This interesting and engaging lesson enables students to know what colons and semi-colons are and when they should be used, to understand the effect of colons and semi-colons in the writing of others, and to use subtle and appropriate colons and semi-colons in their own writing. Over the course of their learning journey, students: - Define and exemplify what colons and semi-colons are; - Identify where colons and semi-colons should be placed in writing; - Place colons and semi-colons into unpunctuated sentences correctly; - Analyse the effect of colons and semi-colons upon sentences and wider texts; - Use colons and semi-colons accurately and with subtlety in their own writing; - Peer and self assess each other’s writing attempts. The resources include: -Visually engaging whole-lesson PowerPoint; -Placing Colons and Semi-colons’ worksheet (and teacher answer sheet); -A model example of a colon and semi-colon filled piece of writing for analysis; -Helpful and comprehensive step-by-step lesson plan. All images are licensed for commercial use, and are cited on the final page of the slide.

This resource booklet contains a wide range of age-appropriate, engaging, and meaningful comprehension activities for use throughout the reading of William Golding’s ‘Lord of the Flies.’ 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: The Barbaric Nature of World War II’ - 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;’ - ‘Golding’s Description’ - to aid students with ‘Analysing a writer’s choice of vocabulary, form, grammatical and structural features, and evaluating their effectiveness and impact;’ - ‘Jack’ and ‘Simon’ - 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 detailed and visually-appealing resource offers a complete reference point for students learning or revising Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein.' It contains comprehensive sections on: - Context; - Chapter by Chapter Summary (with quotes); - Main Characters; - Themes; - Shelley's Language Devices; - Features of Gothic Novels. 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 engaging and informative lesson enables students to make clear, detailed and well-informed interpretations of Portia in Shakespeare’s ‘The Merchant of Venice.’ In particular, students develop their contextual understanding of the role of women in Shakespeare’s time, make precise interpretations about her character using evidence from the play, and link their understanding to their knowledge of social and historical context. The lesson follows a step-by-step learning journey, in which children learn through: Knowledge harvesting their understanding of the role of women in Shakespeare’s era; Researching and sharing multiple aspects of life for women in Shakespeare’s era; Reading selected quotations from the play and interpreting what these reveal about Portia’s character; Linking their knowledge of Portia’s character to their understanding of historical context; Peer assessing each others learning attempts; Included is: Whole lesson PowerPoint - colourful and comprehensive; Researching context worksheet; Essay template Comprehensive lesson plan. Resources are provided in PDF (to maintain formatting), Word (so that they are easily editable) and also in zipfiles. 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.

A learning mat/ helpsheet to aid children when writing informal letters. Includes how to structure an informal letter, a model example, plus features of content and language to include. Included in PDF (to prevent formatting issues between computers) and Word (so that you can edit it if you need to). Please also take a look at my ‘Informal Letter Writing’ lesson, which utilises this resources alongside many others. Thank you!

This resource booklet contains a wide range of age-appropriate, engaging, and meaningful comprehension activities for use throughout the reading of David Walliams' 'Billionaire Boy.' Teachers have found them particularly useful in comprehension or guided reading sessions. They are perfect for aiding the progress of children towards meeting the upper KS2 expectations within the new National Curriculum framework. Children love learning from these resources, whilst they are also of great use to teachers, as 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 children gain a deep understanding of the text. Activities within the booklet include: - 'An Interview with Joe Spud' - to enable students to demonstrate that they can: 'Understand what is read by drawing on information from more than one paragraph, identifying key details that support the main ideas, and using quotations for illustration;' - 'Walliams' Description' - to enable students to demonstrate that they can: 'Explain meanings of words that they know and ask the meaning of new words. Link the meaning of new words to words that they already know;' - 'The Grubbs!' - to enable students to demonstrate that they can: 'Understand what is read by drawing on information from more than one paragraph, identifying key details that support the main ideas, and using quotations for illustration;' - 'Figurative Language in Billionaire Boy' - to enable students to demonstrate that they can: 'Discuss and evaluate how authors use language, including figurative language, to create an impact on the reader.' Plus many, many more activities (the booklet is 21 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 16-page resource booklet contains a wide range of challenging and engaging comprehension activities for use throughout the reading of Wilfred Owen’s power and conflict poem Exposure.’ 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. It is provided in both Word (to allow for easy editing) and PDF (to ensure for consistency of formatting between computers). Activities within the booklet include (amongst many others): ‘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.’

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 ‘Holes.’ Round 1. The characters in Holes Round 2. Quotations from the text Round 3. Settings and Objects Round 4. Themes in Holes 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 detailed lesson enables students to gain a deep understanding of the Greek Myth ‘Theseus and The Minotaur.’ In doing so, students learn to interpret and infer the key meanings in a myth, analyse the descriptive language in a myth, and use descriptive language to describe their own ancient Greek monster. 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 terms ‘adjective’ and ‘synonym’ and use these appropriately and imaginatively to describe an image of the Minotaur; - Read the story ‘Theseus and The Minotaur’ and interpret the key meanings; - Identify, understand, and analyse the descriptive language in ‘Theseus and The Minotaur;’ - Apply their understanding of descriptive techniques by creating and describing their own mythical beast, using a model example, a success criteria, and a scaffold; - Peer assess each other’s descriptive attempts. This resource pack includes: - A visually engaging whole-lesson PowerPoint presentation; - Paper copies and online links to the extract needed for the lesson; - Understanding Descriptive Language worksheet; - Creating a Beast Template, and model example; - 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 interesting and highly-stimulating lesson enables students to gain a clear understanding of key information regarding the historical and cultural context of Ancient Greece. They also learn to logically organise the key information that they gather, and make clear links between Greek myths and their newly-gained understanding of context. This lesson enables them to construct a solid foundation of contextual understanding for future deeper learning of Greek myths. 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: - Read and interpret key information regarding Ancient Greek gods, geography, culture, and landmarks; - Share their understanding through engagement in a jigsaw model task; -Order key events in Ancient Greek History through the creation of a dated timeline; - Link their understanding of historical and cultural context to an independently-researched Greek Myth; -Peer assess each other’s learning attempts. This resource pack includes: - A visually engaging whole-lesson PowerPoint presentation; - Key information sheets on Ancient Greek gods, geography, culture, and landmarks; - Ancient Greece Timeline Events Cards (and answer sheet for teachers); - 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. Note: The final two tasks work best with access to ICT/internet resources.

This detailed and visually-appealing resource offers a complete reference point for students learning or revising John Keats’ poem 'Bright Star.’ 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, 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 informative, engaging CPD session is intended to offer a valuable introduction to phonics for teachers and support staff. It aims to enable participants to: -To understand what phonics are and understand why they are widely used; -To grasp key phonics terminology and apply it in different contexts; -To break down the key phonics stages, comprehending how skills develop. The session is aimed at those who are new to phonics. I myself moved from secondary to primary, and can understand how daunting phonics schemes can appear! These resources, whilst detailed, present ideas in a simple way, helping to make key ideas understandable. Included is: A 27-slide colourful, clear PowerPoint presentation, including post-CPD quiz; Resources for an optional card-sorting activity, to learn appropriate phonics terminology; A comprehensive phonics helpsheet, detailing most of the main points from the session. I hope that you find these resources helpful. Many thanks!

This stimulating and informative lesson develops students’ skill in creating non-chronological reports that precisely meet the content, language and structural features of the form. In particular, they gain an in-depth understanding of how non-chronological reports are ordinarily set out on the page, what information should be included within them, and what style they should be written in, in order to meet form and purpose. These resources contain 3 example non-chronological reports, differentiated by the accessibility of their language. Students follow a clear and logical learning journey, in which they: -Define what non-chronological letters are and clarify their purpose; Establish the structural features of non-chronological letters; -Work collaboratively to identify and analyse the content and language features in further model examples of non-chronological reports; -Create a success criteria for effective non-chronological reports; -Write their own non-chronological reports, using a planning sheet (if needed) and the techniques that they have learnt; -Peer/self-assess their writing attempts. There are enough resources here really for two lessons, including: -Visually engaging whole-lesson PowerPoint; -Non-chronological reports x 3 (based on tennis, great white sharks, and Dubai) -Non-chronological reports structure worksheet; -Non chronological reports planning sheet; -Step-by-step lesson plan. All images are licensed for commercial use, and are cited on the final page of the slide.

This engaging and informative lesson enables students to make clear, detailed and well-informed interpretations of Tommy’s characterisation in ‘Never Let Me Go.’ In particular, students develop their understanding of how his character is introduced and developed, drawing on a varied range of textual evidence from across the novel, before demonstrating their understanding of how the character reflects Ishiguro’s intentions. The lesson follows a step-by-step learning journey, in which children learn through: Reading an extract detailing Tommy’s introduction in the novel and answering comprehension questions about the initial portrayal of his character; Reading around quotations in order to track how Tommy’s characterisation is developed over the course of the novel; Understanding how Tommy reflects Ishiguro’s key meanings and ideas; Using their deep understanding of Tommy’s character to write a diary entry from his viewpoint; Peer assessing each other’s learning attempts. Included is: Whole lesson PowerPoint - colourful and comprehensive; Quote Interpretation worksheet; Selected extract (from chapter 1); Diary writing succcess criteria; 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 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 detailed and visually-appealing resource offers a complete reference point for students learning or revising Kazuo Ishiguro’s ‘Never Let Me Go.’ It contains comprehensive sections on: Context; Chapter by Chapter Summary (with quotes); Main Characters; Themes; Ishiguro’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).