FREE - First Lesson from Bill Bryson Travel Writing SOW! This lesson focuses on Bill Bryson, an introduction to who he is, what his writing is all about as well as an introduction to travelogues… LINK TO FULL UNIT - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/-sow-bill-bryson-inspired-travel-writing-scheme-of-work-13149043 Description of Unit: A whole unit of lessons (ten lessons - although some lessons may take longer!) which uses Bill Bryson’s Travelogue/Travel Writing style as inspiration to write an English Language GCSE Paper 1 Section B style response! The focus of these lessons is to help students write engaging travelogues inspired by Bill Bryson’s style. The lessons emphasise the use of humor, vivid descriptions, character observations, cultural engagement, and personal reflections to create compelling travel narratives. Students are guided through drafting, editing, and refining their work with practical exercises, planning tools, and peer feedback to enhance their storytelling. I have previously uploaded an earlier version of this SOW, but it was made when I was teaching the class I made it for once a week, so I have heavily edited it, expanded it and made it much more substantial! Travel Writing Scheme of Work which can be used for Mixed ability Y7 and Y8 groups, or a lower ability Y9. Could even be adapted for GCSE or “flip”/step-up lower ability KS4 English groups.

A lesson which focuses on ‘Anthem for Doomed Youth’ by Wilfred Owen. I used this with my Year 8 class whilst doing a scheme of work around War Poetry

A comparative worksheet which focuses on the poem Mid-Term Break by Seamus Heaney and Funeral Blues by W.H. Auden. The focus of this lesson is on comparing poems, using unseen poetry skills. Great for GCSE, also good for KS3 Year 9 English.

A worksheet for comparing the ideas and techniques explored in the poems ‘Valentine’ and ‘Quickdraw’ by Carol Ann Duffy. This can be used at GCSE for practising unseen poetry skills, or at KS3 for People and Relationships poetry schemes of work.

A lesson I made for my Y9 class which focuses on Sylvia Plath’s poem, ‘Mad Girl’s Love Song’, focuses on how people can become victims of relationships. The Unit this originates from is a People and Relationships Poetry SOW Can be used to practise English GCSE Poetry analysis skills, I taught to KS3 Y9, but can be adapted.

A Scheme of Work (SOW) that I made for my KS3 Year 9 English class, it is focused on GCSE English Language Paper 2 Skills. It uses ‘relevant’ topics such as whether or not Barbie is a feminist masterpiece, whether or not guns should be banned in the US and also focuses on things such as compulsory voting (there is a whole lesson dedicated to the recent UK General Election of 2024 for this) and issues such as capital punishment. My class really got on quite well with this last year, you can easily adapt it too! Not all lessons have powerpoints, but most do.

A fun lesson that I made for my Year 9 class whilst doing a scheme of learning on People and Relationships Poetry. It uses the song ‘Exile’ by Taylor Swift to teach perspectives in poetry, as well as to help sell the idea that modern poetry/songs wouldn’t be possible without the poets of the past! Can be used for unseen poetry for a bit of end of term fun at GCSE, half-term homework, or just general poetry lesson!

FREE FIRST LESSON - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-13149689 FREE SECOND LESSON - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-13152951 PLANNING AND RESEARCH SHEETS -https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-13153398 A whole unit of lessons (ten lessons - although some lessons may take longer!) which uses Bill Bryson’s Travelogue/Travel Writing style as inspiration to write an English Language GCSE Paper 1 Section B style response! The focus of these lessons is to help students write engaging travelogues inspired by Bill Bryson’s style. The lessons emphasise the use of humor, vivid descriptions, character observations, cultural engagement, and personal reflections to create compelling travel narratives. Students are guided through drafting, editing, and refining their work with practical exercises, planning tools, and peer feedback to enhance their storytelling. I have previously uploaded an earlier version of this SOW, but it was made when I was teaching the class I made it for once a week, so I have heavily edited it, expanded it and made it much more substantial! Travel Writing Scheme of Work which can be used for Mixed ability Y7 and Y8 groups, or a lower ability Y9. Could even be adapted for GCSE or “flip”/step-up lower ability KS4 English groups.