Warning! These persuasive essay lessons can lead to animated students. Want to get your students excited about writing a good persuasive essay? Here are practical answers; an antidote to anxiety in the classroom. Immediately, you can use these lesson plans and activities that contain an element of fun. Coupled with fit-to-purpose resources, your students will build confidence and skills as they learn to - · Understand why the ability to persuade can be a matter of life and death. · Explore a famous movie example of a Doctor who used persuasion to rock the foundations of a major institution. · Discover more about persuasive techniques that are used by lawyers, marketeers and politicians worldwide. · Plan arguments that are well structured and specific. · Write a robust Thesis Statement. · Practice planning to write using a workable structure. · Stay motivated, right to the end. Please contact Claire Vorster for free resources, or with other questions. Resources included in this pack Confidence building activities Mini and comprehensive reading activities Mini and comprehensive writing / planning activities Online resource suggestions + search terms Example of Thesis Statement structure Sample templates to build essay structure

Want to get your students excited about writing a good persuasive essay? Here are practical answers; an antidote to anxiety in the classroom. Immediately, you can use these lesson plans and activities that contain an element of fun. Coupled with fit-to-purpose resources, your students will build confidence and skills as they learn to - Explore dangerous jobs and see how their pay stacks up against what they have to do. Compare average salaries across the USA and see who comes out ahead. Discover more about persuasive techniques that are used by lawyers, marketeers and politicians worldwide. Understand why the ability to persuade can change lives for the better. Plan arguments that are well structured and specific. Write a robust Thesis Statement. Practice planning to write using a workable structure. Stay motivated, right to the end. Resources included in this pack Confidence building activities Mini and comprehensive reading activities Mini and comprehensive writing / planning activities Online resource suggestions + search terms Example of Thesis Statement structure Sample templates to build essay structure Please contact Claire Vorster for free resources, or with other questions.

To help your children to develop great reading strategies, this handy packet contains** 15 easy to use activities** that cover key reading comprehension skills. Written by a children’s author and teacher, this fun kit also contains fiction passages, games and discussion starters, specifically designed to help your children develop their abilities to develop 15 reading strategies. Reading Skill 1: Activate prior knowledge Reading Skill 2: Predict what happens next Reading Skill 3: Steal or acquire vocabulary Reading Skill 4: Retell in their own words Reading Skill 5: Visualise a scene Reading Skill 6: Question a character Reading Skill 7: Analyse a quote Reading Skill 8: Sequence paragraphs Reading Skill 9: Explore mood Reading Skill 10: Discuss the role of setting Reading Skill 11: Swop genre Reading Skill 12: Scan & skim Reading Skill 13: Compare and contrast Reading Skill 14: Identify cause and effect Reading Skill 15: Express opinions Resources included in this packet Reading & Read Aloud excerpts Comprehension questions Games Discussion starters and images Activity suggestions & instructions Reusable templates Worksheets Online resources Song lyrics

To help your children to develop great reading strategies, this handy packet contains easy to use activities that cover 5 key reading comprehension skills. Written by a children’s author and teacher, this fun kit also contains fiction passages, games and discussion starters, specifically designed for your children to develop 5 reading strategies. Reading Skill 1: Question a character Reading Skill 2: Analyse a quote Reading Skill 3: Sequence paragraphs Reading Skill 4: Explore mood Reading Skill 5: Discuss the role of setting Resources included in this packet Reading & Read Aloud excerpts Comprehension questions Games Discussion starters and images Activity suggestions & instructions Reusable templates Worksheets Online resources Song lyrics

To help your children to develop great reading strategies, this handy packet contains easy to use activities that cover 5 key reading comprehension skills. Written by a children’s author and teacher, this fun kit also contains fiction passages, games and discussion starters, specifically designed for your children to develop 5 reading strategies. Reading Skill 1: Swop genre Reading Skill 2: Scan & skim Reading Skill 3: Compare and contrast Reading Skill 4: Identify cause and effect Reading Skill 5: Express opinions Resources included in this packet Reading & Read Aloud excerpts Comprehension questions Games Discussion starters and images Activity suggestions & instructions Reusable templates Worksheets Online resources Poems

To help your children to develop great reading strategies, this handy packet contains easy to use activities that cover 5 key reading comprehension skills. Written by a children’s author and teacher, this fun kit also contains fiction passages, games and discussion starters, specifically designed for your children to develop 5 reading strategies. Reading Skill 1: Activate prior knowledge Reading Skill 2: Predict what happens next Reading Skill 3: Steal or acquire vocabulary Reading Skill 4: Retell in their own words Reading Skill 5: Visualise a scene Resources included in this packet Reading & Read Aloud excerpts Comprehension questions Games Discussion starters and images Activity suggestions & instructions Reusable templates Worksheets

Hamburger Essay Structure helps students to understand and practice the ingredients that make a great essay. It answers questions like, how does my thesis statement relate to the body of my essay? What about the conclusion? Here’s an antidote to anxiety in the classroom. Immediately, you can use these lesson plans and activities that contain an element of fun. Coupled with fit-to-purpose resources, your students will build confidence and skills as they learn to - • Understand and practice Hamburger Essay Structure • Create a robust Thesis Statement that sets them up for success. • Write Body Paragraphs using proven Point, Evidence, Analysis structure. • Edit ideas so that they have time for analysis. • Practice planning using a workable structure. • Stay motivated, right to the end. Please contact Claire Vorster for free resources, or with other questions. Resources included in this pack Confidence building activities Mini and comprehensive writing / planning activities Examples of Simple to Advanced Thesis Statements Examples of Simple to Advanced Body Paragraphs Sample templates to build essay structure

Good descriptive writing is one of the key elements to a great story. These bundled lessons apply secrets from master storytellers to build on existing skills, Your students will learn to - • Understand the difference between descriptive and narrative writing. • Identify and use simple techniques, which paint a vivid sensory picture and engage the reader. • Bridge information with imagination to create descriptive writing that builds credibility. • Create authentic settings in every story that they write . • Use a secret weapon to uncover great ideas for a story. Please contact Claire Vorster for free resources, or with other questions. Resources included in this plan Reading and Comprehension Activities Mini and Comprehensive Writing Activities Literary examples Story prompts Story planner for students Online resource links Learning objectives Reading Understanding the author’s craft: story shape Writing Composition: generating ideas, planning and drafting Composition: shaping and constructing language for expression and effect Speaking and Listening Developing active listening skills and strategies Group discussion and interaction: Developing and adapting discussion skills and strategies

Dive into these 5 Senses lesson plans, packed with playful activities, as you head to the beach. Children can enjoy the story Hello Ocean by Pam Muñoz Ryan. You can almost feel the salt spray on your face and smell the musky scent of ocean in the cool morning air in this great example of the 5 Senses in writing. Then it’s time to eat… Resources include Full Lesson Plans including 12 Activities Printables and Worksheets Story ideas Excerpt from children’s story Ellie Sparrow and the Great Fire of London Online resource links Activities Comprehension, speaking and listening, memory game, diary writing, drawing / painting, research and design Learning objectives English • listen and respond appropriately to adults and their peers • give well-structured descriptions, explanations and narratives for different purposes, including for expressing feelings • use spoken language to develop understanding through speculating, hypothesising, • imagining and exploring ideas • listening to and discussing a wide range of poems, stories and non-fiction at a level beyond that at which they can read independently • making inferences on the basis of what is being said and done • predicting what might happen on the basis of what has been read so far • sequencing sentences to form short narratives • re-reading what they have written to check that it makes sense • discuss what they have written with the teacher or other pupils • develop positive attitudes towards and stamina for writing by: writing narratives about personal experiences and those of others (real and fictional) writing about real events Art • use drawing and imagination to develop their ideas • use tone, pattern, line and shape in pictures.

These bundled lessons apply secrets from master storytellers to help students discover how to review and edit their stories. They will learn to - Let the mess out and fix problems later. Throw away anything that isn’t plot. Improve any confusing bits / plot holes. Fix spelling, punctuation and grammar. Uncover their stories in a new and improved way. Please contact Claire Vorster for free resources, or with other questions. Resources included in this plan Reading and Comprehension Activities Mini and Comprehensive Writing and Editing Activities Famous quotes for discussion Literary examples Story prompts Online resource links Learning objectives Reading Understanding the author’s craft: story shape Writing Composition: generating ideas, planning and drafting Composition: shaping and constructing language for expression and effect Speaking and Listening Developing active listening skills and strategies Group discussion and interaction: Developing and adapting discussion skills and strategies

These bundled lessons apply secrets from master storytellers to help students discover how to review and edit their stories. They will learn to - Let the mess out and fix problems later. Throw away anything that isn’t plot. Improve any confusing bits / plot holes. Fix spelling, punctuation and grammar. Uncover their stories in a new and improved way. Please contact Claire Vorster for free resources, or with other questions. Resources included in this plan Reading and Comprehension Activities Mini and Comprehensive Writing and Editing Activities Famous quotes for discussion Literary examples Story prompts Online resource links Learning objectives Reading Understanding the author’s craft: story shape Writing Composition: generating ideas, planning and drafting Composition: shaping and constructing language for expression and effect Speaking and Listening Developing active listening skills and strategies Group discussion and interaction: Developing and adapting discussion skills and strategies

The secret to a memorable story is to start big, apply heat and reduce until you have the essence - everything that’s good. These activities apply secrets from master storytellers to help students discover how to review and edit their stories. They will learn to - • Let the mess out and fix problems later. • Throw away anything that isn’t plot. • Improve any confusing bits / plot holes. • Fix spelling, punctuation and grammar. • Uncover their stories in a new and improved way. Please contact Claire Vorster for free resources, or other questions. Resources included in this plan Reading and Comprehension Activities Mini and Comprehensive Writing and Editing Activities Story prompts

Your students can have lots of fun creating compelling settings for their stories. These four comprehensive activities apply secrets from master storytellers to build on existing skills. Your students will learn to: • Bridge information with imagination to create fiction that builds credibility. • Understand how settings can act as secondary characters in their stories. • Use 5 senses as a secret weapon to uncover great ideas for a story. • Learn how to structure their story for success. Please contact Claire Vorster for free resources, or other questions. Resources included in this plan Reading and Comprehension Activities Mini and Comprehensive Writing Activities Famous quotes for discussion Literary examples Story prompts Story planner for students Online resource links

We’ve all read great stories that end in a rush, and others that should have ended sooner. These four comprehensive activities apply secrets from master storytellers to help students discover how to write effective story endings. They will learn to - • Review the closing lines of famous novels and develop their own style. • Discover how to use writing prompts to find their starting point. • Try out expert techniques to bring their stories to a close. • Stay motivated, right to the end. Please contact Claire Vorster for free resources, or other questions. Resources included in this plan Writing Activities Story Prompts Leveled Literary Examples Reading and Comprehension Story Planner Online Resource Links Activities Speaking and listening, planning, writing, reviewing.

Want a comprehensive SAT vocabulary list and associated gap fills to help with context and memorization? Here’s a compilation of A-C words that includes - • All the SAT A-C vocabulary that comes up regularly in SAT Reading and Writing. And on respected SAT online vocab sites. • Bitesize definitions, parts of speech and usage for each word. • Gapfills using 10-12 A to C words at a time, to help students identify and use words they will need for SAT Reading and Writing. • The full A to C list for students to take away.

The secret to a memorable story is to start big, apply heat and reduce until you have the essence - everything that’s good. These activities apply secrets from master storytellers to help students discover how to review and edit their stories. They will learn to - • Let the mess out and fix problems later. • Throw away anything that isn’t plot. • Improve any confusing bits / plot holes. • Fix spelling, punctuation and grammar. • Uncover their stories in a new and improved way. Please contact Claire Vorster for free resources, or other questions. Resources included in this plan Reading and Comprehension Activities Mini and Comprehensive Writing and Editing Activities Story prompts

“It’s like everyone tells a story about themselves inside their own head. Always. All the time. That story makes you what you are. We build ourselves out of that story.” —Patrick Rothfuss, author Examples of best selling books or movies that were inspired or experienced by the people who lived them: The Imitation Game First Man Adrift Dunkirk Into the Wild Apollo 13 Here are 8 curated examples of real stories – from poignant to silly. Students can take the idea that appeals the most and write their own fictional story. Learning objectives Generating ideas, planning and drafting Reading and engaging with a wide and varied range of texts Developing viewpoint, voice and ideas Differentiation opportunities Ask students to find a headline they want to write a story about You can create your own favourite creative writing prompts from headlines. It’s easy to pull up the day’s news and take quick screenshots. All my students enjoy this activity. It can help them write realistic / fiction about a topic they are interested in.

In an old lighthouse, where a twenty-four-candle lantern lights a sparkling blue-green sea, live a lighthouse keeper and his little companion – a cat called Mackerel. One day, a huge storm comes and the lights go out. Mackerel has an ingenious plan to help…but will it work? Resources included 10 Activities Printables Story Mountain Worksheets Handouts Story planner Online resource links Activities Comprehension, speaking and listening, story & information writing, labeling, drawing /painting, memory game Learning outcomes English • listen and respond appropriately to adults and their peers • give well-structured descriptions, explanations and narratives for different purposes, including for expressing feelings • use spoken language to develop understanding through speculating, hypothesising • imagining and exploring ideas • listening to and discussing a wide range of poems, stories and non-fiction at a level beyond that at which they can read independently • re-reading what they have written to check that it makes sense • discuss what they have written with the teacher or other pupils • develop positive attitudes towards and stamina for writing by: writing narratives about personal experiences and those of others (real and fictional) writing about real events Art • use drawing and imagination to develop their ideas. • Use tone, pattern, line and shape in pictures. These lessons are written by children’s author and tutor Claire Vorster. Enjoy!

With the right tools, your students can write confident and compelling narrative pieces. This adaptable teaching guide applies secrets from a master storyteller to build on existing skills. Your students will learn how to - • Develop a solid plot structure. • Keep their narratives clear and on track. • Craft compelling stories. Resources include Teaching Guide 3 Act Story Infographic Answer Guide Worksheets Please contact Claire Vorster for free resources, or with other questions.

Truth is stranger than fiction. Inspire your students (or make them laugh) with creative writing prompts curated from real news headlines. Learning objectives: Generating ideas, planning and drafting Reading and engaging with a wide and varied range of texts Developing viewpoint, voice and ideas Differentiation opportunities: Ask students to find a headline they want to write a story about You can create your own favourite creative writing prompts from headlines. It’s easy to pull up the day’s news and take quick screenshots. All my students enjoy this activity. It can help them write realistic / fiction about a topic they are interested in.