I am an experienced English teacher and Literacy Coordinator. All of my resources are organised, engaging, ready to teach and designed to save you - the teacher - your valuable time!
Please have a look at all of my resources - at least 20% of which are free.
I am an experienced English teacher and Literacy Coordinator. All of my resources are organised, engaging, ready to teach and designed to save you - the teacher - your valuable time!
Please have a look at all of my resources - at least 20% of which are free.
This comprehensive one-hour lesson is perfect for exploring the Banquo’s Ghost scene in Act 3, Scene 4 of Macbeth. Students will focus on key quotes and engage in close language analysis of this pivotal scene, making it ideal for Key Stage 3 and 4 learners. The lesson includes:
Abridged version of the scene for easier understanding.
Comprehension questions and group tasks to ‘explode’ quotes for detailed analysis.
Learning Objective: Analyse Key Quotes in Banquo’s Ghost Scene.
Learning Outcomes:
Students will read and understand Act 3 Scene 3 and an abridged version of Act 3 Scene 4.
Students will independently complete comprehension questions on Act 3 Scene 4 and share their ideas in a class discussion.
Students will practise close analysis of language by ‘exploding’ key quotes from the scene.
Lesson Outline:
Do it now: Think – Pair – Share recall questions from previous scenes.
Starter: Reading and discussion of Act 3 Scene 2.
Activity One: Students perform Act 3 Scene 4.
Activity Two: Students work in groups to ‘explode’ quotes from the scene and then carousel around to add to each other’s ideas. Then a discussion as a class.
Plenary: Students vote on the question - Was Banquo’s Ghost a ‘real’ ghost that only Macbeth could see? Or was it just a hallucination showing how Macbeth’s mind is deteriorating?
Why Choose This Resource?
Designed for Confidence-Building: Helps students feel secure in their analysis of complex texts.
Ready to Use: Download and start teaching immediately with no prep required.
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This Macbeth resource bundle will support you and your students through the entire play. Designed for Key Stage 4 or advanced Key Stage 3, this resource pack provides everything you need to guide students through the entire play, equipping them with the skills required for GCSE/IGCSE success.
What’s Included in This Bundle?
18 Complete Lesson PowerPoints
Fully editable presentations with engaging starter tasks, clear learning objectives, in-depth scene analysis, and plenary activities to consolidate learning.
Knowledge Organiser
Why Choose This Bundle?
This resource pack is tailored to meet the demands of GCSE/IGCSE specifications, ensuring students develop skills in:
Language and structure analysis
Linking themes to context
Understanding character arcs and motivations
Discussing Shakespeare’s dramatic techniques and intentions
Free Resources and More:
Free Unit of Work Overview: Download a free unit of work overview to support your planning.
Free Worksheet: Download a free worksheet on Lady Macbeth’s persuasive techniques in Act 1 Scene 7.
Free Homework Menu: Download a free homework menu to accompany the unit.
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Fully resourced 1 hour lesson in which students learn the difference in meaning between using commas, dashes and brackets and then apply what they have learned to their own writing.
Easily adaptable for KS2, KS3 and KS4.
This lesson includes:
- Full explanation of commas, dashes and brackets.
- Task where students decide which punctuation they will use
- Writing task.
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Two engaging and fully-resourced back to school English lessons with PowerPoints and worksheets which support students to write a slam poem about their identity. This allows the class to get to know each other, reminds students of poetic techniques and analysis and gives them the opportunity to do some creative writing through writing a slam poem.
I have used it regularly with key stage 3 and key stage 4 classes as it can be easily adapted to the poetic knowledge and ability of each class.
LESSON ONE
Learning Objective: Analyse the effect of poetic techniques used in a slam poem.
Learning Outcomes:
Bronze: Identify poetic techniques in a slam poem.
Silver: Explain the effect of vocabulary and poetic techniques in a slam poem.
Gold: Explain how the poet uses rhythm and structure for effect in a slam poem.
Lesson Overview:
Do it now: Vocabulary stretcher: how would you describe yourself in three words? Talk to the person next to you and share examples on a post-it note.
Starter: Think – pair- share: discuss images and techniques used in lines of poetry followed by teacher modelling.
Activity one: Watch example slam poem and discuss meaning and techniques. Teacher leads discussion and models some answers.
Activity two: Based on the slam poem you’ve watched, what would you say are some of the main features of slam poetry?
Plenary: Class tries to match the post-it note from the ‘do it now’ exercise to the correct student.
LESSON TWO
Learning Objective: Write a Slam Poem about your Identity
Learning Outcomes:
Bronze: Use a range of vocabulary and poetic techniques in your slam poem.
Silver: Use rhyme and rhythm to achieve a desired effect.
Gold: Write powerful stand-out lines that get stuck in the listeners’ minds.
Lesson Overview:
Do it now: What features of slam poetry do you remember from the previous lesson?
Starter: Think – pair- share: what language techniques can you identify in quotes from last lesson’s poem? Can you explain the effect?
Activity one: Use the graphic organiser to start planning your slam poem and then begin to write it.
Plenary: Share your most powerful line
Homework: Complete your slam poem
More Resources:
Check out this lesson which explores writing slam poems in more detail.
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One academic year’s worth of Word Root of the Week lesson starters (36 weeks). Each starter prompts students to explore and practise using a root word in more detail to explicitly build in teaching vocabulary over the year.
Each week has a starter that lasts between 5-15 minutes. There are 165 slides in total.
If you wish to purchase further resources to support your Word Root of the Week programme, have a look at these word root slides for displaying in assembly. or a complete bundle of resources.
These words correspond with this free Excel file which provides a yearly plan with 36 word roots and example words.
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A fun and addictive ‘Of Mice and Men’ revision tool that lasts 20-40 minutes to help students revise themes and quotes. The game ends differently each time, so this can be played multiple times to support students in revising the themes and ideas in Of Mice and Men.
Students play as either George, Lennie, Candy or Curley and the aim is to achieve their dream. They play through 40 event cards, which will give them plus or minus DPs (dream points). If they can achieve positive DPs by the end of the game then they achieve their dream. If they don’t then they are doomed to a migrant worker life of working for other people.
This game helps students to revise key events in the book, important quotes and presses them to consider the challenges that characters face to achieve their dreams. Reflection questions for students are included.
It is a print and play game. It is quick and easy to cut out. I would suggest laminating for quick further use, however this is not required. The only additional materials you will need are one die per game and scrap paper for students to keep track of their scores.
Included:
How to play card
Character profiles sheet
Event cards
Reflection questions
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I have a whole range of Of Mice and Men revision resources available in the shop and a range of revision videos on my YouTube channel (this is linked to in my shop).
This one-hour lesson focuses on how Shakespeare uses the Porter’s scene to build tension in Act 2, Scene 3 of Macbeth. Perfect for engaging students in critical analysis, this lesson explores dramatic irony, pathetic fallacy, and comic relief to enhance their understanding of how Shakespeare builds tension.
This resource includes:
A ready-to-teach PowerPoint with full instructions.
A worksheet to guide reflection on tension in the scene.
Learning Objective: Analyse how Shakespeare uses structure to build tension in Act 2 Scene 3.
Learning Outcomes:
Students will read Act 2 Scene 3 and analyse the use of tension-building techniques in the scene such as dramatic irony, pathetic fallacy and comic relief.
Students will independently choose quotes from the scene that use the techniques.
Students will consider where else they have seen the use of these tension-building techniques.
Lesson Outline:
Do it now: Read these quotes on use of tension and laughter and infer what we will be studying today.
Starter: Watch the short video and discuss the techniques used by Shakespeare to build tension.
Activity 1: Read act 2 scene 3 and discuss the questions.
Activity 2: Worksheet reflection on class discussion and peer assessment.
Plenary: Can you think of an example of pathetic fallacy, dramatic irony or comic relief from another book or movie you’ve enjoyed?
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A fully-resourced one hour lesson to support students in exploring the question of ‘to what extent was Shakespeare Anti-Semitic in his writing of The Merchant of Venice?’ Students will be guided through a class discussion and then work in pairs to unpack the language in act 2 scene 8.
Learning Objective: Consider to what extent Shakespeare’s portrayal of Shylock is anti-Semitic.
Learning Outcomes:
Students will learn key vocabulary such as cultural context, stereotype etc.
Students will be introduced to the cultural context of anti-Semitism in Elizabethan England and in Venice.
Students will work in pairs to analyse the language in act 2 scene 8.
Students will write a PEE question on Shakespeare and anti-Semitism.
Lesson Outline:
Do it now: Match the key terms to the definition.
Starter: Cultural context of anti-Semitism in Jacobean society.
Activity one: Reading Act 2 Scene 8 and discussion questions.
Activity two: Students work individually or in pairs to complete the worksheet.
Plenary: Write a PEE paragraph to answer the question ‘to what extent do you think Shakespeare was anti-Semitic?’
More Resources for The Merchant of Venice
Click here for a bundle of all the lessons to take you through the play plus a quiz, knowledge organiser and character revision posters.
Freebies:
For character revision posters for your classroom, click here.
For an English/Drama lesson based on Portia’s choice in Act 1 Scene 2, click here.
For a Scheme of Work overview for the unit, click here.
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A detailed and engaging one hour lesson to support students in their analysis of the theme of truth and lies in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (play by Simon Stephens) for Edexcel English Literature IGCSE 4ET1. This lesson is best used towards the start of the teaching unit and then referred back to as you work through the play.
This resource contains a ready-to-teach Powerpoint with all teacher and printing instructions included.
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A fully-resourced one hour lesson to support students in exploring the question of ‘how is Prince Arragon presented in The Merchant of Venice?’ Students will be guided through a class discussion of the scene and then will complete a slow writing PETER paragraph on Prince Arragon.
Learning Objective: Write an analytical paragraph about how the Prince of Arragon is presented in Act 2 Scene 9.
Learning Outcomes:
Students will consider the morphology of the word ‘analysis’.
-Students will unpick the meaning of Act 2 Scene 8 with teacher support.
-Students will be guided through how to write a PETER analytical paragraph.
Students will write predictions about what will come next in the play.
Lesson Outline:
Do it now: Recall questions about the first casket in act 2 scene 7
Starter: Think – pair – share about the meaning of the word ‘analysis’ followed by morphological explanation of the word.
Activity one: Class discussion and reading of Act 2 Scene 9 to support students in unpicking the meaning of the text.
Activity two: Slow writing of PETER paragraph to answer the question of ‘how is the Prince of Arragon portrayed?’
Peer Assessment
Plenary: Based on selected points, students write a prediction for what will happen next in the play.
More Resources for The Merchant of Venice
Click here for a bundle of all the lessons to take you through the play plus a quiz, knowledge organiser and character revision posters.
Freebies:
For character revision posters for your classroom, click here.
For an English/Drama lesson based on Portia’s choice in Act 1 Scene 2, click here.
For a Scheme of Work overview for the unit, click here.
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This is a home learning workbook that contains 20 lessons that are a mixture of live and independent work from home. This is aimed at students studying The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (play by Simon Stephens) for Edexcel English Literature IGCSE 4ET1.
This also works well as a revision guide for students to work through independently.
This workbook has 12 live lessons for delivery in class or online (I have delivered them all online) and 8 for independent home learning. It would be easy to adapt lessons to make them live or independent. This resource is an adaptation of my original Curious Incident lesson bundle available here.
This resource includes:
A Powerpoint workbook with 175 slides which covers 20 lessons. Students complete all of their work directly into the Powerpoint (I have found that this saves a lot of stress and time when students have all of their work in one place).
An overview of the scheme of work.
A video that simulates the feeling of sensory overload Christopher experiences in the train station (this is embedded within the Powerpoint, but I have added it here in case there are problems).
A more detailed knowledge organiser that can be used alongside the simplified knowledge organiser found in the workbook.
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Fully resourced and differentiated 1 hour lesson in which students learn how to independently close read a challenging text.
This lesson has been designed to be reused multiple times as it teaches students the skills that they need to independently close read any new text to them.
Easily adaptable to all abilities as you can differentiate the difficulty of the text given (example texts and teacher text selection advice included).
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This bundle contains 20 resources that can be used and adapted for key stage 3 English lessons. It contains resources that cover reading, writing and speaking skills.
All lessons are ready to download and teach immediately. This bundle contains the following:
Writing Skills
Lesson on colons vs semi colons
Lesson on commas, dashes and brackets
Lesson on complex sentences
Lesson on compound sentences
Writing skills (SPAG) knowledge organiser
Writing skills for key stage 3 assessment with answer rubric included.
Figurative language - writing similes and metaphors
Lesson on punctuating dialogue
Lesson on assonance
Lesson on sibilance
Lesson on personification
Reading Skills/Poetry
12) Booklet to help students create their own poetry anthology
13) Lesson on the features of poetry and prose
14) 2 lessons on successful annotation and analysis of poetry.
15) Lesson on how to write a slam poem
16) Reusable lesson to embed close reading skills
17) Introduction to poetry knowledge organiser
18) World Book Day reading quiz
19) Poetry analysis lesson on ‘The Lesson’ by Roger McGough
Speaking and listening skills
20) Introduction to group discussion lesson
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Fully resourced and ready-to-teach 1 hour lesson which introduces students to assonance and encourages them to question why writers use it and what its effect is. Students then write a poem using assonance.
This lesson is aimed at KS3 and would be suitable for an introduction to poetry unit - but it could easily be adapted to younger or older students.
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Engaging and ready to teach one hour lesson to cover chapter eight of ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ by John Boyne. This lesson helps students to consider the character of Grandmother and why John Boyne has included her as a character. Students will infer details about Grandmother from the argument that she has with Father and then write a script between Grandmother and Grandfather which they will perform to the class.
Learning Objective: Infer details from the text to write a script about Grandmother.
Learning Outcomes:
Bronze: Use scanning and skimming reading skills to find details about Grandmother in the text.
Silver: Infer information about Grandmother and her relationship with Father.
Gold: Synthesise what you know about the characters with information you have learned about the Holocaust to add details to your writing.
Lesson Outline:
Do It Now: Discuss with partners: how does it feel to experience conflict with family members?
Starter: Read chapter 8 and then students answer comprehension questions in their books. Discuss as a class.
Activity 1: Students write a script between Grandmother and Grandfather on their way home from Christmas dinner.
Activity 2: Students perform their scripts and peer assess each other.
Plenary: What has John Boyne included the character of Grandmother? What is he trying to show?
Freebies:
Two pre-reading lessons to introduce students to the context of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is available for free here.
A lesson on chapter 1 of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is available for free here.
A scheme of work for teaching the entire novel is available for free here.
If you find this lesson useful, please consider purchasing this ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ Bundle or have a look at other resources available in my shop. .
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This unit is designed as an introduction to poetry for key stage 3 to build upon the knowledge they will have from key stage 2. It aims to challenge students to apply poetic techniques in a creative and sophisticated way and also to support them in their own poetry analysis.
This bundle contains:
A detailed knowledge organiser for homework and class quizzing.
A 40 question quiz that covers the key knowledge on the knowledge organiser.
A poetic terms match-up exercise for revision.
An adaptable booklet to help students to create their own anthology of poetry.
A unit overview document and end of unit assessment.
An easy start-of-year activity to write an acrostic poem about yourself. This could be set as homework.
Lesson 1: Poetry vs prose
Lesson 2: Figurative language - write powerful similes and metaphors.
Lesson 3: Personification
Lesson 4: Poetry analysis for beginners - The Lesson by Roger McGough
Lesson 5: Sibilance
Lesson 6: Assonance
Lesson 7: Annotating poetry - ‘I am Offering this Poem’
Lesson 8: Write a PEE analytical paragraph about poetry
Bonus lesson: how to write a slam poem.
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An engaging and detailed quiz style Powerpoint containing 40 questions and answers that covers poetic forms and techniques as well as famous poets and lines of poetry. The questions are split into four rounds - each containing 10 questions. This resource would be ideal for use at the beginning or end of a poetry unit for key stage 3 or 4.
This could be used as one whole lesson, or as a detailed starter across multiple lessons.
29 slides in total.
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Engaging and ready to teach one hour lesson to cover chapter fourteen of ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ by John Boyne. This lesson requires students to practise STEAL analysis of Gretel and then write a personal response as her to explore who she is as a character.
**Learning Objective: **Use STEAL analysis to explore Gretel’s character.
Learning Outcomes:
Bronze: Find appropriate quotes from the text for effective analysis.
Silver: Infer details from the quotes.
Gold: Synthesise what you know about Gretel with your knowledge of context to write a personal response as Gretel.
Lesson Outline:
Do It Now: How would you describe Gretel? Vocabulary builder.
Starter: Reading focus – find quotes that describe Gretel.
Activity 1: STEAL analysis of Gretel followed by whole-class feedback.
Activity 2: Students choose a task to develop their understanding of Gretel.
Students share work
Plenary: How do you think that Gretel will change as a character as she continues to live at Auschwitz away from her friends?
Freebies:
Two pre-reading lessons to introduce students to the context of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is available for free here.
A lesson on chapter 1 of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is available for free here.
A scheme of work for teaching the entire novel is available for free here.
If you find this lesson useful, please consider purchasing this ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ Bundle or have a look at other resources available in my shop. .
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Fully resourced and differentiated 1 hour lesson in which students compare and contrast the features of poetry and prose. They then move on to considering the effect of poetry by looking at three examples.
This lesson is aimed at KS3 and would be suitable for the beginning of an introduction to poetry unit - but it could easily be adapted to younger or older students.
This lesson includes:
Full explanantion of poetry and prose
Differentiated learning outcomes
Worksheet available as word (for easy editing) and as a pdf (for easy printing)
All teaching and printing instructions.
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A detailed knowledge organiser/revision mat to support students studying horror writing.
It includes sections on punctuation, grammar, conventions of horror and famous horror writers.
This is an excellent resource to be used for setting homework, quizzing in classes or as a support mat. It is included as a pdf (for easy printing) and as a ppt for editing (please be aware the ppt does not display correctly in the preview).
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