A lesson made whilst preparing for Edexcel IGCSE coursework for a low ability group but could be differentiated up or down. Range of activities. Annotations on the poem also included.

This is a lesson I used to analyse the extract Between a Rock and a Hard Place with a high ability year 11 group. They are studying for the Edexcel IGCSE Language paper. The second of the video clips is not for the faint hearted which is why I’ve included the two options. The film 127 Hours from which it is taken is rated a 15 in the UK, so not advisable to play to any students below GCSE.

This is a 52 slide scheme of work designed for KS5 with a variety of tasks and activities which span the play. It could also be used with a higher ability KS4 set looking for an introduction into the play. Made in correlation with the Edexcel A Level, but adaptable for different exam boards and AOs.

A series of lessons on King Lear. These were made for a Lower Sixth A Level group studying Edexcel, but could work with a GCSE group. This is not a full unit of work, but contains lessons on identity, character relationships and the changing presentation of Lear. There are also a number of critics.

A revision booklet made for students studying the Edexcel IGCSE English Language course. It considers the non fiction anthology and provides activities based on the Q1-5 and the Transactional Writing section of the paper. Also useful to print for parents to guide students in their revision.

A lesson made for a mid ability year 11 class. There is enough content to cover two lessons, one lesson looks at analysing the text in groups following a couple of light hearted starter activities and then a follow up lesson uses the content to produce a piece of transactional writing as per the IGCSE Language paper, Section B. As with many of my lessons, it is quite student led, but is matched to the specification the students are following.

An Edexcel IGCSE lesson on Helen Macdonald’s H is for Hawk, analysing the non fiction extract from the anthology. It asks students to close analyse language and structure, but is largely student led.

A KS3 lesson which has a balance of independent and active tasks which consider Greta Thunberg’s climate change speech, before asking students to consider their own stance on what is happening to the world around them. It recaps persuasive devices and provides an introduction into climate change. Tasks are progressive and linked. The PowerPoint would likely cover two lessons.

A persuasive writing lesson for KS3 on Harry Potter. Students either pick a House from the ‘Sorting Hat’ or are assigned a House and must persuade Professor Dumbledore that this is where they belong based on characteristics they look at earlier in the lesson. Includes differentiated tasks, writing frames, starters, checklists and video clip links. A light hearted persuasive task, probably best for those who have already been introduced to techniques.

This is a comprehensive (91 slide) scheme of work, made for a high ability year 7 group, but that would work/could be adapted for different year groups or abilities at KS3. There are a range of tasks including: writing to persuade, writing to inform, writing to describe, building PEA/ what, how, why paragraphs, creating new languages, analysis of poems, links to context etc. My class have loved it - we began during lockdown and continued back in school. It has been a labour of love that I hope might come of use to someone else.

A lesson on the IGCSE Edexcel coursework and Paper 2 text ‘Story of and Hour.’ The lesson was created for a middle ability group and can be differentiated up or down. Used to make analysis a little more fun and encourages students to think about Kate Chopin’s use of irony.

A KS3 lesson where Jeremy Kyle does Shakespeare. The students are encouraged to imagine that Miranda, Ferdinand and Prospero are on stage with Jeremy Kyle with the tagline “My dad won’t let me be with the man I love.” Students really enjoyed this activity and designed costumes etc. It’s quite fun as an active exploration of character.

A resource which contains a number of detailed lessons spanning the book. Made for a top set who are studying Edexcel IGCSE Literature. I have also included a revision powerpoint and some theme mindmap sheets. The PP contains references to assessment objectives, but could be adapted for other exam boards. A range of tasks included.

An 18 ppt slide resource which links to the Edexcel IGCSE non-fiction extract ‘Young and Dyslexic’ by Benjamin Zephaniah which should cover a few lessons’ worth of material. The tasks are designed around questions 1-5, but with greater focus on Young and Dyslexic itself. Question 5 is also addressed with the comparative extract provided. Designed for an able year 11 group, but appropriate and adaptable for all abilities.

A lesson based on Adichie’s ‘Dangers of a Single Story.’ Designed for a middle ability year 10 class in preparation for the Edexcel IGCSE non fiction component of the Language paper. Contains both indepdendent and collaborative tasks.

A fun introduction to critical theory which I made for a very bright year 9 class. It was made with POW in mind and considers a couple of feminist extracts and speeches, before moving onto a second lesson which asks students to unpick fairy tales from a feminist perspective before creating their own. The students loved it and it worked beautifully. Probably enough content for 3 lessons.

A fun, silly lesson which uses Benjamin Zephaniah’s ‘Talking Turkeys’ and Aldi’s Christmas advert with Kevin the carrot. Students build up to writing a persuasive speech to Pascal the evil parsnip, persuading him why they shouldn’t be eaten for Christmas dinner. Could be used with KS3 or KS4 as a light hearted end to the term! It remains quite purposeful, whilst being amusing!

A revision booklet made to help students with ‘how to revise’ for the English Literature Edexcel IGCSE. Contains a variety of activities based around unseen poetry, the anthology comparison and the prose texts. This particular pack is tailored towards students studying Of Mice and Men or To Kill A Mockingbird, but the revision activities apply to any text choice. Also a handy resource to print and give to parents to aid in their children’s revision.

A lesson which looks at The Explorer’s Daughter non-fiction extract. It was made for the Edexcel IGCSE with both reading and writing components. Would stretch over two lessons.

A lesson made in line with the Edexcel IGCSE specification. The lesson predominantly has analytical tasks, using Dove’s rugby campaign from 2015 which uses Kipling’s poem as a basis and comparing perceptions of masculinity. It then encourages students to think about writing to advise as with the Transactional Writing section of the Language paper. It largely focuses on the poem itself, but asks students to consider which other poems it might compare to in the anthology.

A lesson exploring the poem ‘Piano’ by DHLawrence. The lesson was made for the IGCSE Edexcel specification and therefore the end of the lesson begins to think about comparisons between the poem and others in the anthology as per the Literature paper suggests. The lesson begins with a couple of more light hearted activities to get the students engaged and then moves on to more analytical approaches. This lesson was made for a low to mid ability set, but is appropriate for higher level students too and could be easily differentiated up.