A set of 3 (potentially 4) lessons you could easily set as cover (as I have done so!) if a teacher is likely to be absent for a few days. Lesson 1: Implying information based on the image of a door. Lesson 2: Describing approaching the door (rising action / building tension) Lesson 3: The other side of the door (climax) Lesson 4 (optional): Neat write up of their 3 part description of the door ‘for display’ The lessons indicate that the writing should IMPLY, not state (i.e. my take on ‘show, don’t tell’), whereby certain rules are included such as 'you cannot use the word ‘door’. Lessons include examples / models; scaffolding and success criteria; peer assessment tasks.

A lesson introducing the context for Seamus Heaney’s ‘Storm on the Island’, one of the poems in the AQA Power and Conflict poetry anthology. This has been planned for use in a Yr 9 bottom set, but could be easily adapted. It includes a link to a 5 min video that explains ‘The Troubles’ as well as clear presentation slides that explains a (brief!) history of Ireland. The lesson was planned to be taught after the class had had an initial lesson or two, unpicking the key themes, ideas and imagery within the poem, with this lesson highlighting the importance and significance of context in shaping our understanding. In a nutshell, the lesson follows the lines of: what is context; here’s some context; apply the context to the poem; what’s our understanding now.

A complete lesson giving a comprehensive contextual background in preparation for studying the play Blood Brothers by Willy Russell. This would work for KS3 or KS4 first time study of the play or revision. Ares covered: Willy Russell Liverpool City Liverpool Culture Marilyn Monroe The Play Housing

Includes 6 weekly set homework tasks based on key themes, context, conventions and genre of Blood Brothers. Tasks have been created in such a way that the work can be self/peer assessed within the lesson on hand in day, to limit/reduce teacher marking workload, but still able to ‘assess’ students progress and add to your data/markbooks :)

Worksheets for each stanza of Carol Ann Duffy’s ‘War Photographer’. Suitable for Mid- low ability classes, or a higher ability class, as a first response type activity. Activity mostly aimed for understanding meaning and imagery, as opposed to analysing language, form or structure.

A 5 lesson walkthrough of AQA Language Paper 2, section A on the topic of ‘Hunting’ (the Q paper itself is not my resource, and can be found for free, but the lessons are my own). Can be used for first time teaching of the paper as the lessons indicate how pupils should approach the paper, highlighting how each question builds onto the next, and ‘photos’ of teacher’s copy to model how to annotate their own extracts and prepare to answer. All questions come with model answers for pupils to mark against skill descriptors, with lessons culminating in pupils given the opportunity to ‘magpie’ ideas and improve their own responses. If you like these resources, please do leave a review, so other teachers can find my resources too - much appreciated :)

A powerpoint and two worksheets exploring the role of women in Shakespeare, with a specific focus on Lady Macbeth.

A task to get pupils to explore the time period that the play was written and set, to clearly understand where the play ‘fits’ in relation to key historial, social and technological moments. Pupils should be given the ‘blank’ timeline, with only the years on, and have to work in pairs to write where they think each ‘event’ occurred. The answers have also been provided for self/peer assessment and to aid further discussion.

Worksheets created to analyse the poem ‘Remains’ by Simon Armitage. Focus is on meaning and understanding, as well as analysis of techniques. I have found that my classes would identify techniques in a poem but not say much about them! In these worksheets, the techniques have been given to them (which will help with their understanding of a range of techniques - not the same ones time and time again that they seem to go for!), with questions aimed at analysis why the writer has used said technique, as well as further questions exploring specific language choice. i.e. why ‘life’, why not ‘body’? etc. Also includes storyboard type images, to help with dual coding. If you like this resource, please check out my storyboard activities for this poem too: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/remains-storyboard-language-analysis-and-revision-tasks-12207507

Worksheets created to analyse the poem ‘Poppies’ by Jane Weir. Focus is on meaning and understanding, exploring the key imagery with lots of prompts and scaffolding to guide pupils. This has been created for LA pupils, where I am trying to steer away from simply identifying techniques and move further into WHY specific techniques/words have been used and what imagery it suggests. Resource includes: PRE-READING tasks: Context/Summary/Glossary page READING tasks: Each stanza broken down with tasks to explore the imagery and a challenge task to complete. POST-READING tasks: Deeper thinking questions; Lang techniques task; Themes based task; Essay style question.

This KS3 lesson looks at they key differences between plays and other text types, including exploring format and layout differences, in addition to the terminology needed when analysing a play i.e. audience, dialogue, stage directions etc.

A lesson on the prologue in Blood Brothers, including the role of a prologue (generally), the specific role of this prologue (with reference to the play’s cyclical structure) and what we learn. Suitable for first time study of the play.

Whole lesson on ‘Caged Bird’ by Maya Angelou with resources, exploring the imagery and extended metaphor. There’s also an element of looking beyond the initial ‘top layer’ meaning, and pupils are guided towards the extended metaphor. Can also be used with the focus of the role of context informing our responses, whereby pupils consider how understanding context of the poet enables pupils to identify the deeper meanings and the extended metaphor.

An array of tasks on a variety of literacy /SPaG.

Introduction lesson for AQA GCSE English Language Paper 2: Writer’s Viewpoints and Perspectives. A whole lesson & resources which focus on pupils exploring how to distinguish between ‘viewpoint’ and ‘perspective’.

Structured tasks on showing not telling method of creative writing. Variety of tasks, leading towards final task of writing from a visual prompt.

A 1 slide presentation, writing task - writing to describe with a narrative frame to guide the pupils.

Handout, outlining creative writing task, with paragraph structure suggested. Based on an image: fire.

Descriptive writing cover lesson - 1 slide, with all info on.