About the author:
I am currently a teacher of English in a wonderful West Midlands secondary school, having prior experience as a Literacy Lead, Specialist Leader of Education, SLT Lead, AQA examiner and Head of English. I am in my fourteenth year of teaching and as such am keen to share resources I have used successfully, both in my own lessons and across my school / MAT.
About the author:
I am currently a teacher of English in a wonderful West Midlands secondary school, having prior experience as a Literacy Lead, Specialist Leader of Education, SLT Lead, AQA examiner and Head of English. I am in my fourteenth year of teaching and as such am keen to share resources I have used successfully, both in my own lessons and across my school / MAT.
A simple help sheet giving pupils advice and suggested comments for the effect and key language and structural devices.
Designed to be stuck into books and referred to when discussing effect.
A booklet designed as revision for English Language paper 1. Could be set as homework, used in lessons, or sent home for parents to work on with students.
This booklet was created entirely from scratch and contains a detailed breakdown of all the questions on the paper, including practice questions on mini-extracts, a break down of skills, marks and timings; suggestions for activities to improve learning for each question and further reading/ learning links. Extracts used are from About a Boy, The Story of Everyone Who Ever Lived in Our House and Jamaica Inn.
It is self-contained and an excellent way to supplement pupil learning.
Includes various source texts around the theme of slavery. Some Victorian, some more modern to provide alternative viewpoints and experiences. Available in PDF and Word file formats. Most suitable for KS3 non-fiction study, but could be used for KS4.
Includes:
A pro-slavery letter (Victorian American)
A biography of Philis Wheatley (Slave poet of colonial America)
An Anti-slavery speech published 1832 (NB an image - very small font)
A biography of Oladah Equiano (a free slave)
2 extracts from Equiano’s autobiography
A short account from a slave ship captain
A short account from a physician working on a slave ship
This bundle includes all of my resources for the teaching of paper 1 English Language, BOTH sections (reading and writing, all questions 1-5) for AQA. There is a separately bundle just for reading resources.
Featuring:
95 slide PPT on questions 1-3, with full teaching of all questions alongside multiple text extracts from OMAM, Woman in Black, Great Expectations, Harry Potter and more
48 slide PPT on building writing skills, with a paper 1 Q5 focus and example answers
Separate lessons on questions 2 and 3 language analysis (Harry Potter focus)
Separate lesson on building Q4 skills, using media and fiction (Bake Off/ Delirium)
2 x separate mini-schemes on Q4 focus, using Dracula and The Book Thief
2 x text extract and questions, formulated to resemble AQA extracts and question styles (Rebecca and 1984)
A purpose made revision/homework/support booklet, detailing all questions and providing guidance on responses
A pupil checklist for exams
The total value of this bundle when purchased separately is £20.80
This bundle includes all of my resources for the teaching of paper 1 English Language, section A reading, for AQA.
Featuring:
95 slide PPT on questions 1-3, with full teaching of all questions alongside multiple text extracts from OMAM, Woman in Black, Great Expectations, Harry Potter and more
Separate lessons on questions 2 and 3 language analysis (Harry Potter focus)
Separate lesson on building Q4 skills, using media and fiction (Bake Off/ Delirium)
2 x separate mini-schemes on Q4 focus, using Dracula and The Book Thief
2 x text extract and questions, formulated to resemble AQA extracts and question styles (Rebecca and 1984)
A purpose made revision/homework/support booklet, detailing all questions and providing guidance on responses
A pupil checklist for exams
The total value of this bundle when purchased separately is £17.80
This resource includes a 48 slide powerpoint containing 35 fun, literacy-based word game activities, originally designed for years 7 and 8 form time as a competition, but suitable any easily adapted for any secondary year group or as in-lesson tasks.
These activities have been based on research into literacy across the curriculum, utilising ideas such as disciplinary literacy to help develop the vocabulary of all pupils involved. There is roughly one challenge per academic week for the entire year (35 tasks).
The tasks are divided into different types as follows:
synonym finder - a word is given and pupils must submit as many synonyms as possible
word ladders - pupils must change one letter at a time to reach the top of the ladder from the bottom
caption this - pupils are given an image that they must provide a headline or caption for
define it - pupils must define the subject-specific language and identify the subject area
missing words - pupils must choose appropriate adjectives or adverbs for the sentence gaps
root words - pupils are given a Latin or Greek root word and must submit as many words to include the root as possible
seasonal challenges - pupils must identify as many nouns as possible on a seasonal topic
Please see the tasks file preview for an example of the sort of thing you receive.
Answers are included where appropriate, and all further instructions required to set up the competition element (if desired) are contained within the powerpoint. It can be linked to a Google Form for easy tracking and to encourage competitiveness if using whole school.
This resource is a revision PPT for English Language paper 2, AQA
It includes every question on the paper: advice for timings, exam strategy and marks awarded.
There are 2 short texts included for practice opportunities - one written by Seigfried Sassoon and one by Willy Russell, providing overlap with poetry, on the topic of war. There are example questions for each question.
Each question covered includes a mix of pointers/tasks, some of which include example responses, planning grids, mark schemes and reference to texts.
This resource has been designed as a take home booklet for students studying/ who will be studying GCSE English literature, focused on learning a variety of key vocabulary to assist them with the course.
It consists of 10 lists of carefully selected vocabulary, the learning of which will enhance essay writing skills specifically tailored toward literature (although of use to a large portion of the language course also). Each list provides the key word with an example or definition. Most lists have between 10 and 15 words to learn. The lists could be learnt weekly and tested in lessons, or the booklet could just be supplied as a supplementary course resource for those hoping to improve their grades.
The lists are titled as follows (with an example word from each list):
evaluative verbs (e.g. suggests)
key language/ structure terms (e.g. alliteration)
Shakespeare (e.g. Jacobean)
evaluative verbs - disagreeing with a writer (e.g. conversely)
connectives (e.g. consequently)
poetry (e.g. enjambement)
effect (e.g. empathy)
modern/ Victorian texts (e.g. denouement)
words of frequency (e.g. recurring)
sharpen your vocabulary (e.g. callous)
There is also a useful diagram to suggest a way to learn the vocab and a sheet on the back giving 128 alternatives to using the word ‘very’.
This resource is a set of zombie punctuation cards created to assist pupils with punctuation rules.
Created as cards to be displayed, cut up or used over by students, each one has themed sentenced which require pupils to work out the punctuation rule from what they can see. There is then a space for them to record their observation.
Includes commas, full stops and capitals, semi-colons, colons, brackets, dashes and speech marks.
This resource contains a full lesson on Paper 1 question 4 for AQA English Language, which asks students to use evaluative skills looking at fiction. This is typically something they find challenging and so this lesson seeks to engage with this key idea and explore how students might evaluate their own ideas, through TV media to begin with, but then through the eyes of a fiction author.
This lesson was planned for KS4 students and includes any necessary resources within the PPT.
The lesson uses The Great British Bake Off to frame the idea of evaluation, before looking at a short extract from Delirium, by Lauren Oliver.
4 extracts from literary fiction books, formatted in the style of the AQA paper 1 examination extracts (with a context box at the top and line numbers).
Extracts are as follows:
Great Expectations (Miss Havisham)
The Shawshank Redemption (opening - only 23 lines long)
Dracula (the count scales the castle wall)
1984 (opening)
Of Mice and Men (Curley and Lennie fight)
Woman In Black (Arthur sees the woman at Eel Marsh)
Especially useful for teaching AQA Language paper 1, or doing some cross over work on literature
This resource includes a 113 slide PPT for Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, by John Boyne, approx 20-24 lessons in total.
Range of activities and tasks, including:
themes (conflict, injustice etc)
making predictions
writer’s hooks
effect on reader
literary devices
writing skills (e.g. sentence types)
describing from an image
settings
symbolism
characters
inference
using PEEZL
perspectives
writer’s use of language
diary entry
analysis
comparison
historical context
Lessons include a variety of tasks integrated with reading chunks of the novel, such as links to videos, images or other sources that can be utilised in lessons. All lessons are tried and tested with a year 7 mid-range ability group, but can be easily adapted to lower or higher ability and would be suitable for any KS3 group.
Approximately 10 lessons worth of lessons tied together on the theme of Romantic poetry, updated March 2022. Originally written for a high ability year 9 group, but would also be suitable for years 10 or 11. 7 full PPTs covering 5 poems. A great introduction to unseen skills but also developing comparing!
The scheme contains lots of challenge and stretch and covers the following aspects of poetry:
Introduction to Romantic poetry - themes and ideas
Analysing unseen poetry skills
Key Romantic poets, contextual info
Love’s Philosophy
Bright Star
The School Boy
Chimney Sweeper
Daffodils
How to compare poems for an exam
High grade exemplar responses (paragraphs/ more extended pieces)
This scheme is an ideal way to provide students with a broader understanding of some of the more difficult poetry they might encounter and to familiarise them with the Romantic genre and movement in a more broad sense.
NB: Two acronyms are used within this scheme: STRIVE and PEEZL. STRIVE reminds pupils of aspects of poetry to consider (subject, theme/ tone, rhyme/rhythm, imagery, vocab, effect) and PEEZL is a way to structure response paragraphs (point, evidence, explain effect, zoom into words, link to question).
A full lesson (possibly 2) on John Agard’s Checking Out Me History for the AQA English literature examination (updated Jan 2022), or as an exploratory lesson on poetry for any other exam board. Approaches the poem as an ‘unseen’ to consolidate and practice these skills, before helping pupils build a comprehensive set of notes for the conflict cluster.
Includes a 12 slide PPT and the following:
A Wordle looking at language patterns
A key focus question to help students understand how to approach poetry in their exam
Background knowledge of the historical figures mentioned in the poem
Discussion of the use of accent and dialect with a video link
An activity where students look at culture and identity and how we see it in the poem
Guided additional annotation
Focus on metaphorical language
Suitable for GCSE learners
Updated Jan 2022
A lesson looking at comparing poetry and unseen poetry skills, designed for AQA Literature. This lesson is for higher ability pupils who have ideally looked at the poems previously (Bright Star and Love’s Philosophy), though this is not essential. (A Romantic poetry unit is also available for sale, covering these poems in depth).
The lesson PPT gears pupils toward planning to compare the poems, before showing a list of comparative points, generating potential questions, discussing exam and planning techniques and honing annotation skills. It then moves to a 2 paragraph typed comparative essay that models a top grade response to a given question.
Great as wider literature poetic study in preparation for exams.
Updated Jan 2022
This resource includes a full lesson on Rumen’s poem ‘Emigree’ for the AQA English literature power and conflict cluster. Pupils should approach the poem from zero prior knowledge for this lesson to be most effective. It could potentially span 2 lessons and includes a 10 slide PPT as follows:
discussion of dictatorships and what this entails
approaching the poem cold from a pupil-centred stance (their interpretation)
guided analysis on key aspects (starting with positive and negative imagery)
guided analysis through key themes
investigation of the title and its significance
links to key videos to boost analysis
creative writing crossover piece
Updated Jan 2022
This resource is a full lesson, updated March 2022, on Beatrice Garland’s poem ‘Kamikaze’, part of the AQA English Literature conflict and power cluster for GCSE. It could however also be used as a lesson for any exam board, looking at poetry.
The PPT is 15 slides and could potentially be 2 full lessons with the amount of content included. It works through the following aspects:
-Intro to the term ‘Kamikaze’ and its history
a look at a Kamikaze pilots oath
considering elements of British culture that others may find strange
a light look at the poem to develop analysis skills
deconstructing the narrative perspective - plotting a family tree of the people included
investigating language and structure in more depth (with hints to help pupils)
a look at the themes of conflict, power and death in the poem
a possible comparison at the end
This resource contains a full lesson on My Last Duchess, focused on the Gothic elements of the story, originally created as a Halloween themed lesson. Ideally pupils should complete the lesson having never seen the poem before.
Included is a 7 slide PPT working through the following:
Gothic conventions in literature
Piecing together the story of the poem through images
Student task highlighting ambiguity and Gothic features
Focus on 5 aspects for language analysis
a critically focused discussion at the end about whether the duchess is art or a possession
There is also a bonus PPT included for another way to approach the poem, leaving out the Gothic literature slant and including a few extra activities on structure, event ordering and the Duke’s temperament.
Updated Jan 2022.
This resource is a full lesson on Shelley’s ‘Ozymandias’, part of the AQA power and conflict poem cluster for the GCSE examination. It is designed to help pupils be more independent with their poetry analysis rather than teacher dictated notes and explores the poem from a standpoint of no prior knowledge.
There is a 10 slide PPT which could potentially span 2 full lessons, working through the following aspects:
A news article on Rameses the Great and the discovery of his statue (possible lang paper 2 cross over work)
information on the etymology of ‘Ozymandias’
a picture puzzle for students to consider what the story of the poem may be
background information on the real Ozymandias
discussion of statements about the poem’s message
finding evidence to support opinions
analysis using STRIVE (pupil led)
group task on specific language/ structure techniques
link to a video with detailed poem analysis if required
This bundle contains 3-4 lessons on Clown Punk and Salome, originally written as part of a scheme for year 9 looking at a range of poetry in preparation for GCSE.
It was written for AQA but could be tweaked for other boards. It contains full lessons on each poem, in a pupil-centred approach (encouraging students to explore the poetry for themselves rather than rely on teacher dictation of notes), which helps develop unseen poetry skills. It then moves on to compare the two poems to each other, exploring a possible approach to this. The PPT is flexible in that you can teach it as unseen comparison, or use it to help develop comparative skills for the anthology cluster.
When sold separately, these resources retail at £3.30