Part of a set of resources created for a year 7 English class in Australia (ACARA syllabus). The other resources are also available in my store - lrigb4. Designed for use in 70 minute lessons (with extra activities as a back up if the class is advanced). The focus text is ‘Black Snake: The Daring of Ned Kelly’ by Carole Wilkinson. 1) Lesson PowerPoint The PowerPoint begins with teaching students some important features of narratives as students will be writing a short story {aka imaginative recount} for their first assessment task. There are slides on how to write in first person and the difference between first person and third person. The use of full stops to create short, sharp sentences in narratives (and the effect of this technique) is explored. As a class read the ‘what if you were there?’ section at the beginning of chapter 2. There are 5 ‘quick quiz’ questions and some discussion questions {related to the assessment}. An introduction to key narrative features {point of view, contrast & juxtaposition} with examples from what we just read. There are tips about how to write dialogue in a narrative and punctuate it correctly. There is some information about considering the aesthetic and social value of texts (to be discussed). Students read the remainder of Chapter 2. Finally foreshadowing is discussed with an example from Chapter 2. 2) A handout to be used in conjunction with the PowerPoint.

Resources designed for the new senior Modern History syllabus (implemented in QLD in 2019). The syllabus objectives would also be useful more broadly for Humanities students in other states and countries with an interest in colonialism and Australia’s Frontier Wars (1788-1930s). This PowerPoint teaches a communication skill that students need to know and be able to do for their exam (synthesising). It features a video explaining the concept and a visual chart for how to synthesise. This is followed by some key questions you may ask when interrogating sources, tips for how to introduce (cite) the authors of sources in their paragraphs and tips for talking about two authors simultaneously. Screen shots are used to show how synthesising is assessed in the new Modern History GTMJ. This is deconstructed and key ideas including ‘historical argument’ are explained. This is followed by slides which feature an example historical argument as well as tips for writing topic, supporting and linking sentences. Afterwards we review the synthesizing question from the practice exam looking at the information that was pulled from the 3 sources and how the author used this to write their response. This is followed by exploring sources about the Kalkadoon people of North West Queensland. Students will wrie a paragraph synthesising evidence from Sources A, B, C & D to form a historical argument about whether the Kalkadoons were justified in waging war against the pastoralists. To be successful students must be able to do the following at the end of this lesson: Define synthesise and explain how this differs from summarising and analysing List some questions you may ask when interrogating sources. Write a paragraph synthesising things they have learned from a range of sources about The Kalkadoons. I pride myself on the quality of the materials I produce, I don’t charge high prices because I don’t agree with paying £10 for a wordsearch. If you need to check before you buy, have a look at some of the free resources in my shop for a sample of the quality and depth.

This 9-page booklet/resource provides 8 tips to improve your writing. These can be applied to a range of text types including narratives, essays and newspaper articles. Each tip comes with examples, activities or a suggested word bank for students to try to incorporate in their writing going forward.

Part of a set of resources created for a year 7 English class in Australia (ACARA syllabus). The other resources are also available in my store - lrigb4. Designed for use in 70 minute lessons. The focus text is ‘Black Snake: The Daring of Ned Kelly’ by Carole Wilkinson. 1) A PowerPoint for a lesson designed for the introductory phase of a 7 English unit on Ned Kelly. It is designed to provide context (teach students what Australia was like during Ned Kelly’s lifetime). By the end of the lesson, students should be able to explain what you think life would have been like for early settlers (and add some key points to the ‘L’ section of their KWL chart). There are slides on: what men and women wore, the various social groups {convicts/ex convicts, free settlers, selectors, squatters, troopers & hawkers}, bushrangers, transportation, housing and housekeeping, common foods, lifestyle, the gold rush and tools/resources. The slides include descriptions and images. Subsequently, students glue in the character table (retrieval chart) and begin reading the ‘What if you were there’ section at the opening of Chapter 1 of Black Snake. They should be recording key details about the various characters they come across as they read. The students should also be developing novel-specific vocabulary – keeping a track of any slang words, idioms or other language features we notice as they read. There are 3 checking for understanding questions at the end. 2) Character Retrieval chart (handout)

Two word documents of sentence starters to help students to write their essay about identity theft / financial fraud. Sentence starters for QCIA students on a modified program (organised for each paragraph of the essay - cloze passages) Sentence starters grouped by cognitive verb (helping to build student assessment literacy - they need to work out which sentence starter option works best for their needs) Two exemplar essays which can be deconstructed with the class to discuss their pro’s and con’s Part of a set of resources created for a senior Social & Community studies class in Australia (QCAA syllabus). The other resources are also available in my store - lrigb4. Designed for use in 70 minute lessons.

Part of a set of resources created for a senior Social & Community studies class in Australia (QCAA syllabus). The other resources are also available in my store - lrigb4. Designed for use in 70 minute lessons. An explicit scaffolding lesson to help students to begin writing their essay about identity theft / financial fraud. I always encourage students to write their body paragraphs before writing their introduction but make sure they have a clear idea of what their thesis statement (overall argument) will be so they can link to this in their body paragraphs. This is for a low literacy class so it assumes they are mostly unfamiliar with the genre. It explains what a thesis statement is and has prompts for how to write one.It provides specific advice about criteria 2.3 (which requires students to make a decision and justify it) as this decision / recommendation will naturally influence their thesis. It specifically unpacks the term ‘recommend’ and provides some sentence starters for recommending. There is a gradual release slide where there is an I do, we do and you do for making recommendations about an unrelated topic. This is followed by a brain break video about catfishing a teen using social media. After students make a decision for their assessment topic and draft their thesis, this is followed by a review of TEEL paragraph structure. Finally, time is provided for them to begin writing body paragraph 1 (utilising teacher prompts on the slides).

This is a draft feedback checklist created to aid the teacher to provide consistent feedback to students about their assessment in a timely manner. It has comments for the various parts of the assessment - the inquiry booklet and the essay. It also includes some proofreading and editing steps. This style of feedback is not indicated on the actual draft itself, but as a separate document, which means that the learner has to locate the issues in their draft for correction. A lifesaver for busy teachers! You can reduce the number of points or use this document as a template to modify to suit your own tasks.

A PowerPoint which defines realism and how this genre emerged. It also features 3 tips for character development. This is followed by a crime writing activity with a visual stimulus (which can be used to gauge students' creative writing skills prior to handing out their actual assessment).

This is part of a series of resources developed for a year 8 English class in Australia. The first resource is a list of context-specific spelling words for the first six weeks of the term (24 words per week). The second is a PowerPoint introducing the unit and key terms. It specifies the difference between a theme and an issue, gives examples of specific social issues and it has a viewing activity to help students understand a particular social issue (poverty). Finally, it includes some images and creative writing prompts to get students thinking and writing themselves.

5 resources for a crime fiction unit for Senior English students. The first is an explanation of the cozy fiction subgenre and its codes and conventions. It includes an explanation of 'Murder on the Orient Express.' A list of more recent TV examples e.g. Rosemary and Thyme. It also includes a trailer of Identity which utilses many of the genre features but places them in a modern setting. Resource 2: Spelling list for the term - 24 words per week. Resource 3: Homework for this lesson. Resource 4: homework for the following lesson (after beginning watching Identity). Resource 5: retrieval chart for while watching identity.

PowerPoint: This lesson includes a definition of setting and tips for descriptive writing. There is Students will learn how to develop setting in their story by reading extracts from a very famous crime story called ‘Memento Mori’ to see how the author developed setting and character simultaneously. There is a lot to be learned from this text as it is an unusual story told in a nonlinear fashion. There are two distinct voices used – one is in second person, the other is in third person. As the protagonist only has a 10-second memory span, the third person voice often re-establishes the setting (but pointing out different things each time). This serves to develop the character and create suspense. Extracts from the text are also discussed in terms of how the author establishes the time of day and atmosphere along with the setting…

Two resources: 1) A PowerPoint which explains the assessment task, reviews the narrative structure for short stories. It includes structural do’s and don’ts, tips for developing their setting, an explanation of different types of narrator they could use & tips for making their narrative original / imaginative. 2) An exemplar short story for this task.

A concept which can be used to understand Macbeth. It is connected to the idea of the ‘divine right of kings’ and the class structures of the time (feudalism). The PowerPoint includes a definition of this concept and visual representations. Students then apply this to the play and have to draw their own chain of being. It looks at characters who maintain / disrupt this chain and how they do so. It also looks at the imagery and techniques used to show a disruption to the chain of being.

3 Resources: 1) Report Writing PowerPoint explaining the assessment task: (They had to create a written informative report that analyses how language, communication and technology influence our personal lives and has changed society.) The PowerPoint explains what a report is, goes through planning steps, how to search more effectively using a BOOLEAN search and a structure for the report. 2) A word doc template for students to fill their report into. 3) An example PowerPoint looking at the evolution of the Radio

A PowerPoint analysing the poem 'Men of the open spaces' with four questions that students have to write paragraphs responding to. There are example answers included. This is followed by the words for The Man From Ironbark and Waltzing Matilda and other post-reading questions.

Resource 1: A handout explaining the PEEL paragraph structure with an annotated example paragraph, a list of important vocab words including synonyms for said, a list of linking words and an explanation of what verbs like compare, contrast etc. mean Resource 2: A PowerPoint designed to guide students to writing a paragraph about Crocodile Dundee (after viewing excerpts of the film in previous lessons). It includes a list of Australian stereotypes evident in the film, an explanation of PEEL, sentence starter prompts and an example answer. Subsequently, it includes information about other writing devices including high modality language (with activities to help students identify modality in example sentences). It also touches on linking words (conjunctions).

One PowerPoint taken from a year 10 English unit taught in an Australian school. This PowerPoint is comprehensive and could be used over a few lessons. Within the unit Students compare and contrast the social, moral and ethical themes in the novel 'The Hunger Games.' Students are being prepared to evaluate how text structures and language features can be used to influence audience response. This presentation focuses on two moral issues within the text: Inequality and murder. It begins with a definition of inequality and listing the various types of inequality. This is followed by a YouTube video (a vox pop about Inequality in America) to clarify student's understandings of these issues. Subsequently, students are introduced to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and some of the important articles within this document. Students watch a clip from the second film and must identify which of those rights are being violated in the text. Information is provided contrasting life in District 12 with life in The Capitol. Extracts are provided for students to analyse to see how Collins constructs this inequality through her use of language devices. Different examples of inequality within the novel are provided. Reflection questions are provided at the end of this section for students to demonstrate what they have learned. In the murder section students are introduced to the terms murder and manslaughter and the differences between these crimes. Discussion questions are provided to get students to share their views on this issue. The PowerPoint then looks into the Christian perspective on murder focusing on scripture including one of the ten commandments. Following this the focus turns to killing within The Hunger Games and the various characters attitudes towards this. Film clips, quotes or summaries of each time Katniss kills in the games are provided.

5 resources which are useful for teachers who want to prepare their students for NAPLAN. 1) Is a unit outline for a four-week skills focus 2) Minimum standards for NAPLAN year 9 (copied and pasted from the internet) 3) NAPLAN tests teaching ideas (copied and pasted from the internet) 4) A list of things to teach prior to NAPLAN that I compiled 5) A spelling list (24 words per week) of words that have appeared in past NAPLAN tests

6 resources used to scaffold a short story assessment task for a year 12 authority English class in Queensland Australia. the task sheet explaining task requirements and the marking rubric. A PowerPoint further explaining the task. It also reviews the major elements of a narrative including:  plot (aka the structure), setting, characterisation, language devices and the types of narrator. a worksheet of planning steps the students should use prior to writing to ensure they have addressed all elements of the task. 4 & 5) two example assessments to go through with students to further exemplify the genre conventions they should be using. A peer review activity for students to complete prior to submitting their draft.

Do you have students who don't know the various parts of speech e.g. nouns, verbs and adjectives? Do you want a resource that looks at explains verbs and tense to your students? If so, this may be the resource for you. This worksheet can be used as a one on one tutoring resource. Alternatively, you can take activities from here to use as fast finishers or homework activities. You could even put this into a PowerPoint for a NAPLAN preparation lesson. This worksheet includes explanations and examples. It also features a lot of activities to test students understanding of what they have learned.