Objective:
To identify techniques used within the war poem Bayonet Charge.
Outcomes:
To apply our knowledge to discuss the attitudes and realities of the soldier.
Lesson analysing the poem Bayonet Charge by Ted Hughes. Starter to engage using an image, then a word sort activity to identify the key themes in the poem.
Main task after analysing and discussing is to write an overview of the poem.
Lesson exploring the different reacitons of Banquo and Macbeth in Act 2, Scene 1. I used a video clip in the lesson and printed off the Act for pupils to analyse. Quotes were then put into a venn diagram (included). Lesson worked well. Model paragraph included to stimulate responses from pupils.
Two medium term plans for three aspects of transactional writing - newspapers, reports and reviews. Resources are all in my shop for the accompanying lessons.
Objective:
To analyse the language and structure of A Wife in London.
Outcomes:
To engage with the poem and write a letter to a friend describing the events from the perspective of the wife from A Wife in London.
Full lesson after studying 'A Wife in London', to practise using literary techniques and to write a letter either after the wife has received the message her husband has died in the Boer War, or after she has received his posthumous letter.
Small sheet resource to support pupils in writing a letter of complaint to a theme park. Supports highest grades with use of a clear voice and taking on the persona of another.
Full lesson PowerPoint which goes through the reasons for using dialogue in your writing, the Golden Rules of dialogue. This leads on to the children reading the three extracts from Harry Potter (written out for you in the attached Word document) and a task sheet (again attached).
The pupils must: Identify characteristics of dialogue in the three extracts (why the dialogue is used e.g. does it reveal character relationships, move the story forward or build tension), explain how Rowling has showed this characteristic, find a quote and explain why Rowling may have chose this use of dialogue in the extract, e.g. at what point of the story is this dialogue occurring? WAGOLL (what a good one looks like) is also included in the PowerPoint.
Half lesson starter:
Teacher Standards:
S1 Engage the pupils in the starter activity and use multimedia (YouTube) to consolidate knowledge learnt.
S2 Construct and scaffold learning, consolidate knowledge regarding genre and develop this into a clearer understanding of Gothic Horror.
S3 Breaking down ideas logically to support development of learner’s knowledge.
Learning objective: To identify conventions of Gothic Horror genre.
Learning outcome: To be able to pick out these conventions from a YouTube clip (Sleepy Hollow).
Strategies:
Ensure pupils understand the conventions of gothic horror literature e.g. setting – remote locations, haunted houses, gothic architecture, dungeons, hidden rooms, dark towers, crypts.
Key concepts:
Gothic horror conventions (characters, setting and themes).
Questions:
What other characters can we think of which may fit into these typical categories? – Perhaps think about books you have read or films you have watched.
What can you spot in this setting? What is typical of the image on the board, what is the weather like? What time of year is this?
Speaking and listening criteria for assessments at the end of term or half term. Key at the bottom of the pass/merit/dist criteria to easily highlight what pupils have done well WWW and their EBI in another highlighter.
KS3 year 8 low ability (can be adapted or used for any KS3 or KS4 class with differentiated questions).
The worksheet allows ways into the poem e.g. list all of the verbs within the poem (doing words), challenge to find personification throughout the poem.
Using collaborative work and individual work with think, pair, share activity boxes to chunk their way into the poem.
Discussing structure and reflecting the way Shelley references pairs within the poem.
Challenge to link to religion - coming from a short Shelley context discussion before the lesson.
This worked very well with my low ability Y8's.
Both publisher and pdf files for ease of use.
Objective: To identify the different features of broadsheet and tabloid newspapers.
Outcomes: To compare these features in a table.
This lesson goes through the differences between broadsheet and tabloid newspapers. Starter looks at two different front pages, one tabloid, one broadsheet. It then goes through the differences with the pupils. Sensational news and the public interest is also covered.
Main task is to read through a 'Broadsheet vs Tabloid' article. Then pupils will annotate these two articles e.g. language differences, differences in headline. They then fill out a table with Newspaper 1/Newspaper 2.
Plenary goes over headline count (how journalists count letters/numbers/symbols) and pupils can create a headline to match the count of 25.
Lesson could be differentiated up or down, with more or less complex stories.
KS3 lesson developing noun and verb use, including an extract to complete.
Precise noun: A noun (naming word) which is more descriptive and aids in telling the reader more about the story. E.g. ‘Mercedes Benz’ instead of car.
Ambitious verb: A verb (doing word) which gives more description so the reader can picture images in their mind. E.g. ‘Slithered’ instead of walked (to describe someone who was sneaking around).
Learning Objective: To learn how to develop nouns and verbs to create descriptive sentences.
Learning Outcome: All will rewrite sentences using ambitious vocabulary and tasks in the PowerPoint
Most will complete the Skellig work sheet
Some will complete the extension work and create their own sentences using knowledge they have learnt so far (reward – Vivo points/IRIS rewards etc)
To differentiate the work, I have included a variety of resources including a match-up task on the board. Fill-in the blanks work sheet and a challenge task for the HA in the class to complete, with added rewards (Vivo points) to encourage the children to take on this challenge task.
Objective: To identify the features of a tabloid news article.
Outcomes: To apply our understanding to write a lively and engaging tabloid article.
Homework: Read your tabloid article and analyse the features, purpose and tone, using the table on the right.
Literacy starter: Effect/Affect
Starter activity is a card sort between the features of a broadsheet newspaper and a tabloid newspaper. Then a spot the features article to find the AFORREST features and how the writer has engaged the audience.
Slides then move on to the main task, but first they go through example headlines to guess what the tabloid news article might be which we're writing about for an independent 10 task.
Pupils then plan their tabloid article with a list of success criteria e.g. a shocking headline.
Independent 10 task: Write an engaging article for a tabloid newspaper.
Whole lesson with accompanying A3 differentiated worksheet for a 'way into' the poem for low ability year 8. This could be used for all KS3 classes or low ability Y10/11 as well if this is in your anthology.
Lesson uses a post it starter and image starter to engage and think about the metaphors in the poem, e.g. anchor, kite. What could these represent?
Then pupils work around the A3 sheet both collaboratively with 'think, pair, share' signposted boxes and independently, with writing full sentences and justifying their responses.
This worked well with my low ability Y8 class. After every box I used whole class feedback before moving on.
After the A3 sheet, pupils write a letter (10 minute timer) from the perspective of the son, telling the mother the reasons he is moving out with success criteria. Glossary to go through with pupils with some of the more sophisticated vocabulary in the poem.
I have included the publisher and PDF files of the A3 sheet for ease of use.
This lesson goes over the features of informal letters (KS3) in preparation for the transactional writing part of the GCSE language exam. Stick-in sheet for pupils to make some notes on in their books included. The lesson also focuses on ambitious vocabulary and has a literacy homophone starter (where/were/we're). It goes over tone and style of informal letters, then 'spot the errors' in a small informal letter which is far too formal. Easily differentiated by editing the example. Main task is to write an informal letter to a friend: this includes a brief for the pupils to follow. Success and challenge criteria included. Peer assessment for AfL and plenary included at the end.
Objective: To identify the features of a broadsheet comment article.
Outcome: To apply our understanding to write a short comment piece, using the required features.
Literacy objective: Effect/Affect
This lesson starts with a discussion to whether the opinions of the journalist should ever influence their writing - issues of bias. Then this leads onto comment articles (opinion writing).
It then discusses the features of opinion writing and what it must include e.g. the news peg and a leading statement which shocks the audience. Main body of the text - writers opinion, quotes and main issues. Conclusion - summary and driving-home the most powerful point. Main task is to read though a comment piece to identify the features.
Then pupils are given four briefs with provocative statements on with issues, quotes, statistics etc.
Task: Your job as a journalist is to write a comment (opinion) article about one statement. There are news facts, quotes and statistics included in your brief to help you, and the structure to follow.
Plenary to calculate the headline count for different headlines, then create their own.
Full lesson on GCSE transactional writing (reports).
Objective: To identify the features of a report.
Outcomes: To produce a plan for a report using detailed content and the required structure.
Literacy objective: An apostrophe must be used to show you have missed out letters in a contracted word. E.g. Should'nt - should not. Literacy starter is a contraction wheel.
Lesson goes through what a report is, the purposes of a report, the audience and possible content. Starter allows the pupils to think for themselves what might be in a report (content), and a vocab-builder allows them to engage with formal vocabulary A06. The lesson then picks apart a report question, and allows pupils to investigate the purpose/audience/tone and format of the transactional writing question.
Pupils then complete a table of positives/negatives to do with a school facility, read through a model report (either alone or with classroom teacher) and then complete their aims/questions in their introductory paragraph and their data collection paragraph in independent 10 task time with success criteria and a grammar challenge. Plenary to assess their knowledge of the features of a report.
Two lessons in one PPT on 'A Wife in London' by Thomas Hardy with Boer War context in one lesson with a table of comparison and the other full lesson to analyse AWiL by utilising an A3 sheet to 'chunk' down the learning and ask questions. A3 sheet available in original publisher file and PDF for ease of use. PPT encourages independent learning with a more pupil-led analysis rather than 'copy this'. Comprehension and creative task at the end of the poems analysis for the pupils to describe a scene of a eerie, foggy London using as much vocabulary as they can from the poem. This worked very well. Observation: Good/Outstanding lesson.
Lesson 1:
Objective: To investigate the context (AO3) of A Wife in London by researching the Boer War.
Outcomes: To engage with a clip and present this in a table.
Starter: Questioning - could use a post-it, what do you think these three images on the board are telling you? (British flag, SA flag, gold). Verbalise and engage.
Introduction to the Boer War, main facts and statistics for context.
Task with clip: Split your page in two, one side British Army, one side The Boers. Note down any key contextual facts you hear E.g. statistics, soldiers, methods of fighting.
Share your partner and pick a fact to share with the class. Telling pupils this is AO3 context - linking to GCSE exam criteria.
Plenary: Name three facts you have learnt about the Boer War.
Lesson 2:
Objective: To analyse the language and structure of A Wife in London.
Outcomes: To describe a scene of an eerie, foggy London evening in the 19th Century.
Literacy objective task.
Starter: Engage - how does this picture make you feel? 3 adjectives.
Task: Closed question activity, filling in the blanks to recap from last lesson (answers on next slide).
Then going through the A3 extract sheet. Teacher to read through the poem, pupils to write any devices they spot around the poem.
Task: Pair work with questions on the board for stimulus - most questions links to a box on the sheet, or pupils can annotate around. Challenge boxes to differentiate up.
Task: Describe an eerie, foggy 19th Century London.
Plenary: Imagine Twitter was around in the 19th Century. Summarise the thoughts of the wife either after she has received the first message or her husband’s letter. Use emoji's to illustrate this.
Lesson worked well with low set year 9 and year 10.
Two lessons for literary device revision. Includes two differentiated lessons with different activities. For low ability, a literary device bingo with 9 bingo tiles and a card sort. Higher ability, 12 bingo tiles and no card sort game.
Extract is differentiated, high ability will find the devices themselves, and low ability will annotate the devices which are already underlined in different colours (they can work out the key).