lesson Outline:
Do It Now: What is an obituary? What are the steps for writing an effective one?
Starter: Reading focus on Grandmother.
Activity 1: What are the features of an obituary? Paired work.
Activity 2: Planning and writing an obituary.
Peer assessment
Plenary: How do you think Father feels about the death of his Mother?
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. .
Leave a review and choose any other resource of up to the same value for free from my shop.
Engaging and ready to teach one hour lesson to cover chapter fifteen of ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ by John Boyne. This lesson asks students to probe how they think Bruno would feel after betraying Shmuel to Lieutenant Kotler. They explore how to use figurative language and different sentence structures and then write a diary entry as Bruno.
Learning Objective: Write a personal response as Bruno.
Learning Outcomes:
Bronze: Consider the complex emotions that Bruno feels in this chapter.
Silver: Express these feelings using figurative language.
Gold: Use a range of simple, compound and complex sentences.
Lesson Outline:
Do It Now: How would you describe the feeling of guilt using figurative language?
Starter: Reading focus – how does Bruno feel? Students create a mind-map and use a thesaurus to build vocabulary.
Activity 1: Hot-seating as Bruno, Shmuel and Lieutenant Kotler.
Activity 2: Focus on simple, compound and complex sentences.
Activity 3: Write a diary entry as Bruno
Peer assessment
Plenary: What thoughts and feelings do you think Shmuel would have experienced during this same time period?
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. .
Leave a review and choose any other resource of up to the same value for free from my shop.
Engaging and ready to teach one hour lesson to cover chapter fourteen of ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ by John Boyne. This lesson requires students to practise STEAL analysis of Gretel and then write a personal response as her to explore who she is as a character.
**Learning Objective: **Use STEAL analysis to explore Gretel’s character.
Learning Outcomes:
Bronze: Find appropriate quotes from the text for effective analysis.
Silver: Infer details from the quotes.
Gold: Synthesise what you know about Gretel with your knowledge of context to write a personal response as Gretel.
Lesson Outline:
Do It Now: How would you describe Gretel? Vocabulary builder.
Starter: Reading focus – find quotes that describe Gretel.
Activity 1: STEAL analysis of Gretel followed by whole-class feedback.
Activity 2: Students choose a task to develop their understanding of Gretel.
Students share work
Plenary: How do you think that Gretel will change as a character as she continues to live at Auschwitz away from her friends?
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. .
Leave a review and choose any other resource of up to the same value for free from my shop.
Engaging and ready to teach one hour lesson to cover chapter thirteen of ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ by John Boyne. This lesson requires students to consider how John Boyne creates tension in the dinner party scene and to compare how this is shown in the book and the movie. Students will then devise their own drama scene to put into practice tension-building devices.
Learning Objective: Analyse how writers and directors create tension.
Learning Outcomes:
Bronze: Understand which techniques can be used by writers and directors to create tension.
Silver: Explain clearly how these techniques create tension.
Gold: Use some of these techniques yourself to construct a dramatic performance.
Lesson Outline:
Do It Now: How might a movie director create tension?
Starter: Reading focus – how does John Boyne create tension?
Activity 1: Students complete an analysis table based on quotes from this chapter with teacher support.
Activity 2: How is tension created in the film?
Activity 3: Devising their own scene in groups and performing.
Plenary: What do you think happened to Pavel? What do you think will be the consequences for Lieutenant Kotler?
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. .
Leave a review and choose any other resource of up to the same value for free from my shop.
Engaging and ready to teach one hour lesson to cover chapter eleven of ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ by John Boyne. This lesson provides information about Eva Braun and her relationship with Adolf Hitler. Students synthesise information from the novel with the information provided about the couple to write a diary entry as Eva Braun. This could be used as a creative writing assessment.
Learning Objective: Synthesise information from the novel with knowledge about context to write a diary entry as Eva Braun.
Learning Outcomes:
Bronze: Incorporate details about Eva Braun into a diary entry.
Silver: Infer details about her from the text.
Gold: Add thoughtful and creative details to explore who Eva Braun was.
Lesson Outline:
Do It Now: Picture of Hitler with Eva Braun. How does this affect your opinion of Hitler?
Starter: Pre-reading discussion and questions followed by reading of chapter 11.
Activity 1: Mind map to plan for writing.
Activity 2: Diary writing task
Peer assessment
Plenary: Think-Pair-Share - Why has John Boyne included Eva Braun as a character?
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. .
Leave a review and choose any other resource of up to the same value for free from my shop.
This is a simple match up exercise containing key literary terms that students need to know to study Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. I use it as a starter revision exercise or I also set it as homework to have students use it to create flashcards for revision.
I have included one page of it in colour and one in black and white.
Many of these terms are included on the Romeo and Juliet Knowledge Organiser.
Please leave a review - I value all the feedback I receive - and have a look at the other free and cheap resources from the LikeAnExpert shop.
Engaging and ready to teach one hour lesson to cover chapter nine of ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ by John Boyne. This lesson helps students to consider how the Nazis used propaganda in education to influence the population - and apply this to the character of Herr Liszt. Students then consider which subject they would add to the curriculum and propose their reasons in detail.
Learning Objective: Analyse how school curriculums were used as propaganda during the Holocaust.
Learning Outcomes:
Bronze: Add a new subject to the curriculum and explain why in detail.
Silver: Use persuasive techniques to convince your classmates.
Gold: Predict the long-term effect of adding your subject to the curriculum.
Lesson Outline:
Do It Now: Look at anti-Semitic propaganda. How would people have reacted to it?
Starter: Introduction to education in Nazi Germany
Activity 1: Read chapter 9 and pay attention to how Herr Liszt is introduced.
Activity 2: Design a new curriculum – students make a poster to propose that a new subject be added to the curriculum and give supporting reasons.
Student carousel and feedback
Plenary: What would the long term effect be of adding your subject to the school curriculum? In 5 years, 20 years, 100 years?
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. .
Leave a review and choose any other resource of up to the same value for free from my shop.
Engaging and ready to teach one hour lesson to cover chapter eight of ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ by John Boyne. This lesson helps students to consider the character of Grandmother and why John Boyne has included her as a character. Students will infer details about Grandmother from the argument that she has with Father and then write a script between Grandmother and Grandfather which they will perform to the class.
Learning Objective: Infer details from the text to write a script about Grandmother.
Learning Outcomes:
Bronze: Use scanning and skimming reading skills to find details about Grandmother in the text.
Silver: Infer information about Grandmother and her relationship with Father.
Gold: Synthesise what you know about the characters with information you have learned about the Holocaust to add details to your writing.
Lesson Outline:
Do It Now: Discuss with partners: how does it feel to experience conflict with family members?
Starter: Read chapter 8 and then students answer comprehension questions in their books. Discuss as a class.
Activity 1: Students write a script between Grandmother and Grandfather on their way home from Christmas dinner.
Activity 2: Students perform their scripts and peer assess each other.
Plenary: What has John Boyne included the character of Grandmother? What is he trying to show?
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. .
Leave a review and choose any other resource of up to the same value for free from my shop.
A detailed knowledge organiser/revision mat to support students studying ‘Romeo and Juliet’ by William Shakespeare.
It includes the following:
Literary terms definitions
Structure and form definitions (including iambic pentameter and blank verse)
Descriptions of the main characters
An outline of some of the key themes.
This is an excellent resource to be used for setting homework, quizzing in classes or as a support mat. My students in particular find the relevant literary terms helpful.
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A collection of knowledge organisers about various topics that are commonly taught in secondary English Language and Literature. If you purchase this bundle, you will also be able to download any additional knowledge organisers that I add in the future.
This bundle includes knowledge organisers on the following topics:
Introduction to Poetry
Macbeth
Of Mice and Men
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
The Merchant of Venice
Writing Skills (SPAG)
World War 1 Poetry
Cambridge IGCSE 0500 English Language
Romeo and Juliet
Horror Writing
Analytical writing
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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.
Leave a review and choose any other resource, of up to the same value, for free from the LikeAnExpert shop.
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).
2 hours of engaging activities and discussion to introduce students to gender roles and gender equality. This could easily be split into 2 or 3 one-hour lessons. It is suitable for students in key stages 3 and 4. These resources are in-depth but made accessible by the different and fun activities.
This resource includes:
A detailed powerpoint with 2 hours of activities (22 slides).
All preparation instructions (these resources are ready-to-teach, but some preparation is required).
A worksheet in ppt and pdf form.
The session covers three main questions. This could be split into three lessons each addressing one of the questions with very little adaptation required:
What is gender and what are gender roles?
What is the impact of gender roles and why does it matter?
What can we do to reduce gender inequality?
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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!)
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