To practise or assess KS3 key Communication skill Reading, a lesson presentation that can be completed in class time, or printed as a handout for homework, with comprehension questions (and mark scheme) on the story of Daedalus and Icarus (taken from The New Windmill Book of Greek Myths, Geraldine McCaughrean, 1997).
Exemplar paragraphs on computer games in functional / discursive essays, written by top-level KS3 class, and also used by a lower-ability GCSE class as 'What a Good One Looks Like' for English Language revision.
An introductory lesson (for short periods) or a lesson starter (for long periods), discussing the concept of dreams in relation to Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.
KS3 novel - randomly allocate a character from the novel to each pupil (or also works in pairs, depending on ability), then get them to use this worksheet to develop deeper understanding of character. A nice follow-up extension is to work this into a Speaking and Listening class presentation for Key Skill Communication assessment.
A lesson presentation and a set of research questions on the Heaney poem 'The Summer of Lost Rachel', one of the poems on the new CCEA AS English Literature specification.
A study map each on the possible AS1 examination question themes of Poetic Inspiration ('Personal Helicon' by Heaney and 'After Apple-picking' by Frost) and The Creative Process ('The Forge' by Heaney and 'Mowing' by Frost) on the new CCEA English Literature specification. These resources should be annotated by pupils and used to produce analysis of quotations and essay plans/frameworks after studying the poems.
A study map each on the possible AS1 examination question themes of The Night ('Had I Not Been Awake' by Heaney and 'Acquainted with the Night' by Frost) and Self Discovery ('Birches' by Frost and 'Personal Helicon' by Heaney) on the new CCEA English Literature specification. These resources should be used by pupils to locate quotations and produce analysis after studying the poems in comparison, in preparation for framing an essay plan and writing practice exam essays.
A study map on each of the possible AS1 examination question themes of Journeys ('Postscript' by Heaney and 'Acquainted with the Night' by Frost), and Landscapes ('Desert Places' by Frost and 'Bogland' by Heaney) on the new CCEA English Literature specification. These should be annotated by pupils with analysis and quotations after studying each of the poems.
A presentation and handout for studying 3 of the poems on the new CCEA AS English Literature specification: 'Acquainted with the Night' and 'Out- Out' by Robert Frost, as well as 'The Summer of Lost Rachel' by Seamus Heaney, under the possible examination theme of grief, loss or death.
A presentation for 'Postscript', one of the poems in the Heaney/Frost anthology on the new CCEA AS English Literature specification, as well as a class set of pupils' detailed responses to the Heaney poem 'The Peninsula', which can be used as frameworks for essay plans on the poem.
Two study maps on the possible AS1 examination question theme of Rural Life or Work, relevant to the new CCEA English Literature Poetry 1900-Present specification (Frost and Heaney anthology).
A study map on the possible CCEA AS1 English Literature examination question theme of Nature, which can be used as a presentation on the board to guide discussion, or adapted as a revision resource to be annotated by pupils. The theme is considered in relation to the poems Postscript' by Seamus Heaney, and 'Gathering Leaves' and 'Going for Water' by Robert Frost.
A pdf to be used as a class presentation (or could be adapted to handout format!), based upon Christopher Vogler's work on mythic structures and the 12 stages of the archetypal hero's journey, to enable pupils to understand and create structure. I have illustrated each stage with examples. Particularly suited to GCSE creative writing, but I have also taught at KS3, and even used this in after-school creative writing club to compose fairytales.
A presentation and handout for a lesson on the poem 'Into my Own' by Robert Frost, one of the poems on the new CCEA AS English Literature specification.
A set of poems to use as possible practice pieces for unseen poetry, and a guide to aid pupils in approaching unseen poems. Designed for GCSE, but I have also used for top-set KS3 pupils, and used the poem selection to widen A-level pupils' experience of poetry.
A differentiated starter on facts/opinion when introducing language techniques (persuasion). Use the polar bear questions first, and high achievers can move on to Shakespeare (or allow pupils the choice at the start). Also includes a handout on Rule of Three.
I designed this for use at KS3, but then, teaching lower-ability classes at GCSE, it came in very useful as a resource for language study in all kinds of units: multi-modal/media texts; speaking and listening writing own speeches; the study of spoken language; reading non-fiction; and functional writing.
A lesson series on motivational/inspirational speeches, comparing a sports speech and Bush's 9/11 address, including fully annotated pdfs and an assessment question.
A detailed handout on the context of Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech, for the study of language techniques and spoken language / inspirational speeches.
Also included is a hexagon activity, which my GCSE pupils always love - in groups, pupils must debate and defend their reasoning behind matching up and making shapes with the hexagons, displaying different levels of Bloom's taxonomy with regard to which hexagons touch which others.
Some shapes and text boxes might need adjusting in other versions of Word. Print out the hexagons and laminate, and enjoy pupils' presentations to the class of their final patterns!