This engaging, in-depth lesson enables students to understand how the plot events in the wedding scene create a sense of climax throughout Act IV Scene I of Much Ado About Nothing. In particular, the lesson focuses upon the language used by Claudio and Leonato to denounce Hero (with links to the expectations within the social/historical context of the renaissance), the dramatic response to the allegations, and Benedick's altering priorities. The lesson follows a step-by-step learning journey, in which students learn through: - Identifying the key events of the plot leading up to the wedding scene. - Reading and comprehending the predominant plot events in Act IV Scene I. - Understanding the idea of the patriarchal family society, and considering the accusations directed at Hero in light of this. - Completing an essay style response in which they consider how the key plot events contribute to a sense of climax within the scene. - Peer assessing each other's learning attempts. Included is: - Whole lesson PowerPoint - colourful and detailed - just download and teach from it! - Cards for card-sorting activity; - Wedding Scene worksheet (and teacher answer sheet); - Analysis template with success criteria for creating well-structured responses; - Comprehensive lesson plan.

This full double lesson (the resources require at least 2 hours of teaching time) provides an engaging and highly-informative study of Margaret Postgate Cole's war poem 'The Falling Leaves.' Students learn to analyse the poem in terms of content, language, and structure, learn more about the context of World War I, and gain crucial skills in structuring analytical responses to texts. Included is: - Whole lesson PowerPoint - colourful and substantial; - Engagement quiz to learn more about the context of WWI; - Copy of poem with devices identification task and structural questions; - 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 a middle-ability year 10 group, but can easily be differentiated for groups of different ages and abilities. All images are licensed for commercial use, and image rights are listed on the last page of the presentation. -

Perfect for use when teaching writing to persuade or argue, this lesson utilises a wide range of teaching strategies to enable students to gain authority over their target audiences. The students who I have taught this lesson before have found it enjoyable and engaging - particularly enjoying the use of videos to see some of the techniques in action! Throughout the lesson, the learning journey that the students follow enables them to: - Define the key terms 'Argue', 'Persuade' and 'Authority.' - Consider famous individuals that are effective at gaining authority; - Link key techniques to their definition and examples; - Identify key techniques in videos (Dave Gorman, Dragon's Den, etc.) and analyse why they are effective; - Write their own authority-filled persuasive piece using a success criteria; - Peer assess their partner's writing attempts. The resource is made up of: - A visual and engaging Powerpoint presentation, which walks teachers and students through the lesson in a step-by-step fashion - Hyperlinks to all of the online video resources that you will need - A key techniques activity worksheet - An analysis worksheet - A full lesson plan/ teacher guidance. All images are cited on the final slide and are licensed for commercial use.

This whole class reading session aims to develop children’s comprehension skills through a reading of Christina Balit’s Escape from Pompeii. The resource pack includes the extract and all of the activities for the session, which the class are guided through via a comprehensive PowerPoint presentation. This 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 session is best suited for children in years 4-6, although with minor adaptations it could feasibly be used with slightly younger and older year groups.

This 16-page resource booklet contains a wide range of age-appropriate, engaging, and meaningful comprehension activities for use throughout the reading of William Blake’s power and conflict poem ‘A Poison Tree.’ Teachers have found them particularly useful throughout teaching, or for exam revision or guided reading sessions. They are perfect for aiding the progress of students towards meeting the key English Literature assessment objectives - suitable for all examining bodies. Students have found these resources extremely engaging, and it is clearly highlighted within each task regarding which assessment strands the task is designed to demonstrate. Activities within the booklet include: ‘Analysing Context’ - helping students to ‘Show understanding of the relationships between texts and the contexts in which they were written.’ ‘Analysing Subject Matter, Language and Structure’ - to help students to ‘Analyse the language, form and structure used by a writer to create meanings and effects, using relevant subject terminology where appropriate.’ ‘Diary Entry’ - to help students to ‘Use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate spelling and punctuation. Make an informed personal response, recognising that other responses to a text are possible and evaluating these. ‘The Speaker’ - to help students to ‘Read, understand and respond to texts. Students should be able to: maintain a critical style and develop an informed personal response use textual references, including quotations, to support and illustrate interpretations.’ Plus many, many more activities. I’ve also added it as a PDF in case the formatting differs on your computer.

This detailed and visually-appealing resource offers a complete reference point for students learning or revising Gillian Clarke’s power and conflict poem 'Catrin.’ 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 whole class reading session aims to develop children’s comprehension skills through a reading of the opening chapter of Eva Ibbotson’s 'Journey to the River Sea.’ The resource pack includes the extract and all of the activities for the session, which the class are guided through via a comprehensive PowerPoint presentation. 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 session is best suited for children in KS2. I originally used this with Year 4-5 children, although with minor adaptations it could feasibly be used with slightly younger and older year groups. The session is also suitable for home/ remote learning.

This whole class reading session aims to develop children’s comprehension skills through a reading of the prologue and opening chapter of Abi Elphinstone’s ‘Sky Song.’ The resource pack includes the extract and all of the activities for the session, which the class are guided through via a comprehensive PowerPoint presentation. 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 session is best suited for children in Years 4-6, but it could feasibly be used with slightly younger and older year groups. The session is also suitable for home/ remote learning.

This whole class reading session aims to develop children’s comprehension skills through a reading of the opening two chapters of ‘Journey to the Centre of the Earth’ by Jules Verne. The resource pack includes the extract and all of the activities for the session, which the class are guided through via a comprehensive PowerPoint presentation. 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 session is best suited for children in years 5-9. The session is suitable for home/ remote learning. The resources are suitable for home/ remote learning.

This whole class reading session aims to develop children’s comprehension skills through a reading of the section of Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist in which Oliver asks for some more food. The resource pack includes the extract needed, which is child-friendly in that it provides definitions of the more difficult/ outdated vocabulary. The reading is followed by a series of activities aiming to develop children’s retrieval, explanation, inference, sequencing and summarising skills. A vocabulary check helps to secure children’s understanding of any new or unfamiliar language. The tasks are comprised of quick-check questions, solo thinking, pair/ group discussions and deeper thinking activities. The session is best suited for children in years 5-6, although with minor adaptations it could feasibly be used with slightly younger and older year groups.

This whole class reading session aims to develop children’s fluency and comprehension skills through reading the opening to Michael Morpurgo’s ‘Why the Whales Came.’ 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 extract needed is provided as a PDF. The session is best suited for children in years 4-6, although with minor adaptations it could feasibly be used with slightly younger and older year groups.

This resource pack of 2 whole class reading sessions aims to develop children’s fluency and comprehension skills, through reading Stella Fry’s 'Grandpa’s Garden.’ The text reinforces science learning about seasonal changes, plants, and living things and their habitats. Children read the text (hyperlinked - free to read on Epic) in two stages. Each 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 sessions are 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 resource pack of 2 whole class reading sessions aims to develop children’s fluency and comprehension skills through reading Giles Andrede’s Giraffes Can’t Dance.’ Children read the text (hyperlinked) in two stages. Each 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 sessions are 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 detailed and visually-appealing resource offers a complete reference point for students learning or revising Michael Morpugo’s ‘War Horse.’ It contains comprehensive sections on: Context; Chapter by Chapter Summary (with quotes); Main Characters; Themes; Morpugo’s Language Devices; Influences on the Writer. 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 resource booklet contains a wide range of age-appropriate, engaging, and original comprehension activities for use throughout the reading of H.G. Wells’ ‘The War of the Worlds.’ 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 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: Victorian Britain - 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;’ ‘Wells’ Description’ - to aid students with ‘Analysing a writer’s choice of vocabulary, form, grammatical and structural features, and evaluating their effectiveness and impact;’ ‘The Artilleryman’, ‘The Martians’ and ‘The Narrator’s Brother’ - to aid students with ‘Seeking evidence in the text to support a point of view, including justifying inferences with evidence;’ ‘Editing the Text’ - 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 around 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).

This resource booklet contains a wide range of age-appropriate, engaging, and meaningful comprehension activities for use throughout the reading of Robert Louis Stevenson’s ‘Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.’ 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: 19th Century England’ - 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;’ - ‘Stevenson’s Description’ - to aid students with ‘Analysing a writer’s choice of vocabulary, form, grammatical and structural features, and evaluating their effectiveness and impact;’ - ‘Mr Hyde’ - to aid students with ‘Seeking evidence in the text to support a point of view, including justifying inferences with evidence;’ - ‘Editing the Novel’ - 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 around 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).

This detailed and visually-appealing resource offers a complete reference point for students learning or revising Roald Dahl’s ‘Boy: Tales of Childhood’. It contains comprehensive sections on: Context; Section by Section Summary (with quotes); Main Characters; Themes; Dahl’s Literary Devices; Features of Autobiography. All key words and ideas are compartmentalised 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. It is suitable for all students of varied ages, but was originally made for those between years 6-9.

This whole class reading session aims to develop children’s fluency and comprehension skills through reading William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18: ‘Shall I Compare thee to a Summer’s Day?’ The reading is followed by a series of activities aiming to develop comprehension skills through VIPERS activities: vocabulary, inference, prediction, explanation, retrieval, and summarising. It also contains a vocabulary check and key context information to clarify any unfamiliar language and subject matter. The tasks are comprised of quick-check questions, solo thinking, pair/ group discussions and deeper thinking activities. The extract needed is provided in both Word and PDF, and I’ve also a link to a web-based version of the poem on the first slide. The session is tried and tested, and was initially delivered to a strong year 6 class, although with only minor adaptations I believe the questions and content would be suitable for those in years 5-8.

This engaging and thought-provoking lesson aids students in developing a secure understanding of Chapter 4 of Ted Hughes’ 'The Iron Man.’ This chapter is entitled ‘The Space Being and the Iron Man.’ The resources guide the children along a learning journey in which they understand the text through: -Retrieving information; -Making predictions; -Comparing and contrasting characters; -Analysing language. Children are guided through the lesson via a colourful and comprehensive PowerPoint presentation, which includes a range of thought-provoking activities and model examples/ answers. The tasks are comprised of retrieval, vocabulary, inference, summarising, explaining and deeper thinking activities. Children also get the opportunity to partake in a creative activity at the end of the lesson - a blank newspaper template is provided in both Word and PDF for this task. There’s a lot in the session (16 slides in total) so you may wish to either select the content that is pertinent to you/ your class or spread the lesson resource over two sessions. The resource is ideally pitched for children in lower KS2, but could feasibly be used with slightly older or younger children, depending upon the individual context of the school and students.

This engaging and thought-provoking double-lesson resource aids students in developing a secure understanding of the chapters 3 to 4 of Roald Dahl’s 'Matilda.’ The chapters covered in these lessons are ‘The Hat and the Superglue’ and ‘The Ghost.’ The lessons are guided by a comprehensive and colourful PowerPoint presentation, and enables students to understand the text through: -Retrieving information; -Inferring and deducing hidden meanings; -Analysing the writer’s use of language. 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 is also a success criteria helpsheet (provided as Word and PDF) included to assist with the end-of-session creative task. 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).