A grade 7 and a grade 8 slightly improved response to the following exam style question about Lady Macbeth. This is pretty similar to the May 2024 question but the featured extract was from Act 1 Scene 7 rather than Act 1 Scene 5.
Starting with this speech (Act 1 Scene 5 ‘The raven himself is hoarse’) explain how far you think Shakespeare presents Lady Macbeth as a powerful woman.Write about:
• how Shakespeare presents Lady Macbeth in this speech
• how Shakespeare presents Lady Macbeth in the play as a whole.
Includes a grade 7 version and a grade 8 version for comparison. The grade 8 version has a more thoughtful introduction and conclusion and creates more of a debate.
The PowerPoint contains colour coded annotations to showcase a deliberate and easy to imitate method for helping students structure a successful response.
Also contains a grade 9 response analysing Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s marriage.
2 lessons/PowerPoints.
Lesson 1 has carefully selected annotations followed by 13 comprehension questions based on the annotations.
There is also a starter activity involving an 8 minute clip from the film ‘The Not Dead’.
Lesson 2 recaps the first lesson before looking at how to improve grade 3 paragraphs by adding zoom ins and deeper inferences. The final activity asks students to compare the poem to Prelude, War Photographer and Bayonet Charge. To help with this, students are provided with matching quotations and a suggested basic writing frame.
22 key quotations briefly explained for Macbeth and Lady Macbeth on a visually engaging poster. There is an editable word version and a pdf version.
Also contains a more detailed analysis of quotations for each character.
For more Macbeth resources try the following links:
grade 9 model responses:
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/macbeth-6-grade-7-9-model-responses-12187985
Revision Cards
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/macbeth-revision-cards-12173097
Full bundle
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/macbeth-revision-bundle-2019-12115685
A 45 minute (871 word) high level top band response to the following question: Starting with this extract, how does Dickens present Scrooge as an outsider to society.
Includes the extract.
Also includes 6 revision cards looking at 6 quotations about isolation.
Two lessons. One lesson aimed at covering the themes and ideas in Act 1 Scene 1 with annotations and comprehension activities.
Lesson two is aimed at getting students to produce a powerful piece of descriptive writing based on image from the opening scene of Polanski’s Macbeth. The PowerPoint goes through examples of vocabulary, sentence types, punctuation and literary techniques to help achieve a high level.
There is also an A3 graphic organiser to encourage students to plan a piece of descriptive writing inspired by Act 1 Scene 1 of Macbeth.
The graphic organiser includes:
Act 1 Scene 1
an opening paragraph model to annotate
a long list of useful words
a paragraph planning table
a link to 3 film versions of Act 1 Scene 1 to evaluate
a success criteria of descriptive techniques
some images to help generate ideas
A great Friday period 5-type revision activity which uses the power of images to help students both explore and memorise 16 quotations.
The worksheet features 16 quotes from Macbeth with 16 accompanying images. Students follow the differentiated success criteria and annotate the quotations for various shades of meaning.
Includes answers which can be printed separately or to form double sided revision cards.
When they have done this, I allow them to colour in the quotations.
Useful as a follow up to my top 50 Macbeth quotations resource. (see my shop)
Character flashcards for the 6 main characters in the play.
Each flashcard contains explanations for 5 quotations.
There are also a series of high-level adjectives to describe each character.
Uses Chapter 5 from Frankenstein to teach students how to answer Question 2 on the AQA Paper 1 English language exam.
Includes animated annotations to help students tackle the 3 separate questions and also includes model examples so students can peer assess their work against the models.
A grade 9 response to the AQA May 2017 power and conflict question in which Bayonet Charge was the named poem.
This response was completed in 45 minutes so replicates the amount of writing expected within the time frame of the examination.
In other grade 9 power and conflict responses on Tes I wrote comparative-style paragraphs.
For this essay I used a different method. In the first half of the essay I focused solely on the named poem Bayonet Charge and then referred back to Bayonet Charge in the second half of the response when analysing Remains.
Both methods are effective.
This resource can also be purchased as part of the bundle of multiple grade 9 power and conflict comparative responses:
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/power-and-conflict-grade-9-model-essays-12213236
Or as part of a bigger bundle covering revision materials for all 15 poems:
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/power-and-conflict-bundle-2018-11881499
3 lessons with PowerPoints and resources to help students revise 3 key quotations for each of the 18 poems in the EDUQAS 9-1 Poetry anthology.
Lesson 1:
Revise 3 quotations from each poem in the Eduqas GCSE Poetry anthology.
Includes the answers on the powerpoint appearing one by one with the mouse click.
Lesson 2:
Check understanding by identifying the key quotations and using images to commit them to long term memory.
There is also an extension activity asking students to pair up the poems and create discriminating comparisons.
Lesson 3:
Revise 3 key words for each poem. Use a code to explore comparisons between poems.
Links to other Eduqas poetry resources:
Revision Cards
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/eduqas-wjec-poetry-revision-cards-gcse-12107545
Lessons on all poems
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/wjec-anthology-bundle-2-lesson-on-each-poem-11896591
Revision resources:
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/wjec-eduqas-poetry-anthology-revising-all-poems-11894072
Bundle:
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/wjec-eduqas-poetry-anthology-bundle-gcse-9-1-11815065
An essay plan template (with answer sheet) to help students write up a response to the following AQA 1-9 style question:
How does Priestley use Gerald to explore ideas about responsibility. (34 marks)
Includes a mid level exemplar for students to compare their work against.
The essay plan includes points, precisely selected quotations about Gerald and opportunities for students to extend their analysis to move towards a top grade response.
I have other resources available for An Inspector Calls:
Bundle
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/an-inspector-calls-aqa-1-9-differentiated-birling-sheila-11412310
Revision Cards:
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/theme-revision-cards-for-an-inspector-calls-12124143
Knowledge Organisers
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/an-inspector-calls-4-ultimate-revision-sheets-themes-character-stage-directions-cards-11574057
Revision quotations:
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/an-inspector-calls-test-on-10-quotations-per-character-9-1-revision-12138293
3 versions of a simple but highly engaging board game to revise key quotations in Macbeth and A Christmas Carol for Paper 1 English Literature.
Game 1:
Use the 98 prompts to help revise 98 quotations from Macbeth and A Christmas Carol.
Game 2:
Explain the 98 quotations (49 from each text) to advance.
Game 3:
100 questions on Macbeth (includes answers)
Dice and counters not included!
Also includes a Macbeth random generator activity.
A grade 9 response on the theme of greed in A Christmas Carol.
It includes a thesis style introduction.
Point 1 explores the Marley’s Ghost section.
Point 2 explores the Belle section.
Point 3 explores the criminals stealing Scrooge’s possessions in Stave 4.
Also presented in the form of 6 revision cards.
A grade 9 critical and exploratory response to an exam-style generic question about how Romeo and Juliet’s relationship develops during the play.
Also contains a response adapted for a question on Romeo’s feelings for Juliet.
I have included the extract and a brief examiner commentary to help explain why the response would achieve grade 9.
The response is 662 words along which is about the average length of a grade 9 essay in 45 minutes of exam conditions.
Also available as part of a group of model responses:
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/romeo-and-juliet-grade-9-grade-8-and-grade-7-model-responses-to-aqa-gcse-questions-11580421
Inspired by the image of the old man in the 2018 AQA English Language exam, I have collated and categorised 275 words to describe a face onto a worksheet to help students with their descriptive writing.
Students found this useful in helping them to improve the precision of their characters descriptions for English Language Paper 1.
A sample high level response with grade and examiner comment to the following exam response:
Wxplore how Dickens presents Scrooge’s fears/anxieties in A Christmas Carol.
Also includes a simple writing frame for students working towards grade 4.
Check out my shop for other A Christmas Carol resources:
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/a-christmas-carol-theme-revision-cards-poverty-isolation-ghosts-christmas-family-11869145
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/a-christmas-carol-gcse-differentiated-revision-sheets-on-themes-and-context-11387723
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/stave-1-and-stave-5-scrooge-s-transformation-in-a-christmas-carol-11503154
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/a-christmas-carol-grade-9-lesson-and-essays-on-ghosts-11552659
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/a-christmas-carol-100-comprehension-questions-with-answer-sheet-12450748
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/revise-themes-in-a-christmas-carol-family-isolation-poverty-charity-christmas-supernatural-11577227
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/grade-9-a-christmas-carol-exam-responses-12220340
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/a-christmas-carol-top-50-quotations-11901568
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/a-christmas-carol-3-grade-9-model-answers-for-eduqas-gcse-exam-style-11797550
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/grade-9-response-on-poverty-in-a-christmas-carol-12512988
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/6-grade-9-model-essays-on-a-christmas-carol-for-aqa-or-eduqas-11896608
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/a-christmas-carol-aqa-1-9-super-bundle-11532059#
Knowledge Organiser for Lord of the Flies along with a PowerPoint slide that contains questions explaining how students should use the knowledge organiser to revise each character’s development in the novel.
I have selected crossover quotations that link to both characters and themes.
I have also included some ideas for how to approach A03 context for each character and theme.
The second page has a blank version of the knowledge organiser. I ask students to fill as much of the blank one in as they can and then show them my answers at the end.