Flashbacks can be overlooked when teaching creative writing. Often the emphasis is on openings and closings, building a chronological narrative. Yet for GCSE English flashbacks are an important structural device which students should be able to use in their creative and descriptive writing. These can be used as starters, fillers or a whole lesson. This set of 6 flashback exercises gives students the first part of a story leading up to the point where a flashback could take place. It is then a case of ‘over to them’ where they use their imagination to create a flashback suitable for the particular scenario they have been presented with. You could almost call this a ‘semi-scaffolded’ lesson but a flashback is essentially a story within a story. These exercises could be used as short activities or as part of a whole lesson where each student attempts a few of the flashbacks (the lesson plan reflects the latter). Although the stimulus provided by the short starts may be enough for most students it could be an idea to open a short discussion about what could happen in the flashback. Here’s an example of one of the exercises - the students read them and then create their flashback: Hot, sticky, crowded; the subway in summertime is never pleasant. It’s made bearable by the fact everyone minds their own business. I long ago fell in to line, stopped making small-talk, smiling little greetings at strangers, helping people with large cases. Best to mind my own business. Read my news, message a few friends, scan through my email. The trill little slither of music tells me another one has come in. I read the name of the sender and my eyebrows swing upwards in some surprise, a smile starts to from on my face. Can it be, after such a long time? I read the email breathlessly, the carriage is now a vacuum – no air is needed with the sudden burst of adrenaline I am experiencing. I reach the end of an email. It’s short – a hello, a question, an invitation. My mind tumbles back through the years. I have included 2 formats for the exercises. The first is where the students write their response next to the picture. The second is where they have a larger example of the picture and they create their response in their exercise books. There is a ‘cheat sheet’ included to let students know what a flashback is! These exercises cover the following Assessment Objectives: AO5: Communicate clearly, effectively and imaginatively, selecting and adapting tone, style and register for different forms, purposes and audiences. Organise information and ideas, using structural and grammatical features to support coherence and cohesion of texts AO6: Candidates must use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate spelling and punctuation.

This is a beautifully presented set of 10 “Do Now” activities for GCSE English. Sometimes it’s difficult to activate learning, especially at the beginning of the first session of the week. A great way to kickstart a class, assess prior learning and to give the students instant feedback is a “Do Now” activity. Over and done in ten minutes or less, I often use them at the beginning of a class to signal to students that it is time to learn – and what better way is there than to get them actively thinking? These worksheets really get them into the “English Zone” as it were. The stakes are low, but having used these with my own learners, I know that the engagement is high! Each worksheet has a number of very quick activities on it (between three and six) which can be done in around five minutes. For variation, each worksheet has a different “mix and match” of activities. This means the students will not know what is coming in their next “Do Now” and this will hopefully keep them on their toes and interested! These activities comprise: Spot’n’Spell – learners read a short passage and correct TWO spelling mistakes One Word Drafting – learners are asked to improve a sentence with just one word (sometimes an adverb, sometimes any word) Spot the adjectives – learners must underline the adjectives in a very short passage Fill the gaps – learners read a paragraph of classic literature and fill in gaps Suggestion Box – learners are asked to write what a word suggests in a sentence (can be about character, place and so on) Unjumble – learners asked to separate the adjectives from the adverbs The Great British Idiom – learners given an image that shows a famous idiom and are asked to put it into a sentence What Am I? – learners given a definition of a structural or linguistic device and asked to write the answer That is the Question – Learners given a description of an exam question and asked to give Paper, Question and Mark (eg Question 2, Paper 1, 8 marks) Punctuate Me! – Learners gives four sentences and asked which one is punctuated correctly Time to Shine – Learners asked about exam timing for certain questions Language or Structure? – Learners asked to separate language and structural devices True or False – Learners asked to say whether a statement is true or false Word Star – learners asked to match up words with their definitions I “like” it – learners asked to improve a sentence by adding a simile Strong Links – learners asked to place an adverbial phrase into a short text to create a stronger link between sentences Be Direct – leaners asked to reword a sentence, using direct address List Four Things – learners given a short text and asked to list four things about one of its elements Order! Order! – learners asked to put four sentences of an exam response into the correct order S The worksheets are in colour but print off fine in black and white. They are designed to engage the students with individual designs and graphical “Easter Eggs”.

This is an editable resource but a PDF is included. A great way to encourage students to write good descriptive pieces. Contents 2 decriptive scaffolded writing tasks with space for student responses The same 2 tasks without lines (if this is being done in an exercise book) WAGOLL - What a good one looks like for both tasks Lesson Plan Cheat sheets at the back of instructions to help students with them. A great way to encourage students to write good descriptive pieces. This set of prompts is designed to introduce students to descriptive writing in a number of ways… The resource is designed as a 2 60 minute section of a class and it focuses on a FULL RESPONSE for a description of a picture. one set prompts students to write a happy piece and the second prompts them to write a sad one (SAME PICTURE). there is one lesson plan but you could easily diverge. A teacher might give half the class the happy task and the other half the sad task. I hope that these tasks will also promote discussion about how time, place, colours and smells can impact on a piece of writing, give it a certain mood. Each paragraph the students must write is accompanied by a number of prompts to the left. The prompts indicate what they should write. So, the first (major) prompts, for example, are: Para 1 Start with a one word sentence, stating the time of year – spring. Then use a simple sentence to describe the woman positively. Para 2 Shift and describe the setting (don’t worry that you can’t see it!). As a minimum, your paragraph should include… • a simile about the busy people walking happily by. • Describe the sky – what can be seen? Use bright colours! • Smells – is there a baker’s shop? A coffee shop? • Write a compound sentence about the passing traffic and the sound it makes. • Start the last sentence with “Around the old woman, life…” Add anything else you want about the setting ONLY. …and so on! The prompts then progress, enabling the students to create a complete response which includes all of the skills descriptors for Paper 1 Question 5. They should end up with a piece containing a minimum of 7 paragraphs of varying language with structural features and language devices used throughout. This lesson could also be used as a ‘snap’ revision session or a cover class. In fact it’s a highly adaptable (and editable!) resource which you can turn to many things. There is also a ‘five senses’ prompt on the lesson handout, to encourage students to use one or more of these in their writing. These exercises cover the following Assessment Objectives: AO5: AO6:

This is an editable resource but a PDF is included too. Ever tried to teach descriptive writing and been met with a sea of faces staring back blankly? However, when the terminal exam promises the distinct possibility of a descriptive writing task (Paper 1 Question 5) then students must be prepared for this eventuality. This is one way to encourage students to write good descriptive pieces. This set of prompts is designed to introduce students to descriptive writing in a number of ways… The resource is designed as a 60 minute section of any class and it focuses on a FULL RESPONSE for a description of a picture. If you want to use exercise books, there is an ‘instruction only’ set here too. Each paragraph the students must write is accompanied by a number of prompts to the left. The prompts indicate what they should write. So, the first (major) prompts, for example, are: Para 1 Start with a one word sentence, stating the time of day – or year. Then use a simple sentence to describe the sea. Para 2 Describe the setting. As a minimum, your paragraph should include… • a simile about the place e.g. the sun was like… The air was as… • Describe the sky – what can be seen? Use colours! • Write a compound sentence about the sun and/or sea. • Start the last sentence with “In the distance…” Add anything else you want about the setting ONLY. …and so on! The prompts then progress, enabling the students to create a complete response which includes all of the skills descriptors for Paper 1 Question 5. Your students should end up with a piece containing a minimum of 7 paragraphs of varying language with structural features and language devices used throughout. This lesson could also be used as a ‘snap’ revision session or a cover class. In fact it’s a highly adaptable (and editable!) resource which you can turn to many things. There is also a ‘five senses’ prompt on the lesson handout, to encourage students to use one or more of these in their writing. These exercises cover the following Assessment Objectives: AO5: Communicate clearly, effectively and imaginatively, selecting and adapting tone, style and register for different forms, purposes and audiences. Organise information and ideas, using structural and grammatical features to support coherence and cohesion of texts AO6: Candidates must use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate spelling and punctuation.

AO2: Explain, comment on and analyse how writers use structure to achieve effects and influence readers, using relevant subject terminology to support their views. Paper 1 Question 3 is the structure questions where learners are asked how a writer has structured a text to interest them as a reader. The class is designed to build concepts from the students’ level of understanding. As such, this lesson teaches structure by building up complexity gradually. The first part of the lesson will simply be reading a very short story, making short notes where structural features are spotted and discussing what was good (or not) about it. The story is deliberately very short and has been written specifically with this question in mind. It covers temporal features, shifts of focus, exposition, paragraph lengths, flashbacks and has a cyclical ending. The next step will be to continue with an activity that draws on the notes made – or perhaps even prior knowledge of structure. The list of structural devices is not exhaustive – they may well spot additional ones – but there are two (dialogue and twist ending) which do not appear in the story. The aim is to match up straightforward textual structural features with those that happened in the text. This can then, finally, be turned in to an exam-style response. First, though, there will be a short discussion about how to write an exam response. There are plenty of hints given here – but again there are elements of the example sentences used which are of no great use in this example (this is deliberate, to see whether the correct ones are chosen and can be adapted). Finally, the students will attempt an “exam style” response All files are reproduced as PDFs to ensure that compatability is not an issue.

These ten beautifully designed “Do Now” activities are designed to get your Functional Skills English lesson off to a great start. They have been written to be challenging (but not too hard!) for students approaching their L1 Reading exam and incorporate the skills needed to pass it! Each one consists of ten (sometimes 11) questions based around a short text. They are perfect for lesson starters or ends. It should take up to ten minutes for students to answer the questions, with then answer time taking another five. This may sound like a lot of time, but as they are focused on getting the students through the exams (not “woolly” in any way, shape or form!) I have found that this time has been well spent and is reflected in both student confidence around the exams and their actual exam performance. They cover two pages (so perfect for quick double-sided copying) plus there is a third page of the correct answers for teachers (you don’t want to be doing the Do Now yourself, do you!?). These “Do Now” activities are designed for learners doing the Pearson Edexcel exam – but I am sure they can be used for other exam boards too. The texts take the form of flyers, short articles and online forums. The questions consist of: Multiple choice – identifying the purpose of a text, language features and use of punctuation Short answers – identifying organisational features and their location in the text, using sub-headings, relacing single words with a synonym, explaining short quotes from the text True/False – some feature three, others just one – akin to multiple choice but a little more straightforward. A good confidence boost for weaker learners. As well as covering the skills needed for the exams, the “Do Nows” are designed to allow students to become accustomed to the kind of questions they will get in the exams and how they are written. In order to engage learners I have made these, where possible, about subjects that engage young people. Also incorporated are “value” based activities, such as British Values, which go some way to incorporate your institution’s (and the governments) policies about subjects that should be covered at school or college. The subjects of the “Do Nows” are as follows: British Values Bullying History of Rap Music Consent (very PG!) Cricket Drug Use Future of Gaming Hairdressing Course Mental Health Online Safety The files are uploaded in their original PowerPoint format and as PDFs. These have gone down very well where I work. I hope you enjoy using them too!

A beautiful set of slide posters (50 to choose from) which can cover an entire academic year (with some left over). Each word is defined, with synonyms and antonyms – plus example usage. The “Word of the Week” slides are presented to capture students’ attention and enhance engagement. The visual appeal creates a great stimulus for students to explore new vocabulary. Incorporating a “Word of the Week” into the classroom provides a dynamic way to enrich students’ vocabulary and foster a love for language. By focusing on a single sophisticated word each week, teachers can create a structured environment where students regularly encounter and engage with new terms. This approach not only enhances vocabulary acquisition but also improves comprehension and communication skills. Where I work, we use these in the classroom – and include them in the weekly email to all teachers. They also go up on our GCSE English team with the challenge to students to use them in sentences and in their work. The slides are also shown in our reception area as part of the revolving slideshow visitors see when they come in. There’s a multitude of uses for these slides. A “Word of the Week” encourages students to explore words in various contexts, helping them understand nuances and applications. Teachers can introduce the word through diverse activities such as discussions, writing exercises, and creative projects, making the learning process interactive and memorable. Moreover, this method supports cognitive development by challenging students to use and recognise advanced vocabulary in their everyday conversations and academic work. It also aids in building confidence, as students become more adept at expressing themselves with precision and sophistication. Overall, a “Word of the Week” fosters an enriching learning environment where vocabulary growth is a continuous and engaging experience, preparing students for academic and real-world success. All images are used under a Creative Commons license – no copyright issues. Please note that the first slide – alacrity – also has a pointer to where you can place your institution’s logo. The words are: alacrity, antagonise, to aspire, avarice, benevolence, capricious, clandestine, collaborative, conscientious, crescendo, dauntless, delectable, delineate, derision, diaphanous, dichotomy, discombobulate, eloquent, ephemeral, epitome, exhilaration, foolhardy, futile, homogeneous, implacable, implicit, indignant, insolence, interrogate, inveterate, invidious, malevolent, myriad, ostracise, ostensibly, paragon, persistence, plethora, precipitous, predilection, procrastinate, radiate, resilient, satiate, solitary, tranquillity, transient, ubiquitous, vociferous, zenith.

This pack of picture questions is designed for AQA GCSE English Language 9-1. They simulate Paper 1 Question 5 where students are given a picture and are presented with two options (it’s hard, almost to call them questions!). The tasks can be for a descriptive or a narrative response (although both tasks can be descriptive or narrative and this pack reflects that). I hope that you will be able to use this pack to help you increase the story-telling powers of your learners as well as their descriptive prowess! The pack gives teachers the opportunity to have a selection of ready-made questions for Paper 1 Question 5. These can be used to ensure that there are always writing tasks at hand. They might be used to stimulate class or small group discussion or can be used as interchangeable exercises to be done during a session. I hope that there is a sufficient variety of images in this pack to pique the interest of even the most reluctant of writers. By giving your learners a choice of task (while the assessment objectives - A05 and A06 remain the same) these sample questions might help to ensure both differentiation and an element of choice. Each is formatted to include the question on a single A4 sheet. The originals are also included on their own if you would like to use them without the question stimulus. They would probably also be very useful if you are covering a class - the skills that students develop with these questions are vital for success in GCSE English as this question alone represents 25% of the entire exam. All of the wonderful pictures have been ethically sourced and are available under a Creative Commons license which means you do not have to worry about copyright with them at all. Each originator is credited by use of a link to the original.

This has been created to be challenging (but not too hard!) for students approaching their L1 Reading exam and incorporate the skills needed to pass it! It comprises 11 questions based around a short text. It’s perfect for a lesson starters or end. It should take up to ten minutes for students to answer the questions, with then answer time taking another five. This may sound like a lot of time, but it is focused on getting the students through the exams (not “woolly” in any way, shape or form!) I have found that this time has been well spent and is reflected in both student confidence around the exams and their actual exam performance. They questions cover two pages (so perfect for quick double-sided copying) plus there is a third page of the correct answers for teachers (you don’t want to be doing the Do Now yourself, do you!?). This “Do Now” activity is designed for learners doing the Pearson Edexcel exam – but I am sure it can be used for other exam boards too. The texts takes the form of a short article. The questions consist of: Multiple choice Short answers True/False This worked very well where I work. I hope you enjoy using it with your students too!

If you need short tasks to use with or email out to students, look no further! Ever tried to teach descriptive writing and been met with a sea of faces staring back blankly? However, when the terminal exam promises the distinct possibility of a descriptive writing task (Paper 1 Question 5) then students must be prepared for this eventuality. This is one way to encourage students to write good descriptive pieces. This set of prompts is designed to introduce students to descriptive writing in a number of ways… The resource is designed as a 10-15 minute section of any class and it focuses on an opening paragraph for a description of a picture. Students can build their confidence here before then progressing to longer pieces. It could also be used as a ‘snap’ revision session, a cover class (where more than one is attempted) or as a prompt for a longer response which the students must do once they finish their first paragraph. In fact it’s a highly adaptable (and editable!) resource which you can turn to many things. There is a selection of 20 pictures so you can choose which to give to specific students you think may engage with the picture. I have called them ‘picture challenges’ to try and encourage a little competition. Perhaps there could be something as a prize for the one judged the best by peers? The pictures are all used under a Creative Commons license which means that while the link to the original is included to credit the photographer(s) they are free to use and modify. There are a number of prompts on each handout. Here is an example. WRITE A DESCRIPTION SUGGESTED BY THIS PICTURE. Your description should be five to seven sentences in length. Start with a one-word sentence about time (e.g. season, time of day), location, event or emotion. Try to use the following words somewhere in your description: pungent, vengeful, applause (these change on each picture). You must use two or three linguistic devices of your choice. Remember to use Standard English! There is also a ‘five senses’ prompt on each of the pictures, to encourage students to use one or more of these in their writing. These exercises cover the following Assessment Objectives: AO5: Communicate clearly, effectively and imaginatively, selecting and adapting tone, style and register for different forms, purposes and audiences. Organise information and ideas, using structural and grammatical features to support coherence and cohesion of texts AO6: Candidates must use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate spelling and punctuation.

This was created for learners doing GCSE English Language - the new Grade 9-1 Course. It can be used as a revision but more particularly as an introduction to structural features. Paper 1 Question 3 is the structure questions where learners must comment on structure (see example question below from the June 2018 examination). A student response can easily become muddled if they are not confident with the terminology used to do that. The game is designed to be naturally differentiated - the quality of the responses will depend on the ability of the students but all can participate. Learners are given individual structural features to investigate and must report back on it to the class, including an easy-to-understand definition and hopefully examples of where it is used in one of a variety of forms. If there are no opportunities to use internet enabled devices in class, this could be easily changed to be a homework activity. It is also perfect for a cover class! The game is an editable PowerPoint so you can also adapt it if you wish. Please do not redistribute afterwards in any format. Also included is a full lesson plan for this session - again it is editable if you wish to make changes (inevitable as your learner needs may be subtly or very different to those of my own). Assessment Objective: AO2: Explain, comment on and analyse how writers use language and structure to achieve effects and influence readers, using relevant subject terminology to support their views The resource also works towards paper 1 question 5 (AQA board at least!) when learners must incorporate structural features in to their own creative writing, either descriptive or narrative.

What happens after the opening lines of a story? Often, the writer will shift focus to describe the setting. This set of ten picture prompts (for GCSE English but could be used at any level) gives students a visual nudge. Their job is to create a setting description which could be used as a second paragraph in a story. However, they must also incorporate some important elements that would help them to grab marks in an exam. This helps students to think about the structure of a whole text – often in GCSE English paper 1 (AQA) the second paragraph is descriptive so that candidates can answer the “language question” in the exam. More than that, of course, the description of the setting helps to bring the text alive with a little “world building”. This set of ten picture prompts could be used for a complete lesson, but the idea behind them was to use as starters – a “do now” activity. As only a single paragraph is demanded, this could be done in ten minutes or so, with time for some of the learners to read their out loud. Alternatively, could make a great activity on a VLE. In class these could be shown on a smartboard one by one, or you could do a mix and match, so the students get given a random picture to describe. It’s up to you – this set of picture prompts is versatile enough for you to think of a number of ways in which to use it! Files included are Powerpoint and a PDF version.

This is a beautifully presented set of 40 “Do Now” activities for GCSE English. I call it “exam paralysis” – when students sit in an exam for five, ten, fifteen minutes or more, apparently doing nothing. They are so unused to writing spontaneously and in time-constrained conditions that they freeze. This not only wastes valuable exam time, it stops them doing as well as they could (in terms of final grade). I created this set of prompts/activities as a response to this. Free writing increases confidence, generates honesty in writing, develops writing abilities and voice, promotes the process of writing, rather than the outcome – and help overcome writer’s block. It isn’t supposed to be marked, it is simply to help the students allow themselves to write as creatively and as honestly as they can. However, I realise that this doesn’t suit all the teachers all of the time, so I have also adapted this set of prompts into exam-style exercises, where content, organisation and technical accuracy are taken into account. The “free writing” set is designed without marking in mind – they are designed simply to develop the ability to write quickly, developing voice and confidence. However, I will pace the room making comments and encouraging the writing process, of course! The “exam style” set would necessarily involve more formal feedback or at least more of an eye on the prize, as it were. Both sets are editable so the instructions can be tweaked, if needed, to suit your learners. (Sometimes it’s difficult to activate learning, especially at the beginning of the first session of the day or week. A great way to kickstart a class, assess prior learning and to give the students instant feedback is a “Do Now” activity.)

This pack of HALLOWEEN picture questions is designed for AQA GCSE English Language 9-1. They simulate Paper 1 Question 5 where students are given a picture and are presented with two options (it’s hard, almost to call them questions!). The tasks can be for a descriptive or a narrative response (although both tasks can be descriptive or narrative and this pack reflects that). I hope that you will be able to use this pack to help you increase the story-telling powers of your learners as well as their descriptive prowess! The pack gives teachers the opportunity to have a selection of ready-made questions for Paper 1 Question 5. These can be used to ensure that there are always writing tasks at hand. They might be used to stimulate class or small group discussion or can be used as interchangeable exercises to be done during a session. I hope that there is a sufficient variety of Halloween style images in this pack to pique the interest of even the most reluctant of writers. By giving your learners a choice of task (while the assessment objectives - A05 and A06 remain the same) these sample questions might help to ensure both differentiation and an element of choice. Each is formatted to include the question on a single A4 sheet. The originals are also included on their own if you would like to use them without the question stimulus. Plus if it’s easier for you - PDFs are also included of both files. They would probably also be very useful if you are covering a class - the skills that students develop with these questions are vital for success in GCSE English as this question alone represents 25% of the entire exam. All of the wonderful pictures have been ethically sourced and are available under a Creative Commons license which means you do not have to worry about copyright with them at all. Each originator is credited by use of a link to the original.

This is an editable resource but a PDF is included too. I really enjoyed creating this and it has gone down very well with my students. Ever tried to teach story writing and been met with a sea of faces staring back blankly? However, when the terminal exam promises the distinct possibility of a story writing task (Paper 1 Question 5) then students must be prepared for this eventuality. This is one way to encourage students to write good stories which are suitable for GCSE English. This set of prompts is designed to introduce students to descriptive writing in a number of ways… The resource is designed as a 60-90 minute class and it focuses on a FULL RESPONSE for a story featuring a different structural feature for each paragraph. If you want to use exercise books, there is an ‘instruction only’ set here too. Each paragraph the students must write is accompanied by a number of prompts - both picture-based and written. The prompts indicate what they should write. There is also plenty of time for sharing and class discussions between each paragraph. So, the first (major) prompts, for example, are: The opening - a picture of a young woman leaning out of the window of a train’s door. Students are asked to write about her, including time and place for their first paragraph. Shift of focus - a picture of he railway station where she is starting her journey. The story shifts to a description of the platform. …and so on. The story is then further developed with pictures - a “power paragaraph” (one sentence), a shift to describe her thoughts and feelings, a flashforward where she anticipates her future, a shift to a description of the countryside outside the train as it whizzes by and then a climax where she discovers she has lost her train ticket! It’s a very simple st The prompts then progress, enabling the students to create a complete response which includes all of the skills descriptors for Paper 1 Question 5. Your students should end up with a piece containing a minimum of 8 paragraphs of varying language with structural features and language devices used throughout. There is also an extension task which asks the students to create a word-processed second draft for homework. This lesson could also be used as a ‘snap’ creative writing session or a cover class. In fact it’s a highly adaptable (and editable!) resource which you can turn to many things. There is also a ‘five senses’ prompt on the lesson handout, to encourage students to use one or more of these in their writing. These exercises cover the following Assessment Objectives: AO5: Communicate clearly, effectively and imaginatively, selecting and adapting tone, style and register for different forms, purposes and audiences. Organise information and ideas, using structural and grammatical features to support coherence and cohesion of texts AO6: Candidates must use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate spelling and punctuation.

This is an editable resource (if you feel the need to tweak!) but a PDF is included too. Ever tried to teach speech writing and been met with a sea of faces staring back blankly? However, when the terminal exam promises the distinct possibility of a speech writing task (Paper 2 Question 5) then students must be prepared for this eventuality. This is one way to encourage students to write good speeches. This set of prompts is designed to introduce students to speech writing in a number of ways. It resource is designed as a 60 minute section of any class and it focuses on a FULL RESPONSE for a speech about whether or not students should be made to do homework. If you want to use exercise books, there is an ‘instruction only’ set here too. Each paragraph the students must write is accompanied by a number of prompts to the left. The prompts indicate what they should write. So, the first (major) prompts, for example, are: Para 1 Describe fast food using the Rule of Three Then, make a short statement stating your opinion. Para 2 Overview Give a brief overview of the points you will make in your speech (use the ones you jotted down on the first page). Use a list to do this. Don’t make this too long! Para 3 Make your statement. This is your message – your side of the argument. Tell your audience what your message is. • Start with: “Personally, I believe…” or similar. • Use a compound sentence • Finish your last sentence with an ellipsis. …and so on! The prompts then progress, enabling the students to create a complete response which includes all of the skills descriptors for Paper 1 Question 5. Your students should end up with a piece containing a minimum of 9 paragraphs of varying language with structural features and language devices used throughout. This lesson could also be used as a ‘snap’ revision session or a cover class. In fact it’s a highly adaptable (and editable!) resource which you can turn to many things. These exercises cover the following Assessment Objectives: AO5: Communicate clearly, effectively and imaginatively, selecting and adapting tone, style and register for different forms, purposes and audiences. Organise information and ideas, using structural and grammatical features to support coherence and cohesion of texts AO6: Candidates must use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate spelling and punctuation.

Context: This lesson is designed to stretch and challenge a group of students who are aiming for a grade 6 or above. It introduces the idea of writing a polemic; as opposed to supporting one’s own views with relevant argument, the idea is to win the ‘argument’ through contentious rhetoric. The aim is to be introduced to writing strong verbal attacks on someone or something as a method to support a specific opposing position. Students will be encouraged to use the word in writing, in conjunction with Pandora’s Box. The concept of The Seven Deadly Sins in Christianity will be introduced and students will be exposed to a number of artworks associated with these ‘evils’ by a number of famous artists. They will be able to debate these sins and then write a polemic aimed at convincing their audience that their allotted sin is deadlier than the others. The session finishes off with an abridged version of Swift’s The Lady’s Dressing Room. Although timings are given in the time plan this lesson can go many places – it may have to be continued in the next session. Assessment Objective A05 and A06 for writing, with particular emphasis on writing highly engaging texts with a range of complex ideas. Also featured Assessment Objective: AO2: Explain, comment on and analyse how writers use language and structure to achieve effects and influence readers, using relevant subject terminology to support their views. AO4: Evaluate texts critically and support this with appropriate textual references (poem).

This lesson introduces students to the skills descriptors for A05 and A06 (Content and Organisation together with Technical Accuracy) of the AQA GCSE English exam – in other words what they have to do in Paper 1 Question 5 to make the marker happy. This can bore students silly, so it is all about active engagement throughout. It is designed for learners at the beginning of their creative writing careers, with possibly just a few classes before this. They are not expected to mark a whole text (or award marks) – neither are they expected to write a whole one either. This lesson focuses on paragraphs so that they can focus on short extracts which also gives them the opportunity to add on it to later. Here is a precis of the class. The students are given the beginning of a short story and a picture to go with it. They are also given two attempts at the next paragraph, written by students. There are plenty of things to talk about in the examples given! Before they go on to mark these paragraphs, they are introduced to the skills descriptors in a mix-and-match scenario which will promote discussion in the classroom. They have to work out which explanation goes with each skill. This readies for them to return to the paragraphs written by the students and be able to make comments about how each student did well and how they could improve their work. I have always found that one of the things students love is being critical about the work of other learners. There is plenty of opportunity to do that here – although the focus should of course be on positive rather than negative criticism. The students must put this into action once this discussion is over – by rewriting the paragraphs (or parts of them) to show how they could have been improved. Moving on, the students must then write the next paragraph of the story. What they must do is explicitly stated so that they each have the opportunity to shift focus from the outside of a café (in this case) to the exterior. It will also enable them to have a bash at some expository writing about a busy street (which is something that could easily come up in this question in the exam). Finally, some students will be expected to read out their paragraphs with the rest of the class giving some positive feedback about what they have written. The class is designed for 60 minutes for top set learners but could easily be stretched out to 90 minutes. All the pages in the lesson are in a single Word document. The PDF version is also attached.

These quizzes are designed to accompany the anthology “As Told By Teachers” (https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/as-told-by-teachers-an-anthology-of-short-stories-for-gcse-english-language-11973337). There are 4 but more will be added. Want to make one yourself? Know Kahoot? If you would like to create a Kahoot quiz based on any of the stories, please do. I would appreciate it if you could send me the link so it can be included in this document. If you would like to use the question mark pictures (free from copyright) the links are below. Please don’t forget to credit the creators (you can put a links at the bottom of any question). Kahoot Newbie? If you would like to create a Kahoot quiz but are unfamiliar with it (or just technophobic!) please feel free to put a set of questions and answers together and email it to taliesyn30@aol.com. I will be happy to put it online for you. This resource will be updated as quizzes are added.

This short lesson was devised to help students to learn what the markers are looking for if they are asked to write a letter in GCSE English Paper 2 Question 5 (AQA). The letter, it must be stressed, is a great example but this would probably not be achievable in the 45 minutes available for this task in the exam. However, it covers all the necessary skills to get 40/40 for the question - or if not that, pretty close to it! There are a series of short exercises too. These cover the “Content and Organisation” skills, as well as those for “Technical Accuracy”. Students are encouraged to discuss the assessment objectives associated with these skills.