This informative and engaging double lesson aims to improve students’ ability to compare and contrast two different texts based on a similar subject. They will focus particularly on the purpose, audience, language, and structure of texts, and will learn to use comparing and contrasting connectives to highlight any similarities and differences. This has always been a crucial skill in English, but has an increased importance in the new GCSE for English Language, as there is a greater requirement for students to be able to make links and comparisons between texts. The lesson follows a clear and logical learning journey, with students learning to: - Understand the key terms 'compare' and 'contrast', and the importance of these skills in English; - Categorise the different features that they can compare, under the headings 'Purpose', 'Audience', 'Language' and 'Structure;' - Read (and identify the key features within) two morally and ethically intriguing texts, offering diverse views of young people in the media; -Compare the two texts, using a clear and concise template, and newly-acquired knowledge of different types of connectives; - Peer-assess each other's comparative essay attempts. Included in this resource pack are: - Whole double lesson, colourful and engaging PowerPoint presentation (Including assessment for learning referral slides) - Cards for card-sorting activity; - Two interesting and thought-provoking non-fiction media extracts (one a newspaper extract from The Evening Standard, and another a persuasive leaflet, both focused on the issue of how young people are perceived.) - Template for main comparative analysis task; - Full teacher guidance plan. All images are licensed for commercial use and are cited on the final slide of the PowerPoint presentation

In this engaging lesson, students are introduced to the story of Moses and the Burning Bush. They are encouraged to think deeply about the meanings that can be taken from the story, and consider the main ‘turning points’ in their own lives and the lives of others. The learning is guided by a clear and colourful PowerPoint presentation, which guides students through the following step-by-step journey: -Knowledge recall - gauging children’s prior knowledge of Judaism - including Jewish persecution in Egypt and Moses’ early life; -Reading the story of Moses and the Burning Bush - pausing for reflective thought by engaging with the embedded questions; -Considering the deeper meanings and morals of the story - including Moses’ killing of the Egyptian and his worries about leading the Israelites; -Considering their own attitudes towards the events and characters in the story; -Comparing Moses’ turning point with turning points from other religions; -Thinking of how turning points in their own lives have affected them; -Completing a plenary to assess their understanding. This resource pack contains a comprehensive 15-slide Powerpoint and the story/ consideration questions (in both Word and PDF). In the past, I have used this lesson with children from across Key Stage 2 - the key learning is aligned with curriculum expectations for RE, and also the content prescribed by most diocese regions. All images are licensed for commercial use.

This engaging and informative lesson enables students to make precise interpretations of the descriptive language used by Philip Pullman in his descriptions of settings in ‘Northern Lights.’ They also learn how the depiction of settings can have a profound impact upon the tone and atmosphere of a novel, and apply this understanding (along with their knowledge of the key language devices) to form their own vivid and imaginative descriptions of places. The lesson follows a step-by-step learning journey, in which children learn through: Understanding the power of places and settings, especially the impact that they have on atmosphere and tone; Defining each of the different types of descriptive devices, through completing an interactive group activity; Reading extracts from the text in which Pullman describes ‘The North’ and ‘The Bear Palace,’ and identifying the language techniques used to paint an image of place in the minds of the readers; Analysing the effectiveness of each of Pullman’s descriptive devices; Creating their own description of an awe-inspiring place, utilising appropriate and effective descriptive devices throughout; Peer assessing each other’s learning attempts. Included is: Whole lesson PowerPoint - colourful and comprehensive; Cards for the Card Sorting Activity;’ Extracts from Northern Lights; ‘Bear Palace’ analysis worksheet; Writing to Describe Helpsheet All resources are provided in Word (for easy editing) and PDF (to ensure formatting remains fixed between different computers). There are also opportunities for group learning, speaking and listening, peer assessment, and whole class discussion. I originally used these resources with year 7/8 classes, however colleagues have used them for between years 5 and 10 with some adaptations. The PowerPoint is in the zip file. All images are liensed for commercial use, and image rights are listed on the last page of the presentation.

This interesting and highly stimulating lesson enables students to demonstrate a developed and sustained understanding of the effect of figurative language in popular music texts. In particular, students learn to explore the meanings behind similes and metaphors across songs from a range of genres, considering the effect upon the whole text and the intended audience. As one would expect, Students love learning about similes and metaphors through popular music, and this lesson can really help to open students’ eyes to how language can be crafted for effect. This has numerous benefits in later poetry and descriptive writing lessons. 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 and identify similes and metaphors; - Explain the similarities and differences between songs and poetry; - Observe and listen to several examples of similes and metaphors in popular music examples; - Understand and analyse the effect of similes and metaphors upon meanings and the reader; - Apply their knowledge of why similes and metaphors are used to a range of contexts and musical genres; - Collaborate and present their key findings about similes and metaphors in songs to their classmates; - Self-assess their learning attempts. This resource pack includes: - A visually engaging whole-lesson PowerPoint presentation; - Link to an online compilation video of similes and metaphors in popular music; - 3 x lyrics analysis worksheets of varying difficulties (Katy Perry, Train, and Florence and the Machine - all clean) - 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 describe and understand the key human and physical geography features of Egypt. Whilst gaining a wide range of knowledge about the biomes, rivers, lakes, climates and cities of Egypt, students also become familiar with a wide range of vocabulary pertinent to the KS2/KS3 geography curriculum. The lesson follows a clear, logical, bite-size learning journey, which guides students towards relevant and constructive learning objectives. Over the course of this journey, they become able to: -Remember key facts about the African continent to contextualise their learning; -Learn key facts about the area, population and main features of Egypt; -Explore further information about the climate and biomes of Egypt through watching a thought-provoking video; -Identify and range of physical and human geography features on a map-building task; -Partake in deeper thinking activities about population density and trade in Egypt; -Self-assess their progress using the learning objectives. The lesson requires access to atlases and/or web-searching devices. This resource pack includes: -A visually engaging whole-lesson PowerPoint presentation (14 slides); -A blank map for the Egypt map-building activity (in Word and PDF); The resources within this lesson can be easily adapted to suit home/remote learning.

This whole class reading session aims to develop children’s fluency and comprehension skills whilst developing their understanding of kennings poems. The pack includes 4 original kennings poems (about the Moon, rivers, rocks and the internet). Please note that these kennings employ the correct meaning of a ‘compound (often figurative) in place of a more concrete single-word noun’ - therefore not necessarily two words per line. The reading is followed by a series of activities aiming to develop children’s VIPERS skills: vocabulary, inference, prediction, explanation, retrieval, sequencing and summarising. 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 in both PDF and Word format. The session is best suited for children across KS2, I have previously used the resources with years 3, 4, and 5.

This interesting and highly-stimulating lesson enables students to describe and understand the key aspects of physical geography (e.g. climates, vegetation belts, flora, fauna, mountains, and rivers) and human geography (e.g. types of settlement, populations, use of resources, and trade) in the vast and varied continent of Africa. Whilst gaining a wide range of knowledge about the content, students also become familiar with a wide range of vocabulary pertinent to the geography curriculum. The lesson follows a clear, logical, bite-size learning journey, which guides students towards relevant and constructive learning objectives. Over the course of this journey, they become able to: Identify Africa on a map, and identify the countries and regions within the continent; Understand key information about the physical and human geography of the continent, through a fun, interactive quiz; Retrieve, share, and describe their understanding of the physical and human geography of specific locations in Africa (Sahara Desert, Cape Town, The African Savanna and the Mount Kilimanjaro) through a jigsaw model task; Complete a case study of the physical and human geography of their own place in Africa, and describe their findings to others; -Peer assess each others’ descriptions using the learning objectives. This resource pack includes: A visually engaging whole-lesson PowerPoint presentation; Key case-study information sheets on the Sahara Desert, Cape Town, the African Savanna and Mount Kilimanjaro (in both PDF and Word - inside the zip-folder); A blank case study template. All images are licensed for commercial use. Note: The final task works best with access to ICT/internet resources. This resources within this lesson can be easily adapted to suit home/remote learning.

These resources enable students to understand and analyse the characteristics of Napoleon’s dictatorship in George Orwell’s Animal Farm. In addition, students learn to make clear and accurate interpretations regarding the events of the chapters 5 and 6, (as Napoleon’s dictatorship begins to emerge) and make appropriate links to individual characters and their allegorical relationship to context. As these chapters signal the end of the animal democracy on the farm, and the start of Napoleon’s totalitarian dictatorship, a heavy emphasis throughout these resources is placed upon the character of Napoleon - particularly with regards to his similarities with Joseph Stalin. There are easily enough resources for two lessons within this pack. Students learn through the following tasks: - Gauging and collaborating prior knowledge through a discussion-based starter task; - Gauging their knowledge of key terms such as ‘totalitarian’ and ‘oppression’ through a collaborative card-sorting activity; - Reading chapters 5 and 6 and demonstrating their understanding through an apt and informative worksheet; - Developing their understanding of the main character of Snowball, and his allegorical equivalent, Joseph Stalin, through a comparison task; - Analysing the links between Napoleon and Stalin in chapters 5 and 6, using a templated writing frame; - Peer assessing their partners’ learning attempts. The following resources are provided: - Engaging and colourful step-by-step PowerPoint; - Cards for card-sorting activity; - Teacher lesson guidance/plan; - Analytical paragraphs worksheet; - Pictures for comparison task; - Copies of Chapters 5 and 6. All images are licensed for commercial use, and are cited on the final slide of the PowerPoint.

This detailed and visually-appealing resource offers a complete reference point for students learning about/ revising their understanding of Islam. It contains comprehensive sections under the following headings: -Islam Overview; -Islamic Beliefs; -Islam Timeline; -Key Vocabulary; -Top Ten Facts; -Answers to the Important Questions. 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).

This detailed and visually-appealing resource offers a complete reference point for students learning or revising Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol.' It contains comprehensive sections on: - Context; - Chapter by Chapter Summary (with quotes); - Main Characters; - Themes; - Features of Structure; - Dickens' Literary Devices. 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 fun and original assembly aims to inspire children to be aspirational, through: -Understanding what aspiration is and recognising why it is important; -Finding out about successful and inspirational people who have been aspirational, gone on inspiring journeys and reached their goals (examples include Ed Sheeran, Beth Mead and Malala Yousafzai); -Demonstrating the power of aspiration through a powerful video - followed by discussion questions; -Looking at their own lives and considering how they can apply aspiration strategies (e.g. setting SMART targets, etc.) -Ending with reflection and a well-linked song. This assembly is tried and tested, and has always been really well received in the past. It is comprehensive (20 slides in total - there is enough material for a 30-40 minute assembly or two 20-minute assemblies). The slides are visually engaging and well-presented, and the subject matter is tailored to the interests and needs of young people. For example, there are references to scenarios and dilemmas that they themselves might find themselves in order to help them to make the right choices in their own lives. No further resources are required - everything that you need to present the assembly is included. The assembly presentation is fairly self-explanatory, but I’ve included guidance notes to assist the speaker just in case. Hope that you find this useful!

This engaging and thought-provoking lesson aids students in developing a secure understanding of the final chapter of Clive King’s 'Stig of the Dump.’ This chapter is entitled 'The Standing Stones.’ The resources guide the children along a learning journey in which they understand the text through: -Retrieving information; -Inferring and deducing hidden meanings; -Explaining key ideas; -Summarising the events from the text. 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 storyboard template is provided to scaffold this task. There’s a lot in the session (15 slides in total, plus the storyboard activity) 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 detailed and visually-appealing resource offers a complete reference point for students learning or revising Willy Russell’s ‘Blood Brothers.’ It contains comprehensive sections on: Context; Scene by Scene Summary (with quotes); Main Characters; Themes; Russell’s Dramatic Devices; The Features of Tragedy. 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 16-page resource booklet contains a wide range of challenging and engaging comprehension activities for use throughout the reading of Brian Bilston’s poem ‘Refugees.’ This is a clever poem that can be read in two ways - offering two perspectives regarding attitudes to refugees. Teachers have found the activities particularly useful throughout teaching, or for revision or guided reading sessions. 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.’ ‘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.’