I provide high quality, tried and tested materials, developed over 17 years of teaching KS3-5. There is material to support G3/4 students as well as material to push for G8 and G9s.
I provide high quality, tried and tested materials, developed over 17 years of teaching KS3-5. There is material to support G3/4 students as well as material to push for G8 and G9s.
This 21 lesson unit of work for Wonder, by R.J. Palacio, contains comprehension by chapter, vocabulary challenges, creative writing opportunities, the trial of Jack Will, camp planning, friend dilemmas and much more!
This literature unit is teacher and student friendly. It contains a wide variety of activities, along with open-ended questions and role plays that will enthrall your students, especially those who have just started at a new school, as Auggie overcomes the challenges students face on a daily basis.
The unit ends with an assessment evaluating Jack Will’s role as a friend and his relationship with Auggie. It is supported by extracts and important pages in the novel, so the students don’t have to trawl through 400 pages looking for a quote!
Lesson 1: First day at middle school
Lesson 2: Treacher-Collins syndrome
Lesson 3: Jack, Julian and Charlotte
Lesson 4: bullying
Lesson 5: write your own precept
Lesson 6: Halloween
Lesson 7: Via’s perspective
Lesson 8: the trial of Jack Will
Lesson 9: Summer
Lesson 10: Jack Will
Lesson 11: the parents
Lesson 12: Justin
Lesson 13: dealing with bereavement
Lesson 14: losing friendships
Lesson 15: the camping trip
Lesson 16: the fight and social acceptance
Lesson 17: the aftermath
Lesson 18: graduation
Lesson 19: prepare your assessment
Lesson 20: write your assessment
Lesson 21: assessment feedback
This unit contains everything you need to teach myths and legends at KS3, and it will save you hours of preparation! This unit of work includes 10 lessons and is fully resourced with lesson PowerPoints, contextual information, exemplar answers, quizzes and the classical stories. The unit includes:
Lesson 1: Online research of classic fables
Lesson 2: Echo and Narcissus
Lesson 3: The Illiad
Lesson 4: The Odyssey
Lesson 5: Theseus and The Minotaur
Lesson 6: King Midas
Lesson 7: Arachne
and much more…
Are you looking for an original way to hook visual learners into creative writing?
This unit of work contains everything you need to teach Descriptive Writing at KS3 and is fantastic early preparation for English language descriptive writing. It includes 13 lessons and is fully resourced with lesson PowerPoints, exemplar answers, IWB interactive resources, intriguing pictures, activities to exploit drama and poems. It uses classic art as inspiration, such as Bird in an Air Pump, Thomas Chatterton and The Lady of Shalott.
Lesson 1: Bird in an Air Pump by Joseph Wright
Lesson 2: Chatterton by Henry Wallis
Lesson 3-4: The Lady of Shalott by John William Waterhouse
Lesson 5: Voice in Not My Best Side by UA Fanthorpe
Lesson 6: Original Writing
Lesson 7: How to create original characters
Lesson 8: Describing alien planets in Star Wars
Lesson 9: Describing The Iron Islands in Game of Thrones
Lesson 10: Narrative Viewpoint in Assassin’s Creed
Lesson 11: Planning your assessment on ‘The Scream’
Lesson 12: Writing your assessment
Lesson 13: Assessment feedback
This scheme of work contains everything you need to teach Narrative Writing at KS3. This unit of work is great preparation for AQA Paper 1 for English language. It includes 13 lessons and is fully resourced with lesson ppts, exemplar paragraphs, IWB interactive resources, activities to exploit drama, media activities and fun ways to engage the students using horror writing.
Lesson 1: How to create tension in your writing
Lesson 2: Using camera angles
Lesson 3: Filming your Sandman
Lesson 4: Designing a storyboard
Lesson 5: Narrating over the Sandman
Lesson 6: Planning and structure
Lesson 7: Editing, extending and improving
Lesson 8: Focus on grammar
Lesson 9: Focus on sentence structure
Lesson 10: Planning your story
Lesson 11: Writing your story
Lesson 12: Less is more - being concise
Lesson 13: Designing a Sandman poster
Everything you need to teach unseen poetry at KS5. This unit of work includes 22 lessons and is fully resourced with lesson powerpoints, contextual information, exemplar material, quizzes, extracts and critical articles. It covers poetry eras such as: Renaissance, Cavalier, Metaphysical, Romantic, Victorian, Modernist and The Beats. This unit of work has been designed for the AQA A-level course but is adaptable to fit other exam board specifications.
Lesson 1: what makes a poem a poem?
Lesson 2-3: poetry era research
Lesson 4: scansion: rhythm, rhyme and meter
Lesson 5: Family relationships in modern poetry
Lesson 6: Male/female relationships in modern poetry
Lesson 7: Loss in Renaissance and Romantic poetry
Lesson 8: Romantic love in Edwardian and Victorian poetry
Lesson 9: Romantic love in the Renaissance
Lesson 10: The Cavaliers
Lesson 11: Romantic love in Cavalier and Metaphysical poetry
Lesson 12: Family relationships and regret in modern poetry
Lesson 13: Family relationships in modern poetry
Lesson 14: The Metaphysicals
Lesson 15: Romantic love in Cavalier and Victorian poetry
Lesson 16: Individual poet research
Lesson 17: The use of satire in Restoration and Beat poetry
Lesson 18: Hitting the assessment objectives
Lesson 19: Breaking Up in modern poetry
Lesson 20: Romantic Love in Modernist and Victorian poetry
This unit contains everything you need to teach Othello at KS5, and will save you hours of preparation time! It includes 26 lessons and is fully resourced with lesson PowerPoints, contextual information, exemplar material, IWB interactive resources, quizzes and opportunities for extract analysis. The page numbers refer to the Cambridge School Shakespeare edition. This unit of work has been designed for the AQA A-level course but is adaptable to fit other exam board specifications.
Lesson 1: Plot overview and key lines
Lesson 2: Shakespearean language and use of sounds
Lesson 3: Context reading and application
Lesson 4: Iago, Roderigo and Brabantio in A1S1
Lesson 5: Impressions of Othello in A1S1
Lesson 6: Challenging stereotypes in A1S2
Lesson 7: Othello’s use of verse and prose in A1S3
Lesson 8: Focus on Iago in A1S3
Lesson 9: The importance of Cyprus as a setting
Lesson 10: Iago in A2S1
Lesson 11: Cassio in A2S3
Lesson 12: Shakespeare’s use of body language in A2S3
Lesson 13: Analysing Cassio’s actions in A3S1
Lesson 14: Iago’s tactics in A3S3
Lesson 15: Focus on essay writing
Lesson 16: Analyse how and why Othello has changed
Lesson 17: Comparing Bianca, Desdemona and Emilia
Lesson 18: Iago’s use of manipulation in A4S1
Lesson 19: Othello and colour prejudice - GK Hunter
Lesson 20: Desdemona’s plea in A4S2
Lesson 21: Extract to essay in A4S2
Lesson 22: The willow scene in A4S3
Lesson 23: Street fight in A5S1
Lesson 24:Desdemona’s death in A5S2
Lesson 25: Essay marking
Lesson 26: Poetic justice in A5S2
This unit contains everything you need to teach Streetcar at KS5. It includes 22 lessons and is fully resourced with lesson PowerPoints, contextual information, exemplar material, quizzes, extracts and critical articles. Each lesson targets a scene in the play, a theme or a character. I have used it forthe last 5 years to teach top students who have gone on to achieve A* grades and study English Literature at Oxford and Cambridge.
Page numbers refer to the Penguin Modern Classics edition. This scheme of work has been designed for the AQA A level course. It looks at areas like:
Lesson 1: Naturalist and Expressionist theatre
Lesson 2: Context research on the deep south, the civil war, post WW2 immigration, 1940s New Orleans, The Southern Gothic and Tennessee Williams’ family
Lesson 3: Context presentations
Lesson 4: Impressions of Blanche
Lesson 5: Intertextuality with Ulalume
Lesson 6: The significance of Belle Reve
Lesson 7: Williams’ use of staging
Lesson 8: The Poker Game and Sonnet 43
Lesson 9: Blanche and The Southern Belle
Lesson 10: The allure of aggressive men
Lesson 11: Comparing Blanche and Stella
Lesson 12: The Southern Gent and Shep Huntleigh
Lesson 13: Violence in Streetcar
Lesson 14: Essay writing
Lesson 15: Fantasy and self-deception
Lesson 16: Elia Kazan’s influence
Lesson 17: Is Stan a victim or a villain?
Lesson 18: The relationship between Blanche and Mitch
Lesson 19: Essay marking
Lesson 20: Sherman’s march through Georgia
Lesson 21: Blanche’s lament for the South
Lesson 22: Themes and critics
This unit contains everything you need to make The Great Gatsby fun, exciting and relevant to the students’ world. It includes 21 lessons and is fully resourced with lesson PowerPoints, contextual information, exemplar material, IWB interactive resources, quizzes, extracts and critical articles. Page numbers refer to the Wordsworth Classics edition. The lessons focus on a different chapter and aspect of Gatsby, such as:
Lesson 1: The American Dream
Lesson 2: Gatsby contextual research
Lesson 3: 1920s research
Lesson 4: Alternative titles and the epigraph
Lesson 5: East Egg vs West Egg
Lesson 6: A Superficial Society
Lesson 7: Comparing Jordan, Daisy and Myrtle
Lesson 8: The Outsider
Lesson 9: Conspicuous Consumption
Lesson 10: The Great Gatsby Debate
Lesson 11: Illusion and Reality
Lesson 12: Analysing structure
Lesson 13: Themes, symbols and motifs
Lesson 14: Idealism and Romanticism
Lesson 15: James Gatz
Lesson 16: Analysing Daisy
Lesson 17: Daisy and Tom
Lesson 18: Religious references
Lesson 19: Gatsby’s funeral
Lesson 20: The Ending
Lesson 21: The Outsider
Lesson 22: Desire
This unit contains everything you need to teach Mean Time at High School. It includes 17 lessons covering ‘Mean Time’ and allows ample opportunity to compare poems and themes. It is fully resourced with lesson PowerPoints, contextual information, exemplar essays, IWB interactive resources, quizzes, extracts and critical articles. Each lesson covers one of the poems, or gives the students the chance to reflect and build on previous learning by linking themes and style.
Lesson 1: an introduction to poetry
Lesson 2: rhyme, rhythm and meter
Lesson 3: an introduction to Duffy
Lesson 4: context research
Lesson 5: context quiz
Lesson 6: Captain of the 1964….
Lesson 7: Nostalgia
Lesson 8: Before You Were Mine
Lesson 9: Beachcomber
Lesson 10: First Love
Lesson 11: Valentine
Lesson 12: Essay planning
Lesson 13: The Biographer
Lesson 14: Litany
Lesson 15: Stafford Afternoons
Lesson 16: The Cliche Kid
Lesson 17: Small Female Skull
Lesson 18: Never Go Back
Lesson 19: Close
Lesson 20: Mean Time
Everything you need to teach Murmuring Judges at KS5. This unit of work includes 40 lessons and is fully resourced with lesson powerpoints, contextual information, exemplar material, IWB interactive resources, quizzes, extracts and articles that explore the relationship between the 3 branches of the criminal justice system. Page numbers refer to the Faber and Faber edition.
This unit contains everything you need to teach Lady Windermere’s Fan at KS5. It includes 22 lessons and is fully resourced with lesson PowerPoints, contextual information, exemplar material, IWB interactive resources, quizzes, extracts and critical articles. The page numbers refer to the New Mermaid’s edition. Each lesson focuses chronologically on a different scene and analyses a different aspect of the play.
Lesson 1: Plot and characters quiz
Lesson 2: Context research
Lesson 3: Context presentations
Lesson 4: The aesthetic movement
Lesson 5: Expectations of Victorian women
Lesson 6: Socialism
Lesson 7: Marriage
Lesson 8: Society and morality
Lesson 9: Fin de siecle
Lesson 10: Comparing the female roles
Lesson 11: The importance of marriage
Lesson 12: The “new” woman
Lesson 13: DVD and plot lesson
Lesson 14: Mrs Erlynne
Lesson 15: The Dandy
Lesson 16: Comparing the male characters
Lesson 17: the moral messages of the play
Lesson 18: A “good” woman
Lesson 19: Secrets and lies
Lesson 20:Reputations
Lesson 21: Character reviews
Lesson 22: Extract practice
This unit contains everything you need to teach Jane Eyre at KS5 and will save you hours of preparation! It includes 32 lessons and is fully resourced with lesson PowerPoints, contextual information, exemplar material, IWB interactive resources, quizzes, extracts and critical articles. Each lesson is designed to look at a different chapter and aspect of Jane Eyre. The page numbers refer to the World’s Classics edition with an introduction by Margaret Smith.
Lesson 1: Applying context
Lesson 2: Jane Eyre’s childhood
Lesson 3: The significance of the red room
Lesson 4: Chapter summaries
Lesson 5: Jane’s education
Lesson 6: Freedom Past Paper
Lesson 7: Coming of Age
Lesson 8: Helen Burns
Lesson 9: Thornfield
Lesson 10: Male and Female
Lesson 11: Victorian Women
Lesson 12: The significance of the paintings
Lesson 13: Rochester and Jane
Lesson 14: Gothic Romance
Lesson 15: Ice and Fire
Lesson 16: Mystery in Chapter 17
Lesson 17: Blanche Ingram
Lesson 18: The Fortune Teller
Lesson 19: Gateshead
Lesson 20: The paintings
Lesson 21: Pathetic fallacy
Lesson 22: The Jane Eyre debate
Lesson 23: Dreams and reality
Lesson 24: Thornfield
Lesson 25: Bertha Mason
Lesson 26: Bertha Past Paper
Lesson 27: The struggle for the self
Lesson 28: The role of religion
Lesson 29: The Rivers
Lesson 30: Critical Readings
Lesson 31: Return to Thornfield
Lesson 32: The Ending
Are you looking for a fresh and creative way to teach Romeo and Juliet? I recently studied for my Certificate for Teaching Shakespeare at the RSC in Stratford and it has revolutionized the way I teach the bard.
This unit contains everything you need to teach Romeo and Juliet at KS4. It is focused on essay writing skills, analyzing extracts for English Literature and bringing the play to life. It includes 31 lessons and is fully resourced with lesson powerpoints, contextual information, exemplar essays, IWB interactive resources, quizzes, activities to exploit drama, extract analysis and opportunities for online research. Page numbers refer to the Cambridge Shakespeare edition.
Each lesson is focused on a scene from the play, so you can easily cut this unit down to focus specifically on a key scene and a theme from the play. I have designed this unit to make it relevant to teenage audiences, so we look at themes like:
the role of women, both then and now
expectations of masculinity in men
the role of the theatre
why set it in Verona?
toxic masculinity in Act 1 Scene 1
the role of a father
suppression and rebellion
violence
role models
and much more…
Are you looking for a fresh and creative way to teach Macbeth? To enlighten students on the human condition, power and corruption? I recently studied for my Certificate for Teaching Shakespeare at the RSC in Stratford and it has revolutionized the way I teach the bard.
This unit contains everything you need to teach Macbeth at KS4. It is focused on essay writing skills, analyzing extracts for English Literature and bringing the play to life. It includes 30 lessons and is fully resourced with lesson PowerPoints, contextual information, exemplar essays, IWB interactive resources, quizzes, activities to exploit drama, extract analysis and opportunities for online research. Page numbers refer to the Cambridge Shakespeare edition.
Lesson 1: Context
Lesson 2: Shakespearean language
Lesson 3: The plot
Lesson 4: The characters
Lesson 5: A1S1 The witches
Lesson 6: Is Macbeth a hero in A1S2?
Lesson 7: A1S3 The Witches’ prophecies
Lesson 8: A1S5 Lady Macbeth
Lesson 9: A1S7 Macbeth’s soliloquy
Lesson 10: Act 1 Review
Lesson 11: A2S1 Soliloquys
Lesson 12: A2S2 Comparing The Macbeths
Lesson 13: A2S3 Staging Duncan’s murder
Lesson 14: A2S4 Nature and Divine Right to rule
Lesson 15: Act 2 Review
Lesson 16: A3S1 Banquo’s murder
Lesson 17: A3S2 The relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth
Lesson 18: A3S3 Banquo’s death speech
Lesson 19: A3S4 The banquet
Lesson 20: A3S6 Lennox’s suspicions
Lesson 21: Act 3 Review
Lesson 22: A4S1 The Witches
Lesson 23: A4S2 The murder of the MacDuffs
Lesson 24: Comparing Macbeth and MacDuff
Lesson 25: Macduff’s reaction
Lesson 26: A5S1 Lady Macbeth’s madness
Lesson 27: A5S3 Macbeth reclaims his heroism
Lesson 28: A5S5 The death of Lady Macbeth
Lesson 29: A5S8 Good vs Evil
Lesson 30: Act 5 Review
This unit contains everything you need to teach Of Mice and Men and will save you hours of planning time! This unit of work is focused on preparing students for their GCSE exam, but it could also be modified for Year 9. It includes 20 lessons and is fully resourced with lesson PowerPoints, exemplar material, IWB interactive resources, quizzes, extracts, contextual information and opportunities for online research. Page numbers refer to the Faber and Faber edition.
Lesson 1: The American Dream
Lesson 2: The Opening
Lesson 3: Context Game
Lesson 4: The relationship between George and Lennie
Lesson 5: Dreams
Lesson 6: Chapter 1 review
Lesson 7: The Ranch
Lesson 8: Slim, Curley, Crooks and Curley’s Wife
Lesson 9: Film review of chapters 1-2
Lesson 10: Character relationships
Lesson 11: The shooting of Candy’s dog
Lesson 12: How the dream has evolved
Lesson 13: Structure and the fight
Lesson 14: Crooks and racism
Lesson 15: Isolation
Lesson 16: Chapter review 3-4
Lesson 17: Mood and atmosphere
Lesson 18: Appearance and reality
Lesson 19: Curley’s Wife
Lesson 20: Lennie’s death
Lesson 21: Building atmosphere
Lesson 22: Lennie
This unit is a great way to teach language, structure and evaluation skills at KS4. It is focused on AQA English Language GCSE Paper 1. It prepares students for Q2 writer’s use of language, Q3 writer’s use of structure, Q4 statement evaluation and Q5 descriptive writing. It includes 20 lessons and is fully resourced with lesson powerpoints, exemplar material, IWB interactive resources, quizzes, extracts and opportunities for online research. Page numbers refer to the Faber and Faber edition.
Lesson 1: The American Dream
Lesson 2: How does Steinbeck use language to set the scene?
Lesson 3: Creative Writing and marking
Lesson 4: How Steinbeck creates characters
Lesson 5: Structure in Chapter 1
Lesson 6: How to use semi colons
Lesson 7: Writer’s use of language
Lesson 8: Creative Writing
Lesson 9: Using flashbacks and past tenses
Lesson 10: The structure of Chapter 3
Lesson 11: Evaluating George and Lennie’s dream
Lesson 12: Writing a Q4 answer
Lesson 13: Structure in the fight scene
Lesson 14: Using language to describe Crooks’ room
Lesson 15: Evaluating Curley’s Wife’s character
Lesson 16: Mood and atmosphere
Lesson 17: Appearance and reality
Lesson 18: Building tension at the end
Lesson 19: Planning your creative writing
Lesson 20: Writing a G9 answer
This unit is a great way to teach language, structure and evaluation skills at KS4. It is focused on AQA English Language GCSE Paper 1. It prepares students for Q2 writer’s use of language, Q3 writer’s use of structure, Q4 statement evaluation and Q5 descriptive writing. It includes 26 lessons and is fully resourced with lesson powerpoints, exemplar material, IWB interactive resources, quizzes, extracts and opportunities for online research. Page numbers refer to the Faber and Faber edition. It is best used with a high ability set aiming for G6 to G9.
Lesson 1: An introduction to Lord of the Flies
Lesson 2: William Golding and rules
Lesson 3: How Golding describes characters
Lesson 4: Describing the island
Lesson 5: Jack evaluation question
Lesson 6: Creative Writing
Lesson 7: How Golding uses language to describe Jack
Lesson 8: Language to describe the mask
Lesson 9: Mood and atmosphere on the hunt
Lesson 10: Order and chaos
Lesson 11: Evaluation of the boys
Lesson 12-13: Group behaviour
Lesson 14: The Beast
Lesson 15: Describing a person
Lesson 16: Exploring the island
Lesson 17: Creative writing
Lesson 18: Evaluating the impact of the beast
Lesson 19: Human nature
Lesson 20: Jack’s tribe
Lesson 21: Golding’s use pathetic fallacy
Lesson 22: Symbolism
Lesson 23: Writer’s use of structure
Lesson 24: Evaluating the death of Piggy
Lesson 25: The message of the novel
Lesson 26: Building tension and expectation
This unit contains everything you need to teach Lord of the Flies at KS4 and will save you hours of preparation time. It includes 24 lessons and is fully resourced with lesson powerpoints, contextual information, exemplar essays, IWB interactive resources, quizzes, activities to exploit drama, extracts and opportunities for online research. Page numbers refer to the Orange Faber and Faber edition with an introduction by Ian Gregor.
Lesson 1: An introduction to Lord of the Flies
Lesson 2: William Golding’s message
Lesson 3: Leadership
Lesson 4: The island as a symbol
Lesson 5: Jack as a dictator
Lesson 6: The frailty of society
Lesson 7: Civilization and the mask
Lesson 8: Roger as an enforcer
Lesson 9: Order and Chaos
Lesson 10: The significance of the beast
Lesson 11: Chapters review quiz
Lesson 12: Group behaviour
Lesson 13: Creative Writing
Lesson 14: Marking and improving your writing
Lesson 15: How and why Ralph changes
Lesson 16: The power struggle
Lesson 17: The beast and human nature
Lesson 18: The fall of society
Lesson 19: Symbolism
Lesson 20: The British Empire
Lesson 21: Savagery
Lesson 22: The importance of hunting
Lesson 23: The message of the novel
Lesson 24: How Golding builds tension
This unit contains everything you need to teach Jekyll and Hyde at KS4 and will save your hours of preparation! It is focused on AQA Paper 1 for English Literature. It includes 21 lessons and is fully resourced with lesson powerpoints, contextual information, exemplar essays, interactive resources, quizzes, activities to exploit drama, extracts and opportunities for online research.
Lesson 1: The importance of context
Lesson 2: An introduction to Jekyll and Hyde
Lesson 3: Victorian Britain
Lesson 4: Acting out the plot
Lesson 5: The importance of the opening
Lesson 6: Impressions of Mr Hyde
Lesson 7: Exploring Mr Utterson
Lesson 8: How the writer creates mood and atmosphere
Lesson 9: Mr Utterson’s Dream
Lesson 10: Analyzing Jekyll’s state of mind
Lesson 11: Comparing Hyde and Jack the Ripper
Lesson 12: The murder of Danvers Carew
Lesson 13: Good and Evil
Lesson 14: Symbolism
Lesson 15: The two sides of Mr Utterson
Lesson 16: Repression
Lesson 17: Society
Lesson 18: Narrative viewpoint
Lesson 19: The ending
Lesson 20: The structure of the novel
Lesson 21: Comic strip revision
This unit is a great way to teach AQA GCSE English Language Paper 1 . This unit of work is focused on Heroes by Robert Cormier. The students are given repeated practice of questions 1-4 through a literature text. The main focus is Q2 writer’s use of language, Q3 writer’s use of structure and Q4 evaluation of a statement. It includes 23 lessons and is fully resourced with lesson powerpoints, exemplar answers, quizzes, extracts and opportunities to exploit online research. This would suit a lower group who are aiming for G4 G5 or G6. Page numbers refer to the Puffin Books Edition.
Lesson 1: WW2 context and Frenchtown
Lesson 2: Writer’s use of language with Francis Cassavant
Lesson 3: Using flashbacks
Lesson 4: Evaluating how the writer uses flashbacks
Lesson 5: Structure in Francis’ memories
Lesson 6: Language to describe WW2 veterans
Lesson 7: Describing the Rec Centre
Lesson 8: Language to describe Larry LaSalle
Lesson 9: Mood and atmosphere
Lesson 10: Language to describe a sports story
Lesson 11: Flashbacks and memories
Lesson 12: The effect of Pearl Harbour
Lesson 13: Creating expectation
Lesson 14: Writer’s use of contrast
Lesson 15: Evaluating Larry LaSalle
Lesson 16: Creating sympathy for Francis
Lesson 17: Writer’s use of grammar
Lesson 18: Planning a story
Lesson 19: Structure in chapter 14
Lesson 20: Language in chapter 14
Lesson 21: Creative Writing
Lesson 22: The Ending
Lesson 23: Evaluating the ending