Using Shakespeare’s famous spell from the witches in Macbeth, this Powerpoint allows students to explore Shakespeare’s language in a fun and interactive way. After considering why people might cast spells, students are given a cloze exercise and fit the missing ingredients into the spell. They then complete a matching exercise focusing on the meaning of the ingredients. Thirdly students categorise the ingredients and then finally they come up with appropriate ingredients for a sleeping spell. This could be a stand alone lesson introducing students to Shakespeare’s language; part of a scheme on Macbeth or a precursor to my follow-up lesson when students write their own spell. Powerpoint with answers and worksheet included.

This Powerpoint uses Bernard Levin’s fantastic poem “On Quoting Shakespeare” to illustrate to students the huge influence that Shakespeare had on the English language. The slideshow introduces how many words Shakespeare was responsible for creating; a brief biography of Levin and then the poem split up over 30 slides so that it can be read/performed to the class in a fun way. Students are then asked to explore what some of the idioms that he created mean. The zipped folder includes a worksheet with the idioms split up to be cut up and given to students and a copy of the poem itself.

This twenty-two slide powerpoint introduces the poet and her relationship with her husband; focuses on key language features; scaffolds students to write two PEE paragraphs on language and allows them to investigate the sonnet form. It concludes with them considering how love is presented in the poem in preparation for an exam-style question.

Did you know that sixty percent of English words are derived from Latin and Greek? This Powerpoint contains a range of clues to words in English which are derived from Latin and Greek quantities. Designed so that students can have fun working in groups, all answers are provided. There are twelve roots in total with between two to five clues to words per root, so it will definitely keep your students engaged. Beginning with a short explanation of how Latin and Greek came to be such an influence on English, this activity went down a storm when trialled with year 7 students. Cross-curricular links to both maths and science.

Shock. Horror! One day a woman went to her local shop and guess what she found inside her newly-purchased bag of bread? Unbelievably, to her amazement the whole bag was full of crusts of bread!! And you probably wouldn’t believe it either, but this story did actually make it onto BBC online news. This lesson takes this story and shows students how to blow trivial things up out of all proportion in order to sell newspapers. You can expose the serious nature of newspaper sensationalising while having some fun. Students add even more emotive language into the already existing newspaper report. The newspaper report with blanks for students to fill in is included, along with a twelve slide Powerpoint to introduce the subject. This is also a good introduction to the ethics of the press.

Two lessons on using antithesis inspired by John F Kennedy’s 1961 inaugural address. The lesson sequences is as follows: Lesson 1 Students brainstorm what one thing they would change in the world if they had the power. Context to JFK inaugural speech. Identification of persuasive devices in speech. Explanation of antithesis. Identification of antithesis. Consideration of effect of antithesis. Worksheet writing frame to encourage students to use antithesis. Peer marking - What went well and Even better if. Lesson 2 Re-consideration of starter from lesson 1. Students write a speech on the topic of their choice using persuasive devices and the antithesis they created from the previous lesson. Folder includes 21 slide powerpoint; extract of speech and worksheet writing frame to create antithesis.

Inspired by Tennyson’s “Charge of the Light Brigade”, I have been searching for original sources that describe the battle. I’ve found diary extracts from the longest-living charge survivor, Sir George Wombwell. His vivid account of having his horse shot from under him, his capture, then escape from the Russian Cossacks makes exciting reading and is ample material to encourage your students to write about a desperate cavalry charge. Also included is an extract from William Howard Russell’s newspaper report on the Crimean War. As if that wasn’t enough, the folder also contains an extract from Michael Morpurgo’s “War Horse” which describes a cavalry charge. All of this is accompanied with a lively powerpoint with contemporary images to illustrate the key players in the drama. My lessons and worksheets on Tennyson’s poems are also thrown in free, so that your classes become absolute experts on this memorable battle in British history. Go forth and write!!

This thirty-four page student workbook contains twelve lessons covering: The history of magazines The production of magazines Marketing magazines Create your own front cover Representation - gender, race Stereotypes Institutional Values. Fully adaptable to your needs in Word format.

Engage your weaker students with this sixteen lesson workbook covering literacy topics, as well as creative and imaginative work, inspired by Dav Pilkey’s hilarious comic duo, George and Harold. As George and Harold attempt to foil another of Captain Underpant’s dastardly deeds, your students can create their own superhero. Supplementary Powerpoints include apostrophes of possession and complex sentences, all linked to the book. My class of boys with special educational needs absolutely loved this scheme of work.

This powerpoint contains three separate lessons on punctuating speech. First of all students revise the rules and then complete two exercises - adding punctuation to a dialogue, then using picture stimuli to write their own original dialogue. The second lesson covers speech tags and the three places tags can be positioned with exercises. The third lesson helps students to make writing dialogue more interesting using adverbs and character description. The lessons culminate in students creating their own dialogue from a scenario, all designed to support increasing independence with punctuating speech

Encourage your students to write a powerfully persuasive formal letter from a choice of five letter writing tasks. After studying an extract from Mahatma Ghandi’s 1940 open letter to Hitler, designed to persuade him to stop World War Two, students choose a subject that they are passionate about from the following choices: A letter to your local council arguing that the building project should not go ahead. . Write a letter to the organisers of an expedition persuading them that you should be on the team. Write a letter to a well-known person persuading them to visit your school or college for the benefit of the students. Write a letter to a celebrity of your choice persuading him or her to support a campaign to end world poverty. Write a letter to the Manager of the School Meals Service in which you offer your advice. Key persuasive features are identified on a twenty slide powerpoint. Students are encouraged to use emotive language; antithesis; rhetorical question; simple sentences; repetition and direct address. Perfect for teaching GCSE transacational writing.

Three lessons of material on lexical change; how words broaden, widen, narrow in meaning. The first lesson covers the ten ways that neologisms are formed in languages with consolidation activities. The second lesson covers the way words broaden, decline, elevate and narrow in meaning with identification and research activities. The final lesson looks at less well-known forms of lexical change such as metonymy and euphemisms, ending with a game of bingo. A fifty slide powerpoint creates a fun way to teach this fascinating subject.

Using two sources, students imagine that they were a soldier at the Dunkirk evacuation and write an eye-witness account of it. The first source is a powerpoint with two with background information and historical contest. The second source is a an extract from Churchill’s famous "We shall fight them on the beaches speech. This could be used as stimulus for creative writing for English or empathetic writing for history.

This apprentice-style group task begins with a look at the case study of Lucozade and how it was successfully rebranded from a medicinal product to an energy drink. Students are then tasked with rebranding boring old Snugfit Thermal Underwear. In groups they have to work together to diversify the range; create a storyboard for a TV advert; create the script for a radio advert and design a billboard poster. Finally, they have to present their ideas to the rest of the class. You decide on the success criteria and the winning group. This twenty-two slide Powerpoint has all you need to get them doing an enjoyable and challenging speaking and listening activity. It also introduces them to the world of marketing.

Five lessons on Alfred Noyes’ romantic and ghostly poem “The Highwayman”. The lesson sequence is as follows; Lesson 1: Background information on highwaymen. Class questions on plot to clarify understanding and worksheet cloze exercise to consolidate understanding. Lesson 2: Similes in poem with worksheet and then opportunity for students to create their own similes. Lesson 3: Metaphors in poem with worksheet and then opportunity for students to create their own metaphors. Lesson 4: Sound effects: Worksheet on alliteration, onomatopoeia,rhythm and rhyme. Activities for students to create alliteration poem and brainstorm more onomatopoeic words. Lesson 5: Discussion of key themes - loyalty, betrayal, death and love. Students plan a story on one of these themes as final assessment. Links to AQA GCSE English Paper One Section B: Write a story. 56 slide powerpoint and six worksheets in folder with copy of poem.

Teach your students the importance of using positive adjectives when selling a product through the medium of travel writing. Using two texts - one on the Algarve in Portugal and the other on Dubai, students learn how effective positive adjectives are through two fill-in-the-blank exercises. All answers are given on the powerpoint and all cloze exercises are on word documents. Finally, students use their new-found knowledge to sell their hometown using positive adjectives.

In this poem Julie Ann, the farmer’s wife, is a ferocious were-wolf, but we only really find out at the end. Teach your students to look for the clues that are sprinkled throughout this anonymous poem that Julie Ann is not quite what she seems. A thirty-slide Powerpoint guides students through the text after they have had chance to look for the clues in a Word copy of the poem. Three choices of follow-up writing activity are included. By the end of the lesson, students will learn how writers often prefer to drop hints and suggestions, rather than use explicit information.

Diglington is a fictional seaside resort on the east coast of England, which is jam-packed with fun activities for the family. After studying the eleven page brochure with seven different sections full of language techniques and inspiration, students follow the eleven slide powerpoint to create a holiday brochure for a holiday destination of their choice. This is an ideal opportunity to research a real destination, or simply turn your home town into a holiday destination, using the language techniques that you have learnt. The folder contains two brochure, both word documents, one of which is marked up with comments. This activity will provide hours of fun as students become absorbed in their destination.

Ever struggled to explain the twisting and turning plot of Shakespeare’s classic play to younger students? If so then this resources can help you. Terry Deary has condensed the plot into a twenty-five verse poem called “The Ballad of Big Mac”. Students study the poem over two lessons, analysing the plot and language techniques in the poem. Having identified Deary’s use of pathetic fallacy, students are guided and supported to create their own witch and introduce him or her using pathetic fallacy. After peer-assessing each other’s work, students study an extract from “Doomspell” by Cliff McNish in which he introduces his witch, Dragwena. Students are then encouraged to re-draft and improve their descriptions using all the techniques which they have been taught in the two texts. Designed with less able students in mind, this folder of work would also suit primary school children. The folder includes. Copy of poem with numbered verses so students can be allocated a verse to practice reading/performing to class. A seven-page student workbook with a two comprehension cloze exercises on the poem and guided activities. Teacher answers to cloze exercises. Copy of extract from “Doomspell”. This resource could also be used as an introduction to my other lesson available on this website called “The Witches Spell”.

This folder contains three print-based lessons with varied activities and two worksheets looking at how celebrities such as Eva Longoria and Ronaldo are represented in the media. There are articles on how race and disability are represented. All fully adaptable in Word format.