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Tess of the d'Urban Quills

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(based on 59 reviews)

I'm a passionate secondary English and History teacher and am the main planner of resources for my department; as such, I thought I would start sharing them here with the wider community of teachers and professionals. I am Australian trained, but currently teaching GCSE and A- Level (AQA specifications). All lessons are very visually engaging, with images, clips and a variety of activities. You won't find any boring/blank resources here!

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I'm a passionate secondary English and History teacher and am the main planner of resources for my department; as such, I thought I would start sharing them here with the wider community of teachers and professionals. I am Australian trained, but currently teaching GCSE and A- Level (AQA specifications). All lessons are very visually engaging, with images, clips and a variety of activities. You won't find any boring/blank resources here!
Year 7: Writing a book review
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Year 7: Writing a book review

(1)
I set this for my low-ability year 7 class just before the half-term break (holiday homework!), but you can use this lesson at any point throughout the term. A lesson that introduces book reviews and provides students with a checklist for writing their own. The worksheet helps students understand how to structure their review. Enjoy!
What is narrative perspective?
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What is narrative perspective?

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This brief workshop introduces students to the basic forms of narrative perspective (first, second, third-limited and third-omniscient). Included are a few identification activities and tricks and tips for writing in perspective well.
Year 9/10: Ready Player One (lesson designed like a video game!)
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Year 9/10: Ready Player One (lesson designed like a video game!)

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An awesome lesson for boys in year 9 or 10, language analysis skills are made fun through a lesson designed like a video game. Each activity is a "mission", and students have to complete all three in either single, two player or combat mode (individually, in pairs, or in competition). Included: - All activities - Video resources (right click the image on slide 4 for hyperlink to video) - Extract from Ernest Cline's "Ready Player One". - Formative progress check (using playstation symbols- how cool is that?) - Creative writing activity Very proud and excited for this lesson, so please enjoy!
Year 9- Jurassic Park (2 Lessons)
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Year 9- Jurassic Park (2 Lessons)

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Two lessons for boys looking at language and structural analysis of an extract from the novel Jurassic Park. Fun clips from the movie, revision of the adventure genre and creative writing. Great for a double lesson!
Year 7: Villain's Speeches
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Year 7: Villain's Speeches

(1)
My year 7s are studying non-fiction at the moment, which I personally find very boring! To spice things up, we’ve been looking at non-fiction textual forms through the theme of comic books (see my other lessons for examples). This lesson/2 lessons examines the features of speeches, with examples being the grand speeches comic villains perform. Included: Two clips of Ego and Bane- why are their speeches convincing? Analysis activities for the Joker’s speech from The Dark Knight Model critical paragraph Creative: students write their own villain speech Extension: Students create a comic page featuring their villain and given speech. My class loved it. Enjoy!
Year 7/8: Julius Caesar
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Year 7/8: Julius Caesar

(3)
A one off lesson, as part of an "Introduction to Shakespeare" unit for KS3. A focus on language, plot and some characterisation. Posted as a freebie to give you an insight into my lessons- if you like this then please feel free to check out my shop :)
Literary Devices Quiz
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Literary Devices Quiz

(7)
A good formative or summative revision tool. This quiz is included in my "Literary Devices" pack (22 lessons covering all different language techniques geared at KS3-4) but am posting it for free as it can be used separately. Enjoy :)
Year 7/8: Romeo & Juliet
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Year 7/8: Romeo & Juliet

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A one off lesson, as part of an "Introduction to Shakespeare" unit for KS3. A focus on language, plot and some characterisation.
Years 7/8: The Tempest
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Years 7/8: The Tempest

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Single lesson looking at an introduction to "The Tempest". Characters, plot and some language analysis covered.
KS3/4: Writing Creatively
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KS3/4: Writing Creatively

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A one off lesson if you’re teaching creative writing. Focuses on building descriptive paragraphs using image stimuli. Skills covered include: Using adjectives and verbs Sentence forms and lengths Crafting effective language devices
Year 9: Crime & Punishment unit
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Year 9: Crime & Punishment unit

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Introducing my 12 week Crime & Punishment unit! Introduce your students to the two GCSE language papers through this fun unit, focusing on the crime and detective genre. This program of study explores the history of the detective genre, conventions, characterisation, archetypes, language, genre, textual form, and structure. Students will build their critical and creative writing skills through a close study of several key 19th century and modern crime texts, such as “The Speckled Band” and “Perfume: Story of a Murderer.” They will experiment with crafting crime stories of their own. The unit is split between fiction and non-fiction, so as to cover the skills required for the GCSE Language Papers 1 and 2, questions 1, 2, 3 and 5. Included: All power-points and lesson resources Worksheets and homework A social justice project focusing on the inquiry question: when is the law unjust? You can choose to therefore draw connections between the Crime & Punishment unit and real-world application. We personally took part in the Amnesty International “Write for Rights” Campaign, where we investigated unjust political processes around the world and unfair detainment of political prisoners. Practise GCSE Language Paper 1 exam Group projects (2-4 lessons alone) Model texts (non-fiction and fiction) I’m very proud of this unit- I hope you enjoy!
Year 10-12: A Study in Scarlet
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Year 10-12: A Study in Scarlet

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This is a single lesson that I designed for my year 13 class. Looking at an extract from "A Study in Scarlet" by Arthur Conan Doyle, students consider the dimensions of Sherlock's character and why he is enduring. A puzzle activity merges analytical skills with group work. Can be taught with able groups of younger years, and as a general one- off for students already studying crime fiction/detective fiction.
What is an archetype?
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What is an archetype?

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A four slide resource that introduces students to the meaning of archetypes. I like to use this resource at the beginning of any fiction topic.
GCSE Power & Conflict: Comparing Checking Out Me History & The Emigree`
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GCSE Power & Conflict: Comparing Checking Out Me History & The Emigree`

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These three lessons walk students through writing an essay that compares Checking Out Me History and The Emigree. Activities include: Higher order AO1 terminology for comparing poems Language, form and structure Higher-order contextual ideas Scaffolds and writing structures for introductions and paragraphs Models for both of these See the notes section at the bottom of PP slides for instructions for each activity. Enjoy!
The Awakening , Kate Chopin - AQA A Level
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The Awakening , Kate Chopin - AQA A Level

(3)
This unit of work is designed for AQA’s A Level “Love through the Ages”, looking at Kate Chopin’s “The Awakening.” All content is what I taught over the course of two terms. Find enclosed - Whole lessons covering plot, context of creole culture etc - Worksheets - Critical theory (particularly philosophy of Descartes, Husserl, Merleau-Ponty, Sartre and de Beauvoir) Enjoy!
Freedom- KS3
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Freedom- KS3

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A non-fiction unit based around the concept of "freedom". All power-points and activities included. Students investigate the concept of freedom and how persuasive features are used in a range of non-fiction texts, such as memoirs, essays, articles and speeches. I created this unit for my middle-range year 8 class. Enjoy!