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Tess of the d'Urban Quills

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(based on 59 reviews)

I'm a passionate secondary English and History teacher and am the main planner of resources for my department; as such, I thought I would start sharing them here with the wider community of teachers and professionals. I am Australian trained, but currently teaching GCSE and A- Level (AQA specifications). All lessons are very visually engaging, with images, clips and a variety of activities. You won't find any boring/blank resources here!

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I'm a passionate secondary English and History teacher and am the main planner of resources for my department; as such, I thought I would start sharing them here with the wider community of teachers and professionals. I am Australian trained, but currently teaching GCSE and A- Level (AQA specifications). All lessons are very visually engaging, with images, clips and a variety of activities. You won't find any boring/blank resources here!
Year7/8: Non-Fiction Unit
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Year7/8: Non-Fiction Unit

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A scheme of work with 12-13 whole lessons (all power-points and worksheets included) geared at introducing students to non-fiction texts. Students learn about persuasive language features and how to analyse these in various non-fiction forms. Lots of creative activities allow students to apply these skills to the crafting of their own non-fiction texts. Lessons included cover forms/topics such as: newspaper articles, brochures and advertisements.
GCSE Jekyll & Hyde Unit of Work
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GCSE Jekyll & Hyde Unit of Work

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Find enclosed all resources required for teaching an entire scheme of work for "The Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde" (AQA GCSE). - All lessons and activities covering themes, plot, characters, language, context and critical theory - Formative "Hot Task" assessment - Worksheets - Termly homework grid - How to write an essay- two part lessons for surmising the unit. 25-30 lessons of content in total. I am teaching this currently- enjoy!
Years 9/10: Stardust
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Years 9/10: Stardust

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A single lesson focusing on an extract from "Stardust," analysing language and structure. GCSE related skills and questions: Language paper 1, Q2, 3
Year 7/8: Short Stories 3 Lessons
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Year 7/8: Short Stories 3 Lessons

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Suitable for higher ability classes, these 3-4 lessons cover: - An introduction to the short story form - Recap of form, language and structure - An analysis of the short story “The Flowers” by Alice Walker - Creative writing - Self and peer marking activities Enjoy :)
Jekyll & Hyde- Language Focus
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Jekyll & Hyde- Language Focus

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2 lessons for a higher ability class. These quick paced lessons are highly structured so that students must complete a certain amount of activities in the lesson, and tick off their achievements as they go. Language analysis is the focus, with an extract from Jekyll and Hyde. The two lessons cover: - Comprehension - Analysis of authorial methods - Model paragraph - Extended critical writing - Analysis of sentence forms A homework activity is also included. Print the first 3 slides for activity sheets.
Year 9-11: Teaching analysis skills
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Year 9-11: Teaching analysis skills

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After marking my year 11 exams, I was disappointed by how many students continue to panic and write huge generalisations instead of proper analysis. E.g. "the imagery really helps the reader picture the scene in their mind" or "this technique creates tension and makes the reader want to read on." This resource can be used with high-ability year 9/10 or low-middle ability year 11s. A couple of different activities walk students through ways of approaching analysis.
Gifted & Talented: Fantasy Unit
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Gifted & Talented: Fantasy Unit

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This unit of work and accompanying series of lessons was designed for a class of Gifted and Talented students in year 8. They were studying fantasy fiction in their general English classes, and withdrawn for 2 separate sessions a week to focus on these extension activities. This unit can be integrated into a fantasy unit or taught separately. Details are as follows: PBL, student-centred model Culminating product is a fantasy narrative fiction Lots of scaffolds, differentiation and stretch and challenge Designed as an introduction to understanding literary theory Built around fostering higher order thinking skills, critical and creative writing, and 21st century skills (collaboration, questioning etc). Research and digital literacy- some lessons require independent research and inquiry. Lessons included focus on the following: Why have people dissed fantasy? Critical readings of Le Guinn and Tolkien Introduction of project and need to knows Process of creation: who was Tolkien and what were his methods? Introduction of complex terminology relating to fantasy world-building Breakdown of critical reading of “On Fairy Stories” and linking to ‘what is the purpose of fantasy?’ How to build a convincing fantasy world How to create unique magic systems What are the ethical considerations of fantasy? Originally, this powerpoint was made using Google Slides, and students all had their own digital copy. This is why some of the interactive “portals” (pictures where students can right-click and will be taken to a separate resource) link elsewhere. I have included the resources in a different form so that you can give these to students in hard copy form instead.
Understanding narrative structure
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Understanding narrative structure

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**Pitch: **Lower- set year 10 **Context: **For students writing fiction narratives Included: Explanation of Todorov narrative structure theory Breakdown of four narrative types: linear, non-linear, parallel, framed Bank of structural terms Narrative planning sheets in each of the four structure types.
Writing Historical Fiction
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Writing Historical Fiction

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**Pitched at: **Lower-set year 10 **Context: **Students writing narrative fiction Lesson content: Tips and tricks for writing in the historical fiction genre How to write setting How to write plot How to write characters and build a character arc. Included: Powerpoint Examples of historical fiction Planning sheets
Year 9: Non-Fiction (Film Reviews)
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Year 9: Non-Fiction (Film Reviews)

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3/4 lessons for if you're starting to teach the GCSE Language Paper 2: Viewpoints and Perspectives, or as a general introduction to non-fiction. Find included: - Introduction to non-fiction and persuasive language devices - Structure of a film review (I've chosen "All Quiet on the Western Front" as it coincides with my class's adjacent war unit, but you can supplement this for any film) - Analysis of a film review - Comprehension, analysis and summary exam skills. Enjoy
Year 7 Non Fiction: Black Panther Film Review
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Year 7 Non Fiction: Black Panther Film Review

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My year 7s are continuing their non-fiction unit this term and after seeing (and loving!) Black Panther these holidays, I saw an opportunity for some enlightenment. 1-2 lessons examine a film review of Black Panther, with a series of questions and activities analysing its language features and meaning. Can be taught as a one off. A particularly important lesson for young students who, like mine, come from primary white backgrounds.
Year 10/11 Victorian Context Presentations
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Year 10/11 Victorian Context Presentations

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A quick resource I whipped up for my year 10s, who are about to start Jekyll & Hyde for their GCSE. They are going to research an extract from Victorian literature and present on how this text reflects contextual ideas. Please adapt the first few slides for your own use, but thought others might find the project useful! Includes: Presentation planning stage Research questions Marking criteria (made student friendly)
Charactonym
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Charactonym

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A one off lesson (could be taught for either KS3 or KS4 depending on class ability) defining charactonyms. The focus is on the character of Minerva McGonagall, with an extract from "The Deathly Hallows", some language analysis and finally, a creative activity. I've designed this lesson and posted it as a free resource so as to showcase my work in resource planning/creation. If you like this lesson, please check out my other resources which span KS3-5.