English teacher for upper schools with a passion for literature. My resources eschew flashy, clip-art-infested layouts for clean, focused, and advanced worksheets and activities for students and teachers.
English teacher for upper schools with a passion for literature. My resources eschew flashy, clip-art-infested layouts for clean, focused, and advanced worksheets and activities for students and teachers.
This no-prep unit of work is designed to enable an in-depth teaching and preparation of the poem “Plaits” by Elizabeth Smither. The poem is also on the IGCSE English Literature curriculum for exams in 2025-2027.
The unit includes:
1) Short biography and introduction to the poet
2) The poem text with line numbers to facilitate a close-reading and explanatory notes where necessary.
3) Teaching Activities (to facilitate teaching the poem & exam prep in class). I’ve focused on the central imagery of the poem, the plaits.
4) Comprehension, Close-reading & Analysis questions, with a particular focus on poetic devices and the IGCSE English Literature exam criteria.
5) Essay questions to facilitate IGCSE exam practice, modeled after the IGCSE English Literature Assessment Criteria (AO1-AO4)
6) In-depth, detailed model answers for all activities, questions as well as model answers for the practice exam questions, again based on IGCSE Exam Rubric (A01-AO4).
**Happy reading, teaching, studying, and revising!
Please leave feedback!**
This no-prep unit of work is designed to enable an in-depth teaching and preparation of the poem "The Cockroach. The poem is also on the IGCSE English Literature curriculum for exams in 2026-2028.
The unit includes:
1) Short biography and introduction to the poet
2) The poem text with line numbers to facilitate a close-reading, including historical context and explanatory notes where necessary.
3) Pre-Reading Activities to facilitate teaching the poem & exam prep in class. I’ve focused on animal symbolism in literature and poetry.
4) Comprehension, Close-reading & Analysis questions, with a particular focus on poetic devices and the IGCSE English Literature exam criteria.
5) Essay questions to facilitate IGCSE exam practice, modeled after the IGCSE English Literature Assessment Criteria (AO1-AO4)
6) In-depth, detailed model answers for all activities, questions, as well as model answers for the practice exam questions, again based on IGCSE Exam Rubric (A01-AO4).
**Happy reading, teaching, studying, and revising!
Please leave feedback!**
This unit of work focuses on Chapter 1 of William Golding’s novel Lord of the Flies; as a comprehensive unit for Chapter 1, it includes the following:
1. Comprehension, Close Reading & Discussion Questions for Chapter 1 of the novel.
2. Analyzing Setting - The Island - this activity provides an opportunity for students to practice close reading skills and to explore the setting of the novel; it caters for visual learners (students are asked to use the provided passage from Ch. 1 to draw a map of the island - bird’s eye view, etc.
3. Setting & Symbolism - The Island as Microcosm of Human Nature & Civilisation - This guided activity forces students to dig deeper into the symbolic significance of the island as a setting for the novel, especially in the backdrop of the context in which Lord of the Flies was written - World War II, nuclear war, the Cold War, etc.
4. Teacher’s Guide + Answer Key - this provides a detailed answer key for all the activities as well as a teacher’s guide for Chapter 1 of the novel - including a summary and an analysis of Chapter 1. This is designed for teachers who are new to the novel, or veterans who wish to gain fresh insights, as well as for students working independently in a home-schooling setting or in a distance learning environment.
Edition of the novel used:* Lord of the Flies* (William Golding), Faber and Faber Educational Edition.
Hoping you find everything you’re looking for, please leave feedback!
This is a handout that guides through the analysis and close-reading of IGCSE poetry tested on the IGCSE English Literature exams.
This handout covers the following poem:
'Drummer Hodge' - by Thomas Hardy
The handout includes:
- an introduction with biographical and contextual information about the author
- the poem text with a glossary of key vocabulary
- comprehension and close-reading questions, with a focus on analysing the poem's structure, language and use of poetic devices, and main ideas or themes.
- an answer key with detailed responses to the close reading and analysis questions.
Enjoy!
This is an activity that helps students to visualize the metaphors, similes, personifications, and wonderful imagery of Macbeth’s soliloquies, especially in Act 1 Scene 5 (Lady Macbeth’s two short soliloquies) and Act 1, Scene 7 (Macbeth’s first soliloquy: “If it were done, when 'tis done …” by guiding students through the storyboarding process to how a film might show these soliloquies. This is a great way to show visual learners the imagery and the power behind Shakespeare’s language, and to bring soliloquies to life in the classroom.
The handout is extensive and includes:
introduction and definition of soliloquies
comprehension activities to introduce each soliloquy to the students and to ensure understanding before they start the storyboard activity.
storyboard activity with the texts of the soliloquies split into meaningful groups, ideal for group work or pair work,
storyboarding template.
It makes sense to print the storyboard template onto A3-sized paper so that students have enough room to draw their storyboard onto it.
Enjoy!
This advanced unit of work focuses on Book 1, Chapter 5 of George Orwell’s 1984 or Nineteen-Eighty-Four, with a specific focus on aiding your study of the novel for IGCSE English Literature (1984 is a set text for the IGCSE English Literature Exams in 2020 and 2021).
Although this unit of work, as indeed all of my 1984 handouts and activities are specifically designed to be read at IGCSE level or in preparation for the IGCSE English Literature exams. But they can be used independent of these exams and the IGCSE curriculum, too, of course!
The level is certainly also high enough to be used if you have made 1984 one of the set texts for your IB English A: Literature or English A: Language & Literature course.
The unit of work includes:
1. Comprehension questions for Book 1, Chapter 5 of 1984
2. Exam Practice Question: This activity uses an important passage from Book 1, Chapter 5, and emulates the IGCSE English Literature exam by offering both a passage-based and an essay question to choose from. Can be used to facilitate close reading and exam practice.
3. 1984 in Context: Information Text about the Appendix of 1984 which explains the Principles of Newspeak. This is crucial additional information to help students understand the overall purpose of Newspeak in 1984.
4. 1984 Then and Now: This activity uses examples from present-day to highlight how Newspeak is still being used in propaganda, advertising and other ways to manufacture consent etc.
5. TEACHER’S GUIDE + ANSWER KEY: A detailed teacher’s guide with summary & analysis of Book 1, Chapter 5, as well as an MODEL ANSWERS for the comprehension questions & the Exam Practice Question.
Enjoy, and please leave feedback!
This advanced unit of work focuses on Book 1, Chapter 8 of George Orwell’s 1984 or Nineteen-Eighty-Four, with a specific focus on aiding your study of the novel for IGCSE English Literature (1984 is a set text for the IGCSE English Literature Exams in 2020 and 2021).
Although this unit of work, as indeed all of my 1984 handouts and activities are specifically designed to be read at IGCSE level or in preparation for the IGCSE English Literature exams. But they can be used independent of these exams and the IGCSE curriculum, too, of course!
The level is certainly also high enough to be used if you have made 1984 one of the set texts for your IB English A: Literature or English A: Language & Literature course.
The unit of work includes:
1. Comprehension questions for Book 1, Chapter 8 of 1984
2. Analysing Language: Symbolism in Book 1 Activity. This activity is designed to facilitate a close reading of some of the most important symbols in Book 1 of the novel, including Big Brother, Newspeak and the memory hole, Mr. Charrington’s shop and the paperweight etc. The activity uses carefully selected passages and guiding questions to allow students to take a closer look at this symbols.
3. TEACHER’S GUIDE + ANSWER KEY: A detailed teacher’s guide with MODEL ANSWERS for the comprehension questions as well as guiding commentary for the symbols in the close reading activity.
Enjoy, and please leave feedback!
These no-prep resources provide engaging and informative pre-reading activities for Marjane Satrapi’s iconic graphic novel Persepolis. The unit includes:
1: Introduction to the Novel: A guided reading and discussion activity based on the “Introduction” to the graphic novel in The Complete Persepolis edition of Satrapis’ graphic novel.
2. Marjane Satrapi: A Brief Biography of the Author: A brief introduction to the author, contextually always referring to the graphic novel.
3. Video Activity: An Interview with Marjane Satrapi: An in-depth activity based on an interview given by Satrapi shortly after the release of the animated film version of the graphic novel.
While you can teach all pre-reading activities together, you can also pick and choose to do only one or two of the activities. It’s up to you!
The resource also includes an in-depth teacher’s guide and model answers to all the activities.
Feedback is always appreciated!
This is a set of print-and-use worksheets, activities, handouts and presentation-mode PDFs for J. R. R. Tolkien’s iconic fantasy children’s novel The Hobbit, and more specifically for Chapter 8 - Flies and Spiders.
This comprehensive teaching unit includes the following:
Comprehension & Close Reading Questions for Chapter 8 - Flies and Spiders.
Read & Response Journal Questions for Chapter 8.
Creative Writing / Drama Activity: This chapter can be linked to the theme of prejudices and the ancient feuds between the wood-elves and the dwarves. This creative writing/drama activity (can be used as either type of activity) enables an engaged, critical discussion of a central theme of the novel.
TEACHER’S GUIDE + MODEL ANSWERS for the comprehension & close reading questions as well as slides for teaching the lesson. I’ve also included a DETAILED SUMMARY & ANALYSIS of Chapter 8 as further guidance for teachers, especially useful for those teaching The Hobbit for the first time, or in a homeschooling, DISTANCE LEARNING setting.
NB: I’ve included a range of different (and differentiated) activities so that you can choose what best suits your class of students, and depending on how much in-depth analysis you would like to go into for each chapter. I usually read The Hobbit with Grade 7 students, but this unit of work can naturally be used with Grade 6 or Grade 8 students as well!
Enjoy, and please leave feedback!
This no-prep bundle of activities is designed to enable the in-depth teaching and preparation of the poem “A Married State” by Katherine Philips. The poem is also on the IGCSE English Literature curriculum for exams in 2026-2028.
The unit includes:
1) Short biography and introduction to the poet
2) The poem text with line numbers to facilitate a close-reading, including historical context and explanatory notes where necessary.
3) Pre-Teaching Activities & Follow-Up Activities to facilitate teaching the poem & exam prep in class. I’ve focused on the social context - gender roles in 17th-century England and a follow-up activity focusing on juxtaposition and oxymoron, important devices to fully appreciate “A Married State”.
4) Close-reading & Analysis Questions, with a particular focus on poetic devices and the IGCSE English Literature exam criteria.
5) Essay questions to facilitate IGCSE exam practice, modeled after the IGCSE English Literature Assessment Criteria (AO1-AO4). These can be used as a mock exam with your students.
6) In-depth, detailed model answers for all activities, questions, as well as model answers for the practice exam questions, again based on IGCSE Exam Rubric (A01-AO4).
**Happy reading, teaching, studying, and revising!
Please leave feedback!**
This no-prep unit of work is designed to enable an in-depth teaching and preparation of the poem “Lament” by Gillian Clarke. The poem is also on the IGCSE English Literature curriculum for exams in 2025-2027.
The unit includes:
1) Short biography and introduction to the poet
2) The poem text with line numbers to facilitate a close-reading, including historical context and explanatory notes where necessary.
3) Pre-Reading Activities to facilitate teaching the poem & exam prep in class. I’ve focused on the historical context (Persian Gulf War) as well as on the lament - poetic form and tradition.
4) Comprehension, Close-reading & Analysis questions, with a particular focus on poetic devices and the IGCSE English Literature exam criteria.
5) Essay questions to facilitate IGCSE exam practice, modeled after the IGCSE English Literature Assessment Criteria (AO1-AO4)
6) In-depth, detailed model answers for all activities, questions, as well as model answers for the practice exam questions, again based on IGCSE Exam Rubric (A01-AO4).
**Happy reading, teaching, studying, and revising!
Please leave feedback!**
This teaching and exam practice unit focuses on the first chapters (Volume 1, Chapters 1-2) of the classive novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.
The novel is also on the IGCSE English Literature syllabus for exams 2026 and 2027 as well as the** A/AS-Level English Literature syllabus for exams 2024-2026**.
The bundle includes:
1. Comprehension: Quick Quiz: A fun quick, quiz activity to test your students’ reading, and to enable an engaging introduction to the main topics and learning objectives of the unit. I’ve also included a link for an interactive Kahoot!-version of this quick quiz that you can alternatively do with your students!
2. Close Reading: Find the Quote Quiz: This is another fun activity that facilitates an engaging close reading of the most pertinent quotes or statements from the chapters. The quotes have been carefully selected so that you can also use them to segway to the main digging deeper activity.
3. Digging Deeper: Dialogue, Narrative Voice and Characterisation: This is a structured, scaffolded and guided passage-based close reading and analysis activity with the following learning objectives:
Students learn how Austen uses dialogue, narrative voice and in/direct characterisation to establish characters and relationships in the novel.
Students learn how to approach a passage-based question in an analytical, methodical manner that also functions as exam practice.
Students learn to appreciate Austen’s style and techniques and gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of these first chapters.
4. Exam Practice: Passage-Based Response: This activity enables exam practice for IGCSE & AS/A-Levels in a structured, scaffolded manner that focuses on the exam assessment criteria.
5. Teacher’s Guide & Model Answers for all activities. The teacher’s guide includes the learning objectives, detailed model answers as well as the links to the alternative Kahoot! activities.
***Happy teaching, studying, revising, and reading!
Feedback is always welcome!*
Happy teaching, and please leave feedback!
This unit of work focuses on Chapter 1 of Chinua Achebe’s iconic novel Things Fall Apart.
As a comprehensive unit for Chapter 1, it includes the following:
1. Comprehension, Close Reading & Discussion Questions for Chapter 1 of the novel.
2. Identify the Quote Quiz - this activity provides an alternative, quicker, and potentially more fun way to check reading and comprehension of Chapter 1 of the novel - with quotes that students have to recognize and contextualize.
3. Analyzing Character: Unoka vs. Okonkwo - This activity provides a scaffolded, guided opportunity to compare and contrast Unoka and Okonkwo as presented in Chapter 1. The activity also introduces the concept of foil characters in literature.
4. English or Igbo? - The Languages of Things Fall Apart - this activity provides insight and discussion prompts to look at Achebe’s language and style choices for the novel. The provided discussion questions facilitate a closer look at the purpose and effect of Achebe’s simple syntax, short sentences, and infusion of the novel with Igbo proverbs and vocabulary. This is activity is certainly the most advanced of the range of activities provided.
5. Teacher’s Guide + Answer Key - this provides a detailed answer key for all the activities as well as a teacher’s guide for Chapter 1 of the novel - including a character analysis of Unoka and a summary and analysis of Chapter 1. This is designed for teachers who are new to the novel, or veterans who wish to gain fresh insights, as well as for students working independently in a home-schooling setting or in a distance learning environment.
I hope you find everything you were looking for here.
Feedback is greatly appreciated!
This unit of work focuses on Chapters 10-11 of Chinua Achebe’s iconic novel Things Fall Apart.
As a comprehensive unit for Chapters 10-11 it includes the following:
1. Comprehension, Close Reading & Discussion Questions for Chapter 10-11 of the novel.
2. Identify the Quote Quiz - this activity provides an alternative, quicker, and potentially more fun way to check reading and comprehension of Chapters 10-11 of the novel - with quotes that students have to recognize and contextualize.
3. Making Connections - Allegorical Fables - This activity introduces students to allegorical fiction and folk tales and their purpose in film / popular culture and literature.
4. Making Connections - Allegorical Fables in Things Fall Apart - This activity builds upon the ‘Allegorical Fables’ activity and facilitates a close look at the various allegorical folktales Achebe incorporates into Part One of Things Fall Apart. Ultimately, this will give students another point of access to this masterpiece and a way to appreciate Achebe’s literary craftmanship even more.
5. Creative Writing Task - Write Your Own African Fable: This activity provides ideas and prompts for students to get creative and to write their own African fables. This is a great way to wrap up this unit and an alternative, creative form of assessment.
6. Teacher’s Guide + Answer Key - this provides a detailed answer key with model answers for all the activities as well as a teacher’s guide for Chapters 10-11 of the novel - including a summary and analysis of Chapters 10-11. This is designed for teachers who are new to the novel, or veterans who wish to gain fresh insights.
**Perfect for independent study and distance learning. Feedback is greatly appreciated!
This comprehensive unit of work focuses on Part 2, Chapters 16-17 of Chinua Achebe’s iconic novel Things Fall Apart, and includes the following:
1. Comprehension, Close Reading & Discussion Questions for Chapters 16-17 of the novel.
2. Identify the Quote Quiz - this activity provides an alternative, quicker, and potentially more fun way to check reading and comprehension of Chapters 16-17 of the novel - with quotes that students have to recognize and contextualize.
3. Analyzing Language - Figurative Devices - This two-fold activity first reviews important figurative devices that are often used in the novel (alliteration, simile, personification, imagery, hyperbole, dramatic irony, etc.), and then uses key quotes and passages from the novel Ch. 14-16 to test students’ understanding of the concepts reviewed.
4. Analyzing Nwoye’s Character Development: Passage-Based Close Reading - Chapters 16-17 include various key scenes and moments in Nwoye’s character development. This passage-based close reading activity provides selected passages and guided questions to trace this foil character’s development throughout the novel both retroactively and with a direct focus on Chapters 16-17. Key Concepts such as motifs, symbolism, and foil character are reviewed/revisited, too.
4. Teacher’s Guide + Answer Key - this provides a detailed answer key with model answers for all the activities - designed for teachers who are new to the novel, or veterans who wish to gain fresh insights.
Perfect for independent study and distance learning. Feedback is greatly appreciated!
One of my favorite novels to teach, I’ve revisited and revised my Things Fall Apart resources and included a comprehensive range of activities for the entire novel.
Each unit included in this comprehensive bundle focuses on different aspects of this African classic worth teaching (and standards-aligned)
Examples of the activities included in each unit are:
1. Comprehension & Close Reading Questions for each chapter of Things Fall Apart
2. Let’s Get Quizzical! - Quote Hunt Quiz for each chapter (a great way to quickly review comprehension and reading with students, these quote hunt quizzes can be used as a springboard for close reading and other activities.
3. The Novel In Context - These activities focus on various aspects of the novel’s context of composition and interpretation, including the history of Nigeria, colonization, the role of women, Igbo culture, traditions, etc.
4. Analyzing Characters / Themes / Setting / Figurative Devices / Symbols / Conflicts etc. - these are a range of guided close reading activities; each focuses on different literary aspects of the novel, selected as most appropriate for each chapter. A great way to facilitate a closer look at key aspects of this literary masterpiece and to practice key close reading and inference skills.
5. Creative Writing Tasks - a range of creative writing prompts and tasks for each chapter, allows your students to engage with the story, characters, main ideas, etc. of the story in a more personal, creative, and empathetic manner.
7. Making Connections - these activities introduce/focus on the various allusions/connections made to other literary works and texts in Things Fall Apart, including Greek tragedy, the concept of the tragic hero, and W. B. Yeats’ poem “The Second Coming” (which inspired Achebe’s title of the novel - Things Fall Apart). These are crucial activities and materials to teach a more in’de
8. Teacher’s Guide (Model Answers + Commentary + Analysis) - Each unit of work (for each chapter) includes a comprehensive teacher’s guide, which itself includes model answers for all the activities as well as a detailed plot summary and analysis of the respective chapter, designed for teachers who are new to the novel, or veterans who wish to gain fresh insights, as well as for students working independently in a home-schooling setting or in a distance learning environment.
9. I’ve also included all my pre-reading and post-reading activities and assessments in this bundle!
Happy teaching! Feedback is always welcome!
This teaching unit focuses on Act 1, Part 2 of the seminal play A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen with a particular focus on exploring the various ways in which Ibsen creates contrast, whether it is between Nora and Helmer, or Mrs Linde and Nora, or within other aspects of the play.
The play is a particular success with IB or A-Level students, but the resources can be used with any upper school / high school class!
The unit includes:
1. Comprehension: Quick Quiz Activities: A fun, quick quiz activity to test your students’ reading, and to enable an engaging introduction to the main topics and learning objectives of the unit.
2. Digging Deeper: Symbolism of the Macaroons: This activity goes some depth and takes a closer look at the way Ibsen uses macaroons as a first key symbol to highlight major themes or to indirectly characterise Nora as a m ore complex character than an initial impression may suggest.
3. Close Reading Activity: Analysing Key Quotes: This activity allows for an in-depth look at several of the most important quotes from this part of the play, with a particular focus on looking at Nora’s interactions with Mrs Linde (Christine).
4. Contrasting Characters: Nor and Mrs Linde: This scaffolded activity caters to visual learners and allows for a closer, in-depth look at how Ibsen contrasts Nora with Mrs Linde in Act 1 of the play.
5. Teacher’s Guide & Model Answers for all activities. The teacher’s guide includes detailed model answers for all activities and is designed to help you prepare for a perfect teaching unit.
Happy teaching, and please leave feedback!
This FREE ready-to-teach handout focuses on close reading and analysis of the final Chapters of “The Wave” by Morton Rhue / Todd Strasser (Chapters 15-17).
The worksheet is structured around 4 carefully selected extracts, each accompanied by close reading questions that facilitate a higher-order engagement with the central issues of the novel.
Enjoy, and please leave feedback!
This FREE worksheet takes a closer look at the central themes of the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, namely loneliness and dreams.
This is best used after reading Chapter 5, as it focuses on how the various characters of the novel are used to develop these themes.
Enjoy, and please leave feedback!
FREE Discuss & Debate Activity - Did George have to kill Lennie? / Is Lennie guilty/responsible for Curley’s wife’s death? - this guided discussion/debate activity provides prompts, guidance and further input to either stage a formal debate about some of the key debatable issues of the novel, or in a less formal manner to have shorter discussions/debates/presentations about said issues.