An extended lesson on writing a discursive essay, aimed at middle-upper-ability GCSE. It covers: The assessment objectives for writing (learners should put these in their own words) What is a discursive essay? Planning in full and planning in the exam A planning activity to carry out in pairs, followed by feedback The structure of a discursive essay Different ways to start a discursive essay An example introduction, internal paragraph and conclusion The importance of linking paragraphs The importance of using evidence and different forms of evidence A final writing task Self-reflection The whole powerpoint is likely to last over an hour. The sample paragraphs are also included on a separate sheet so learners can annotate them. There is reference to AQA 8700/2/Question 5 but it could be adapted to other boards. These files were last saved in Office 2016.

A 30-slide PowerPoint that aims to teach the concept of structure in fiction and how to respond to Paper 1, Question 3 (AQA 8700). The PowerPoint covers: An entry task based on a quotation from Stephen King The meaning of structure in fiction texts The difference between language and structure Key structural devices including: dialogue, repetition, first sentence/last sentence/narrative standpoint, sequence of events, focus, foreshadowing, foregrounding, analepsis, prolepsis, motif, zoom in, zoom out, cyclical structure, cohesion, symbolism and internal/external contrast. Students cut up a grid of terms and match the terms to their explanations. Some of these are self-explanatory. This activity should be done in pairs, although students should have their own copies for revision purposes. A sample response in relation to a Question 3 focusing on an extract from ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’. Success criteria included. Freytag’s Pyramid of Dramatic Structure. Students add detail to a relevant diagram. Application of Freytag’s Pyramind in relation to the story of Little Red Riding Hood Application of Freytag’s Pyramid in relation to Paper 1, Question 3 Sample questions for students to complete. Two extracts provided are from ‘A Christmas Carol’ and ‘Jekyll and Hyde’. Sample responses to the Jekyll/Carol questions. Student read and judge against the success critera. An opportunity for peer assessment of their own responses Self-reflection. Given the emphasis on clear explanation of structural features, students should be working at or towards level 3 on the relevantAQA mark scheme. These files were last saved in Office 2016.

A PowerPoint that demonstrates the structure of GCSE Language Paper 2, Section A (AQA 8700/2) and the skills that examiners are looking for. Source A is an extract from ‘The Seven Curses of London’ by James Greenwood. (19th Century Non-Fiction) Source B is a Guardian article entitled ‘On the Streets of Binge Britain’. (Link provided on slide) This PowerPoint covers Section A only but there are sample answers included for each question, 1-4. If you can obtain a copy of the 8700/2 mark scheme, you may wish to encourage learners to mark the sample responses. Appropriate for middle-upper ability learners.

A full lesson on Heaney’s ‘Storm on the Island’. It incorporates: A brief scansion entry task Learners then read the poem and form initial impressions, giving reasons for their interpretations. There is then a vocabulary task relevant to the context of the poem. Learners read a sheet entitled 'Different Interpretations of ‘Storm on the Island’ which provides a brief introduction to the political situation in Northern Ireland. Learners use this information to respond to questions on a worksheet. Learners can then annotate the poem using a guidance sheet. The whole lesson is likely to take 1.5-2 hours approx. It is aimed at higher ability learners.

A full lesson on the extract from ‘The Prelude’ in the AQA Power and Conflict Anthology. The entry task is a short multiple choice quiz entitled ‘How Romantic Are You?’. The aim of this is for students to identify how closely their own ideas tie-in with those of the Romantic poets. Students then use a detailed context sheet to create a mind map of contextual influences on the poet Wordsworth. This is followed by an annotated copy of the extract and two questions on the poem: one just on the extract itself and one comparison question. I have provided a WAGOLL for the question on the poem itself. Finally, students peer assess their responses using success criteria. The whole PPT is likely to take more than an hour - probably more like 2 - and it aimed at higher ability learners.

A PowerPoint that demonstrates the structure of GCSE Language Paper 2, Section A (AQA 8700/2) and the skills that examiners are looking for. Source A: An anonymous prison diary, published in the Victorian magazine ‘Household Words’ in the early 1850s. Source A is contained in ‘Rollercoasters: 19th-Century Fiction and Non-Fiction’, an anthology of 19th Century extracts available to purchase online (ISBN: 978-0198357407). Please be aware that in order to to access Source A, you will need to obtain a copy of the anthology. It is currently priced at around £9.75-£9.99 from major online booksellers. Source B: An extract from ‘My Prison Diary’, by Jeffrey Archer, published in 2002. A link to the extract is contained on Slide 9. The extract reads from, ‘I don’t know why I’m surprised to encounter a fresh-faced young GP…’ down to ‘After all, there’s nothing else to do’. This PowerPoint covers Section A only but there are sample answers included for each question, 1-4. If you can obtain a copy of the 8700/2 mark scheme, you may wish to encourage learners to mark the sample responses. Appropriate for middle-upper ability learners.

A PowerPoint that demonstrates the structure of GCSE Language Paper 2, Section A (AQA 8700/2) and the skills that examiners are looking for. Source A is a Guardian article entitled ‘Filthy water poisons the people of Dhaka’s festering slums’ (Link provided on slide) Source B is an extract from Henry Mayhew’s ‘A Visit to the Cholera Districts in Bermondsey’, published in 1849. This PowerPoint covers Section A only but there are sample answers included for each question, 1-4. If you can obtain a copy of the 8700/2 mark scheme, you may wish to encourage learners to mark the sample responses. Appropriate for middle-upper ability learners.

A PPT that enables an exploration of ‘London’ by William Blake. The lesson includes: A true or false entry task that provides some hints about the context of the poem. A handout on the context of the poem with an accompanying worksheet. A guidance sheet to prompt annotation of the poem. 3 differentiated extended response questions. The lesson is aimed at upper-ability learners and should last 1.5-2 hours approximately.

A PPT that enables an exploration of ‘Checking Out Me History’ by John Agard. The entry task is a true or false activity based on a paragraph from a 19th Century non-fiction text called ‘Buccaneers and Pirates of Our Coast’ by Frank R. Stockton (1898). The paragraph hints at the answer to Agard’s question about what happened to the the Caribs and the Arawaks when Christopher Columbus and his crew arrived in the Bahamas in 1492. After this, learners complete a quiz entitled ‘How much of a history buff are you?’ The aim is to match the historical figure or year to the correct explanation of its significance. Some of the explanations contain clues so that some elimination is possible. There is a context sheet to be given out after this activity, which learners can use in conjunction with their exploration of the poem. Learners then watch a video in which Agard discusses his poem (link provided). As they watch, learners are encouraged to think about who is in conflict in the poem and who or what has power. The next task is to read the poem in conjunction with a video of a recording of Agard reciting the poem (link provided). After this, learners explore the poem using a worksheet. The lesson culminates in a summary task, which is differentiated according to challenge. This resource is aimed at middle-upper ability learners and should take about 1.5 - 2 hours. UPDATE: A few typos corrected on the Context Sheet. Simplified context table added.

This lesson provides an alternative to : https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/my-last-duchess-11887073 In this lesson: Learners use a context notes sheet and its accompanying worksheet to generate a collection of ideas about the historical context of the poem. There are links to two different video clips in which the poem is recited. Learners then discuss their answers to a series of comprehension questions on the poem. Teacher answers provided. Learners go on to annotate the poem using the context sheet and a prompt sheet. Learners will need their own copy of the poem. Slide 7 provides a glossary of the more unfamiliar terms in the poem. The final slide presents 4 different long-answer questions which can be explored in groups and used a basis for group presentations.

A PPT that enables an exploration of Shelley’s ‘Ozymandias’. As with many of my other Power and Conflict lessons, the emphasis is on independent learning, so you might wish to ask learners to work in pairs or groups for the activities. The content is aimed at upper ability groups. This lesson comes with a detailed context sheet and a modern translation of the poem.

A PowerPoint that enables an exploration of ‘The Emigree’ by Carol Rumens. Learners begin with an entry task that encourages them to think about some relevant vocabulary and then explore the poem’s context in terms of Rumens’ interest in the poetry of Anna Akhmatova and Osip Mandelstam. A series of questions are provided to prompt annotation of the poem - this could be done in small groups or pairs. Learners should them complete the comparison table, thinking about how ‘The Emigree’ shares similar ideas with ‘Kamikaze’. There is an opportunity to explore a related poem as an unseen poetry task. For this, you will need copies of ‘I am not one who left their land’ by Anna Akhmatova. This lesson is aimed at upper ability learners and is likely to take about two hours approx.

A 36-slide powerpoint based on the Sergeant’s speech in Act 1 in which honour is a key theme and Macbeth is introduced. The PowerPoint covers: The meaning of the word honour Using the word honour as a noun and a verb and honourably as an adverb AO3 Contextual information in relation to honour An animated modern translation of the extract The question at hand The requirements of a Level 3 response + a sample answer with feedback The requirements of a Level 5 response + a sample answer with feedback The requirements of a Level 7+ response + sample answer with feedback I believe the responses are of the standard required for the specified levels - they may be slightly higher in places - but if you have any comments on the above please email me. The address is at the ‘top’ of my shop. The cover image illustrates an extract from the 7+ response.

Following on from this introduction to unseen poetry: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/unseen-poetry-lesson-1-12130945 This lesson is the third in the series and looks at the concepts of syllables, feet and meter. The lesson is as follows: The Do Now task encourages learners to examine the first two stanzas of Wordsworth’s ‘I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud’ and identify four of the poetic methods used. Teacher answers included. Feedback slide An explanation of syllables, feet and meter in relation to poetry, with a corresponding worksheet. An application task which focuses on an extract from ‘Macbeth’. Feedback slides Learning Review Revise key terms from previous lesson/section Trochaic tetrameter task with a focus on ‘I Wandered Lonely…’ Feedback slide Learning Review Estimated time: 1.5 - 2 hrs Target: middle ability learners

A 30-slide PowerPoint that provides a guide to the historical context of 'An Inspector Calls'. Accompanying the presentation are 3 worksheets comprising of 26 short-answer comprehension questions that relate closely to the information presented. It is potentially useful for revision sessions or as pre-reading of the play. Suitable for middle-upper ability learners.

This assessment tracker uses the 2024 grade boundaries for AQA 8702 Paper 1 and 2 (English Literature). It will generate a grade for individual sections, each paper and the overall course. Please email me using the address on my store front if you would like any adjustments made to your tracker, e.g. additional columns. Please do not send any pupil data when requesting adjustments.

This assessment tracker uses the 2024 grade boundaries for AQA 8700 Paper 1 and 2 (English Language). It will generate a grade for Sections A and B of both papers and arrive at an overall grade for each paper and the whole course. Please email me using the address on my store front if you would like any adjustments made to your tracker, e.g. additional columns. Please do not send any pupil data when requesting adjustments.

The fifth in the ‘MRS SOAP’ Creative Writing series for lower ability KS3. This is an extended lesson that covers some basic grammatical concepts: Subject Predicate Main clause Dependent clause Simple Sentence Compound Sentences Complex Sentences The starter links to the previous lesson on adverbs and adjectives. After this, the lesson progresses steadily towards complex sentences. There are activities to test and apply learning at each stage and the lesson culminates in a creative writing task with a picture prompt. You would need to allocate about 2 hours, maybe a shade longer, depending on your group.

An hour lesson that provides an introduction to the plot of ‘Macbeth’. Learners examine a range of sources that provide an insight into what happens in the play and its socio-historical context. The sources cover: A 19th Century poster advertising a production of the play Shakespeare’s Twitter feed A diary entry by Lady Macbeth A diary entry by Macbeth A letter from Malcolm to Donalbain, from England. For additional challenge, learners can attempt to link their inferences about the play to a range of quotations illustrating key ideas. After feedback, learners write a summary of the plot. There are three levels of challenge here, with the ‘gold’ challenge encouraging the use of higher level discourse markers. The lesson culminates in a plenary in which learners write one thing they have learnt about the play on a post-it note. This lesson is aimed at middle-upper ability learners.

This lesson is aimed at middle-upper ability learners and focuses on broadsheet article writing for AQA English Language 8700/2. The questions is: “Those who are obese have nobody to blame but themselves.” Write an article for a broadsheet newspaper in which you explain your point of view on this statement. The lesson includes: Do Now Task: learners use their general knowledge to match seven health-related terms to their definitions. Teacher answers provided. Extension task included. Feedback slide For the following slides, learners use a designated note-taking sheet to record information on: Key points about AQA Question 5, Paper 2 What an AQA Paper 2, Question 5 will look like The basic differences between broadsheets, tabloids and the middle-market dailies The difference between an article and a news report Broadsheet readers Layout features of an article (heading, strapline, lead photo, by-line and date + main body) Basic language requirements of a broadsheet article From this point on: Learners look at the question again and come up with arguments for and against the statement. Feedback slide They then consider what makes a good heading, with several made-up examples What is the strapline? (Example provided) The internal structure of an article e.g. introduction, main body with PEC (point, evidence and comment) paragraphs, counterargument and conclusion. Learners take notes on a designated sheet A WAGOLL The writing task is set for homework (basic planning sheet included) Review Initially, I wrote one WAGOLL and it turned out to be too long, so I shortened it! Both are included. The shortened version has been broken up into sections on PPT slides, which you can print out and use as a carousel and group work activity, if you wish.