This no-prep unit of work is designed to enable an in-depth teaching and preparation of the poem “The Road” by Nancy Fotheringham Cato. 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) Pre-reading activities (to facilitate teaching the poem & exam prep in class) 4) Close-reading & analysis questions, with a particular focus on poetic devices. 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 “Rich and Poor or, Saint and Sinner” by Thomas Love Peacock. 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) Pre-reading & After-Reading Activities (to facilitate teaching the poem & exam prep in class). I’ve focused on metaphor, as Peacock uses metaphor extensively in his poem. **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 “These Are The Times We Live In” by Imtiaz Dharker. 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) Pre-reading & After-Reading Activities (to facilitate teaching the poem & exam prep in class). I’ve focused on Dharker’s use of metonymy and synecdoche, as these aspects are particularly relevant to the poem. 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 “A Long Journey” by Musaemura Zimunya. 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) Before-Reading Activities (to facilitate teaching the poem & exam prep in class). I’ve focused on the historical context of the poem, as it is central to understanding “A Long Journey”. 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 “Before the Sun” by Charles Mungoshi. 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 sensory imagery. 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 Chimney-Sweeper” by William Blake. 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 two different versions of the poem in Blake’s Songs of Innocence and Experience, as this comparison is crucial to understanding Blake’s message. 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 “Report to Wordsworth” by Boey Kim Cheng. 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 ecocriticism and the allusions to Wordsworth’s sonnets and his legacy as a nature poet. 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 bundle of activities is designed to enable the in-depth teaching and preparation of the poem From “An Essay on Man” by Alexander Pope. 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 Alexander Pope’s aphorisms and on his use of antithesis and oxymoron in the poem. 4) Close-reading & Analysis Questions, with a particular focus on poetic devices and the IGCSE English Literature exam criteria. 5) Exam Practice Questions, 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 bundle of activities is designed to enable the in-depth teaching and preparation of the poem “Hunting Snake” by Judith Wright. 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: to facilitate teaching the poem & exam prep in class. I’ve focused on introductory activities of figurative and poetic devices. 4) After Reading Activities: a range of activities ideal as follow-up to reading the poem in class. Topics covered include: sensory imagery in the poem, visualisation and comprehension of the poem. 5) Close-reading & Analysis Questions, with a particular focus on poetic devices and the IGCSE English Literature exam criteria. 6) Exam Practice Questions, modeled after the IGCSE English Literature Assessment Criteria (AO1-AO4). These can be used as a mock exam with your students. 7) 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!***

An informative handout to introduce Rupert Brooke and a unit of analysis for his famous war poem ‘The Soldier’. The handout includes the following: a short biography of Rupert Brooke, the poet annotated text of the poem ‘The Soldier’ (includes a glossary of key terms explained in the context of the poem) comprehension, close reading, and analysis questions holistic, ‘food for thought’ question to elicit an essay-style response.

The title, Of Mice and Men, is an allusion to a line in a poem called “To a Mouse,” by Robert Burns. This no-prep print-and-use pre-reading activity includes: A copy of the poem in its original Scots Modern English translation Comprehension, analysis & discussion questions Connections to the novel and the title in particular. Enjoy, and please leave feedback!

This is an advanced worksheeet, ready-to-print and teach handout that facilitates a guided reading and provides while-reading questions for teaching the novel “The Wave” by Morton Rhue / Todd Strasser. The reading log includes: Comprehension, close reading & analysis questions for each chapter. Particular focus on close reading, analysis of language and its effects, including historical context links, analysis of structure, themes and pupose. Since most available reading logs and while-reading activities do not go into enough analytical depth and detail, I put together my own reading log that tries to dig a little deeper and forces the students to engage in higher order thinking and analysis skills. Enjoy, and please leave feedback!

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 unit of work is designed to enable an in-depth teaching and preparation of the poem “A Different History” by Sujata Bhatt. 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 Sujata Bhatt’s life and the context of the poem, as this is particularly relevant to “A Different History”. 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 advanced handout guides students through the process of writing an essay about William Golding’s iconic and Nobel-prize winning novel Lord of the Flies. Specifically, the handout teaches students how to write a well-structured, thorough and insightful character analysis. The handout can be used at any point in your study of the novel, but I recommend that you let your students read at least half (up to Chapter 6: Beast from Air) or to the end before you let them attempt the essay. Enjoy, and please leave feedback!

This FREE no-prep unit provides introductory activities for Chinua Achebe’s iconic African novel Things Fall Apart. The unit includes: 1. Exploring Expository Writing: An in-depth introductory text that provides insights into the following aspects of the novel: critical reception & worldwide success of Things Fall Apart context & background 2. Discussion Questions: A range of discussion prompts that test understanding of the text, on the one hand, and provide food for thought and extended critical discussion. Happy teaching! Feedback is always appreciated!

This FREE advanced ready-to-teach worksheet & handout is designed as a pre-reading activity for George Orwell’s monumental dystopian classic, 1984. It includes: Thought-provoking information text that asks the question What is Literature and Why Should we Read Literature? Although the text begins in general terms, the concepts and issues raised should facilitate a critical discussion about the purpose of reading any literary text as well as 1984. Follow-up discussion and critical thinking questions that can be applied to all literary texts (but which may find more food for thought & application in 1984 especially). Enjoy, and please leave feedback!

FREE Analyzing Characters - George & Lennie - this guided character analysis activity facilitates comparison and contrast of the protagonists of the novel - George & Lennie. This activity is best used after reading Chapter 1 of the novel. An answer key is included! Enjoy, and please leave feedback!