I am a secondary school English teacher, spending my 6th year teaching at an IB school in Japan. This makes me confident that I know how to support all students in mainstream education; all resources look to stretch, challenge and support students, by using various activities and question styles with definitions and images.
Thank you for visiting my page, and ANY feedback is welcome!
I am a secondary school English teacher, spending my 6th year teaching at an IB school in Japan. This makes me confident that I know how to support all students in mainstream education; all resources look to stretch, challenge and support students, by using various activities and question styles with definitions and images.
Thank you for visiting my page, and ANY feedback is welcome!
This unit focuses on the themes of identity and culture in poetry, taking poems from the old AQA anthology that are still used today in some GCSE and iGCSE poetry anthologies. This anthology is included in the bundle.
To combat the fear or dull-approach to poetry, I have incorporated a multi-modal approach that uses music, group work, games and other creative means to encourage students to see poetry in a different light. All my lessons are differentiated with appropriate stretch and challenges, with definitions and writing prompts to support their learning.
The unit comprises of 13 one hours lessons, though I have found that these lessons can be drawn out or shortened to suit the preferred time frame.
The poems include:
Haikus
Search for my Tongue
Half Caste
Storm of the Island
Limbo
The unit is angeled towards KS3 Secondary students as it gives them a refresher on language techniques and structural devices.
I hope that you enjoy my lessons :)
This KS3 spelling test is all you need. A student will have 15 spellings to learn per fortnight, with a specific focus attached to it.
For example, some of the weeks cover:
Homophones
Silent ‘u’ sounds
Confused words
Unstressed vowels
Music (and other subjects)
In a digital age, students typically have more desire to pick up a phone than a book or pen. It is therefore crucial for teachers to promote the literacy of students so that they can communicate effectively in the wider world.
A complete differentiated scheme of work for the modern novel ‘Hunger Games’, by Suzanne Collins.
Aimed at year 8s, though can be easily adapted to teach other years. This scheme of work will help improve analytical writing, whilst challenging students to discuss broader topics that are linked to the novel.
This scheme of work covers:
Dystopia and Characters
The Protagonist
Dictatorship
Thoughts and Feelings
Show Don’t Tell
How is Katniss presented
Effect of Language
Barbarism
Conflict
Symbolism
War
Moral Dilemmas
Romance
Reality TV
Purposeful Devices
Creative Writing
Reflection
As there is a lot to get through, I suggest using the audiobook on YouTube to assist the reading.
An entire SOW on ‘Conflict Poetry’ that is aimed at year 9, with differentiated activities and sentence prompts where needed.
The scheme of work has a primary focus on war poetry in the early 1900s (inc. the works of Thomas Hardy, Jessie Pope and Wilfred Owen), where the lessons encourage students to consider how conflict goes beyond physical struggles. Furthermore, this unit trains essential poetry and language skills for the GCSE AQA exam board.
My aims to engage boys in English means that the lessons often encourage the class to consider the harmful consequences of gender stereotypes.
The lessons smoothly lead them to their final lesson where they have to compare Owen and Pope’s poem together.
These lessons include:
Devices
Conflict
WWI
Propaganda
Tone
Purpose of Devices
Approaching Poetry
Poetic Structure
Poet’s Intentions
Shift of Focus
Imagery
Exploring Quotes
Letter Writing
Comparing Poetry
Assessment
Any feedback is welcome!
Welcome to my four-week unit that explores the heart of Victorian England through the timeless classic, “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens. The series of lessons provide an immersive exploration of the social, economic, and cultural landscape of 19th-century Britain, using key extracts from the novella to encourage students to reflect on the vivid characters and rich narrative of Dickens’ masterpiece. Lessons comprise of close reading, critical analysis, and engaging discussions to unravel the layers of Victorian society, examining themes of poverty, inequality, redemption, and the spirit of Christmas. From the bustling streets of London to the haunting specters of the past, present, and future, students will not only gain a deeper understanding of the historical context of the novel but also develop valuable insights into the human condition that resonate across time.
I designed this unit for GCSE Year 9. Though, I believe it can be adapted to help support younger and older years.
These lessons:
Provide definitions of key vocabulary
Include stretch and challenge
Include model paragraphs to help improve writing styles
Use a multi-modal approach, to bring the learning experience to life!
Include a fiction and non-fiction focus
Encourage students to practise imaginative writing
The Unit Breakdown:
Lesson 1: Victorian Britain
Lesson 2: Penny Dreadful
Lesson 3: Dickens’ Life
Lesson 4: A Gothic Opening
Lesson 5: Analysis
Lesson 6: Feedback
Lesson 7: Stave 1 - Thomas Malthus
Lesson 8: Stave 1 - Rich and Poor
Lesson 9: Stave 1 - Sin and Repentance
Lesson 10: Stave 1 - Ghosts
Lesson 11: Foreshadowing
Lesson 12: Stave 2 - Flashback
Lesson 13: Stave 2 - Symbolism
Lesson 14: Stave 2 - Childhood
Lesson 15: Stave 2 - The Charity Revolution
Lesson 16: Stave 3 - The Ghost of Christmas Present
Lesson 18: Stave 3 - Poverty
Lesson 19: How to make a living seeling dog poo
Lesson 20: Stave 4 - Creative Writing
Lesson 21: Stave 4 - Newspaper Report
Lesson 22: Feedback Lesson
Lesson 23: Assessment Feedback Lesson
Lesson 24: Embedding quotes
Lesson 25: Essay writing
Lesson 26: Stave 5
Extra lesson: Mock
Extra resources: writing strips, Charles Dickens Experts
I hope that you enjoy my resource :)
In crafting a unique unit on Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream,’ I’ve cooked up an exciting plan to make this classic play feel fresh and fun for a modern audience. Some lessons focus on parts of the script, acting them out to really bring the characters to life. But, it’s not just about the play – we’re also taking a trip back in time to the Elizabethan era, uncovering all sorts of cool and quirky facts about life back then. With this mix of drama and history, students get to experience Shakespeare in a whole new light, making the old stories feel brand new again.
The lessons include:
Differentiated tasks
Extracts from the play
Discussion, creative writing, acting and writing skills
Information on dramatic devices
Outline of the lessons:
Lesson 1: Context
Lesson 2: Character and Plot
Lesson 3: Egeus and Hermia
Lesson 4: Iambic Pentameter
Lesson 5: The Mechanicals
Lesson 6: Puck
Lesson 7: The Fairies and the Mortals
Lesson 8: Oberon and Titania
Lesson 9: Shakespearian Insults
Lesson 10: Stage Directions
Lesson 11: Shakespearian Comedy
Lesson 12: How did Shakespeare present Bottom?
Extra:
Plot sequence
Study Guide
The play in 10 quotes
I hope that you enjoy this unit :)
I’ve put together a fun and engaging 8-week identity poetry unit. We’ve been diving into the cool twists and turns of language, learning how to structure our thoughts and feelings into poetic form. Throughout the journey, I’ve made sure to give students a mix of challenges and support, so everyone can find their groove. From dissecting the magic of poetic tools to writing our own verses about who we are, every activity is designed to make poetry come alive in exciting ways. We’re not just reading poems; we’re living them!
I made this for ages 11-14 at my current international school. However, my students are exceptionally bright so I do not doubt that this unit can help support older years with a few tweaks.
Lessons include:
Lesson 1: Poetic Devices
Lesson 2: An Introduction to MITSL
Lesson 3: An introduction to MITSL
Lesson 4: An introduction to MITSL
Lesson 5: An introduction to MITSL
Lesson 6: Introduction to imagery
Lesson 7: Imagery
Lesson 8: Symbolism
Lesson 9: Lexical Fields
Lesson 10: Extended Metaphor
Lesson 11: Juxtaposition
Lesson 12: Rhyme and Half Rhyme
Lesson 13: Form
Lesson 14: Form 2
Lesson 15: Enjambment and Repetition
Lesson 16: Emotive Language
Lesson 17: Perspectives
Lesson 18: Tone
Lesson 19: Phonology
Lesson 20: Narrative
Lesson 21: Pigeons
Lesson 22: Pigeons
Lesson 23: Sally
Lesson 24: Sally
Lesson 25: Jeoparty
Lesson 26: Review
Lesson 27: Rewite
Lesson 28: What is a zine
Lesson 29: Zine Fair
Lesson 30: Unit Reflection
Lesson 31: Summative Feedback
Lesson 32: Summative Feedback
Extra resources include:
Vocabulary bank
Unit reflection
I hope that you enjoy this resource :)
This Bundle will help student practise their creative writing skills. Based of Pearson and AQA feedback, this resource will stretch their colour vocabulary, help them master basic techniques in writing metaphors, similes), and teach them how to use more thoughtful language in writing.
The lessons include:
Creating Imagery
Describing a Character
Simile, Personification and Adjective
Creating Sentences using Adverbs
Starting Sentences using Adverbs
Expanding your Colour Vocabulary
Connotations of Colour
Reflection Lesson
‘ing’ Words
Language Analysis
Planning a Response
Verb Choices - Writing
Verb Choices - Analysing
Assessment Preparation
Assessment - Creative Writing
Any feedback is welcome!
Welcome to my 8-week unit that looks to captivate the world of Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’! In these lessons student will explore the enchanting forests of Athens, diving into themes of love, illusion, and the whims of desire. Through engaging drama activities, collaborative group work, and lively class discussions, I aim to bring the characters to life and uncover the depths of their motivations. By examining how cultural beliefs influence the characters, these lessons cultivate critical thinking and empathy, inviting students to reflect on the enduring relevance of Shakespeare’s masterpiece.
Get ready to unravel the mysteries of the fairy realm and experience the transformative power of the theater firsthand!
Note: I used these lessons for my G6s, who were asked to perform a monologue at the end of the unit. However, I believe that this unit can be helpful for all LSP/KS3 classes.
These lessons are:
Differentiated
Based on the play (I recommend No Fear Shakespeare version)
Coloured
The lessons are as follows
Lesson 1: What is mythology?
Lesson 2: Shakespeare
Lesson 3: Whoosh
Lesson 4: Ancient Athens
Lesson 5: Egeus
Lesson 6: Egeus Pt2
Lesson 7: Power of Love
Lesson 8: Titania and Oberon
Lesson 9: Helena and Demetrius
Lesson 10: Puck and Oberon
Lesson 11: Unrequited Love
Lesson 12: Helena and Lysander
Lesson 13: The Mechanicals
Lesson 14: Bottom and Titania
Lesson 15: Manipulation
Lesson 16: Power
Lesson 17: Disempowerment
Lesson 18: Introduction to summative
Lesson 19: Monologue Prep
Lesson 20: Formative Prep
Lesson 21: The End
Lesson 22: Summative Prep
Lesson 23: Summative Feedback
Lesson 24: Drop
Lesson 25: Shift
Lesson 26: Zoom
Lesson 27: Link
I hope you enjoy this resource :)
This is a bundle that will support the teaching of ‘The Merchant of Venice’. Every lesson included differentiate tasks, key quotations, and Standard English translations so that every student can access the material. Though aimed to support KS3 iGCSE students, the material could be modified to support younger or older years.
The bundle will include:
Pre-reading task
Resources
Revision lessons (writing an introduction, writing a response, themes and symbolism)
Lesson from Act 1 to Act 5
Model responses
Due to the lack of supportive material for teaching one of Shakespeare’s greatest plays, I made sure that these lessons would comprehensively support challenge and inspire your students.
These lessons will help break down the fear that surrounds unseen poetry, using popular, thought-provoking poems to engage your students.
This resource includes lessons on:
Introduction to Poetry
Imagery
You Being Born (poem)
You Being Born - Emotive Language
Perspectives
Double Entendre
Half Rhyme
Extended Metaphor
Imagery and Form
MITSL
Juxtaposition
Phonology
Symbolism
Form
Mock
Tone
Lexical Fields
Narrative
Reflection
Any feedback is welcome!
Revision for English Language Paper 1, Pearson Edexcel. For this one-lesson resource, I have used June 2016 past paper - this paper is included.
For this lesson, I ask students to work in pairs through the activities. These activities help to bring the black-and-white mark scheme to life, whilst encouraging them to critically engage with the text.
At the end of this lesson, it will make them feel more prepared for the English Language Paper 1; I have included tips and pieces of advice to help students achieve their best mark.
I hope that you enjoy this resource :)
This is an effective and efficient series of five lessons that are designed to prepare students for creative writing success. Using one thought-provoking image, students explore essential qualities of top-grade writing, referencing the iGCSE markscheme for guidance.
Despite the iGCSE focus, I have purposefully made these lessons, so that they can be easily adapted for both younger and older years.
These lessons aim to enhance students’ vocabulary skills and foster perceptive, thoughtful writing to help them achieve maximum marks. Join us as we delve into five key lessons, strengthening various aspects of creative writing, from character development to narrative structure.
These lessons include:
Lesson 1: Tone and Language
Lesson 2: Show Don’t Tell
Lesson 3: Imagery
Lesson 4: Developing Structure
Lesson 5: Imaginative Sentences
I hope that you enjoy this resource!