I'm an English Teacher based in Northern Ireland, with extensive experience of delivering the CCEA Specification for GCSE and A-Level Literature and Language. I'm passionate about making resources that are effective, engaging and lesson-ready.
I also teach a little bit of KS3 Maths!
I'm an English Teacher based in Northern Ireland, with extensive experience of delivering the CCEA Specification for GCSE and A-Level Literature and Language. I'm passionate about making resources that are effective, engaging and lesson-ready.
I also teach a little bit of KS3 Maths!
This detailed 26 page document is developed to assist both pupils and teachers in their understanding of Chaucer's "The Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale", while guiding them towards a detailed analysis.
This resource, for both the Prologue and Tale, is divided into distinct sections (with line references) to assist readers in navigating the Wife's narrative incoherence.
For each section there are detailed questions that prompt critical line-by-line analysis from pupils. Each set of questions enables pupils to focus on identifying and analysing poetic methods (AO2), allowing them to draw on relevant contextual material (AO3) and make connections across the text (AO4), while strengthening their understanding of the poem.
Also included in the document-
-poetic device guidance and questions
-questions on "The Portrait of The Wife of Bath" from Chaucer's "General Prologue"
-specific themes for the poem to assist in connections across the texts(AO4)
-further prompt questions to analyse specific poetic devices (AO2).
My A Level students have found this document immensely beneficial in group work analysis and individual research and analysis.
A fun filled quiz that can be used for World Book Day, International Reading Week or anything literature related.
It has 5 rounds with 10 questions in each, including the following: Opening lines, General questions, Fantasy Fiction, Book Covers and Book or Movie- which came first?
This is a quiz that many of my students have enjoyed, and it can take between 30-60 minutes depending on how you approach the marking of the quiz and the speed of the questions.
This detailed 20 slide PowerPoint has been developed to assist teachers in delivering a detailed analysis of Heaney's "The Harvest Bow" to Literature students.
There are detailed questions that prompt critical stanza-by-stanza analysis from pupils. Each set of questions enables pupils to focus on identifying and analysing poetic methods (AO2) and strengthening their understanding of the poem.
There are detailed and focused analyses of each stanza, focusing on poetic methods (AO2) to supplement the initial notes taken by students.
Also included in this document:
-Context on Seamus Heaney (AO3)
-Context on The Harvest Bow (AO3)
-Pre-reading tasks
-Initial reading questions
-Questions on the Theme of Family and Tradition
These resources have been developed to assist teachers in introducing a study of Shakespeare's "Macbeth" to both KS3 and GCSE pupils. They allow pupils to engage with the world of Shakespeare and his play in an accessible manner, and stress the relevance of both Macbeth and his wider works in contemporary times.
Included in this bundle:
1. Introduction to Shakespeare (PPT)- explores the life and works of Shakespeare, evaluates the impact of Shakespeare on the modern world and tackles and pre-conceptions pupils have of Shakespeare.
2. Macbeth Plot Summary (PPT)- an accessible and concise summary of the play with visual aids.
3.Macbeth Context (PPT)- explains the social and historical factors that influenced the writing of Macbeth, including King James I and The Gunpowder Plot.
4. Gender Context (Doc)- explains the gender roles of men and women in Early Modern England and the conventional views on masculinity and femininity.
5. Macbeth and the Witches (PPT)- explores the Early Modern view of witches and compares it with pupils' contemporary view of witches.
6. Macbeth Themes (PPT)- a detailed exploration of the key themes in Macbeth: Ambition, Fate, Deception and Guilt.
7. Macbeth Motifs (PPT)- a detailed exploration of the motifs in Macbeth: Blood, Darkness/Light, Hallucination/Madness, Prophecy, Children/Family.
8. Macbeth PEED Paragraphs (PPT)- a guide to help pupils structure an analytical response to Macbeth, with an accompanying sample paragraph.
9. Macbeth: The Witches (Doc)- a literary and linguistic analysis of the witches in Act 1 Scene 1.
10. Macbeth Question Worksheet (Doc)- guided questions to assist pupils in their analysis of Act 1 Scene 1.
11. Macbeth: Key Quotes and Themes (PDF)- a series of key quotes and themes that will allow pupils to ascertain elements of the plot and meaning in Macbeth.
This bundle contains PowerPoints on every Seamus Heaney poem in the current CCEA AS Specification. These PowerPoints have been designed to promote student success in their exam response to Seamus Heaney’s poetry, and each one contains the following:
Detailed, line-by-line analysis of poetic devices and language for each poem (AO2)
Contextual information on Heaney and specific context on each poem (AO3)
Questions on the relevant themes of each poem to assist with the thematic connections with Frost’s poetry (AO4)
Detailed stanza-by-stanza/line-by-line questions to prompt critical analysis from pupils (AO2)
Pre-reading tasks and post-analysis questions to consolidate understanding of the poem
Poems include- Personal Helicon, The Forge, The Peninsula, The Wife’s Tale, Bogland, The Harvest Bow, The Railway Children, The Summer of Lost Rachel, Postscript, ‘Had I not been awake’, The Conway Stewart, The Baler.
This detailed 16 slide PowerPoint has been developed to assist teachers in delivering a detailed analysis of Heaney’s “Requiem for the Croppies” to Literature students. This poem features in the CCEA GCSE Conflict Poetry Anthology.
There are detailed questions that prompt critical stanza-by-stanza analysis from pupils. Each set of questions enables pupils to focus on identifying and analysing poetic methods (AO2) and strengthening their understanding of the poem.
There are detailed and focused analyses of each stanza, focusing on poetic methods (AO2) to supplement the initial notes taken by students.
Also included in this document:
-Context on Seamus Heaney (AO3)
-Pre-reading tasks
-Initial reading questions
-Possible thematic connections to other poems in the Conflict Anthology
This detailed 19 slide PowerPoint has been developed to assist teachers in delivering a detailed analysis of Heaney's "The Wife's Tale" to Literature students.
There are detailed questions that prompt critical stanza-by-stanza analysis from pupils. Each set of questions enables pupils to focus on identifying and analysing poetic methods (AO2) and strengthening their understanding of the poem.
There are detailed and focused analyses of each stanza, focusing on poetic methods (AO2) to supplement the initial notes taken by students.
Also included in this document:
-Context on Seamus Heaney (AO3)
-Context on The Wife's Tale (AO3)
-Pre-reading tasks
-Initial reading questions
-Questions on the Theme of Rural Life
These series of lessons take students through the necessary requirements for the successful completion of the Spoken Language Controlled Assessment.
Within the PowerPoints and Word Documents, pupils are shown how to identify and analyse linguistic devices and paralinguistic features with several video clips and sample speeches to practise with. There are also some active learning tasks to help students with their understanding of linguistic and paralinguistic features.
Also included are sample paragraphs, guidance on analysing techniques and writing detailed paragraphs and a sample Top Band essay on Obama speeches.
These resources have been developed to assist pupils in their analysis of Non-Fiction texts.
It provides a series of questions to help guide pupils through the important aspect of Non-Fiction texts, with several short examples for pupils to practice on.
Also included is a detailed revision sheet to assist pupils in analysing linguistic devices, especially those pupils who find it difficult to discuss the effect of language.
These have been used successfully with GCSE pupils in preparation for their English Language exam, but they can also be used for KS3 English classes.
This detailed 21 slide PowerPoint has been developed to assist teachers in delivering a detailed analysis of Frost’s “Into My Own” to Literature students.
There are detailed questions that prompt critical stanza-by-stanza analysis from pupils. Each set of questions enables pupils to focus on identifying and analysing poetic methods (AO2) and strengthening their understanding of the poem.
There are detailed and focused analyses of each stanza, focusing on poetic methods (AO2) to supplement the initial notes taken by students.
Also included in this document:
-Context on Robert Frost(AO3)
-Context on “Into My Own” (AO3)
-Pre-reading tasks
-Initial reading questions
-Questions on the Themes of Journeys and Self-Discovery
This detailed 18 slide PowerPoint has been developed to assist teachers in delivering a detailed analysis of Frost’s “Desert Places” to Literature students.
There are detailed questions that prompt critical stanza-by-stanza analysis from pupils. Each set of questions enables pupils to focus on identifying and analysing poetic methods (AO2) and strengthening their understanding of the poem.
There are detailed and focused analyses of each stanza, focusing on poetic methods (AO2) to supplement the initial notes taken by students.
Also included in this document:
-Context on Robert Frost(AO3)
-Context on “Desert Places” (AO3)
-Pre-reading tasks
-Initial reading questions
-Questions on the Theme of Grief and Loss
This bundle contains PowerPoints on every Robert Frost poem in the current CCEA AS Specification. These PowerPoints have been designed to promote student success in their exam response to Robert Frost’s poetry, and each one contains the following:
Detailed, line-by-line analysis of poetic devices and language for each poem (AO2)
Contextual information on Frost and specific context on each poem (AO3)
Questions on the relevant themes of each poem to assist with the thematic connections with Heaney’s poetry (AO4)
Detailed stanza-by-stanza/line-by-line questions to prompt critical analysis from pupils (AO2)
Pre-reading tasks and post-analysis questions to consolidate understanding of the poem
Included poems- Into My Own, Mowing, Going For Water, Mending Wall, After Apple-Picking, The Road Not Taken, Birches, “Out, Out-”, For Once Then Something, Gathering Leaves, Acquainted With The Night, Desert Places.
This detailed 15 slide PowerPoint has been developed to assist teachers in delivering a detailed analysis of Newbolt’s “Vitai Lampada” to Literature students. This poem features in the CCEA GCSE Conflict Poetry Anthology.
There are detailed questions that prompt critical stanza-by-stanza analysis from pupils. Each set of questions enables pupils to focus on identifying and analysing poetic methods (AO2) and strengthening their understanding of the poem.
There are detailed and focused analyses of each stanza, focusing on poetic methods (AO2) to supplement the initial notes taken by students.
Also included in this document:
-Context on Henry Newbolt (AO3)
-Pre-reading tasks
-Initial reading questions
-Possible thematic connections to other poems in the Conflict Anthology
This detailed 14 slide PowerPoint has been developed to assist teachers in delivering a detailed analysis of Millay’s “What Lips My Lips Have Kissed” to Literature students. This poem features in the CCEA GCSE Conflict Poetry Anthology.
There are detailed questions that prompt critical stanza-by-stanza analysis from pupils. Each set of questions enables pupils to focus on identifying and analysing poetic methods (AO2) and strengthening their understanding of the poem.
There are detailed and focused analyses of each stanza, focusing on poetic methods (AO2) to supplement the initial notes taken by students.
Also included in this document:
-Context on Edna St Vincent Millay(AO3)
-Pre-reading tasks
-Initial reading questions
-Possible thematic connections to other poems in the Conflict Anthology
This detailed 19 slide PowerPoint has been developed to assist teachers in delivering a detailed analysis of Frost’s “Birches” to Literature students.
There are detailed questions that prompt critical stanza-by-stanza analysis from pupils. Each set of questions enables pupils to focus on identifying and analysing poetic methods (AO2) and strengthening their understanding of the poem.
There are detailed and focused analyses of each stanza, focusing on poetic methods (AO2) to supplement the initial notes taken by students.
Also included in this document:
-Context on Robert Frost(AO3)
-Context on “Birches” (AO3)
-Pre-reading tasks
-Initial reading questions
-Questions on the Themes of Childhood Experiences, Self-Discovery and Nature
These documents are designed to assist students in exploring the thematic connections (AO4) between the Frost and Heaney poems in the CCEA A Level Anthology.
In the document, pupils are prompted to use the detailed arguments and connections between pomes (AO1, AO3) to locate textual references and poetic methods (AO2) to further their analysis and understanding of the poems.
These sheets would then be used as a basis for an essay on the poems and provided topic.
The paired poems and themes include: The Road Not Taken and The Peninsula (Journeys), Mowing and The Forge (The Creative Process), Mending Wall and Bogland (The Past).
There is also a blank template for both teachers and students to use for other poems/themes and a list of thematic connections between the poems.
My A Level students have found this approach immensely beneficial in finding the connections between poems and structuring written responses.
These resources are useful for those looking to offer a brief introduction or revision of punctuation and homophones.
The main punctuation PowerPoint is a detailed and comprehensive guide to essential aspects of punctuation, with the summary sheet acting as a useful revision tool for students to stick in their workbooks.
Also included is an engaging Active Learning activity to test pupil knowledge of homophones.
These resources have been effective in teaching KS3 pupils, but can be used for all ages in revising the basics.
This detailed 25 slide PowerPoint explores several contextual areas of Chaucer’s “The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale” to support teachers’ and students’ understanding of the poem.
I have used this in my teaching of CCEA’s A2 Unit 2 module (Study of Poetry Pre-1900) to help enhance students’ use of AO3 in their written responses. This can also be used an adapted to suit the needs of students/teachers working with this text for other exam boards.
Areas of Contextual Study include the following:
Biographical Context: Geoffrey Chaucer, Geoffrey Chaucer and Cecilia Chaumpaigne.
Literary Context: The Canterbury Tales, The Genre of The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale.
Social/Historical Context: Medieval Society, The Three Estates Model, Gentillesse, The Black Death, Social Mobility, The Peasant’s Revolt, The Medieval Church, Pilgrimages, Women, Marriage, Anti-Feminism, Anti-Feminist Literature.
Please feel free to leave a rating, review or any feedback that you have.
An effective summary on how to use punctuation to enhance the quality and impact of a piece of writing. Useful for functional writing, personal writing and creative writing.
Pupils are provided with possible uses of the punctuation along with examples of each.
Please feel free to leave a rating, review or any feedback that you have.
This detailed 16 page A3 size document has been developed to assist both students and teachers in their understanding of the characters in “Of Mice and Men".
Each character is designated 2 A3 sheets, with comprehensive lists of interpretations, notes and quotes. Each character has been split up into relevant themes and topics to assist in revision. (Carlson and The Boss share a single page).
There are also approximately 5-10 exam questions for each character to help pupils apply the notes, quotes and their own understanding.
As this document goes through every character, there will inevitably be some overlap.
An A4 PDF version of this document has also been included for easier printing.
Characters/Topics/Themes include:
George: Treatment of others, Relationship with Lennie, Lennie’s Death, Dreams, Loneliness/Isolation.
Lennie: Dreams, Relationship with George, His mental state, Loneliness/Isolation, Physical description/Strength, Interactions with others, His death.
Slim: Physical description / Skill as a worker, Friendship, Power/Influence, How others view him, Views/Values/Beliefs, Treatment of others.
Candy: Dreams, Loneliness/Isolation, Friendship, Treatment of others, Power/Influence/Position on the ranch, Physical description.
Crooks: Dreams, Loneliness/Isolation, Friendship, Power/Influence/Position on the ranch, Prejudice/Discrimination, Physical description/his room.
Curley: How others react to him, Power/Influence, Physical description, Relationship with his wife, Treatment of others.
Curley’s Wife: Dreams, Loneliness/Isolation, Discrimination/Prejudice, Treatment of others, Physical Description, Relationship with Curley, Her death.
Carlson and The Boss.