Welcome. My resources include CPD self-study units for teachers as well as whole units of work specifically designed for the English classroom. Whole units come with detailed teacher notes, teaching PPTs and all student resources. I hope you enjoy using them as much as I have. Questions are very welcome and I can be contacted at roseandmay2@virginmedia.com.
Best wishes, Sam
Welcome. My resources include CPD self-study units for teachers as well as whole units of work specifically designed for the English classroom. Whole units come with detailed teacher notes, teaching PPTs and all student resources. I hope you enjoy using them as much as I have. Questions are very welcome and I can be contacted at roseandmay2@virginmedia.com.
Best wishes, Sam
** POETRY – Seamus Heaney’s ‘Mid-Term Break’**
This unit will enable students to explore Seamus Heaney’s poem ‘Mid-Term Break’ in a creative and engaging way as well as develop their ability to write analytically using a specific, taught paragraph structure. This unit is collaborative in nature with lots of opportunities for paired, group and class discussion. Following work on how to write analytical paragraphs and embed quotes, outcomes include an analytical PETAL paragraph which can be extended into a longer essay using the structure provided. This unit includes a very nicely presented 39 slide teaching PPT as well as all 16 classroom resources for students and a set of detailed teacher’s notes explaining how you can deliver the unit. Please note that all resources are in PDF format.
You may also like the following poetry units:
William Blake’s ‘London’
Seamus Heaney’s ‘Storm on the Island’
Seamus Heaney’s ‘Digging’
Wilfred Owen’s ‘Exposure’
Ted Hughes’ ‘Hawk Roosting’
This unit prepares students for their National 5 Speaking and Listening assessment (presentation task) on a specific topic agreed with their teacher. It guides students through the process by looking at aspects of effective talks such as openings, rhetorical devices, endings, use of cue cards to structure a talk and responding to questions. Strategies include exploring good examples of talks as well opportunities to try out a variety of techniques to help make their own talks lively and engaging. A 41 slide PPT is included as well as all eight resources in both word and pdf formats. I hope you enjoy teaching this unit.
This unit is deigned for secondary and key stage 2 teachers across the curriculum who wish to develop and improve the quality of writing in their classrooms, a challenge increasingly important for exam success which is so dependent on writing. There is now a significant amount of research into what works and this unit seeks to present guidance as well as practical ideas and examples that can be taken straight off the page and into your classroom.This unit has also been published by Pearsons as an interactive mobile app.
This self-study unit offers support and guidance in teaching the creative writing component of entry level courses in an interesting and engaging way. It will help ensure your programmes of study and lessons are well-pitched, relevant and motivating and develop the key skills necessary for success at entry level. Suggested approaches can be easily differentiated for entry level 1 and 2 students making it ideal preparation for planning an entry level course and schemes of learning. It is generic and relevant to all main exam boards who offer this qualification.
Developing Literacy is a clearly a key element of a TAs role. In this unit you will explore how best to support pupils with reading. As we live and work in an environment in which the printed text is so important, the skill of reading is vital in helping pupils to make progress and ensure they don’t fall behind their peers. This unit aims to provide lots of practical strategies which TAs can use in the classroom or during intervention work with individual or small groups of students to help them become more experienced readers and ultimately more independent learners.
Seamus Heaney’s ‘An Advancement of Learning’
This short unit is designed to introduce and explore Seamus Heaney’s poem as well as develop students’ ability to write analytically using a specific, taught paragraph structure. This unit is collaborative in nature with lots of opportunities for paired, group and class discussion. It includes a very nicely presented 42 slide teaching PPT as well as all 18 student resources and a set of detailed teacher’s notes explaining how you could deliver the unit. Outcomes include an analytical PETAL paragraph which can be extended into a longer essay using the structure provided. Please note that the teaching PPT and all resources are in pdf format.
You might also like:
William Blake’s ‘London’
Seamus Heaney’s ‘Storm on the Island’
Seamus Heaney’s ‘Digging’
Wilfred Owen’s ‘Exposure’
Key Stage 3 English: Reading Between the Lines Teaching Unit
This unit of work is focused on developing the skills of reading between the lines and is based around extracts from the novel ‘Deep Water’ by Ann Turnbull. It covers key skills such as inference and deduction, questioning the text, prediction and visualising the text. It was written for my Year 8 lower ability English class though could easily be used for a year 7 group. All short extracts are provided so you do not need a copy of the novel though you may wish to buy one to read and enjoy other sections with the class. I have included a 47 slide teaching PPT, all nine resources in word and pdf formats and a detailed set of teacher’s notes. Hope you enjoy teaching the unit.
Key Stage 3 English Units also available
English Key Stage 3 Creative Writing Unit for Years 7-8
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12487013
This highly engaging and enjoyable unit of work is designed to help students write creatively with a particular focus on narrative and descriptive writing. It supports students in actively exploring and enjoying both descriptive and narrative texts, looking at excellent and varied models from a range of literature and identifying successful features before moving to composing their own creative responses.A very nicely presented 83 slide teaching PPT is included as well as a detailed set of teacher’s notes with suggested approaches and all thirteen classroom resources.
This unit of work is focused on developing the skills of reading between the lines and is based around extracts from the novel ‘Deep Water’ by Ann Turnbull. It is aimed at a first year Junior Cycle class and covers key skills such as inference and deduction, questioning the text, prediction and visualising the text. All short extracts are provided so you do not need a copy of the novel though you may wish to buy one to read and enjoy other sections with the class. I have included a 47 slide teaching PPT, all nine resources in word and pdf formats and a detailed set of teacher’s notes.
Learning outcomes (from Junior Cycle Specification) addressed in this unit include:
Reading
3. Use a wide range of reading comprehension strategies appropriate to texts e.g to retrieve information and to link to previous knowledge.
7. Select key moments from their texts and give thoughtful value judgements on the main character or a key scene.
8. Read their texts to understand and appreciate language enrichment by examining an author’s choice of words.
11. Identify and comment on features of English at word and sentence level using appropriate terminology.
Writing
3. Write for a variety of purposes e.g to imagine, explore, narrate.
I hope you enjoy teaching the unit.
AQA Step Up to English: Component 2 Exploring Practice Unit
This half-termly practice unit is aimed mainly at Gold award candidates however it is also applicable to those doing the Silver award if, like me, you have candidates doing both awards in the same class. It includes a well-presented 48 slide teaching PPT with lots of engaging activities and texts to ensure students develop the skills necessary to complete the assessment tasks for reading and writing. All 14 student resources are included in word and pdf formats as well as a detailed set of teacher’s notes based on my experience of teaching the unit.
Please note that the Exploring unit will not be assessed after 2023 therefore this is intended as a practice unit only. Please check current list of NEAs with AQA and note that information, guidance, support and resources are available from AQA.
More Step Up to English Resources
Complete courses and individual teaching units on all component 1 and 2 topics are available. They include teaching PPTs, all student resources and a set of detailed teacher’s notes and can be found at:
RoseandMay’s TES English Classroom Resources
New individual units:
AQA Step Up to English: Component 1 STYLE Unit
AQA Step Up to English: Component 2 CRIME Unit
New Complete Course
AQA Step Up to English: Complete Course (Leisure, Crime and Style Units)
You may also like:
AQA Step Up to English: Grammar and Punctuation Starters
AQA Step Up to English: Component 2 Creative Writing Unit
Welcome to a world of black dogs, goblins and boggarts! This practice unit is built around the Step Up topic of Myths and Legends for the AQA Step Up to English Component 2 Creative Reading and Writing assessment. It includes a detailed 78 slide teaching PPT with lots of engaging activities and both fiction and non-fiction extracts to ensure students develop the skills necessary to complete the assessment tasks for reading and writing. The writing section, for example, includes sections on good story openings, writing dialogue, creating character, narrative voice and varying sentences using a ‘visual grammar’ approach.
All 18 resources with all texts and student resources are included in word and pdf formats as well as a very detailed set of teacher’s notes explaining how I have used the resources
Please check current list of NEAs with AQA and note that information, guidance, support and resources are available from AQA. Please note that the ‘Myths and Legends’ topic was last assessed in 2024 therefore is intended to be used as a practice unit.
More Step Up to English Resources
Other individual teaching units and complete courses which include teaching PPTs, all student resources and teacher’s notes can be found at:
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/RoseandMay101
All component 1 and 2 units are available including new units on ‘Crime’ and ‘Style’ .
Edexcel Functional Skills in English: Level 2 Unit - Climate Change Crisis
This engaging and fully resourced unit of work is designed to teach some of the key skills required for tacking the Edexcel Functional Skills Level 2 English exam paper. It is built around the topic of the climate crisis.
There are two sections:
Reading section – students explore three different non-fiction texts including a letter, web pages and a blog.
Writing section – students learn how to write a persuasive letter and a blog and complete two pieces of work which can be assessed formally.
This unit includes a well-presented 60 slide teaching PPT (editable PPT format) as well as a set of detailed teacher’s notes and all 11 resources in both word and pdf formats. Tasks and texts are relevant and engaging as well as ideal preparation for the Level 2 exam.
You may also like:
Edexcel Functional Skills in English: Level 2 Complete Course
Edexcel Functional Skills in English: Level 2 Unit - Leisure
Edexcel Functional Skills in English: Level 2 Unit - Taking the Next Step
Edexcel Functional Skills English Level 1 and 2: Speaking and Listening Unit
This is a collection of resources for colleagues teaching the AQA Step Up to English course. Both teaching units come with well-presented teaching PPTs and all student resources.
Creative Writing Unit
This highly engaging and enjoyable unit of work is designed to help Step Up to English students prepare for the AQA Component 2 writing section with a particular focus on narrative writing. It supports students in actively exploring and enjoying narrative extracts, looking at models from a range of literature and identifying successful features before moving to composing their own creative responses in the style of the writing assessment.
Grammar and Punctuation Starters
This resource was designed as a series of starters for my Step Up to English group. It focuses on sentences structure and punctuation and provides opportunities for students to apply new skills. It takes a visual approach to teaching simple, compound and complex sentences and provides texts and writing activities which help provide a context rather than the more traditional method of writing out individual sentences. As well as sentence structure, it covers punctuation including use of commas and punctuating direct speech.
I have also added a set of Step Up creative writing tasks and a CPD unit on how to teach creative writing for Entry Level English.
Please check current list of NEAs with AQA and note that information, guidance, support and resources are available from AQA.
More Step Up to English Resources
Complete courses and individual teaching units on all component 1 and 2 topics are available. They include teaching PPTs, all student resources and a set of detailed teacher’s notes and can be found at:
RoseandMay’s TES English Classroom Resources
New individual units:
AQA Step Up to English: Component 1 STYLE Unit
AQA Step Up to English: Component 2 CRIME Unit
New Complete Course
AQA Step Up to English: Complete Course (Leisure, Crime and Style Units)
AQA Step Up to English: Component 1 The Next Step Practice Unit
This practice unit can be used to help students build some of the skills required to then complete the assessed Step Up units… It guides students through the skills required for the speaking and listening assessment (group work task and individual interview) as well as preparing them for the reading and writing assessments with lots of opportunities for discussion and engaging activities. I designed it as a half-termly unit for my own year 10 Step Up class and linked it with preparation for their work placements. All eleven resources used in the scheme are included in both word and pdf formats in addition to a well-presented teaching PPT and detailed teacher’s notes based on my experience of delivering the unit.
Please check current list of NEAs with AQA and note that information, guidance, support and resources are available from AQA.Please note that the Next Step unit will not be assessed after June 2023 therefore this is intended as a practice unit only.*
More Step Up to English Resources
Complete courses and individual teaching units on all component 1 and 2 topics are available. They include teaching PPTs, all student resources and a set of detailed teacher’s notes and can be found at:
RoseandMay’s TES English Classroom Resources
New individual units:
AQA Step Up to English: Component 1 STYLE Unit
AQA Step Up to English: Component 2 CRIME Unit
New Complete Course
AQA Step Up to English: Complete Course (Leisure, Crime and Style Units)
You may also like:
AQA Step Up to English: Grammar and Punctuation Starters
AQA Step Up to English: Component 2 Creative Writing Unit
Creative Reading and Writing - Heroism Unit
This engaging and enjoyable half-termly unit is designed to develop key skills in reading fiction and non-fiction as well as writing creatively. It is based on the topic of Heroism with lots of activities and great texts to help students develop key reading skills such as locating information, inference, commenting on structure and comparison as well as key narrative writing skills such as opening and ending a story, writing direct speech, varying sentences, improving vocabulary and planning. Texts include extracts from non-fiction and fiction texts including 'Pat Barker’s ‘Regeneration’, Remarque’s ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ and Tolkien’s ‘The Lord of the Rings’. All 18 well-presented student resources are included in word and pdf formats as well as a 68 slide teaching PPT (see Preview) and a detailed set of teacher’s notes. I hope you enjoy teaching the unit.
This student-friendly guide is designed to support students in developing their skills in preparation for the Cambridge First Language English IGCSE Paper 2 Section B: Composition exam. It is intended for use at home and includes lots of interactive and practical tasks to help them embed the key skills required at this level. It was written with my own mid to high ability IGCSE group in mind. It includes a work booklet as well as accompanying resources in Word and PDF formats including planning frames, narrative extracts and creative writing tasks for exam practice. It will be invaluable for teachers who wish to set revision tasks for their classes or for parents who wish to support with exam preparation.
You may also like:
Cambridge IGCSE English Language: Imaginative Writing Unit
This unit of work is designed with a particular focus on Component 2 or 3 Imaginative writing. It explores descriptive and narrative writing within the context of gothic fiction, and includes a superbly presented 104 slide teaching PPT plus all 19 student resources and a set of detailed teacher’s notes.
Cambridge IGCSE English Language: Speaking and Listening Unit
This unit prepares students for their Cambridge IGCSE Speaking and Listening test (individual talk and conversation) on a specific topic agreed with their teacher. It guides students through the whole process by looking at aspects of effective talks such as openings, rhetorical devices, endings, use of cue cards to structure a talk and responding to questions. A 40 slide PPT is included as well as all eight resources in both word and pdf formats and a detailed set of teacher’s notes.
High School English: Travel Writing Unit
This highly engaging unit of work on travel writing is designed to teach reading and writing skills in the context of travel literature and to help build some of the key skills required when studying non-fiction texts. It moves from reading to writing and is based on the study of a number of short travel extracts from wonderful writers such as Paul Theroux, Jonathan Raban and Dervla Murphy. It is aimed at Grades 7-8 and would work equally well with Grade 9 groups. Outcomes include analytical as well as creative writing. All eleven student resources including key texts are included as well as a set of detailed teacher’s notes and a beautifully presented 42 slide teaching PPT.
Research suggests that AfL or formative assessment, can have a significant impact on the motivation, behaviour and attainment of students as well as their ability to work independently. This very practical unit is intended for self-study and can also be used by teachers working together to support each other’s professional development and reflection. It includes questions and tasks throughout and focuses on some of the key aspects of AfL such as setting learning objectives and outcomes, peer and self-assessment, helping pupils recognize the standards they are aiming to achieve, written and oral feedback and target setting. I hope you enjoy working though the unit and applying some of these strategies in your classroom. Please note it has also been published on the nimbl platform by Pearsons.
This unit is designed to teach key reading and writing skills in the context of travel literature and to help build some of the key skills required when studying non-fiction texts. It moves from reading to writing and is based on the study of a number of short travel extracts from writers such as Paul Theroux, Jonathan Raban and Dervla Murphy. Outcomes include analytical as well as creative writing. All ten resources including key texts are included as are a set of detailed teacher’s notes and a nicely presented 42 slide PPT.
Learning outcomes (from Junior Cycle Specification) addressed in this unit include:
Reading
3. Use a wide range of reading comprehension strategies appropriate to texts.
8. Read their texts to understand and appreciate language enrichment by examining an author’s choice of words, the use and effect of simple figurative language, vocabulary and language patterns, and images, as appropriate to the text.
11. Identify and comment on features of English at word and sentence level using appropriate terminology, showing how such features contribute to overall effect.
Writing
Demonstrate their understanding that there is a clear purpose for all writing activities and be able to plan, draft, re-draft, and edit their own writing as appropriate.
Discuss their own and other students’ written work constructively and with clear purpose.
Write for a variety of purposes, for example imagine, explore, engage, amuse, narrate, inform, explain.
Respond imaginatively in writing to their texts showing a critical appreciation of language, style and content, choice of words, language patterns, tone, images.
I hope you enjoy teaching the unit as much as I did.
When designing effective lessons, there are a number of factors to consider, all of which feed into the planning stage. Models of teaching, the learning objectives and specific teaching strategies as well as the climate for learning within a particular classroom are all part of that process. In this unit you will explore these key aspects of planning and how they can support you in preparing lessons which move the learning forward in an inclusive and engaging way. This resource has also been published by Pearsons as part of a mobile learning platform.
This self-study unit offers support and guidance in teaching the non-fiction writing component of these courses in an interesting and engaging way, helping teachers ensure their programmes of study and lessons are well-pitched, relevant and motivating and develop the key skills necessary for success at entry level. Suggested approaches are practical and can be easily differentiated for entry level 1 and 2 students making it ideal preparation for planning an entry level course and schemes of learning. It is generic and relevant to all main exam boards who offer this qualification.
