This 32-slide lesson on Wilfred Owen’s harrowing portrait of the First World War, ‘Dulce et Decorum Est’, contains a detailed and comprehensive exploration of the poem. The lesson includes context on the war, propaganda, and Owen himself, as well as analysis and questions on each stanza of the poem, including structure and form. Questions and tasks are included, with a final essay question for students (and two exemplar paragraphs) at the end. A copy of the poem is included too. This lesson is ideal for KS3 (particularly HA) and GCSE students, but could be easily adapted. PowerPoint saved as PDF.

This 20-slide lesson explores Chapter 2 of George Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’. In this comprehensive lesson, students consider how the revolution begins and how Orwell introduces the key characters of Napoleon, Snowball, and Squealer (among others). The Seven Commandments are debated and discussed. The allegorical function of the novella is also closely studied, as pupils learn about Lenin, Trotsky, and Stalin, as well as the role of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Russian Revolution and its aftermath. Questions, discussion points, and tasks are included for students. The lesson is ideal for KS3 or GCSE students. PowerPoint saved as PDF.

This 30-slide lesson explores William Blake’s poem, ‘The School Boy’. Students are prompted to consider the poem’s themes, images, structure, rhythm, and key ideas. We think about Blake’s identification with radical politics and his widespread condemnation of institutionalised authority. School in the poem is read as a metaphor for the conformity and control that undoubtedly contradict Blake’s Romantic vision of the child as a free individual. Contextual links are made to Rousseau and John Locke, as well as children’s literature in the 18th century. The poem’s language (and imagery) is deconstructed in detail. We consider how this poem connects to other poems in the ‘Experience’ collection. Questions, discussion points, and tasks are included for students. The lesson ends with a larger essay question too. Perfect for those studying Blake’s ‘Songs’ as part of AQA’s Political and Social Protest course, this lessons encourages students to look beyond this poem’s surface-level simplicity and form conceptual links to other poems in the collection. PowerPoint saved as PDF.

This 23-slide lesson provides a comprehensive introduction to key context for studying Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’. The his lesson covers the significance of the Prometheus, Gothic genre, Romanticism, Industrialisation and much more on Shelley’s famous novel, including the influence of ‘Paradise Lost’. Shelley’s life is explained, and the key themes are explored. Questions and tasks are also included for students. A creative task is featured at the end of the lesson. This could be used either as a class-based or homework activity. The lesson is ideal for GCSE students, but could be used for introducing the text for high-attaining KS3 pupils or even at A level. PowerPoint saved as PDF.

This 30-slide lesson explores Stave Three of Charles Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’. Students are encouraged to consider how Dickens presents the Ghost of Christmas Present and how Scrooge is affected by what he is shown, including the Cratchit family, Fred’s party, and how Christmas is celebrated by even poor and isolated communities. The lesson explores Dickens’ use of children as symbols - notably Ignorance and Want - and how this might link to the context of the Industrial Revolution. We think about how this all relates to Dickens’ authorial message. Questions, discussion points, and tasks are included for students. This is ideal for those studying the novella at GCSE or at KS3. PowerPoint saved as PDF.

This 33-slide lesson explores and revises Gerald Croft in J.B. Priestley’s ‘An Inspector Calls’ in a thorough and comprehensive structure - perfect for those studying the play at GCSE. Gerald is perhaps the most complex character in the play and students often find him challenging to analyse effectively. This lesson walks step-by-step through Gerald’s role in the play and how Priestley presents him at different points. Included are Gerald’s key quotations and moments, his function in the play, his corresponding historical context, and regular consideration of Priestley’s message and use of Gerald as a symbol. Questions and thinking points are featured throughout the lesson. An exam-style question is included at the end. PowerPoint saved as PDF.

This 32-slide lesson explores William Shakespeare’s ‘Sonnet 130’. The lesson considers what we might expect typical love poetry to entail and how Shakespeare subverts our expectations. Students are prompted to question stereotypical depictions of romance and romantic imagery, and to think about how Shakespeare plays with the sonnet form itself. Questions, discussion points, and tasks are featured throughout, including an analytical ‘mini-essay’ in response to a question. The lesson ends with a creative writing (poetry) task that could be set in class or as a homework activity. This lesson is ideal for KS3. A copy of the poem (with glossary) is included.

This 20-slide lesson provides a comprehensive introduction to the context of Khaled Hosseini’s ‘The Kite Runner’. It features an overview of 20th century Afghan history and the rise of the Taliban, plus a brief synopsis of the novel and Hosseini’s intentions/message in writing it. Also included is a list of key words for students to research, some topical questions for classroom debate, and some key vocabulary. This is a useful first lesson for those reading the novel for their A level studies (particularly for AQA’s Political and Social Protest paper). Also included is a brief geo-political summary sheet of Afghanistan to help pupils to understand the nation’s context. PowerPoint saved as PDF.

This 20-slide lesson introduces the key themes and context behind Chinua Achebe’s ‘Things Fall Apart’. Students are encouraged to think about colonialism and cultural erasure, learning about Nigeria’s history since the 19th Century. Achebe’s life and work is discussed, and students are given an introduction to the Igbo (or ‘Ibo’) people. Key vocabulary and themes linked to the novel are explained, including the novel’s allegorical status. Questions, discussion points, and tasks are featured for students. Students are encouraged in this lesson to reflect upon the impacts of Western Colonialism - a practice seemingly more important now than ever in the wake of recent international conversations surrounding race and privilege. PowerPoint saved as PDF.

This 30-slide lesson offers the perfect introduction to the context of Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’. In the lesson, students explore Jacobean ideas of Kingship, looking closely at the reign of James I, the Divine Right and Great Chain of Being, and the atmosphere created by the Gunpowder Plot. We then look at Renaissance and Medieval ideas of gender (especially on the stage) and Aristotle’s rules for tragedy. The play’s key themes and ideas are explored, and students are encouraged to reflect on power and its relationship to corruption and even tyranny. Important vocabulary is explained, and students are tasked with researching other key words and ideas. Questions, discussion points and tasks are included for students. Also included in this resource is a copy of James I’s speech to Parliament in 1610 for the purpose of analysing the King’s attitudes to his Divine Right. Ideal for students reading the play at GCSE or upper-KS3. PowerPoint saved as PDF.

This 20-slide lesson explores Chapter 5 of George Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’. In this comprehensive lesson, students consider how the farm juggles punishing dissenting characters like Mollie as plans develop for the windmill. The most significant event explored here, of course, is Napoleon’s attack on Snowball, revealing his behind-the-scenes quest for leadership and paving the way for his totalitarian dictatorship. The allegorical function of the novella is also closely studied, as pupils learn about Stalin’s expulsion of Trotsky from the Soviet Union. Questions, discussion points, and tasks are included for students. An extract-based question is also included here. An exemplar introduction is featured in the PowerPoint. The lesson is ideal for KS3 or GCSE students. PowerPoint saved as PDF.

This 15-slide lesson explores Chapter 7 of George Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’. In this comprehensive lesson, students consider how Napoleon begins to consolidate his totalitarian rule through establishing a reign of terror. As animals begin to show signs of dissent and mild revolt, the pigs’ increasing use of violence shatters any illusion of a utopian society. As ever, Squealer’s propagandistic rhetoric is analysed. The allegorical function of the novella is also closely studied, as pupils learn about the Great Purge and the Peasants’ Revolt in the Soviet Union. Questions, discussion points, and tasks are included for students. The lesson is ideal for KS3 or GCSE students. PowerPoint saved as PDF.

This 28-slide lesson explores James Reeves’ poem, ‘The Sea’. This poem is a brilliant example of extended metaphor and poetic craft; it is a beloved staple of many Key Stage 3 poetry lessons. The lesson deconstructs Reeves’ use of metaphor and other linguistic techniques, paying attention to the poem’s rhyme and rhythm too. Biographical information about Reeves is provided, as well as a series of questions, discussion points, and tasks for students. Students are asked to write a short analytical response to the poem, and an exemplar response is included in the PowerPoint. The lesson ends with a creative writing (poetry) task that could be used either as a homework activity or class-based task. This lesson is ideal for KS3 pupils, but could be used for GCSE pupils - especially those who find poetry challenging. PowerPoint saved as PDF.

This lesson provides an introduction to the sonnet form. The lesson explains the key features of the sonnet form, its stereotypes and conventions, and outlines the differences between Petrarchan and Shakespearean sonnets. Questions and discussion points are included throughout, and students are shown an example of a sonnet by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, which they are then invited to discuss. At the end of the lesson is a research task which could be set either in class or as a homework activity. This is an ideal introduction for any KS3 unit on poetry or specifically the sonnet form. PowerPoint saved as PDF.

This 23-slide lesson explores Chapter 1 of John Steinbeck’s ‘Of Mice and Men’. Students are encouraged to think about Steinbeck’s idyllic opening setting and how the tranquil calm of nature is shattered by the arrival of two nomadic men with a mysterious past. The lesson invites students to analyse the juxtaposition of Lennie and George and to predict what will be their fate in the rest of the novella based on the key themes introduced in this opening chapter. Questions, discussion points, and tasks are included for students in a PowerPoint that could easily stretch across two lessons. Ideal for upper-KS3 or GCSE students. PowerPoint saved as PDF.

This crossword on Ibsen’s ‘A Doll’s House’ provides an enjoyable but academic activity for pupils to test their knowledge of the play. It always works as a great starter or plenary task. Quotations and spellings are based on the Michael Meyer translation, eg. ‘Christine’ not ‘Kristine’. Ideal for KS4 or KS5 students.

How does Shakespeare present attitudes to gender in ‘Macbeth’? Students so often write about gender dynamics in ‘Macbeth’ with clumsy generalisations that examiners can’t abide. This lesson aims to encourage specific and mature contextualised understanding of gender in the 1600s and within the play itself. This 30-slide PowerPoint explores how Shakespeare exploits and subverts attitudes to gender throughout the play, encouraging students to comment with precision and perception on masculinity and femininity. Ideal for KS4 students in particular but easily adaptable for other ages. PowerPoint saved as PDF.

This is a thorough and comprehensive introduction to the context of Shakespeare’s ‘Julius Caesar’. The 21-slide lesson details Caesar’s life and role in the Roman Republic, outlining key terminology, politics, and history that will help explain his downfall. Shakespeare’s own life is also explored alongside the plot and focus of the play itself, and Elizabethan parallels with the play’s themes are explained. Questions and tasks are included for pupils, including a research (potential homework) task at the end of the lesson. The lesson is ideal for GCSE pupils, but could easily be adapted for other Key Stages. PowerPoint saved as PDF.

This 31-slide lesson on William Blake’s ‘The Little Black Boy’ offers superb analysis for those studying the poem at A level. In tackling one of the most complex and ambiguous of Blake’s ‘Songs’, this lesson provides sophisticated linguistic, contextual and thematic scrutiny. This is an ideal lesson for those studying Blake as a protest writer with AQA’s Political and Social Protest Writing course. PowerPoint saved as PDF.