This resource booklet contains a wide range of age-appropriate, engaging, and meaningful comprehension activities for use throughout the reading of Darren Shan’s ‘Cirque Du Freak.’ Teachers have found them particularly useful in comprehension or guided reading sessions. They are perfect for aiding the progress of children towards meeting the KS3 expectations within the new National Curriculum framework. Children 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 children gain a deep understanding of the text. Activities within the booklet include: - ‘Context: Freak Shows’ - to enable students to demonstrate that they can: ‘Know the purpose, audience and context of the writing and drawing on this knowledge to support comprehension.’ - ‘Shan’s Description of Truska’ - to enable students to demonstrate that they can: ‘Know how language, including figurative language, vocabulary choice, grammar, text structure and organisational features, present meaning.’ - ‘Mr Crepsley’ and ‘Rhamus Twobellies’ - to enable students to demonstrate that they can: ‘Study setting, plot, and characterisation, and the effects of these.’ - ‘Vocabulary Inspector’ - to enable students to demonstrate that they can: ‘Learn new vocabulary, relating it explicitly to known vocabulary and understanding it with the help of context and dictionaries.’ Plus many, many more activities (the booklet is 21 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).

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, interesting tasks, 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 ‘Cirque Du Freak.’ Round 1. The characters in Cirque Du Freak Round 2. Quotations from the text Round 3. Settings and Objects Round 4. Themes in Cirque Du Freak 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 helps students to infer and deduce the hidden meanings in the introduction section of Darren Shan’s ‘Cirque Du Freak.’ Students act as ‘Text Detectives’ reading between the lines to find out deeper meanings in the introduction, using this information to make predictions about what may happen in the text. The lesson follows a step-by-step learning journey, in which children learn through: - Understanding why individual subject content was chosen for the introduction (e.g. the fear that spiders can arouse in many people); - Reading the introduction, and answering comprehension questions to demonstrate their understanding; - Functioning as ‘Text Detectives’, inferring and deducing the hidden meanings about narrator and plot that are provided within the introduction; - Using inferences from textual evidence to make insightful and evidence-based predictions about the story; - Peer assessing each other’s learning attempts; Included is: - Whole lesson PowerPoint - colourful and comprehensive; - Newspaper Article - ‘The shape of fear - why spiders scare us so much;’ - Extract from ‘Cirque Du Freak’ - The Introduction; - Text Detectives worksheet (and teacher model answer sheet); - Comprehensive lesson plan. There are also opportunities for group learning, speaking and listening, peer assessment, and whole class discussion. I originally used these resources with year 7 and 8 classes, however colleagues have used them for between years 4 and 9 with minimal adaptations. All images are licensed for commercial use, and image rights are listed on the last page of the presentation.

This fun and informative helps students to gain a deeper understanding of the main character in Roald Dahl’s ‘Fantastic Mr Fox:’ Mr Fox himself! Students use their skills of inference and deduction in order to establish key information about Mr Fox’s character, likes, dislikes, and mannerisms. They then create a character profile using the information that they have gathered! The lesson follows a step-by-step learning journey, in which children learn through: -Considering how Roald Dahl was influenced by real-life foxes in his characterisation; - Reading and understanding extracts from the opening of Fantastic Mr Fox, in which Mr Fox's character traits are revealed; - Inferring and deducing key features about Mr Fox from across the text; - Creating a character profile for Mr Fox, utilising knowledge that they have gathered from over the course of the lesson; - Self assessing their own learning attempts. Included is: - Whole lesson PowerPoint - colourful and comprehensive; - Text Detectives Worksheet (and answer sheet); - Selected extracts - Fantastic Mr Fox; - Character Profile Template (Word and PDF); - Comprehensive lesson plan. There are also opportunities for group learning, speaking and listening, peer assessment, and whole class discussion. I originally used these resources with a mixed-ability year 3 class, however colleagues have used them for between years 1 and 8 with some adaptations. All images are licensed for commercial use, and image rights are listed on the last page of the presentation.

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, interesting tasks, 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 'Fantastic Mr Fox.' Round 1. The characters in Fantastic Mr Fox Round 2. Quotations from the text Round 3. Settings and Objects Round 4. Themes in Fantastic Mr Fox 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 fun and informative lesson helps students to understand the narrative structure used by Roald Dahl throughout ‘Fantastic Mr Fox.’ In particular, students identify the features of each stage of the narrative structure within the story, before recreating sections of the structure themselves! The lesson follows a step-by-step learning journey, in which children learn through: - Taking part in a fun group quiz to recap on the key elements of the plot leading up to the ending; - Reading and understanding extracts from the ending of Fantastic Mr Fox, answering comprehension questions to demonstrate their understanding; -Understanding features of narrative structure and applying the plot of Fantastic Mr Fox to the individual elements; -Recreating elements of the plot, using their understanding of the stages of narrative structure; - Self assessing their own learning attempts. Included is: - Whole lesson PowerPoint - colourful and comprehensive; - Storyboard Template (and PDF version); - Selected extracts - Fantastic Mr Fox; - Recreations Template (and PDF version); - Comprehensive lesson plan. There are also opportunities for group learning, speaking and listening, peer assessment, and whole class discussion. I originally used these resources with a mixed-ability year 3 class, however colleagues have used them for between years 1 and 8 with some adaptations. All images are licensed for commercial use, and image rights are listed on the last page of the presentation.

This fun and informative lesson helps students to understand the descriptive language techniques used by Roald Dahl in his descriptions of Boggis, Bunce, and Bean in ‘Fantastic Mr Fox.’ In particular, students analyse how Dahl's language is used to create imagery, before designing and describing their very own mean farmers! The lesson follows a step-by-step learning journey, in which children learn through: -Completing a card-sorting activity to define and exemplify each of the descriptive devices; - Reading and understanding extracts from the opening of Fantastic Mr Fox, in which the farmers are described; - Identifying and analysing Dahl's use of language devices throughout the description of the farmers; - Writing their own language device-filled descriptions of their farmers, with support from a clear template; - Self assessing their own learning attempts. Included is: - Whole lesson PowerPoint - colourful and comprehensive; - Language Analysis Worksheet (and answer sheet); - Selected extracts - Fantastic Mr Fox; - Cards for Sorting Activity; - Planning Template (Word and PDF); - Comprehensive lesson plan. There are also opportunities for group learning, speaking and listening, peer assessment, and whole class discussion. I originally used these resources with a mixed-ability year 3 class, however colleagues have used them for between years 1 and 8 with some adaptations. All images are licensed for commercial use, and image rights are listed on the last page of the presentation.

This fun and informative lesson helps students to understand the key events of the ending of David Walliams ‘Billionaire Boy.’ In particular, students explore the concept of narrative structure, and apply the events of Billionaire Boy to each narrative stage. They explore to what extent the ending of the text fits the features of an adequate denouement. The lesson follows a step-by-step learning journey, in which children learn through: -Taking part in a fun group quiz to recap on the key elements of the plot leading up to the ending; - Reading and understanding extracts from the ending of Billionaire Boy, answering comprehension questions to check their understanding; - Understanding the features of narrative structure, and applying Billionaire Boy to the individual elements; - Analysing how the ending of Billionaire Boy fits the features of a denouement; - Self assessing their own learning attempts. Included is: - Whole lesson PowerPoint - colourful and comprehensive; - 'Narrative Structure Template (and PDF version); - Selected extracts - Billionaire Boy ending; - The Ending Essay Template; - Comprehensive lesson plan. There are also opportunities for group learning, speaking and listening, peer assessment, and whole class discussion. I originally used these resources with a mixed-ability year 7 class, however colleagues have used them for between years 3 and 9 with some adaptations. All images are licensed for commercial use, and image rights are listed on the last page of the presentation.

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, interesting tasks, 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 'Billionaire Boy.' Round 1. The characters in Billionaire Boy Round 2. Quotations from the text Round 3. Settings and Objects Round 4. Themes in Billionaire Boy 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 fun and informative lesson helps students to understand two of the key themes throughout David Walliams ‘Billionaire Boy:’ money and happiness. Students explore Joe’s happiness, before then producing their own writing to argue piece on the topic of whether they believe money can buy happiness. The lesson follows a step-by-step learning journey, in which children learn through: -Considering what they would buy if they were a billionaire, and detailing this through a mind-map! - Reading and understanding extracts from the opening section of Billionaire Boy, in which Joe's wealth and unhappiness is detailed; - Identifying and analysing Walliams's use of devices to demonstrate Joe's unhappiness; - Writing their own arguments (using a help-sheet and model examples for influence) about whether they think money can buy happiness; - Self assessing their own learning attempts. Included is: - Whole lesson PowerPoint - colourful and comprehensive; - 'Joe's Unhappiness' Worksheet (and answer sheet); - Selected extracts - Billionaire Boy; - Writing to Argue Help-sheet; - Billionaire Mind-Map (and PDF version); - Comprehensive lesson plan. There are also opportunities for group learning, speaking and listening, peer assessment, and whole class discussion. I originally used these resources with a mixed-ability year 7 class, however colleagues have used them for between years 3 and 9 with some adaptations. All images are licensed for commercial use, and image rights are listed on the last page of the presentation.

This fun and informative lesson helps students to understand the descriptive language techniques used by David Walliams in his descriptions of Bumfresh Towers in ‘Billionaire Boy.’ In particular, students analyse how Walliams language is used to create imagery, before designing and describing their own imaginative mansions! The lesson follows a step-by-step learning journey, in which children learn through: -Completing a card-sorting activity to define and exemplify each of the descriptive devices; - Reading and understanding extracts from a section of Billionaire Boy, in which the mansion is described; - Identifying and analysing Walliams's use of language devices throughout the extracts; - Writing their own language device-filled descriptions of their mansions, with support from a detailed planning template; - Self assessing their own learning attempts. Included is: - Whole lesson PowerPoint - colourful and comprehensive; - Language Analysis Worksheet (and answer sheet); - Selected extracts - Billionaire Boy; - Cards for Sorting Activity; - Planning Template (Word and PDF); - Comprehensive lesson plan. There are also opportunities for group learning, speaking and listening, peer assessment, and whole class discussion. I originally used these resources with a mixed-ability year 7 class, however colleagues have used them for between years 3 and 9 with some adaptations. All images are licensed for commercial use, and image rights are listed on the last page of the presentation.

I delivered this CPD session to all members of our staff team who maintain regular contact with parents and other stakeholders, in a bid to improve the quality, accuracy, and clarity of our written communications. I'd recommend that the session takes about 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes to deliver. We had received some negative feedback comments, regarding our communications, varying from examples of poor grammatical accuracy, to instances in which the tone of emails, letters, and other forms of correspondence were perceived as rude. It is surprising how common this is across schools, and how little training is provided on these forms of interaction. Following this training, we are receiving far fewer complaints, and many staff members now keep the help-sheets pinned up by the desks to refer to when communicating with parents. Participants learn through: - Participating in a fun pub-style quiz to eradicate common spelling, punctuation, and grammar misconceptions and errors; - Considering the role of parents, their needs and interests, and what they expect from their child's school, as a means to understand why schools sometimes receive difficult communications; - Reading and analysing examples of poor written correspondence, considering how both the tone and the accuracy can be improved; - Exploring different language strategies to create a personal, polite tone within emails, by considering the connotations of different words; - Taking away help sheets that can be referred to whenever written communications are being drafted. The resource pack includes: - Colourful and engaging whole-session PowerPoint presentation ; - Examples of written communications for participants to analyse; - Quiz answer sheet; - Accurate Written Communication help-sheet; - Polite Written Communication help-sheet. All images are licensed for commercial use, and are cited on the final slide. (Please note that the only section of the PowerPoint that you may wish to modify is with regards to the distinct features of parents at your own school - Aside from this, the resources are good to go!)

This engaging and informative lesson helps students to understand the key characters and relationships in the secret annex in Anne Frank’s Diary. Students explore extracts from the text, video evidence, and their own research findings, to demonstrate a clear understanding of each of the occupants’ key characteristics and traits, in addition to their relationships with Anne and one another. The lesson follows a step-by-step learning journey, in which children learn through: -Remembering each of the occupants of the house, and recalling what they know about them; - Reading and understanding extracts from Anne Frank's Diary, in which Anne describes each of the people in the house and explains what she thinks of them; - Watching and comprehending a powerful video of Otto Frank discussing his relationship with Anne; - Researching one inhabitant in more depth, using a helpful research template; - Writing an explanatory piece about the life of one of the inhabitants of the annex; - Peer assessing each other's learning attempts. Included is: - Whole lesson PowerPoint - colourful and comprehensive; - Research Template - Selected extracts - The Diary of Anne Frank; - Link to an engaging and informative video (you will need internet access to view); - Writing to Explain Helpsheet - Comprehensive lesson plan. There are also opportunities for group learning, speaking and listening, peer assessment, and whole class discussion. I originally used these resources with a mixed-ability year 8 class, however colleagues have used them for between years 5 and 9 with minimal adaptations. Please note that internet access/ use of research mechanisms is required for the introduction task and the model examples. All images are licensed for commercial use, and image rights are listed on the last page of the presentation.