Based on the popular game show ‘Pointless’, this resource is perfect for use as a whole lesson resource, enrichment option, or revision tool. Editable, so that you can change to any other topic or change questions. (I’ve also added a blank template so that you can make your own games from scratch). Containing almost 30 slides of sound clips, engaging visuals, and suitably challenging questions, this resource is effective at both promoting engagement and enhancing learning. There are several full rounds of questions to build or revisit knowledge of characters, plot, and themes in ‘The Woman in Black.’ Round 1. The characters in The Woman in Black Round 2. Quotations from the text Round 3. Settings, Themes, and Objects Round 4. Places where the woman appears. The nature of this game ensures that the resource can challenge students of all levels. A blank template has also been added, so that you can create your own games!

This engaging and informative lesson enables students to make precise and sustained interpretations regarding the portrayal of Arthur Kipps throughout Susan Hill’s The Woman in Black. In particular, students consider how Kipps is initially presented, and how his character is developed throughout the text. The lesson follows a step-by-step learning journey, in which children learn through: - Recapping the events leading up to the ending; - Discussing what a suitable ending to this story may entail; - Understanding and comprehending the key events of the ending of the story; - Considering how these events help to reveal key information about Arthur and the ghost; - Analysing how effective Hill’s ending is at providing the closure that the reader needs; - Peer assessing each other’s learning attempts. Included is: - Whole lesson PowerPoint - colourful and comprehensive; - Selected extract from ‘The Woman in Black’ (the ending); - Cards for sorting activity; - Analysis template with success criteria for creating well-structured responses; - Comprehensive lesson plan. There are also opportunities for group learning, peer assessment, and whole class discussion. This was originally taught to mixed ability year 10 groups, but can easily be differentiated for groups of different ages and abilities. All images are licensed for commercial use, and image rights are listed on the last page of the presentation.

This engaging and informative lesson enables students to make precise and sustained interpretations regarding the sub-plot of Jennet Humfrye and Nathaniel Drablow in The Woman in Black. Through close analysis of extracts of the sub-plot, they consider how the woman in black herself came to being, and learn her ghastly purpose. The lesson follows a step-by-step learning journey, in which children learn through: - Reading and understanding the sub-plot of Jennet Humfrye and Nathaniel Drablow; - Understanding and comprehending the key themes and ideas raised in the sub-plot; - Empathising and evaluating the sub-plot, arguing a viewpoint on behalf of a character; - Analysing how Hill utilises the sub-plot to aid and develop the wider story; - Peer assessing each other’s learning attempts. Included is: - Whole lesson PowerPoint - colourful and comprehensive; - Extracts from ‘The Woman in Black’ which details the sub-plot; - ‘Jennet Humfrye and Nathaniel Drablow’ worksheet (and answer sheet for teachers); - Empathy Footprints for ‘In Your Shoes’ task; - Analysis template with success criteria for creating well-structured responses; - Comprehensive lesson plan. There are also opportunities for group learning, peer assessment, and whole class discussion. This was originally taught to mixed ability year 10 groups, but can easily be differentiated for groups of different ages and abilities. All images are licensed for commercial use, and image rights are listed on the last page of the presentation.

This detailed and visually-appealing resource offers a complete reference point for students learning or revising Susan Hill’s ‘The Woman in Black.’ It contains comprehensive sections on: Context; Chapter by Chapter Summary (with quotes); Main Characters; Themes; Hill’s Language Devices; Features of Gothic Novels. Key words and ideas are underlined for easy reference. The resource is designed to be printed onto A3, and is provided as both a PDF and a Word version (so that you can edit if you want to). All images used are licensed for commercial use and are cited on a separate document (included).

This 16-page resource booklet contains a wide range of challenging and engaging comprehension activities for use throughout the reading of Percy Bysshe Shelley’s love and relationships poem ‘Love’s Philosophy.’ Teachers have found the activities particularly useful throughout teaching, or for exam revision or guided reading sessions. They are perfect for aiding the progress of students towards meeting the key English Literature assessment objectives - suitable for all examining bodies. Students have found these resources extremely engaging, and it is clearly highlighted within each task regarding which assessment strands the task is designed to demonstrate. It is provided in both Word (to allow for easy editing) and PDF (to ensure for consistency of formatting between computers). Activities within the booklet include (amongst many others): ‘Analysing Context’ - helping students to ‘Show understanding of the relationships between texts and the contexts in which they were written.’ ‘Analysing Subject Matter, Language and Structure’ - to help students to ‘Analyse the language, form and structure used by a writer to create meanings and effects, using relevant subject terminology where appropriate.’ ‘Diary Entry’ - to help students to ‘Use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate spelling and punctuation. Make an informed personal response, recognising that other responses to a text are possible and evaluating these.’ ‘The Speaker’ - to help students to ‘Read, understand and respond to texts. Students should be able to: maintain a critical style and develop an informed personal response use textual references, including quotations, to support and illustrate interpretations.’

This engaging and informative lesson enables students to make detailed and precise interpretations of the introduction and development of the characters of Mr and Mrs Joe Gargery in Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations. In particular, students learn about how Pip perceives the two characters at different points throughout the text, and consider the messages that Dickens hoped to get across through the character development and plot events related to Mr and Mrs Joe. The lesson follows a step-by-step learning journey, in which children learn through: Identifying the character traits of Mr and Mrs Joe; Reading and comprehending sections of the text in which Mr and Mrs Joe’s characters are introduced and developed; Precisely analysing Pip’s opinions of Mr and Mrs Joe through the different stages of his moral and psychological development; Analysing Dickens’ intentions and messages through the characters of Mr and Mrs Joe; Peer assessing each other’s learning attempts. Included is: Whole lesson PowerPoint - colourful and comprehensive; ‘Mr and Mrs Joe’ comparison worksheet; Cards for sorting activity; Analysis Template; All of the necessary extracts from the text (available freely online, but collated here); Comprehensive lesson plan; All documents are attached as Word and PDF in case formatting differs on your computer. There are also opportunities for group learning, peer assessment, and whole class discussion. This was originally taught to mixed ability year 10 groups, but can easily be differentiated for groups of different ages and abilities. All images are licensed for commercial use, and image rights are listed on the last page of the presentation.

This engaging and informative lesson enables students to make detailed and precise interpretations of the Bildungsroman structure employed by Charles Dickens throughout Great Expectations. In particular, students develop an understanding of the features of the Bildungsroman genre and apply the different stages of the Bildungsroman structure to Pip’s moral and psychological journey in the novel. The lesson follows a step-by-step learning journey, in which children learn through: Defining and exemplifying the features of Bildungsroman novels; Applying these features to the different stages of Great Expectations; Precisely analysing Pip’s experiences through the different stages of his moral and psychological development; Using their understanding to storyboard plan their own ideas for a Bildungsroman novel; Peer assessing each other’s learning attempts. Included is: Whole lesson PowerPoint - colourful and comprehensive; ‘Bildungsroman Features’ worksheet; Bildungsroman character development graph; Storyboard template; Comprehensive lesson plan. All documents are attached as Word and PDF in case formatting differs on your computer. There are also opportunities for group learning, peer assessment, and whole class discussion. This was originally taught to mixed ability year 10 groups, but can easily be differentiated for groups of different ages and abilities. All images are licensed for commercial use, and image rights are listed on the last page of the presentation.

This resource booklet contains a wide range of age-appropriate, engaging, and meaningful comprehension activities for use throughout the reading of Meera Syal’s ‘Anita and Me.’ Teachers have found them particularly useful in exam revision, comprehension tasks, or guided reading sessions. They are perfect for aiding the progress of students towards meeting the KS4 expectations within the National Curriculum framework - this makes the tasks suitable for all examining bodies. Students have found these resources extremely engaging, and for teachers there is explicit information within each task regarding which comprehension strands the task is designed to demonstrate. They also relate to key extracts, characters, and themes from the story, ensuring that students gain a deep understanding of the text. Activities within the booklet include: 'Context: 1970s Britain - to aid students with ‘Drawing on knowledge of the purpose, audience and context of the writing, including its social, historical and cultural context and the literary tradition to which it belongs, to inform evaluation;’ ‘Syal’s Description’ - to aid students with ‘Analysing a writer’s choice of vocabulary, form, grammatical and structural features, and evaluating their effectiveness and impact;’ ‘Nanima’ and ‘Anita’ - to aid students with ‘Seeking evidence in the text to support a point of view, including justifying inferences with evidence;’ ‘Editing the Text’ - to aid students with ‘Making an informed personal response, recognising that other responses to a text are possible and evaluating these.’ Plus many, many more activities (the booklet is around 30 pages in length!) I’ve also added it as a PDF in case the formatting differs on your computer. All images are licensed for commercial use, and are cited on a separate document (included).

This whole class reading session aims to develop children’s comprehension skills through a reading of the opening section of Tom Fletcher’s ‘The Christmasaurus.’ The resource pack includes the extract needed. This is followed by a series of activities aiming to develop children’s retrieval, explanation, inference, prediction and summarising skills. A vocabulary check helps to secure children’s understanding of any new or unfamiliar language. The tasks are comprised of quick-check questions, solo thinking, pair/ group discussions and deeper thinking activities. The session is best suited for children in years 2-4, although with minor adaptations it could feasibly be used with slightly younger and older year groups.

This detailed and visually-appealing resource offers a complete reference point for students learning or revising Meera Syal’s ‘Anita and Me.’ It contains comprehensive sections on: Context; Chapter by Chapter Summary (with quotes); Main Characters; Themes; Syal’s Language Devices; Features of Form. Key words and ideas are underlined for easy reference. The resource is designed to be printed onto A3, and is provided as both a PDF and a Word version (so that you can edit if you want to). All images used are licensed for commercial use and are cited on a separate document (included).

This resource booklet contains a wide range of age-appropriate, engaging, and meaningful comprehension activities for use throughout the reading of Roald Dahl’s ‘Matilda.’ Teachers have found them particularly useful in comprehension or guided reading sessions. They are perfect for aiding the progress of children towards meeting the KS2 expectations within the National Curriculum framework. Children love learning from these resources, whilst they are also of great use to teachers, as there is explicit information within each task regarding which comprehension strands the task is designed to demonstrate. They also relate to key extracts, characters, and themes from the story, ensuring that children gain a deep understanding of the text. Activities within the booklet include: ‘An Interview with Miss Honey’ - to enable students to demonstrate that they can: ‘Understand what is read by drawing on information from more than one paragraph, identifying key details that support the main ideas, and using quotations for illustration;’ ‘Dahl’s Description’ - to enable students to demonstrate that they can: ‘Explain meanings of words that they know and ask the meaning of new words. Link the meaning of new words to words that they already know;’ ‘Description of the Miss Trunchbull’ - to enable students to demonstrate that they can: ‘Understand what is read by drawing on information from more than one paragraph, identifying key details that support the main ideas, and using quotations for illustration;’ ‘Figurative Language’ - to enable students to demonstrate that they can: ‘Discuss and evaluate how authors use language, including figurative language, to create an impact on the reader.’ Plus many, many more activities (the booklet is around 20 pages in length!) I’ve also added it as a PDF in case the formatting differs on your computer. The resource is suitable for home/ remote learning. All images are licensed for commercial use.

This whole class reading session aims to develop children’s comprehension of the opening chapter of Roald Dahl’s ‘Matilda.’ It contains a link to the online chapter (on the first slide - also provided as PDF). This is followed by a series of activities aiming to develop children’s retrieval, explanation, inference, prediction and summarising skills. It also contains a vocabulary check immediately after the extract is read to clarify any unfamiliar/ difficult language. The tasks are comprised of quick-check questions, solo thinking, pair/ group discussions and deeper thinking activities. The session is best suited for children in years 3-5, although with minor adaptations it could feasibly be used with slightly younger and older year groups.

This detailed and visually-appealing resource offers a complete reference point for students learning or revising Roald Dahl’s ‘Matilda.’ It contains comprehensive sections on: Context; Chapter by Chapter Summary; Main Characters; Themes; Dahl’s Language Devices; Important Vocabulary. Key words and ideas are underlined for easy reference. The resource is designed to be printed onto A4 or A3, and is provided as both a PDF and a Word version (so that you can edit if you want to). All images used are licensed for commercial use and are cited on a separate document (included).

A simple information sheet detailing some of the main physical and human geography features of the Amazon Rainforest. I have used this in the past with KS2/ KS3 students as a part of a geography topic on rainforests, and also as a non-fiction whole class reading stimulus. Provided as a PDF (to protect formatting) and as a Word document (so that you can edit it). Hope that you find it useful!

This 16-page resource booklet contains a wide range of challenging and engaging comprehension activities for use throughout the reading of Grace Nichols’ poem 'Hurricane Hits England.’ They are perfect for aiding the progress of students learning poetry either in KS4 (or for higher attaining KS3 students) in preparation for poetry at GCSE, as the tasks draw on English Literature assessment objectives - suitable for all examining bodies - it is clearly highlighted within each task regarding which assessment strands the task is designed to demonstrate. The booklet is provided in both Word (to allow for easy editing) and PDF (to ensure for consistency of formatting between computers). Activities within the booklet include (amongst many others): ‘Analysing Context’ - helping students to ‘Show understanding of the relationships between texts and the contexts in which they were written.’ ‘Analysing Subject Matter, Language and Structure’ - to help students to ‘Analyse the language, form and structure used by a writer to create meanings and effects, using relevant subject terminology where appropriate.’ ‘Diary Entry’ - to help students to ‘Use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate spelling and punctuation. Make an informed personal response, recognising that other responses to a text are possible and evaluating these.’ ‘The Speaker’ - to help students to ‘Read, understand and respond to texts. Students should be able to: maintain a critical style and develop an informed personal response use textual references, including quotations, to support and illustrate interpretations.’ All images are licensed for commercial use.

This detailed and visually-appealing resource offers a complete reference point for students learning or revising Grace Nichol’s poem 'Hurricane Hits England.’ It contains comprehensive sections on: -Context; -Line-by-Line Analysis; -Poetic Devices/ Language Devices; -Themes; -Form/Structure; -Poems for Comparison; -Wider Reading. Key words and ideas are underlined for easy reference. The resource is designed to be printed onto A3 or A4, and is provided as both a PDF and a Word version (so that you can edit if you want to). All images used are licensed for commercial use.

This whole class reading session aims to develop children’s comprehension skills whilst simultaneously building their understanding of life in the Roman Army. The resource pack includes the full text (adapted from a BBC Teach article) and all of the activities for the session, which the class are guided through via a comprehensive PowerPoint presentation. The reading is followed by a series of activities aiming to develop children’s retrieval, explanation, inference, prediction and summarising skills. It also contains a vocabulary check immediately after the extract is read to clarify any unfamiliar/ difficult language. The tasks are comprised of quick-check questions, solo thinking, pair/ group discussions and deeper thinking activities. The session is best suited for children in lower KS2, although with minor adaptations it could feasibly be used with slightly older or younger year groups. This resource is suitable for home/ remote learning. These resources are also suitable for home/ remote learning.

This whole class reading session aims to develop children’s comprehension of the opening chapter of Lara Williamson’s ‘The Boy Who Sailed the Ocean in an Armchair.’ It contains a link to the online chapter (on the first slide - also provided as PDF). This is followed by a series of activities aiming to develop children’s retrieval, explanation, inference, prediction and summarising skills. It also contains a vocabulary check immediately after the extract is read to clarify any unfamiliar/ difficult language. The tasks are comprised of quick-check questions, solo thinking, pair/ group discussions and deeper thinking activities. The session is best suited for children in years 2-4, although with minor adaptations it could feasibly be used with slightly younger and older year groups.

This is an exciting and engaging lesson/set of tasks aiming to build students’ skills at using similes and metaphors in their writing . It was taught during an observation lesson where the teacher received an Outstanding judgement. Students learn to: - Define and give examples of what similes and metaphors are; - Identify similes and metaphors on funny posters and captions; - Analyse what makes similes and metaphors effective; - Create their own simile and metaphor filled writing piece; - Peer assess and learn through fun interactive tasks. It comes complete with: - Engaging and visual PowerPoint to guide students (and teacher!) through the lesson; - Colourful and thought-provoking worksheet for the main analysis task; - Lesson plan/ teacher guidance sheet, which goes through the lesson step-by-step; - Resources to enable the teacher to make ‘flags’ for the introductory task. All pictures are licensed for commercial use, and image authors cited on the final slide. This lesson can also be bought as part of the Descriptive Devices bundle for just £5. The bundle leads students through each language device needed in order to write to describe confidently. Alternatively, you can buy the Descriptive Writing Big Bundle (All descriptive devices lessons, structuring and organising writing lesson, capturing the readers attention lesson, and the literacy writing mat) for £6.

This interesting and highly stimulating lesson enables students to demonstrate a developed and sustained understanding of the effect of figurative language in popular music texts. In particular, students learn to explore the meanings behind similes and metaphors across songs from a range of genres, considering the effect upon the whole text and the intended audience. As one would expect, Students love learning about similes and metaphors through popular music, and this lesson can really help to open students’ eyes to how language can be crafted for effect. This has numerous benefits in later poetry and descriptive writing lessons. The lesson follows a clear, logical, bite-size learning journey, which guides students towards differentiated learning objectives. Over the course of this journey, they become able to: - Define and identify similes and metaphors; - Explain the similarities and differences between songs and poetry; - Observe and listen to several examples of similes and metaphors in popular music examples; - Understand and analyse the effect of similes and metaphors upon meanings and the reader; - Apply their knowledge of why similes and metaphors are used to a range of contexts and musical genres; - Collaborate and present their key findings about similes and metaphors in songs to their classmates; - Self-assess their learning attempts. This resource pack includes: - A visually engaging whole-lesson PowerPoint presentation; - Link to an online compilation video of similes and metaphors in popular music; - 3 x lyrics analysis worksheets of varying difficulties (Katy Perry, Train, and Florence and the Machine - all clean) - A detailed lesson plan, complete with what the teacher and students should aim to achieve at each stage of the lesson. All images are licensed for commercial use, and are cited on the final slide of the PowerPoint.