Unique resources created by an experienced Secondary English and History teacher. These are academically rigorous resources that target children between 13 and 18 years of age.
Unique resources created by an experienced Secondary English and History teacher. These are academically rigorous resources that target children between 13 and 18 years of age.
Part of a set of resources created for a senior Social & Community studies class in Australia (QCAA syllabus). The other resources are also available in my store - lrigb4. Designed for use in 70 minute lessons.
This is a PowerPoint designed to assist students to complete the Inquiry Booklet Section 5 (strategies which students can recommend for conflict resolution). It begins by looking at ‘forgiveness’ and the pros and cons of this strategy. It talks about the benefits of letting go of a grudge. It also talks about the concept of forgiving yourself. Following this students need to pick 4 conflict resolution strategies which could be applied to the scenario argument between person A and B they have been provided. There is a graphic organiser for students to fill in. (There are 2 teacher examples to help them. Afterwards, there is a checklist for students to use to help them to write their ‘recommend and justify’ section of the report. This is followed by a teacher example for a different conflict (Everybody Loves Raymond) and a student example for the ‘10 Things I Hate About You’ conflict scenario which can be evaluated (pros and cons) and checked against the ‘I can’ statements for criteria 2.3.
A word document of sentence starters to assist students to write the recommend and justify paragraph
Three completed report exemplars for the 2 conflict scenarios given to the students. These all did quite well (High B’s to A’s).
An assessment piece designed for an eSafety unit focusing on identity theft and financial fraud. It is a project with a written component (an essay) and a product (a brochure)
This resource includes:
A copy of the task sheet for the unit which includes a suggested structure for the report students are required to write
‘I can’ statements which which break down the criteria into simple terms for students to understand (also assists teachers to mark the assessment with ease)
A QCIA cover sheet recommending adjustments to be made and individual learning goals to be assessed
A modified task sheet for students on a modified program (called QCIA students in QLD)
Part of a set of resources created for a senior Social & Community studies class in Australia (QCAA syllabus). The other resources are also available in my store - lrigb4.
A PowerPoint designed to be delivered at the end of a term to introduce the next topic (Vietnamese Independence Movement). It is to be run in a quasi-lecture style. Students are given a Cornell notes template to take notes as the lesson proceeds. The lesson begins with three learning goals which helps students know what they need to listen out for as they note take. The lecture includes some information about The Cold War Era before introducing the origins and duration of the Vietnam War. It includes information about America’s involvement in the war. Groups including the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese army are discussed and cartoons and photographic sources are featured. Information about the terrain, climate and wartime experiences of soldiers and civilians are summarised. Clips from the film ‘Good Morning Vietnam’ are used to engage audio-visual learners. Key weapons (agent orange and NAPALM) are explained. As is the Viet Cong Tunnel system and their military tactics. This segues into the reasons for anti-war protest in America and includes information about how photojournalism influenced this movement. Clips from the films ‘Forrest Gump’ and ‘Love and Honour’ are used along with primary sources (photographs).
**NB: Resources designed for the new senior Modern History syllabus (implemented in QLD in 2019). The content would also be useful more broadly for students in other states and countries with an interest in the Vietnamese Independence Movement (1945-1975). The other resources are also available in my store - lrigb4. The end of term assessment for this unit was an essay.
**
A lesson designed for the beginning of term (where students spent the last two weeks of the previous term learning about the Russian Revolution). It is an introduction to the unit and the concept of Inquiry based learning. It begins with a recap of what we are learning about and the guiding questions for this unit. This is followed by an explanation of inquiry-based learning and the skills that they will gain from completing this unit. An overview of the important checkpoints for the upcoming assessment so students know they will be held accountable to mini-deadlines. This is followed by information from the senior modern history textbook about why inquiry is vital. Discussion of an obstacle for studying the Russian Revolution – two types of calendars and dates. This is followed by a video of how to create a key inquiry question (the first step in the assessment process). This is followed by some important points to keep in mind when writing the question. This is followed by some example inquiry questions for different topics to discuss their merits.
A lesson which zooms into the focus for our assessment – traffic crimes. It begins with an amusing video (a car insurance commercial) to engage the students. This is followed by a discussion question (brainstorming activity). Info is provided about a law students may not be familiar with (about the usage of mobile phones while driving). Afterwards students are shown a visual stimulus (data) in a QLD Road crash weekly report. We practice extracting information (statistics) from this and explaining them as students may like to use this kind of information as a hook in the introduction of their multimodal speech. Another data set (Fatalities by characteristic from Jan 2015-Dec 2020) is shown. Following this, students copy notes about drink driving and how alcohol affects the body. They are shown the QLD law which is used to convict people driving with alcohol or drugs in their system. They are also shown a news article which shows the consequences of drink driving. Students have to practice identifying viewpoints in stimulus texts so they can discuss the various perspectives voiced in the article. If time permits, students may watch an episode of RBT or this can be saved until another lesson.
Part of a set of resources created for a senior Social & Community studies class in Australia (QCAA syllabus). The other resources are also available in my store – Aussie_Resources. Designed for use in 70 minute lessons. The end of term assessment for this unit was a multimodal presentation.
I pride myself on the quality of the materials I produce, I don’t charge high prices because I don’t agree with paying £10 for a word search. If you need to check before you buy, have a look at some of the free resources in my shop for a sample of the quality and depth.’
Resources designed for the new senior Modern History syllabus (implemented in QLD in 2019).
This lesson includes:
1 x PowerPoint
1 x Booklet containing sources and activities which help students to practice synthesising and forming historical arguments based on information from sources
1x synthesis poster that I made on the Canva website
Context:
My school runs this program in Alternative Sequence (yr 11 and 12s in together) due to the small size of the school.
The sequence of this lesson:
This lesson followed on from a lesson about evaluating sources. It begins with some advice about evaluating taken from the QCAA’s 2021 Modern History subject report. This is followed by a warm up where students are shown 5 example exam questions and they have to explain what they believe the question is asking them to do. This is followed by viewing a visual source and students have to suggest what the explicit and implicit meanings are. This is followed by another visual source where they have to suggest the intended reading and the ideologies showcased by the source. Following this, the learning intentions and success criteria are unpacked before turning our attention to the core skill for the lesson: synthesis. It begins by defining this term and looking at some words which may appear in a question which would hint that you are being asked to synthesise. This is followed by a 6 step process that students can use when synthesising. This is followed by an example student response to IA1 (essay under exam conditions) taken from the QCAA’s 2021 Modern History Subject Report. After reading this exemplar the class discusses the merits of this work. Following this, the year 12s begin working through the synthesising work booklet while I take the year 11’s through some more explicit teaching. It begins with what questions to ask yourself when interrogating sources. This is followed by tips of how to introduce the authors of sources (as this helps the reader know how credible the points are). There are tips for how to talk about two sources simultaneously. We then unpack how synthesising is assessed in the QLD Modern History criteria (guide to making judgements). The importance of creating a sophisticated historical argument is emphasised. This is followed by an example historical argument for a different topic. This is followed by instruction on how to create a purposeful topic sentence for each body paragraph. Next information about what should be featured in supporting sentences and the final linking sentence is provided. Then year 11’s begin working on the independent work booklet while I go through the answers with the year 12s. Students complete any unfinished portions of the booklet for homework.
A 10 Legal Studies assessment (essay) which is modelled off the Senior Legal studies criteria from the QCAA.
Task sheet – explaining task conditions, the criteria and the checkpoints (deadlines). The task was to compile an argumentative essay to present a well-considered solution to a current legal issue which was included in the Baden-Clay case e.g. coercive control / trial by media.
PowerPoint – taking students through the assessment requirements and criteria, the scaffolding materials and an example essay {for a human rights law topic}.
Referencing guide.
A resource which I think Legal Studies / Civics teachers will find helpful. If you use it, and like it, please give me a positive star rating / review.
NB: My lessons have been designed for use in Australian classrooms and will often feature examples from Queensland legislation.
A resource which I think Legal Studies teachers will find helpful. If you use it, and like it, please give me a positive star rating / review.
Task sheet – explaining task conditions, the criteria and the checkpoints (deadlines). The task was to compile a report to present a well-considered solution to a current legal issue involving rental contracts in Queensland (or Australia as a whole) but also required students to keep an inquiry booklet to demonstrate their research skills.
PowerPoint – taking students through the assessment requirements and criteria, the scaffolding materials and an example report {for a criminal law topic}.
Exemplar - a word document version of the exemplar which was shown in the PowerPoint. It is an exemplar of a legal report for a different topic {Drug Possession Queensland}.
About the PPT:
A PPT designed to be used when handing out the assessment. It visually displays key information from the task sheet. There is some information about what I look for in a multimodal spoken presentation. I also have information about how to structure a PowerPoint (particularly if students plan on incorporating their spoken delivery into the slide). There are details from the school’s oral assessment policy – particularly around pre recording their submission. There is an example PPT which I created for Aquaman. There are also instructions for how to record themselves.
About the Word Documents:
A planning scaffolding document to be completed before students begin writing.
A writing scaffold with lines for students to write on as students are required to handwrite their drafts to avoid AI usage.
A B standard exemplar for The Incredibles
A B standard exemplar for Justice League
Context: A lesson designed for use in a 12 Essential English classroom in Queensland, Australia as part of Unit 4: “Representations and popular culture texts.” During this unit students learned about Hero and Villain films and how filmmakers use cinematic techniques to portray them and create an intended message. Their assessment at the end of this unit was to write a 4-6 minute multimodal (speech) to be delivered live or pre-recorded reviewing one of the three films shown within the unit.
PPT designed to take 1 or 2 lessons. It is about early Japanese victories in the Second World War focusing on the fall of Singapore. Includes maps showing Singapore and explanations of why it was a priority target. There are slides showing historian's views on the significance of this event (for the war and for Australia). There is a short video showing this event (from the film Paradise Road (1997)). Then it introduces a source (information about An Australian POW: Vivian Bullwinkel). Students read through this source and complete the source analysis activities. The remainder of the lesson looks at what life was like for POW's especially those forced to work on The Thai–Burma Railway
Includes 6 weeks worth of homework activities including chapter questions, a vocabulary list (and activities) and tips for creative writing.
It steps students through an assessment task which requires students to write a short story (a transformation of a section of the novel and a preface justifying their creative decisions). Specific task details are below.
Mode/Medium: Imaginative Written short story (fiction).
Subject Matter: Throughout time short stories have captured the imaginations of both readers and listeners. A good short story will capture the interest of its audience and hold it to the end.
Purpose: To entertain and demonstrate your knowledge of the short story genre.
Task: For this task you have a choice:
1. Write an imaginative short story that creates a character or “gives voice” to a silenced or marginalised character in the novel that you have studied in class.
2. Place the character into the novel which you have studied in class. This can be at the beginning, the middle or end of a scene. For example, you might write from the perspective of someone who observed an event, assisted the protagonist or befriended them. Or you may create a new character. E.g. A new best friend for the protagonist.
Your teacher will explain what it means to “give voice” to a character in a novel. Your character must interact with the novel’s protagonist. You may change the storyline and plot to accommodate your character if you desire, however, your story must remain true to the themes and setting of the novel. (E.g. you can’t turn it into a comedy or change the country where the novel is set).
Requirements: Length is to be 400-500 words plus a 100 word preface explaining how the story is both original and imaginative.
You must demonstrate that you have a sound knowledge of short story conventions and adhere to the short story structure. You can make your story both original and imaginative in the following ways:
• Creative use of the conventions of a short story, for example a twist at the end.
• Create non-stereotyped characters that make unpredictable choices.
• Juxtapose related texts.
• Promote alternative beliefs and values through your writing.
PowerPoint 1: Unit introduction including classroom expectations (rules), an explanation of the unit, key questions for the unit, explaining the 2 assessment tasks, looking at famous quotes about teens and seeing if they agree, a list of teen issues and themes, common settings and characters for teen films.
PowerPoint 2: exploring teenage stereotypes. This lesson defines stereotypes and gives examples of what stereotypes are, explores why we stereotype people, looks at common stereotypes about teenagers. The PPT includes excerpts from 2 Hollywood films (10 Things I Hate About You & Mean Girls) and questions to encourage students to identify the stereotypes in them.
Resources designed for the new senior Modern History syllabus (implemented in QLD in 2019).
This lesson includes:
1 x list of source types for warm up evaluation activity (can be laminated with a magnet on the back for sorting activity)
1 x PowerPoint
1 x Source Booklet with sources about Hitler Youth
1 x Independent Work Booklet with various activities designed to help students practice the evaluation skill
Context: My school runs this program in Alternative Sequence (yr 11 and 12s in together) due to the small size of the school. The lesson begins with some teaching that both grades can do together before the year 12s are assigned some independent work and the year 11s are given some more focused teaching. Then the year 11’s do independent work while the year 12s share their answers and receive feedback.
The sequence of the lesson:
The lesson begins with a warm up activity where students have to place types of sources on a grid in terms of how reliable and useful they typically are. Next students have to brainstorm some synonyms and antonyms for ‘reliable’ and ‘useful.’ Following this, year 12s are given a booklet which has evaluation activities (starting at simple activities and building up to those styled like the short response questions in the Term 4 exam). They begin completing these while the year 11’s get a more teacher centred lesson. In this portion of the lesson we begin with defining ‘evaluate’ before zooming in on the evaluation criteria we use in modern history – reliability and usefulness. There is information about what reliability is and that there are levels of reliability. There are tips for how to write a judgement of reliability and some things to look for when determining reliability. There is a list of reasons why a source may be deemed unreliable. There is an example reliability statement which has been colour coded to show how the writer has included various features of evidence in their evaluation.
Following this, the gradual release method is used to engage with the first few sources in the booklet. (I explain the first activity, we engage with Source 1 and then complete the question together – with me modelling my thinking process via think alouds. Students then do Source 2 as a pair and Source 3 on their own). This is followed by explicit teaching on how to determine the usefulness of a source. There is also information about the importance of corroboration (including a video from the History Skills website). This is followed by some sentence starters which can be used when corroborating. This is followed by completing activities from the booklet (first as a we do, then students do one in a pair, then they do one on their own). Following this, the year 11’s continue doing the booklet independently while I go through the answers with the year 12s.
A unit designed in an Australian Catholic school which could be easily modified for other contexts. The unit entitled 'Walking in Christ's Footsteps' poses two big questions to students - Do people in my community walk in Christ’s footsteps? Why should I walk in Jesus Christ’s footsteps?
It then outlines the learning activities which will occur. The unit has been designed to follow the TELSTAR method of inquiry and has drawn on a range of recommended Inquiry Based Learning pedagogy. It has been designed to be as interactive as possible.
Within the unit students will explores how Jesus lived on Earth and the examples he left for us. They will learn how lay people from various Christian churches within their local community walk in Christ’s footsteps (aka live their Christian vocation. They will discover why we have the sacraments of initiation (baptism, confirmation and the eucharist.) They will see how Christians serve Christ through worship and prayer but also through charity (living his mission by serving other people and speaking out against social injustices.)
Their final assessment is to interview lay people from a range of churches in their local area and write a report to demonstrate their findings.
Resources designed for the new senior Modern History syllabus (implemented in QLD in 2019). The syllabus objectives would also be useful more broadly for English students in other states and countries with an interest in German Nationalism between 1914–1945 (World War I begins –World War II ends).
This lesson includes:
1 x Worksheet – match the definitions
1 x PowerPoint
1 x Source Booklet – containing 8 sources (a mixture of types) for analysis
1 x Handout containing a graphic organiser for analysing sources
1 x Handout explaining CAMPORUM acronym with tips for what to look for when analysing sources
The lesson begins with a matching the definitions warm up (historical concepts and other relevant historical terms). This is followed by a definition of ‘analyse’ and a 9 step process for analysing. A run down of the 7 features of evidence we look for when ‘analysing’ in history (based on those in the QLD syllabus). Students are then introduced to an acronym which will help them to remember what each of these are (CAMPORUM). Students are shown the A standard criteria for analysing and the are unpacked. The year 12 students then begin independently analysing sources in the source booklet and filling in the handout (CAMPORUM tables).
The year 11’s then receive focused teaching about the difference between primary and secondary sources, things to keep in mind when discussing the source origins in a written analysis, how the origins of the source may impact its reliability and tips for evaluating the reliability of different source types. There is some information about historical context and why it is crucial to understand the creator’s motive when engaging with a source. This is followed by an explanation of what the sources will look like in the exam (i.e. a context statement, an excerpt from a source and an APA reference). Following this, the gradual release method is used to engage with the first few sources in the booklet. (I have done the first one on the slides to show how to complete the table, we do the second one together, they do the third one in pairs and they do the fourth one independently).
The types of sources in the booklet: An extract from Mein Kampf, an extract from a textbook, an extract from the Alpha History website, an extract from The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum website, an infographic, a poem, an artwork and a history magazine. They were chosen to deliver content at the same time as teaching the analysis skill.
Context: My school runs this program in Alternative Sequence (yr 11 and 12s in together) due to the small size of the school. The lesson begins with some teaching that both grades can do together before the year 12s are assigned some independent work and the year 11s are given some more focused teaching. Then the year 11’s do independent work while the year 12s share their answers and receive feedback.
A PowerPoint used to teach chapters 6-10 of Phillip Gwynne’s 1998 novel Deadly Unna?
We would read one chapter at a time (or listen to the audio book on CD) and then students would answer the chapter questions.
This PowerPoint contains a summary for each chapter and then slides with answers to the chapter questions. The PPT also includes links to ClickView where parts of the film Australian Rules have been snipped which illustrate events from that particular chapter (I did not show the film in its entirety as it has some parts where it differs from the novel).
This PPT also includes the questions for chapters 11-14 (no answers).
Resources designed for 10 English in Queensland, Australia. It is part of a novel study unit which culminates in a 90-minute examination (500 to 800-word essay). Students had 1 week notice of the question and could bring 100 words of notes in with them.
This is a set of resources for a student centred lesson which utilises a cooperative learning strategy known as ‘Jigsaw.’ The “Jigsaw Method” is a teaching strategy of organizing student group work that helps students collaborate and rely on one another. This teaching strategy is effective as it gives students a greater sense of individual responsibility. It works well in modern history as it teaches students to read sources, locate information relevant to their question and write a synthesised summary combining ideas from multiple sources and perspectives.
A 87 handout full of sources about a range of different topics including: Viet Cong, peasant experiences in the Vietnam War, the Australian presence in Vietnam, Colonialism in Vietnam, The My Lai massacre and Ideologies, causes and effects. Each ‘expert’ group only needs one copy of the sources for their topic. This forces students to engage with the materials and take their own notes so that they can teach their peers about the topic. (However, depending on your group sizes you may choose to provide two copies). This is also a great resource for uploading in full to One Drive / Class Notebook for students to use as inspiration when selecting their topic to investigate for their research essay.
A PowerPoint designed for running the lesson so you can see how the groups were set up for a small class size (10 students). There is also information behind the reference slide about the Jigsaw strategy for teachers who are interested in learning further about this pedagogy. In essence, Jigsaw is a cooperative learning strategy that enables each student of a “home” group to specialize in one aspect of a topic. Students meet with members from other groups who are assigned the same aspect, and after mastering the material, return to the “home” group and teach the material to their group members. With this strategy, each student in the “home” group serves as a piece of the topic’s puzzle and when they work together as a whole, they create the complete jigsaw puzzle. The fact that they have the opportunity to listen to the perspectives of others enhances the quality of their education. Through this activity they will become better at paying attention to their peers, reflecting on what they have learned and asking good questions
**NB: Resources designed for the new senior Modern History syllabus (implemented in QLD in 2019). The content would also be useful more broadly for students in other states and countries with an interest in the Vietnamese Independence Movement (1945-1975). The other resources are also available in my store - lrigb4. The end of term assessment for this unit was an essay.
**
Several resources for scaffolding the assessment
An A standard exemplar speech which can be deconstructed with the class to discuss the positive attributes
Sentence starters for QCIA students on a modified program (organised for each section of the speech)
A PowerPoint template with pre populated headings for students to use as a guide for creating their own
An exemplar PowerPoint presentation (A standard)
A PowerPoint explaining the assessment task to students and what they are being marked on. This is interlaced with tips and activities for the various criteria. There are tips for writing dialogue (reviewing punctuation rules), past vs present tense, homophones etc. It also includes a list of common errors made by students in the previous year for this task.
A planning booklet for students to use to brainstorm their ideas prior to writing their short story (aka imaginative recount). It includes prompts and graphic organisers which students can work through in class and for homework.
A series of PowerPoints designed for the drafting phase of the unit. Each begins with a mini lesson with a specific focus (e.g. characterisation, juxtaposition etc.) they then focus on students writing a particular part of the narrative in the lesson (e.g. orientation) with hints, examples and reminders.
A graphic organiser for students to write their short story (imaginative recount) into.
A draft feedback form which lists common errors that students make. The teacher merely needs to highlight the feedback which applies to the student. This speeds up the drafting workload for the teacher and ensures all students are receiving consistent feedback based on the cognitive verbs prioritised in the unit.
Part of a set of resources created for a year 7 English class in Australia (ACARA syllabus). The other resources are also available in my store - lrigb4. Designed for use in 70 minute lessons (with extra activities as a back up if the class is advanced). The focus text is ‘Black Snake: The Daring of Ned Kelly’ by Carole Wilkinson.