Many students write stories in which they jump between the present and the past tenses. This Powerpoint explains the difference between the simple past and the simple present tenses and contains a variety of exercises to encourage tense consistency and to help them to feel more confident. The zipped file also contains two informative and practical follow-up worksheets which ask students to put a passage about William the Conqueror into the past tense. The other worksheet asks them to put information about the Titanic into the past tense also.

A seventy-slide powerpoint that introduces and describes the twelve main Roman Gods with colourful graphics, followed by two quizzes. Firstly, students have to guess the blanked out words from the description of the gods. Secondly, a random ten question quiz. All answers are provided and a worksheet to help remember the gods is included in the folder. A final slide with ideas for further activities and research. A fun lesson that will make the gods memorable and enjoyable for your students.

This lesson begins with a quiz to see if the students can guess which animal is being described by the poet. They are given a second chance to guess the animal with a series of images to represent each line of the poem. After a short analysis of the writer’s message, students are then given help to write their own six-line poem on an animal of their choice. Students are then guided through the re-drafting and presentation process. A fun couple of lessons that can link into work on animal rights. Alternatively, it could be used to set up a school poetry competition.

This 76 slide Powerpoint contains everything that you need to explore the key themes within the animal rights debate. Students will learn to: Identify and use persuasive language and images. Write an article about an endagered species. Discuss whether zoos are right or wrong. Write a speech for a debate on an animal rights issue of their choice. Write a leaflet to rehabilitate the image of a maligned animal. Present their work to the class. Reflect on their attitudes to animal rights after the topic. This scheme of work is designed to support students to be creative for a practical audience and encourages them to carry out their own research. As a Powerpoint it is fully adaptable to suit you and your class’s needs.

Calling all Harry Potter fans, this fifty question quiz with answers will test your knowledge of JK Rowling’s first Harry Potter novel - “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone”. A fun way to encourage reading.

Although Old English was spoken many centuries ago, some words have survived into modern English. This powerpoint contains clues to ten words which originated in Old English. It is then followed by examples of place names which are derived from Old English. Students are given many opportunities to brainstorm more place names and investigate the language. This could be used as part of the English or History curriculum.

A six-page information booklet on The History of the English Language with a cloze timeline to help students gain and an overview of the evolution of the language. It covers The Celts, the Romans, the Anglo-Saxons, the Vikings, Normans, Middle English, William Caxton and standardisation. Word documents so fully editable.

This folder includes a powerpoint which guides students through the poem. The first activity helps them to work out what the Latin sentence “Dulce et Decorum est…” means. This is followed by looking at the poem in terms of Owen’s use of similes, metaphors and imagery. Two example paragraphs of analysis of the first lines of the poem serve as a model to encourage students to write some analysis of their own. A storyboard worksheet is also included which students could complete for homework.This lesson could be used in conjunction with the background lesson on Wilfred Owen, also found here.

This Powerpoint introduces the historical context of witches in Macbeth with a true or false game where students have to identify the correct or incorrect statements about witches. Students are then given some information about James V1th’s role in witchcraft persecution. Before studying Act One Scene One they are presented with a modern translation so that they understand what is going on. They then read Shakespeare’s Act One Scene One and consider what was lost in the translation and why Shakespeare’s scene is much more powerful. Students enjoy reading and acting out the scene in groups. They are then asked to design three costumes for a modern version of the play, focusing on representing the witches as powerful, evil and frightening. At the end of the lesson, you can show them Roman Polanski’s opening scene and compare and contrast their costumes with Polanski’s choices. Could be used as a precursor to my lesson on the witches’ spell; as part of an introduction to Shakespeare or as part of a scheme on Macbeth.

Students explore John Agard’s use of irony in this clever poem. They are then supported to write a parody of the poem, rejecting any stereotypes of themselves. A multiple choice quiz worksheet is used as a starter to get students interested in the themes and ideas.

Teach your students how to write a ballad poem using the life of ex-slave and slave rescuer, Harriet Tubman. Celebrating the heroic life of Harriet Tubman, this twenty slide powerpoint shows how her life story was made into a ballad by Eloise Crosby Culver. Students then study the key features of ballads and are invited to add an extra verse of their own to the ballad, with historical information about the great lady. Students are then tasked with writing their own ballads about either a fictional or real person. Links in well with writing a ballad about Kissin' Kate Barlow from "Holes".

Spelling words ending in y can be tricky. This powerpoint provides the rule and then practise with forty words ending in y. Presented as a quiz, students have to decide which is the correct spelling. This is then followed by a fourteen word exercise to add suffixes to words ending in y. All answers are provided and slides contain cartoon graphics to extend vocabulary and help second language learners. A worksheet is included to consolidate the learning in the lesson or at home. A simplified version of the quiz is thrown in free with differentiated worksheet also.

Four different activities allow students to become increasingly independent in their ability to create complex sentences using relative pronouns - who; whose; that which. Answers given where appropriate. Activities could be delivered as starters or as a whole lesson.

Encourage your students to use a wider variety of sentences by teaching them how to begin sentences with the present participle, “ing” form of the verb. This powerpoint contains a clear explanation, ten sentences to re-write with answers and five fictional products to for students to sell using this type of sentence. In the final activity students choose their own product or company to promote using this sentence type. It can be used as two separate lessons of thirty minutes or a lesson of an hour, factoring in feedback from students.

Lots of colourful and visual examples and a variety of exercises to embed the concept of onomatopoeia for your students. This twenty-two slide powerpoint culminates with three examples of poems using onomatopoeia. Students are then supported to create their own onomatopoeia poem about the noises that they hear while they are at school.

Encourage your students to write a powerfully persuasive formal letter from a choice of five letter writing tasks. After studying an extract from Mahatma Ghandi’s 1940 open letter to Hitler, designed to persuade him to stop World War Two, students choose a subject that they are passionate about from the following choices: A letter to your local council arguing that the building project should not go ahead. . Write a letter to the organisers of an expedition persuading them that you should be on the team. Write a letter to a well-known person persuading them to visit your school or college for the benefit of the students. Write a letter to a celebrity of your choice persuading him or her to support a campaign to end world poverty. Write a letter to the Manager of the School Meals Service in which you offer your advice. Key persuasive features are identified on a twenty slide powerpoint. Students are encouraged to use emotive language; antithesis; rhetorical question; simple sentences; repetition and direct address. Perfect for teaching GCSE transacational writing.

Two lessons using an extract from Bill Bryson’s travelogue “Notes from a Small Island” in which he describes his disappointment at visiting Blackpool. The lesson sequence is as follows: In the first lesson the students attempt the question “How does the writer use language to show disappointment?” in preparation for AQA English Paper One Question 2 on language. A WAGOLL answer is provided demonstrating how the answer should be marked. A mark scheme is provided and students peer assess each other’s work following the model, giving each other a mark and written feedback. The second lesson uses the theme of disappointment as a springboard. Students write a story about disappointment in preparation for Section B: Writing on English Paper One. An example of planning a story with a 3 part story structure is included, as well as a further extract from Bryson on Weston-Super-Mare in which he shows disappointment. 23 slides and two extracts included.

Students are given a look/cover/spell/check sheet with 20 words with silent letters to spell. The powerpoint then gives each of the words with the letter missing and students write the correct spelling of the word. The answers are provided on the powerpoint and cartoon graphics are included to help second language speakers. A further worksheet supports a spot the silent letter activity in a passage about a ghastly day. Students then use the words which they have learnt to write a story using as many silent letters as possible.

Adding the suffixes -ful and -fully to the ends of words can be tricky because if the word ends in y, then you change the y to an i. This rule is explained and then there are twenty sentences that students have to complete with key words, either ending in -ful or -fully. Cartoon graphics are included to help second language speakers. All answers provided, so students mark their own work. A workheet is provided to consolidated the learning either at home or in class. A free suffix worksheet is thrown in for good measure too.

Celebrate the life of the remarkable Edith Cavell with this two-page information sheet, accompanied by comprehension activities and a vocabulary extension worksheet. A Powerpoint with starter and answers to the questions with lots of ideas for further activities is also provided. Designed to commemorate both World War One and the sacrifice of women in that conflict, Edith Cavell is an inspiration to all.