A homework activity to build pupil’s vocabulary when discussing characters and themes in An Inspector Calls. Task asks pupils to look up definitions for key vocab and then apply and find the links to characters in the play. This can then feed into lessons.

A literacy work booklet focussing on Comparatives and Superlatives. Could be used for general English lesson use but also for cover lessons or homework.

Booklet to accompany study of Of Mice and Men (OMAM), considering the differences between dialect, accent and standard English. Can be used as part of a SOW on the text, but has also been successfully set as cover work too.

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 :)

A lesson that takes a closer, critical look at how Gerald’s account of his meeting of Eva Smith/ Daisy Renton is presented to the audience. The lesson includes relevant extracts taken from the play, set on one page for easy annotation. Students are guided to analyse multiple interpretations of Gerald’s dialogue - how Gerald is trying to present himself (positive), but then close lang analysis to examine the more cynical, negative aspects of what he is saying. For example: the excessive use of the pronoun ‘I’ to indicate he did what was best for himself, and his feelings, as opposed to Eva’s/Daisy’s; the use of imperatives such as ‘made’ and ‘insisted’. Have used this lesson a few times now for both first time teaching of the text and as revision and have found pupils really receptive to the lesson. JB Priestley - An Inspector Calls

A powerpoint which encompasses revision of key events of the whole play, mapping a timeline with key quotes, which all lend themselves to the theme of power, which leads on to a practice exam question which students began in lesson and completed for homework. Originally used as a 2 hour revision lesson prior to their mock exam (where they sat the June 2023 Macbeth Q).

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

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.

A lesson exploring Thatcherite Britain, responding to Thatcher’s view that everyone’s able to be successful, if you work hard enough. Pupils are to apply this view to the events in the play (Act 2), and then write a letter to Mrs Thatcher addressing their point of view (whether they agree/disagree with her statement).

A lesson exploring the characterisation of Mrs Lyons, in comparison to Mrs Johnstone at the start of the play.

A lesson exploring and comparing the characterisation of Mrs Johnstone and Mrs Lyons in Act 1 to Act 2 (Mrs Lyons confronts Mrs Johnstone), focussing in on the power balance shift between the two women.

An introductory lesson to explore the theme of Nature vs Nurture in Blood Brothers. Suitable for first time study of the play.

A lesson exploring the theme of crime and violence in the play, exploring the context of high unemployment in the 1980’s and Thatcherite Britain.

A lesson introducing pathos exploring how we are lead to feel sympathy for Mrs Johnstone at the start of Blood Brothers.

Straightforward lesson to introduce the use of foreshadowing in the play, focussing on the ‘Summer Sequence’ in Act 2. Resources include powerpoint lesson with starter, main task and ‘increasing challenge’ plenary . Main task comprises of worksheet (included) that annotates the lyrics to ‘Summer Sequence’ and requires pupils to look for positive / negative imagery. This culminates in pupils writing a PEA paragraph on Russell’s use of foreshadowing in this scene. I use this lesson with my year 7 classes and believe it would be suitable for LA GCSE classes.

A lesson exploring the confrontation between the two mothers in Act 2, from the angle of exploring the power shift between the two mothers since Act 1.

A lesson reviewing the events of Blood Brothers (post-reading) and exploring Russell’s intentions for the play.

A lesson exploring the topic of unemployment in Act 2 of Blood Brothers.

A lesson on exploring and reviewing the structural features used so far within the play (at the start of Act 2), with a task comparing the start of Act 1, with the start of act 2, searching for similarities and differences, moving onto specifically exploring the role of dramatic irony.

A whole lesson exploring the imagery used in the poem Nettles by Vernon Scannell. Initially, the tasks relate to the theme of ‘Growing Up’ and making an initial reading/understanding of the poem. Then it links to imagery of war, before returning to theme of ‘Growing Up’ and the ‘battles’ faced by children and parents. Have used this lesson with year 7 and 8 classes. Quite a good lesson to develop pupil’s to consider deeper/secondary meanings of poems.