8 resources for 3 lessons helping pupils prepare for the AQA KS3 assessments (reading). Tasks are based on the Paper 1 format, although the source is non-fiction rather than fiction (local news article) as I had just completed a non-fiction SOW with the class. Lessons 1 and 2 take pupils through the main tasks, with whole class modelling of the longer answers to support all pupils. Pupils then individually complete a task at a time in timed conditions. This also helped focus pupils on how long to spend on tasks with different marks. Peer assessment is used for the shorter tasks to cut down teacher marking time. There is a mark scheme (again based on the AQA KS3 assessments) which can be matched to APP levels or school flightpath skills. For lesson 3, I gave pupils copies of example answers to focus on key skills in the mark scheme and to support their DIRT. This lesson has differentiation by task to enable more able pupils the challenge of answering a language and structure task without teacher guidance - so building resilience in addition to analysis skills. During lessons 1 and 2 there are also extension tasks (and skills reminders) for the more able, plus modelling examples to support all pupils. Most activities are self-explanatory, but I have included some additional details and ideas for teachers below some slides. I have also included a sheet of all the questions that could be issued to pupils - although I only used the PowerPoints with my class. These resources were produced for a mixed ability Year 7 class (APP level range from 3 to 6) and it proved highly successful in focusing pupils on comprehension and PEE analysis of language and structure. Moreover, confidence has been increased in their ability to succeed in the forthcoming end of year exams. The lessons could easily be adapted for set ability groups.

2 lessons showing all pupils making progress and developing resilience skills. Pupils demonstrate improved inference and deduction skills using relevant quotes to support their comments in PEE responses to parts of Act 2, Scene 1. The lessons also incorporate self-assessment, peer assessment and pupils completing DIRT on peer/teacher formative feedback. A homework task, with an extension task for the more able, is included. The lessons offer a range of differentiation strategies: extension tasks for the more able; starter sentences to support the less able; differentiation by choice in use of quotes for PEE task on Helena; pupils working at different levels based on self/peer assessment and modelling examples of different levels to support pupils in their progression and increased resilience. I kept pupils in mixed ability pairs/groups to support the less able, but you could also use ability groupings if you have TA support. The lessons were produced for a mixed ability Year 7 class and proved very successful. My centre still uses APP, so these lessons have a RAF3 focus. However, they could easily be adapted for KS3 flightpaths.

A lesson for the new AQA English Language AS/A Level using an Argos Barbie advert to bring together genderlect theories students have learned and apply them to an example for analysis. Lesson leads to students writing a practice AS / A Level English Language Paper 2 essay on language and gender. Example essay question included on the final slide. Annotated modelling example to get students started, addressing different linguistic methods, is also included on the PowerPoint.

Two resources covering two lessons from my Year 10 Great Expectations SOW for the new AQA GCSE English Literature spec (the 19th century novel - Paper 1, Section B). Lesson 27 covers key aspects of Chapters 57 and 58 (Volume Three). A variety of activities including extension tasks. Lesson 28 focuses on analysis of the novel's final chapter mainly exploring Dickens' language and possible effects on the reader for AO2. All the tasks worked well with my Year 10 class.

Four resources covering two lessons from my Year 10 Great Expectations SOW for the new AQA GCSE English Literature spec (the 19th century novel - Paper 1, Section B). Lesson 23 covers key aspects of Chapters 43-46 (Volume Three). A variety of activities are included with extension tasks and differentiation by group/task. A homework task is also included with optional extension questions helping pupils develop their understanding/analysis skills further to access the higher levels for AO1, AO2 and AO3. Lesson 24 focuses on how Dickens presents the characters of Pip and Estella and their relationship. Tasks include active learning, group, pair and individual work. Pupils would then write up their work into a mini essay to be teacher assessed for AO1 and AO2. All the tasks worked well with my Year 10 class and produced high standard mini essays.

Three resources for a lesson exploring Scene 10 and the play's structure. Resources: 9 slide PowerPoint, student handout and comprehensive lesson plan. The lesson plan includes extension tasks for more able students and details of the AOs covered in the lesson. This is lesson 15 of my SOW for the new Edexcel English Literature AS Level. However, it could also be used for the new AQA A Level spec and the full Edexcel new A Level.

Two resources - both PowerPoints have nine slides - covering two lessons on the opening scenes of Act 2. A range of activities included, including a homework task, extension activities and differentiation by choice. The modern version of Macbeth's soliloquy is not included as it is a Teachit sheet you can download for free. Both lessons were created for my set 2 Year 9 class, but could easily be adapted for different abilities.

Three resources covering two lessons from my Year 10 Great Expectations SOW for the new AQA GCSE English Literature spec (the 19th century novel - Paper 1, Section B). Lesson 25 covers key aspects of Chapters 49-53 (Volume Three). A variety of activities including close analysis of the Chapter 49 episode when Miss Havisham sets herself alight. Extension tasks included. A homework task is also included with an optional extension task. Lesson 26 focuses on key parts/quotes from Chapters 54-56. Extension tasks are included. Several tasks encourage pupils to find their own evidence, encouraging resilience and greater knowledge and understanding of the text. All the tasks worked well with my Year 10 class.

An eleven slide PowerPoint which guides pupils through Act 3, Scene 1 and helps them produce a high quality response to the question: Why does Macbeth plan to kill his friend and his friend’s son? The resource includes extension tasks to challenge the more able, starter sentences, modelling examples (including one you can print out and get pupils to annotate and assess before they complete their own answer), the assessment criteria for RAF3 and support for pupils to develop their skills in exploring different levels of meaning and embedding brief quotes into their answers. I got pupils to set their own target for the lesson and then self assess at the end of the lesson to check progress had been made. My school still uses APP levels, but this resource could easily be adapted for flightpaths. This lesson is part of a SOW I created for a set 2 Year 9 class.

An eight slide resource covering key aspects/quotes of Macbeth Act 3, Scenes 2-4. The lesson includes a variety of tasks including whole class reading, pair/small group reading, watching and discussing a clip of Act 3, Scene 4 and answering written questions to check understanding. The learning focus is RAF3 (interpretations supported by relevant, brief evidence and to encourage students to link ideas/quotes from different scenes). Extension tasks are included to challenge more able pupils. This is a lesson from the SOW I created for a Year 9 set 2 class.

Two resources (15 slide PowerPoint and essay task) preparing pupils for a timed essay on Dickens' A Christmas Carol for the new AQA GCSE English Literature spec. A range of tasks included with extension tasks to challenge the more able and help them access the higher tiers of the AOs. This lesson was created for a set 2 Year 10 class, but could easily be adapted for different ability groupings.

Eight resources covering three lessons: two preparing students for a timed GCSE Lit exam style essay and one where students write the essay. Resources: three PowerPoints (one for each lesson: 16 slides, 7 slides and 1 slide); two example extracts with essay question (based on format from the new AQA GCSE English Literature specimen Paper 1 exam paper); example essay response to one of the example questions; the same example essay response to one of the example questions with key aspects of AOs high-lighted; sheet with the relevant AOs and level descriptors. The lessons go over key success criteria from the AOs including some useful details on what could gain marks for AO3 (context). Also included is a checklist of success criteria, for example: WLA (word level analysis); subject terminology; effect on the reader. I displayed this on the board whilst my pupils wrote their timed essay. Extension tasks included in purple for differentiation. Link to new AQA GCSE English Literature Paper 1 specimen mark scheme also included. Lessons and resources specifically created as a pre-mock activity for my Year 10 class once we had finished studying the novel.

Two PowerPoints to help pupils understand Act 1, Scenes 3 and 4. The worksheet for Act 1, Scene 3 is not included due to copyright. It is available to download for free from Teachit (1364) - details on PowerPoint. Extension tasks included to challenge the more able. Homework task included with extension activity. I used a DVD of the Judi Dench/Ian McKellan Macbeth as a recap for pupils after the first three scenes. This worked really well to consolidate their knowledge and understanding before moving onto Scene 4. These lessons were created for a set 2 Year 9 class, but could easily be adapted for different abilities or for a KS4 class.

Three resources, including a 15 slide PowerPoint, for a lesson exploring Lady Macbeth's language in Act 1, Scene 5 and the use of dramatic irony in Act 1, Scene 6. The lesson was created for a Year 9 set 2 class, but could easily be adapted for different abilities or a KS4 class. Extension tasks are included and pupils peer assess their PEA work for RAF5 (explain and comment on a writer's use of language). A research homework - with extension task - is also included. The lesson proved to be hugely successful with my current and previous Year 9 classes.

Three resources covering two lessons of my Great Expectations SOW for the new AQA English Literature GCSE spec (Paper 1 - Section B: the 19th century novel). Lesson 19 covers key aspects of Chapters 33 and 34 (Volume Three) with a specific focus on developing pupils' understanding of how Miss Havisham manipulates Pip and Estella and how Estella in turn manipulates Pip. Pupils explore relevant quotes (on a pupil handout included) and then produce a written analysis of how Dickens uses language to show Pip and Estella are being manipulated. That work is then marked for AO2. The checklist I introduced pupils to in an earlier lesson is included on the PowerPoint along with extension tasks for differentiation. Lesson 20 covers Chapters 35-38. Whereas pupils were given the key quotes in the previous lesson, this lesson encourages them to find their own evidence from the novel to use in their analyses. The lesson involves a number of different activities with extension tasks for the more able for every task. These lessons worked very well with my current Year 10 class.

A ten slide PowerPoint from my Year 10 Great Expectations SOW for the new AQA GCSE English Literature spec (the 19th century novel - Paper 1, Section B). This lesson explores how Dickens uses character pairs, the importance of Herbert and Joe in the narrative and how Dickens presents Joe's character. Extension tasks are included to challenge the more able and enable them to access the top levels in the mark scheme. A related homework task is also included with differentiation by task and an optional extension task. The development of all relevant AOs are covered in this lesson, although the focus is exploring writer's methods (AO2 - language). All the tasks worked well with my Year 10 class.

An eleven slide resource for two lessons. In the first lesson pupils read Act 5, Scene 1 and explore how Lady Macbeth is presented using a variety of tasks. In the second lesson, pupils choose key quotes they can use from Act 1, Scenes 5-7 and Act 5, Scene 1 and then write a comparative mini essay answering the question: How has Lady Macbeth changed from the first to final Acts of the play? All the activities in these lessons build up to this essay, with extension tasks helping more able pupils access higher levels and a writing frame to help pupils structure their response. This writing frame also has starter sentences for pupils who need a bit of additional support. Pupils peer assess their essays before teacher feedback using success criteria viewed early in the first lesson. I have also included some different ideas re how you could get pupils to tackle different tasks depending on your class size and ability. These lessons were created as part of a SOW for my Year 9 set 2 class. I used this as their end of unit reading assessment with the following lesson being DIRT with pupils using my formative written feedback to guide them.

A 21 slide resource covering Macbeth Act 5, Scenes 2, 3 and 4. After reading Scene 2, pupils discuss questions (extension task included). After reading Scenes 3 and 4, test pupil knowledge and understanding through a quiz based on 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire?' When I used this with my Year 9 set 2 class, I paused the quiz at the end of the Scene 3 questions to read Scene 4. You could, however, read both scenes before starting the quiz. I also used named lolly sticks to ensure random pupils were chosen to answer questions. For the final question I had the answers stuck round the classroom and asked pupils to stand next to the one they agreed with. I then chose more able pupils to explain their choices. It is an active learning lesson which worked very well with my class.

Five resources: 1. A sheet of key quotes from the novel for the new AQA GCSE English Lit closed book exam. Page numbers are included so pupils can see the quotes in context in their copy of the novel. This resource could also be used to help pupils revise the novel's themes by getting them to decide what key theme(s) each quote reveals or to test a pupil's knowledge of the novel by trying to allocate each quote to a chapter or who some of the quotes are spoken by. You could also use this resource for a differentiation by choice homework to help pupils practise their PEA skills. 2. Homework questions on Chapter Six. 3. Homework questions on Chapter Seven. 4. Homework questions on Chapter Nine. 5. Homework questions on Chapter Ten. All the homework sheets have extension tasks to challenge the more able and help them access the higher levels on the new AQA GCSE English Lit spec. These are ready made homework tasks you can set after reading these chapters or for revision.

Seven resources for an outstanding rated observed lesson on Frankenstein for the new AQA GCSE 1-9 spec. Lesson created for a top set Year 10 class exploring the methods Shelley uses to create tension and drama in Chapter 23 (AO2 focus). Details on lesson plan re objectives, timings, differentiation, creative and independent learning. Plus some extra info on the notes sections under some slides. I laminated the starter picture and AO2 criteria so I could use them again. I hope some or all of the ideas are useful and save my fellow English teachers some valuable time for prep, marking, family time or much needed sleep!