This interesting and highly-stimulating lesson enables students to make important inferences and interpretations regarding ‘the beast’ that is referred to by the boys on the island throughout William Golding’s novel Lord of the Flies. In particular, students form opinions of what the beast may represent, based upon key evidence throughout the text. The lesson follows a clear, logical, bite-size learning journey, which guides students towards differentiated learning objectives. Over the course of this journey, they become able to: - Establish, sketch, evidence, and share their initial interpretations of the beast; - Collaborate with others to form rational and substantiated opinions; - Read and understand Chapters Six and Seven of the play, with a particular focus upon how Golding utilises the beast to depict other concepts and notions; - Analyse key quotations which refer to the beast in relation to each of the characters; - Give appropriate and sustained interpretations and inferences regarding altering views towards Golding’s use of the beast; -Peer assess each other’s learning attempts. This resource pack includes: - A visually engaging whole-lesson PowerPoint presentation; - Detailed worksheet; - A scaffolded essay template; - Links to the extracts of the text needed for the lesson (Chapters Six and Seven in this case); - A detailed lesson plan, complete with what the teacher and students should aim to achieve at each stage of the lesson. All images are licensed for commercial use, and are cited on the final slide of the PowerPoint.

Based on the popular game show ‘Pointless’, this resource is perfect for use as a whole lesson resource, enrichment option, or revision tool. Editable, so that you can change to any other topic or change questions. (I’ve also added a blank template so that you can make your own games from scratch). Containing almost 30 slides of sound clips, engaging visuals, and suitably challenging questions, this resource is effective at both promoting engagement and enhancing learning. There are several full rounds of questions to build or revisit knowledge of characters, plot, and themes in ‘Lord of the Flies:’ Round 1. The characters in Lord of the Flies (takes approx 10 mins) Round 2. Quotations from the text (takes approx 15 mins) 3. Settings, themes, and objects (takes approx 15 mins) 4. Themes in Lord of the Flies (takes approx 10 mins) The nature of this game ensures that the resource can challenge students of all levels.

The year is 2086, and the students are needed for a special mission! This space mission has been designed to provide students with a fun and interesting group challenge, whilst also building key skills in critical thinking and collaboration, and essential knowledge for Science, English, and Mathematics. Students are placed in a scenario in which Earth is no longer habitable, and humans must seek to move to another planet in the Universe. Compiled for them is information on each of the potentially most habitable planets that are known to man (these are the real planets that have been confirmed by NASA and other agencies as having the most potential for life). In reading the key information, students will be drawing upon their knowledge of Science terminology, and will need to make some Maths calculations to work out implications of living on different planets. What will become clear fairly quickly is that none of the potential planets are perfect, and they must use reasoned judgements to determine which of them have cons that could perhaps be overcome. They then present their ideas, using clear and articulate speaking and listening skills, and write up their report, using appropriate written communication (a scaffold is provided to frame this). Everything is provided for you to download, print, and teach: - A comprehensive, whole-activity PowerPoint that guides the students through the mission; - Detailed and colourful information sheets on each of the contender planets for being the next Earth (these include links to amazing websites that can provide the children with more information); - A ‘Pros and Cons’ scaffold, to help students record their findings; - An information sheet on the ‘habitable zone’ around stars; - A scaffold for writing up findings; - Sorting cards for help with determining the key features of habitable planets; - Full teacher guidance. Considering the time and effort that it took to create these resources, I think that they offer exceptional value. Whenever I have used this activity before, it has taken at least 2-3 lessons, including the introduction, starter challenge, main mission, presentations, and write-up. I originally have used this with mid-ability Year 6,7, and 8 groups, but colleagues have easily adapted it for students across key stages 2-4. All images have been cited at the end of the PowerPoint presentation and are licensed for commercial use.

This whole class reading session aims to develop children’s fluency and comprehension skills through reading Britta Teekuntrup’s ‘Tree: Seasons Come, Seasons Go.’ The reading is followed by a series of activities aiming to develop children’s retrieval, explanation, inference, prediction and summarising skills. It also contains a vocabulary check immediately after the extract is read to clarify any unfamiliar/ difficult language. The tasks are comprised of quick-check questions, solo thinking, pair/ group discussions and deeper thinking activities. The text is hyperlinked (first slide) for ease of access. The session is best suited for children in years 1-2, although with minor adaptations it could feasibly be used with slightly younger and older year groups.

This engaging and detailed lesson enables students to gain a deep understanding of the Greek Myth ‘Perseus and Medusa.’ In doing so, students learn to interpret and infer the key elements of plot in texts, comment upon the key themes and plot ideas running through a text, and empathise with the first-person perspective of a character. The lesson follows a clear, logical, bite-size learning journey, which guides students towards differentiated learning objectives. Over the course of this journey, they become able to: - Define the key term ‘bravery’ and understand its position as a theme within the plot; - Read the story ‘Perseus and Medusa’ and interpret the key meanings; - Identify, explain, and analyse the key plot elements and themes in ‘Perseus and Medusa;’ - Storyboard the main plot features in the text; - Engage deeply with the text by inferring the thoughts and feelings of the main character; - Peer assess each other’s learning attempts. This resource pack includes: - A visually engaging whole-lesson PowerPoint presentation; - Paper copies and online links to the extract needed for the lesson; - Plot and Themes worksheet; - Storyboard template; - A detailed lesson plan, complete with what the teacher and students should aim to achieve at each stage of the lesson. All images are licensed for commercial use, and are cited on the final slide of the PowerPoint.

This engaging and detailed lesson aims to improve students’ understanding of the lead protagonist in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein: Victor Frankenstein. The lesson places a particular focus upon how Victor fits the role of a tragic hero, and it studies the actions and behaviours that lead to his inevitable demise. Students also analyse how Shelley uses the character of Victor to present key messages about religion, unchecked ambition, and the treatment of the ‘others’ in society. The lesson follows a step-by-step learning journey, in which children learn through: - Defining the role of the tragic hero and exploring how Victor personifies these features; - Understanding prevailing attitudes towards religion, ambition, and appearances, and investigating how Victor would have been received considering these ideas; - Reading and understanding extracts in which Victor’s fatal flaws are evident, and considering how they are relevant; - Analysing how Shelley utilises Victor and his demise to present key messages to readers; - Linking knowledge of time, place, and author, and relating these to specific areas of the text; - Peer assessing each other’s learning attempts. Included is: - Whole lesson PowerPoint - colourful and substantial; (including an animated Frankenstein’s monster to guide them through the lesson); - Mood map - to track Victor’s role in the plot and eventual destruction; - ‘Frankenstein’s Actions’ worksheet; - Analysis template with success criteria for creating well-structured responses; - Comprehensive lesson plan. There are also opportunities for group learning, peer assessment, and whole class discussion. This was originally taught to middle-ability year 10 groups, but can easily be differentiated for groups of different ages and abilities.

Based on the popular game show ‘Pointless’, this resource is perfect for use as a starter activity, plenary, or revision tool. Editable, so that you can change to any other topic or change questions. Containing almost 30 slides of sound clips, engaging visuals, and suitably challenging questions, this resource is effective at both promoting engagement and enhancing learning. There are several full rounds of questions to build learning of Persuasive Writing: 1. Emotive Language 2. Definitions of Persuasive Devices 3. Adding and Contrasting Connectives 4. Remembering Persuasive Devices The nature of the game ensures that this resource can challenge students of all levels. A blank template is now included, so that you can create your own Pointless games!

This detailed and visually-appealing resource offers a complete reference point for students learning or revising William Blake’s poem ‘Holy Thursday’ (from the Songs of Experience collection). It contains comprehensive sections on: Context; Line-by-Line Analysis; Poetic Devices/ Language Devices; Themes; Form/Structure; Poems for Comparison; The Poet’s Influences. Key words and ideas are underlined for easy reference. The resource is designed to be printed onto A3, and is provided as both a PDF and a Word version (so that you can edit if you want to). All images used are licensed for commercial use and are cited on a separate document (included).

This clear, detailed and visually-appealing resource offers a complete reference point for year 5 and 6 children when writing explanations. The organiser is also perfect for teachers, parents and English subject leaders - aiding their planning and supporting of children’s knowledge development for this writing text type. The organiser has a particular focus on the content, language and structural features required to write effective explanations at upper KS2. It contains distinct sections covering: -An Overview of Explanations; -Content: Title and Opening Statement, Main Body, Closing Statement; -Language:Vocabulary Choices, Tone, Tense, Conjunctions, Cause and Effect Techniques, Adverbs, Conjunctions, Punctuation Checklist and Word Mat; -Structure - Paragraphs, Whole Text Cohesion, Images and other tips; -Key Vocabulary The content is fully aligned with the age-related expectations for upper KS2 children in writing. The resource is designed to be printed onto A3, and is provided as both a PDF and a Word version (so that you can edit if you want to). All images used are licensed for commercial use and are cited on a separate document (included).

This lesson aims to improve students’ understanding of the key themes throughout William Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth:’ ambition, power, and fate. In particular, students learn how the combination of these three ideas contribute to Macbeth’s eventual downfall, whilst drawing on their analytical reading skills to understand how the themes interweave with the plot throughout the play. The lesson utilises a range of tasks, that require students to be visual and interactive learners. It follows this learning journey: - Defining the key terms ‘fate’ and ‘free will’, and establishing their relevance within the play; - Reading and interpreting Act 5 Scene 8, and establishing how Macbeth’s death was set in motion long before the battlefield; - Mapping Macbeth’s demise, from his early success as a brave and respected warrior, to his death as a tyrant king; - Understanding and analysing how the key themes of ambition, power, and his belief in fate contributed to his downfall; - Peer/self evaluating the learning in the lesson. Included in this resource pack are: - A well-presented, thorough, and informative, whole-lesson PowerPoint presentation; - Resources for the reading and interpreting activity - full scene transcript with space for notes; - A template and instructions for the ‘Mood Mapping’ task; - A template to help scaffold the main task, complete with P.E.E instructions; - A comprehensive teacher guidance form/lesson plan to assist delivery. All images in this resource are licensed for commercial use, and are cited on the final slide of the lesson presentation.

This engaging and thought-provoking triple-lesson resource aids students in developing a secure understanding of the chapters 4 to 6 of Katherine Rundell’s 'Rooftoppers.’ The comprehensive and colourful PowerPoint presentation enables students to understand the text through: -Making predictions; -Retrieving information; -Explaining key ideas. The sessions include a range of retrieval, vocabulary, inference, explanation and deeper thinking activities. A clear, colourful and comprehensive PowerPoint presentation guides students through the learning. The lesson also includes an answer key for the retrieval questions, and model answer ideas for the more detailed responses. There’s a lot here (20 slides in total) so I would recommend breaking into two or even three separate lessons. The lessons are suitable for students in either upper KS2 or lower KS3, depending upon the individual context of the school and students. I originally used them with year 5 and 6 children.

This engaging and thought-provoking triple-lesson resource aids students in developing a secure understanding of the chapters 13 to 15 of Katherine Rundell’s 'Rooftoppers.’ The comprehensive and colourful PowerPoint presentation enables students to understand the text through: -Retrieving information; -Inferring and explaining; -Sequencing events from the text. The sessions include a range of retrieval, vocabulary, inference, explanation and deeper thinking activities. A clear, colourful and comprehensive PowerPoint presentation guides students through the learning. The lesson also includes an answer key for the retrieval questions, and model answer ideas for the more detailed responses, in addition to a template for the ‘deeper thinking’ character analysis profile task (provided in both Word and PDF). There’s a lot here (21 slides in total) so I would recommend breaking into two or even three separate lessons. The lessons are suitable for students in either upper KS2 or lower KS3, depending upon the individual context of the school and students. I originally used them with year 5 and 6 children.

This engaging and informative lesson enables students to develop a detailed understanding of the leading protagonist in William Shakespeare’s The Tempest: Prospero. In particular, students make precise interpretations regarding Prospero’s characterisation and involvement in key plot events, before demonstrating a clear perception of his mannerisms, emotions and motivations through progressively more difficult learning activities. The lesson follows a step-by-step learning journey, in which students learn through: Understanding the roles that betrayal and loyalty play in driving Prospero’s actions; Reading and comprehending key Propsero quotations, using these to infer and interpret key elements of his characterisation; Using textual exploration to discover how Prospero is developed over the course of the play; Completing a range of activities based on Bloom’s Taxonomy to demonstrate understanding of Prospero’s character; Showing empathy for and understanding of Prospero’s character, through a fun hot-seating activity; Self-assessing their learning throughout the lesson; Included is: Whole lesson PowerPoint - colourful and comprehensive; Quotation Stations Log; Prospero Key Quotes; Extracts from Later Scenes (freely available online); Prospero Bloom’s Taxonomy Activities Worksheet; Comprehensive lesson plan. Resources are provided in PDF (to maintain formatting) and Word (so that they are easily editable - they can be found in the zipfile) The lesson contains opportunities for group learning, speaking and listening, peer assessment, and whole class discussion. I originally used these resources with year 10 and 11 classes, however colleagues have used them for between year 9 and year 13 with some adaptations. All images are licensed for commercial use, and image rights are listed on the last page of the presentation.

This resource booklet contains a wide range of age-appropriate, engaging, and meaningful comprehension activities for use throughout the reading of Willy Russell’s play ‘Blood Brothers.’ Teachers have found them particularly useful in exam revision, comprehension tasks, or guided reading sessions. They are perfect for aiding the progress of students towards meeting the KS4 expectations within the new National Curriculum framework - this makes the tasks suitable for all examining bodies. Students have found these resources extremely engaging, and for teachers there is explicit information within each task regarding which comprehension strands the task is designed to demonstrate. They also relate to key extracts, characters, and themes from the story, ensuring that students gain a deep understanding of the text. Activities within the booklet include: ‘Context: 1980s Britain/ Liverpool’ - to aid students with ‘Drawing on knowledge of the purpose, audience and context of the writing, including its social, historical and cultural context and the literary tradition to which it belongs, to inform evaluation;’ ‘Russell’s Dramatic Devices’ - to aid students with ‘Analysing a writer’s choice of vocabulary, form, grammatical and structural features, and evaluating their effectiveness and impact;’ ‘Edward’, ‘Mickey’, and ‘Mrs Lyons’ - to aid students with ‘Seeking evidence in the text to support a point of view, including justifying inferences with evidence;’ ‘Editing the Play’ - to aid students with ‘Making an informed personal response, recognising that other responses to a text are possible and evaluating these.’ Plus many, many more activities (the booklet is 30 pages in length!) I’ve also added it as a PDF in case the formatting differs on your computer. All images are licensed for commercial use, and are cited on a separate document (included).

Based on the popular game show ‘Pointless’, this resource is perfect for use as a whole lesson resource, enrichment option, or revision tool. Editable, so that you can change to any other topic or change questions. (I’ve also added a blank template so that you can make your own games from scratch). Containing almost 30 slides of sound clips, interesting tasks, and suitably challenging questions, this resource is effective at both promoting engagement and enhancing learning. There are several full rounds of questions to build or revisit knowledge of characters, plot, and themes in ‘Animal Farm.’ Round 1. The characters in Animal Farm Round 2. Quotations from the text Round 3. Settings and Objects Round 4. Themes in Animal Farm The nature of this game ensures that the resource can challenge students of all levels. A blank template has also been added, so that you can create your own games!

This engaging and thought-provoking double-lesson resource aids students in developing a secure understanding of the chapters 7 to 8 of Emma Carroll’s 'Secrets of a Sun King.’ In this section of the text, Lil reads the translation detailing Kyky’s chariot accident, and learns that her parents have been hiding a secret from her about a baby boy born in 1899. The comprehensive and colourful PowerPoint presentation enables students to understand the text through: -Retrieving information; -Inferring and deducing hidden meanings; -Making predictions based on clues in the text. The sessions include a range of retrieval, vocabulary, inference, explanation and deeper thinking activities. A clear, colourful and comprehensive PowerPoint presentation guides students through the learning. There’s a lot in the session (18 slides in total) so I would recommend breaking into two lessons. The lessons are most suitable for children in key stage 2, (they were originally used for those in years 4 and 5).

Based on the popular game show ‘Pointless’, this resource is perfect for use as a whole lesson resource, enrichment option, or revision tool. Editable, so that you can change to any other topic or change questions. (I’ve also added a blank template so that you can make your own games from scratch). Containing almost 30 slides of sound clips and suitably challenging questions, this resource is effective at both promoting engagement and enhancing learning. There are several full rounds of questions to build or revisit knowledge of characters, plot, and themes in ‘To Kill A Mockingbird.’ Round 1. The characters in To Kill A Mockingbird Round 2. Quotations from the text Round 3. Settings and Objects Round 4. Themes in To Kill A Mockingbird The nature of this game ensures that the resource can challenge students of all levels. A blank template has also been added, so that you can create your own games!

This engaging and informative lesson enables students to make clear, detailed and well-informed interpretations of Scout Finch’s development as a character throughout To Kill a Mockingbird. In particular, students develop their background understanding of how her character is introduced, before plotting her development against the different stages of protagonists in Bildungsroman novels. The lesson follows a step-by-step learning journey, in which children learn through: Taking part in a fun quiz in order to gain/recap knowledge about Scout Finch’s background information (e.g. family history, family members, etc.); Reading selected extracts from the text and answering comprehension questions about Scout’s introduction at the start of the novel; Understanding the different stages of development in the Bildungsroman genre, and plotting Scout’s development against this; Understanding Lee’s intentions/messages in presenting Scout in the way that she did; Using knowledge of protagonist development and structure in order to create their own Bildungsroman storyboard templates; Peer assessing each other’s learning attempts. Included is: Whole lesson PowerPoint - colourful and comprehensive; Interesting Scout Finch development worksheet; Selected extract (from chapter 2); Storyboard template Comprehensive lesson plan. There are also opportunities for group learning, speaking and listening, peer assessment, and whole class discussion. I originally used these resources with year 10 and 11 classes, however colleagues have used them for between year 8 and year 13 with some adaptations. All images are licensed for commercial use, and image rights are listed on the last page of the presentation.

This detailed and visually-appealing resource offers a complete reference point for students learning or revising Caleb Femi’s poem 'Thirteen.’ It contains comprehensive sections on: -Context; -Line-by-Line Analysis; -Poetic Devices/ Language Devices; -Themes; -Form/Structure; -Poems for Comparison; -Links to Further Reading. The organiser is perfect for those studying the ‘Worlds and Lives’ anthology. Key words and ideas are underlined for easy reference. The resource is designed to be printed onto either A4 or A3, and is provided as both a PDF and a Word version (so that you can edit if you want to). All images used are licensed for commercial use.

This detailed and visually-appealing resource offers a complete reference point for students learning or revising Martin Carter’s poem 'Looking at Your Hands.’ It contains comprehensive sections on: Context; Line-by-Line Analysis; Poetic Devices/ Language Devices; Themes; Form/Structure; Poems for Comparison; Links to Wider Reading. Key words and ideas are underlined for easy reference. The resource is designed to be printed onto A3 or A4, and is provided as both a PDF and a Word version (so that you can edit if you want to). All images used are licensed for commercial use.