This fun and original assembly aims to inspire children to be ‘upstanders’ who know how to act when they see unsafe or unkind behaviour. The key aims of the session are to: -Understand why it is important to be an ‘upstander’ and not a ‘bystander;’ -Learn where the word ‘snitch’ comes from and understand why it is never ok to use the word against others in school; -Know the difference between ‘reporting’ and ‘telling tales.’ This assembly is tried and tested, and has always been really well received in the past. It is comprehensive (24 slides in total - there is enough material for a 30-35 minute assembly or perhaps two 15-20-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 is an age-appropriate video to help explain the word ‘upstander’, entrance and exit music relating to the key themes, and 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! It was originally delivered in a primary school, but may be tailored to suit the needs of your own students/ age ranges. 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 interesting lesson enables students to demonstrate a clear and developed understanding of the historical context of Willy Russell’s Blood Brothers. In particular, students learn about the key social and historical events that took place in the UK in the 1970s and 80s (particularly around the play’s setting of Liverpool) and apply this understanding to characters and events in the play. The lesson utilises a range of tasks, that require students to be both independent and collaborative learners. It follows this learning journey: Considering and discussing ideas of class and class systems, both historically and in the present day; Sequencing and understanding the key features of the social and historical context of the UK/Liverpool in the 1970s and 80s; Using independent research to enhance their understanding of deeper contextual meanings; Linking the key events of the play to social and historical context, analysing Russell’s key messages; Taking part in a fun, interactive quiz in order to gauge their learning; Self-evaluating their learning in the lesson. Included in this resource pack are: A well-presented, thorough, and informative, whole-lesson PowerPoint presentation; Detailed cards for the sorting/timeline activity, presenting key contextual events; A ‘Researching Context’ template, to help guide students’ research; A template to help scaffold the main task, complete with quotes from the text; A comprehensive teacher guidance form/lesson plan to assist delivery. Resources are provided in both Word (for easy editing)and PDF (to prevent formatting issues between computers). All images in this resource are licensed for commercial use, and are cited on the final slide of the lesson presentation. Please note - the independent research activity (development task) in this resource pack requires students to have access to the internet.

This engaging and interesting lesson enables students to make clear and developed interpretations of the characters of Mrs Johnstone and Mrs Lyons in Willy Russell’s Blood Brothers. In particular, students infer and interpret key information about the characters from their introductions into the play, before tracking how their characters develop through close analysis of key quotations. The lesson utilises a range of tasks, that require students to be both independent and collaborative learners. It follows this learning journey: Considering the meaning of the key term ‘stereotype’ and how Mrs Johnstone and Mrs Lyons represent stereotypes of social groups; Engaging with the opening to the text and interpreting how Mrs Johnstone and Mrs Lyons are presented; Tracking how the characters are developed throughout the play, through engagement with key quotations; Answering an essay-style question about the introduction and development of the characters; Self-evaluating their learning in the lesson. Included in this resource pack are: A well-presented, thorough, and informative, whole-lesson PowerPoint presentation; Appropriate extracts from the play; A worksheet with key quotations to enable students to track the development of characters; A template to help scaffold the main task, complete with quotes from the text; A comprehensive teacher guidance form/lesson plan to assist delivery. Resources are provided in both Word (for easy editing)and PDF (to prevent formatting issues between computers). 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 double-lesson resource aids students in developing a secure understanding of the chapters 5 to 6 of Emma Carroll’s 'Secrets of a Sun King.’ In this section of the text, Lil reads Professor Hanawati’s letter and the first section of the transcription of Lysandra’s story. The comprehensive and colourful PowerPoint presentation enables students to understand the text through: -Retrieving information; -Inferring and deducing hidden meanings; -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. 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).

This whole class reading session aims to develop children’s comprehension skills through a reading of the opening chapter of Emma Carroll’s ‘Secrets of a Sun King.’ 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 Year 3 and 4, but it could feasibly be used with slightly younger and older year groups. The session is also suitable for home/ remote learning.

This resource booklet contains a wide range of age-appropriate, engaging, and meaningful comprehension activities for use throughout the reading of Emma Carroll’s 'Secrets of a Sun King.’ Teachers have found them particularly useful in comprehension or guided reading sessions. They are perfect for aiding the progress of children towards meeting the KS2 expectations within the 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: ‘Carroll’s Language Techniques’ - 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;’ ‘Character Analysis of Lil and Tulip Mendoza’ - 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;’ ‘An Interview with Howard Carter’ - 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;’ ‘Storyboarders’ - to enable students to demonstrate that they can: ‘Read books that are structured in different ways and for a range of purposes.’ Plus many, many more activities (the booklet is over 20 pages in length!) I’ve also added it as a PDF in case the formatting differs on your computer. The resource is suitable for home/ remote learning.

This engaging and thought-provoking triple-lesson resource aids students in developing a secure understanding of the chapters 9 to 11 of Emma Carroll’s 'Secrets of a Sun King.’ In this section of the text, Lil is punished at school for standing up to Tulip’s bullies, she learns the backstory about her elder brother, and she boards the train to accompany the Mendozas to Egypt. The comprehensive and colourful PowerPoint presentation enables students to understand the text through: -Retrieving information; -Inferring and deducing hidden meanings; -Analysing characters. 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. In addition to this, a character profile template is provided for the main character analysis task (in both Word and PDF). There’s a lot in the session (19 slides in total) so I would recommend breaking into two or even three lessons. The lessons are most suitable for children in key stage 2, (they were originally used for those in years 4 and 5).

This engaging and thought-provoking triple-lesson resource aids students in developing a secure understanding of the chapters 14 to 16 of Emma Carroll’s 'Secrets of a Sun King.’ In this section of the text, the children find Kyky’s heart within the canopic jar. They also reach Egypt, and attempt to return the jar to its burial place in the Valley of Kings. The comprehensive and colourful PowerPoint presentation 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. In addition to this, a ‘Writing to Describe’ helpsheet is provided for the creative activity. There’s a lot in the session (21 slides in total) so I would recommend breaking into two or even three lessons. The lessons are most suitable for children in key stage 2, (they were originally used for those in years 4 and 5).

This engaging and thought-provoking double-lesson resource aids students in developing a secure understanding of the chapters 22 and 23 of Emma Carroll’s 'Secrets of a Sun King.’ In this final section of the text, the group returns to London triumphant, and Alex’s true identity is finally revealed. The comprehensive and colourful PowerPoint presentation enables students to understand the text through: -Retrieving information; -Inferring hidden meanings; -Summarising key events. 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. A storyboard template is also provided for the creative activity. 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).

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).

This engaging and thought-provoking double-lesson resource aids students in developing a secure understanding of the chapters 12 to 13 of Emma Carroll’s 'Secrets of a Sun King.’ In this section of the text, the children manage to decipher the remainder of Lysandra’s script. The comprehensive and colourful PowerPoint presentation enables students to understand the text through: -Retrieving information; -Inferring and deducing hidden meanings; -Sequencing key plot events. 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).

This engaging and thought-provoking double-lesson resource aids students in developing a secure understanding of the chapters 17 and 18 of Emma Carroll’s 'Secrets of a Sun King.’ In this section of the text, the children are helped towards the burial site by Pepe and his camels. The comprehensive and colourful PowerPoint presentation enables students to understand the text through: -Retrieving information; -Explaining key meanings; -Linking the events in the text to context. 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).

This engaging and thought-provoking triple-lesson resource aids students in developing a secure understanding of the chapters 19 to 21 of Emma Carroll’s 'Secrets of a Sun King.’ In this section of the text, the children return the heart to its rightful place, and witness Howard Carter’s grand opening of Tutankhamun’s tomb. The comprehensive and colourful PowerPoint presentation enables students to understand the text through: -Retrieving information; -Inferring and deducing hidden meanings; -Empathising with characters. 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. In addition to this, a newspaper front page template is provided for the creative activity. There’s a lot in the session (19 slides in total) so I would recommend breaking into two or even three lessons. The lessons are most suitable for children in key stage 2, (they were originally used for those in years 4 and 5).

This engaging and purposeful lesson is the second in a series of lessons in which children develop an in-depth understanding of Ancient Greece. There is a particular focus on the achievements of the Ancient Greeks and how these have influenced the world. In this lesson, children learn about Greek City states and how they were formed. In particular, they: -Understand why seafaring was essential for Ancient Greek civilizations; -Describe the seafaring skills that helped City-States to form and thrive. -Name Greek City States and recall key facts about daily life in them. The learning is guided by a clear and colourful PowerPoint presentation, which guides students through the following step-by-step journey: -Knowledge recall of basic history skills and baseline information about the Ancient Greeks; -Understanding key information about the Greek terrain and it necessitated the advancement of seafaring knowledge and skills; -Discussing and understanding the advantages gained by the Greeks by developing seafaring skills, and how this led to the development of city-states; -Learning what ship-building and navigational skills they developed; -Following navigational instructions to find and label the major Greek city states (the map for this is included, as both Word and PDF documents) -Watching an engaging video (hyperlinked) to find out more about life in city-states and how it relied on the sea; -Recalling key information about housing, food, education and work in Greek city-states; -Self-reflecting on the extent to which they feel they have met the learning objective. Included is the comprehensive PowerPoint presentation (23 slides), which contains all of the information needed to teach the lesson, and the maps required for the navigation activity. In the past, I have used this lesson with children in lower KS2 (years 3 and 4), however this was an advanced class and these resources could easily be used with upper KS2. The key learning is aligned with KS2 curriculum expectations for history. All images are licensed for commercial use.

This engaging and purposeful lesson is the sixth and final lesson in a series of lessons in which children develop an in-depth understanding of Ancient Greece. There is a particular focus on the achievements of the Ancient Greeks and how these have influenced the world. In this lesson, children consider how modern society has been influenced by the achievements of the Ancient Greeks. Specifically, they: -Understand how Ancient Greek discovery and learning has impacted the world; -Understand how Ancient Greek democracy and law has impacted the world. -Understand how Ancient Greek sport, culture and religion has impacted the world. The learning is guided by a clear and colourful PowerPoint presentation, which guides students through the following step-by-step journey: -Understanding the meaning of the key concept ‘legacy.’ -Considering Greek achievements in each of the key areas (discovery and learning, democracy and law, and sport, culture and religion) and then linking these achievements to what is seen in the modern world; -Using clear guidance and a structure strip (provided) based on what they have learnt to form a clear, organised response to the enquiry question: 'How have Ancient Greek achievements influenced the world? -Self-reflecting on the extent to which they feel they have met the learning objective, and considering the questions that they have for further learning. Included is the comprehensive PowerPoint presentation (24 slides), which contains all of the information needed to teach the lesson and the structure strip for the main enquiry-response activity (provided in both Word and PDF). In the past, I have used this lesson with children in lower KS2 (years 3 and 4), however this was an advanced class and these resources could easily be used with upper KS2. The key learning is aligned with KS2 curriculum expectations for history. All images are licensed for commercial use.

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 ‘The Tempest.’ Round 1. The characters in The Tempest Round 2. Quotations from the text Round 3. Settings and Objects Round 4. Themes in The Tempest 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 whole class reading session aims to develop children’s comprehension skills through a reading of the opening pages of Tony Bradman’ ‘Roman Boy.’ 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 across KS2 (it was originally used with children in Year 5). The session is also suitable for home/ remote learning.

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 ‘Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984).’ Round 1. The characters in Nineteen Eighty-Four Round 2. Quotations from the text Round 3. Settings and Objects Round 4. Themes in Nineteen Eighty-Four 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 investigation activity allows students to use develop their innovation, creativity and collaboration skills to control the direction of their enterprise project. The resource set guides students through the entire project, from conception to evaluation, and includes resources/ guidance for the following activities: -Deciding upon different roles within their groups, in order to carry out multiple tasks effectively; -Designing a company name and appropriate logo and slogan; -Researching their product area, including competitors and USPs; -Conducting market research; -Budgeting; -Detailed product design; -Packaging design; -Creating instructions for users; -Formulating and presenting a persuasive pitch; -Surveying the target audience for their feedback; -Self-evaluating strengths and areas for development. A comprehensive PowerPoint presentation guides students through the project. There are at least a week’s worth of resources in here, enabling students to fully immerse themselves in the project. I orignally have used this with KS2 and KS3 students, but they could reasonably be adapted for students in KS4. All images have been cited at the end of the PowerPoint presentation and are licensed for commercial use.

This engaging and informative lesson enables students to use a range of varied and precise noun choices in their writing, through considering the specific meanings of different nouns and their potential synonyms. Students analyse examples of both effective and ineffective writing, considering the use of nouns, and editing where appropriate. They then apply this understanding to their own creative attempts. The lesson follows a step-by-step learning journey, in which children learn through: Understanding that most nouns have synonyms, and identifying these for high-frequency nouns; Developing an expanded vocabulary of varied nouns through a fun and interactive game; Choosing the best noun for different given situations, considering the connotations of words, and justifying their choices; Editing an example of an ineffective text, through implementing a range of interesting and varied nouns; Creating their own creative writing openings, utilising varied and specific nouns ; Peer assessing each other’s learning attempts. Included is: Whole lesson PowerPoint - colourful and comprehensive; Understanding connotations worksheet; -Editing a bad example worksheet, and extension activity; -Comprehensive lesson plan. 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 4 and 9 with some adaptations. All images are licensed for commercial use, and image rights are listed on the last page of the presentation.