This engaging and informative lesson helps students to understand the key characters and relationships in the secret annex in Anne Frank’s Diary. Students explore extracts from the text, video evidence, and their own research findings, to demonstrate a clear understanding of each of the occupants’ key characteristics and traits, in addition to their relationships with Anne and one another. The lesson follows a step-by-step learning journey, in which children learn through: -Remembering each of the occupants of the house, and recalling what they know about them; - Reading and understanding extracts from Anne Frank's Diary, in which Anne describes each of the people in the house and explains what she thinks of them; - Watching and comprehending a powerful video of Otto Frank discussing his relationship with Anne; - Researching one inhabitant in more depth, using a helpful research template; - Writing an explanatory piece about the life of one of the inhabitants of the annex; - Peer assessing each other's learning attempts. Included is: - Whole lesson PowerPoint - colourful and comprehensive; - Research Template - Selected extracts - The Diary of Anne Frank; - Link to an engaging and informative video (you will need internet access to view); - Writing to Explain Helpsheet - 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 a mixed-ability year 8 class, however colleagues have used them for between years 5 and 9 with minimal adaptations. Please note that internet access/ use of research mechanisms is required for the introduction task and the model examples. All images are licensed for commercial use, and image rights are listed on the last page of the presentation.

This fun and original assembly aids children in understanding the value of being thankful for what they have in their lives, through: Understanding what thankfulness is, and recognising why it is important; Learning the importance of living life being thankful for what we do have, rather than being focusing too heavily on what we don’t have; Considering the positive aspects of their lives, and considering those less fortunate than themselves; Learning strategies to demonstrate thankfulness in their own lives. This assembly is tried and tested, and has always been really well received in the past. The slides are visually engaging and well-presented, and the subject matter is tailored to the interests and needs of young people. The session also includes an interesting story, which demonstrates how our outlook, morale and behaviour changes as we become more thankful. Furthermore, there is an internet link to a beautiful, thought-provoking video which demonstrates how far too often we spend time focused on what we don’t have, rather than the many ways in which we are fortunate. There are also various discussion prompts to enable children to understand how they can be thankful in different areas of their own lives. The slides are fairly self-explanatory, but I’ve included to pages of notes to assist the speaker. Hope that you find this useful!

In this engaging lesson, children develop an understanding of the battles and conflicts fought by the Anglo-Saxons. In particular, they consider weapons and strategies used by Anglo-Saxon fighters and create a timeline of the major battles throughout the Anglo-Saxon period, The learning is guided by a clear and colourful PowerPoint presentation, which guides students through the following step-by-step journey: -Knowledge recall - gauging what children already know about the Anglo-Saxon era (answers are provided); -Understanding that life in Anglo-Saxon times was harsh and often violent, and that battles and conflicts were frequent; -Studying sources to identify the types of weapons that were used by Anglo-Saxon warriors; -Learning about some of the strategies adopted by Anglo-Saxon armies; -Creating a timeline of the key battles throughout the Anglo-Saxon period (the information about these battles is provided); -Completing their own extended research to find out more about one of the key battles; -Considering how Anglo-Saxon battles helped to shape England; -Self-reflecting on the extent to which they feel they have met the learning objective. Included is the comprehensive PowerPoint presentation (22 slides) and the information cards for the timeline activity. In the past, I have used this lesson with children in upper KS2 (years 5 and 6) - the key learning is aligned with curriculum expectations for history. All images are licensed for commercial use.

This clear, detailed and visually-appealing resource offers a complete reference point for children learning about Queen Victoria as a part of their history study of ‘Significant Individuals.’ It contains comprehensive sections entitled: Overview; Times in Her Life; Important Vocabulary; Queen Victoria Timeline; Answers to the Important Questions; Top Ten Facts. 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.

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 North America. 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 North America 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 North America (Mexico City, Death Valley, The Canadian Shield and the Caribbean Islands) through a jigsaw model task; Complete a case study of the physical and human geography of their own place in North America, and describe their findings to others; -Peer assess each other’s descriptions using the learning objectives. This resource pack includes: A visually engaging whole-lesson PowerPoint presentation; Key case-study information sheets on Mexico City, Death Valley, The Canadian Shield and the Caribbean Islands (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.

In this engaging and informative lesson enables students to make clear and insightful links between Arthur Conan Doyle’s 'The Sign of Four' and its historical context of 19th Century London. In particular, students learn about the Jack the Ripper murders and subsequent attitudes towards the police, before considering how these ideas are reflected through Athelney Jones in the novel. The lesson follows a step-by-step learning journey, in which students learn through: - Researching the context of 19th Century London, such as the Jack the Ripper murders and attitudes towards the police; - Reading and understanding chapters 5 and 6, in which Athelney Jones makes his appearance; - Identifying and analysing the language techniques used by Doyle in describing Athelney Jones; - Analysing Doyle's intentions in presenting Athelney Jones in such a manner; - Peer assessing each other's learning attempts. Included is: - Whole Lesson PowerPoint - colourful and comprehensive; - Paper Copies of Chapters 5 and 6; - Athelney Jones links to context worksheet; - Researching Context worksheet - Essay Template; - Detailed Lesson Plan There are also opportunities for group learning, peer assessment, and whole class discussion. These resources were originally taught to GCSE students, but with subtle adaptations they have also been used with both younger and older (up to A Level) students. Please note that you'll need access to internet/laptops for the researching activity. All images are licensed for commercial use, and image rights are listed on the last page of the presentation.

This clear, detailed and visually-appealing resource offers a complete reference point for children learning about Charles Dickens, particularly those completing a history study of ‘Significant Individuals.’ It contains comprehensive sections entitled: Overview; Times in His Life; Important Vocabulary; Charles Dickens Timeline; Answers to the Important Questions; Top Ten Facts. 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.

This clear, detailed and visually-appealing resource offers a complete reference point for KS1 children learning about Martin Luther King as a part of their history study of ‘Significant Individuals.’ It contains comprehensive sections entitled: Overview; Times in His Life; Important Vocabulary; Martin Luther King Timeline; Answers to the Important Questions; Top Ten Facts. 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.

This clear, detailed and visually-appealing resource offers a complete reference point for children learning about toys as a part of their history study of ‘changes within living memory.’ It tracks the development of toys from ancient civilisations to the present day, and contains comprehensive sections entitled: Overview; Popular Toys; Important Vocabulary; Toys Timeline; Toys Through Time; Top Ten Facts. 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.

This detailed and visually-appealing resource offers a complete reference point for students learning or revising Arthur Miller’s ‘Death of A Salesman.’ It contains comprehensive sections on: Context; Scene by Scene Summary (with quotes); Main Characters; Themes; Miller’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 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 South America. 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 South America 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 South America (Rio de Janeiro, Machu Picchu, Patagonia and the Amazon Rainforest) through a jigsaw model task; Complete a case study of the physical and human geography of their own place in South America, 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 Rio de Janeiro, Machu Picchu, Patagonia and the Amazon Rainforest (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.

This clear, detailed and visually-appealing resource offers a complete reference point for children learning about Isaac Newton, particularly those completing a history study of ‘Significant Individuals.’ It contains comprehensive sections entitled: Overview; Times in His Life; Important Vocabulary; Isaac Newton Timeline; Answers to the Important Questions; Top Ten Facts. 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.

This fun and informative helps students to gain a deeper understanding of the main character in Roald Dahl’s ‘Fantastic Mr Fox:’ Mr Fox himself! Students use their skills of inference and deduction in order to establish key information about Mr Fox’s character, likes, dislikes, and mannerisms. They then create a character profile using the information that they have gathered! The lesson follows a step-by-step learning journey, in which children learn through: -Considering how Roald Dahl was influenced by real-life foxes in his characterisation; - Reading and understanding extracts from the opening of Fantastic Mr Fox, in which Mr Fox's character traits are revealed; - Inferring and deducing key features about Mr Fox from across the text; - Creating a character profile for Mr Fox, utilising knowledge that they have gathered from over the course of the lesson; - Self assessing their own learning attempts. Included is: - Whole lesson PowerPoint - colourful and comprehensive; - Text Detectives Worksheet (and answer sheet); - Selected extracts - Fantastic Mr Fox; - Character Profile Template (Word and PDF); - 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 a mixed-ability year 3 class, however colleagues have used them for between years 1 and 8 with some adaptations. All images are licensed for commercial use, and image rights are listed on the last page of the presentation.

This lesson aims to improve students’ understanding of Owen Sheers' key messages about war in the poem ‘Mametz Wood.’ By the end of the lesson, students demonstrate their knowledge of the text analytically, through assured, appropriate, and sustained interpretations of the content, language, and structure. Students learn through a logical and step-by-step learning journey, including: -Understanding the context of the poem and the horrific events that took place in the battle; -Understanding key information about Owen Sheers' life; -Reading and interpreting the poem; -Interpreting the poem, with a particular emphasis upon the language and structural features; -Finding and analysing the language features used throughout the poem, and considering how these link to the poet's message; -Writing an extended analysis piece based upon how Sheers gets across his message about war; -Peer assessing each other's learning attempts. Included is: - Whole lesson PowerPoint - colourful and substantial; (including hyperlinks to informative and engaging videos) - Copy of poem; - Language devices 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 9/10 groups, 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.

This detailed and visually-appealing resource offers a complete reference point for students learning or revising knowledge of The Black Death. It contains comprehensive sections on: Overview and map; Events - dates, images, descriptions, and key facts; Timeline of Major Events First Hand Accounts - Jean de Vinette, Giovanni Boccaccio, Geoffrey Le Baker, and the Cathedral Priory of Rochester; Signs and Symptoms of The Plague. 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 informative lesson helps students to understand the narrative structure used by Roald Dahl throughout ‘Fantastic Mr Fox.’ In particular, students identify the features of each stage of the narrative structure within the story, before recreating sections of the structure themselves! The lesson follows a step-by-step learning journey, in which children learn through: - Taking part in a fun group quiz to recap on the key elements of the plot leading up to the ending; - Reading and understanding extracts from the ending of Fantastic Mr Fox, answering comprehension questions to demonstrate their understanding; -Understanding features of narrative structure and applying the plot of Fantastic Mr Fox to the individual elements; -Recreating elements of the plot, using their understanding of the stages of narrative structure; - Self assessing their own learning attempts. Included is: - Whole lesson PowerPoint - colourful and comprehensive; - Storyboard Template (and PDF version); - Selected extracts - Fantastic Mr Fox; - Recreations Template (and PDF version); - 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 a mixed-ability year 3 class, however colleagues have used them for between years 1 and 8 with some adaptations. All images are licensed for commercial use, and image rights are listed on the last page of the presentation.

This clear, detailed and visually-appealing resource offers a complete reference point for students learning or revising knowledge relating to biomes. It contains comprehensive sections on: -Overview of Biomes; -Answers to the Key Questions; -Types of Land Biomes; -Types of Aquatic Biomes; -Key Vocabulary; -Key Facts. 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. The resource is most suitable for students in KS2 or KS3.

These resources enable students to build their knowledge of the content, language, and structure of Denise Levertov’s Vietnam War poem ‘What Were They Like?’ In particular, students learn about the historical context of the Vietnam War. They also learn how features of language and structure aid the impact of the poem. Students learn through a logical and step-by-step learning journey, including: -Exploring the historical concept of the Vietnam War; -Understanding key information about Denise Levertov and her life; -Reading and interpreting the poem; -Understanding the poem, with a particular emphasis upon the content, language, and structural features; -Writing an extended analysis piece based upon how Levertov gets across her feelings about war in the poem, through the use of language and structure; -Peer assessing each other's learning attempts. Included is: - Whole lesson PowerPoint - colourful and substantial; (including hyperlink to a reading of the poem) - Copy of poem; - Structural devices worksheet - Analysis template with in-built 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 9/10 groups, 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.

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).

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.