Planned for a less able KS4 class, this powerpoint recaps some of the key ideas from Stave 1 of “A Christmas Carol”. The focus is on Scrooge and the lesson aims to embed the idea that Scrooge is in very real danger of going to hell and that time is running out. The lesson also touches on how Dickens uses setting for the characterisation of Scrooge.

This is a straightforward comprehension activity using an abridged text from Dickens’ story “The Haunted Man and the Ghost’s Bargain”. There are 8 questions. This could be set for homework or used as cover. Alternatively, the questions could be used to structure a guided reading session.

This is a straightforward comprehension activity using an excerpt from the story of “Bluebeard” by Charles Perrault. Useful for cover or for guided reading. Could be an addition to a unit on fairy tales.

This was planned as a cover activity for a year 7 class working through a unit on myths and legends. It could also be set as a homework or the activities could be used to structure a guided reading/guided writing session. The extract used is in the public domain.

This is a straightforward activity using an extract from the public domain, introducing Hercules. There are six questions (suggested answers provided) intended to support children in comprehension, thoughtful reading and building reading fluency. Created as a cover activity for a mixed-ability year 7 class but also good for key stage 2. Useful as part of a unit of work on myths and legends.

A simple and straightforward revision activity. 20 questions (suggested answers provided on a separate sheet). Could be used in class as a springboard for more developed answers through discussion. Useful for homework or cover. Created as a revision activity to enable students to identify gaps in their knowledge so that they can focus their next steps.

This is a straightforward worksheet using Thomas Hood’s poem, “I Remember I Remember”. The intention is that once the students have worked through the 9 questions, they will be furnished with ideas to support them in answering the exam-style question that’s printed above the title - How does the poet present the speaker’s ideas about childhood? The sheet can be used to guide paired or group discussion in class. Alternatively, it could be used for homework so that students are prepared for a timed essay in class. Planned for a year 10 class but this could be used to support an introduction to unseen poetry at key stage three.

This is a comprehension activity based on the description of Fagin scuttling through the darkness to Bill Sikes. The Word document is editable so you can tailor the questions to suit the ability level of your class, if necessary. There are ten questions, some of which require extended answers, so this would be a useful activity for a cover lesson. Alternatively, the questions could be used to structure a guided reading activity.

This is a straightforward comprehension activity using an excerpt from Conan Doyle’s gothic horror story, “Lot 249”. At this point in the story, Smith is being pursued by a re-animated mummy! There are ten questions. These could be set for homework or as cover as part of a unit on gothic horror. Alternatively, the questions could be used to structure a guided reading session.

This is a short and straightforward activity giving students an opportunity to practise and develop the skills of writing an analytical essay about an unseen poem. The poem is “A Birthday” by Christina Rossetti so no issues with copyright. The first slide of the ppt has a copy of the poem and the essay question. The second slide gives students a suggested pattern for tackling the task, the idea being that they should go through each of the steps in every paragraph of their response. The third slide can be used for self/peer assessment and developing the response further.

Planned for a year 8 class as part of a unit of work on Charles Dickens, this lesson focuses on Dickens’s use of setting for characterisation. The extract used (a short one; printable is on slide 11); prior to that, the pupils are asked to look at the description of the Chocolate Room from ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’, explaining how Dahl’s use of colour suggests the character of Willy Wonka. There is then a focus on concrete nouns and pupils are asked what these suggest about Willy Wonka - what aspect of his personality they might reflect. Having built confidence in this skill, the focus then shifts to the more challenging text - from ‘Great Expectations’. Having gone through some text marking, pupils are then asked to share what they think the setting suggests about Miss Havisham - then pick one aspect of that setting and write up an analytical paragraph. For homework, pupils are asked to describe a room that gives the reader clues as to their own character - describing the room’s colour, temperature, listing at least 3 concrete nouns and mentioning the view from the window.

A powerpoint lesson on the opening of “The Speckled Band”, planned for a middle-ability year 8 class but suitable at any point in KS3. The lesson begins with a settler activity looking at the word ‘axiom’ and drawing an inference about Sherlock Holmes from his maxim. Pupils are then guided through Watson’s opening narration, making inferences from selected evidence. The focus then turns to Helen Stoner whereupon the inference is developed into deduction and pupils’ attention is turned to what can be inferred and deduced from the simile - and how that simile can be linked to other aspects of the description. Finally, pupils are asked to draw an inference from the way in which two paragraphs of the story have been structured.

In which Jonathan Harker attempts to leave Dracula’s castle but cannot… This worksheet has the excerpt from chapter 4 of Stoker’s novel together with ten questions which are intended to elicit close reading and thinking. The questions focus on inference, the writer’s methods and their effect and on vocabulary. Useful for homework or to set as cover. The questions could also be used to structure a guided reading session. Handy as part of a unit on gothic horror.

This lesson uses four stanzas from Oscar Wilde’s “The Ballad of Reading Gaol”. In these stanzas, there is a very clear, critical viewpoint about the prison system and its impact. The stanzas contain a wealth of language methods which should enable less confident pupils to find something to explore and give more confident pupils the opportunity to link ideas. Planned for a year 9 class to build and hone the skills of analysis of previously unseen poetry, this lesson uses close questioning and modelling to support the pupils in a response to a question requiring analysis of the writer’s methods. The wording of the question echoes the question to be found on AQA’s English Literature GCSE Paper 2. Slide 3 of the ppt can be used as a printable.

Useful for a homework task or for cover, this uses the description from “Dracula” where Jonathan Harker is being driven through the Transylvanian darkness to Dracula’s castle. The questions are divided into four sections: vocabulary, information retrieval, inference and the effect of the writer’s methods. This worksheet could be used to structure a guided reading session.

Created as a cover activity for a mixed-ability year 7 class as part of a unit on origin stories, myths and legends, this uses a public domain text about Zeus unleashing the great flood on humanity (pairs well with the story of Noah’s Ark). There are ten questions focused on retrieval, inference and some basic analysis. Could be used as a cover activity, set for homework or the questions could be used to structure a guided reading session. Suggested answers are provided.

This is a straightforward comprehension activity using a short excerpt from Charles Kingsley’s re-telling of Greek Myths (public domain). There are ten questions. This could be set for cover or for homework. Alternatively, the questions could be used to structure a guided reading session.

This is a very bog-standard powerpoint using some questioning to support students’ recall of Hardy’s ‘Neutral Tones’ and ‘Singh Song’, “Love’s Philosophy” and Sonnet 29 - prior to asking them to tackle a question about the presentation of feelings about romantic relationships. Might come in useful as a starting point for revision. If you find this of use, I would very much appreciate you taking the time to leave a review.

Aim - link characters’ names to the play’s themes. Powerpoint encouraging the students to explore the significance of the names Eva Smith and Daisy Renton and including a focus on the name of Inspector Goole.

Aim: to comment on the effect of some of Owen’s specific language in “Anthem for Doomed Youth”. Lesson plan originally created for year 9 to develop their skills of writing a P.E.E structured answer, exploring the effect of Owen's language choices in the poem. Includes an opportunity for a whole-class model answer which then forms the basis for some independent responses.