A free AQA English Language Q5 Practice Question to save you time. If you like what you see, there are 10 more at the link below for a small cost. https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/writing-to-describe-tasks-11915510 Best wishes, Englbee x

A 30-page guide for high-ability students aiming for the new GCSE English Literature grades of 7, 8 and 9. Offered in Publisher as a fully-adaptable resource, and as a PDF. The guide can be used as revision, or as a starting point for a teacher developing a scheme of work. It will help those new to teaching and/or the play in teaching ‘Much Ado about Nothing’ at a high level, especially with regards to conceptualisation and characters as constructs (needed for top band). The guide offers detailed discussion on four major themes: marriage, love, deception and transformation. It also outlines significant moments of major characterisation (Benedick, Beatrice, Hero, Claudio, Leonato, Don John and Don Pedro) in a conceptualised way, considering the significance of character development across the play as a whole, and links with significant themes. There is also room for students to write in key quotations alongside each change in characterisation. There are further detailed reflections on the significance of Dogberry and the Watch, Margaret and ‘Green World’ . Finally there are several extracts from across the play with examination-style questions. Whilst the latter questions are geared towards the new AQA English Literature, the booklet is useful for any high-level study of Much Ado about Nothing. All notes are written by me, and my studying of the play with a high-level GCSE class. Best wishes, Englbee x

A fully-adaptable PowerPoint of Shakespeare’s Richard II for A level English Literature B, Paper 1A Literary genres, Aspects of Tragedy, Part C These are my notes used with a mid/high A level class. Each scene of Richard II has an individual slide covering the following: structural points, language choices, thematic points. The first two points are significant in making sure students cover ‘the ways in which…’ Shakespeare explores themes. There is also reference to the dramatic tragedy genre as appropriate with thoughts and comments on peripeteia, anagnorisis and catharsis on some slides At the beginning of the PowerPoint there are two additional slides: 1) contextual ideas that students should research prior to reading in order to understand kingship 2) an outline of some dramatic methods within the play to continue to explore the significance of ‘the ways in which…’ the play is constructed / crafted. The PowerPoint might be used in the following ways: as a starting point for you as a teacher new to the play; as a starting point for pupils to read through prior to their own group reading; as a basis for initial ‘teacher-talk’ followed by class discussion (a group could take an area each to build upon - structure, language, theme); as support for independent study of a scene outside of class time; as a starting point for revision. The PowerPoint is fully-adaptable for you to add your own ideas or insert additional slides as needed. Ideas are not definitive, but rather act as a thorough spring-board for further discussion and exploration of Shakespeare’s method and themes. An introduction to Tragedy as a dramatic genre can be found at my shop here: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/dramatic-tragedy-genre-an-introduction-12019491 I hope you find this useful. Best wishes, Englbee x

A graphic organiser (PDF) for high-ability GCSE English Literature pupils studying Macbeth. AQA, OCR, Edexcel etc. Are you tired of PowerPoint lessons? Looking for a way for pupils to work more independently whilst keeping organised notes? Then a graphic organiser might work for you and your class. The graphic organiser is 60 pages long. It has been designed to be printed off back-to-back. Every scene in the play has two dedicated pages which will work best if the booklet is stapled, treasury-tagged or bound so that both pages for the scene can be viewed at the same time as an open booklet. There is a white edge alongside each page to allow for securing. (Please see preview for more details) Each scene contains the following: A synopsis Page one - Three themes (from a selection of six) with high-level exploratory questions with room for note-making Page two -A question on each of the following as related to the scene: dramatic tragedy genre, Shakespeare’s method, and context, with room for note-making. At the start of the booklet there is a glossary of characterisations and structural devices related to the dramatic tragedy genre At the back of the booklet, there is an extra page for note-making. Other ways to use this booklet: Print off a teacher copy and photocopy the scenes you wish to focus on in detail only Page one for classroom teaching with page two for homework, or vice versa Group work with pupils completing different parts of the booklet followed by whole class feedback Individual, silent work For when you’re absent and you need to set structured cover for a lesson For that long-term absent, but bright pupil who needs a structured approach to catching up For those able students who are great at discussion, but cannot organise their notes in their exercise books Focused, active revision Best wishes, Englbee x

Nine GCSE revision posters for Shakespeare’s ‘Much Ado about Nothing’. These posters would be useful to display in classrooms, but may find an even better purpose as revision tools. Pupils can struggle to distil and make notes on Shakespeare; these posters offer key themes and ideas on each character with up to three relevent quotations (and references) for each. Something to give to less-able pupils to take away and revise from. For more able, a starting point towards further revision. Could be displayed as A3 or made into an A4 booklet. Your free Benedick poster can be found here: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/much-ado-about-nothing-benedick-poster-free- Best wishes, Englbee x

A fully-adaptable PowerPoint which offers an introduction to the study of dramatic comedy as a genre (most likely useful with the study of Shakespeare). The lesson offers visual and practical tasks for pupils to work through in order to explore and begin to understand the concept of comedy as a genre. The activities should take one lesson, but may take two. There is also an opportunity for pupils to apply their learning to an extract from Shakespeare’s ‘Much ado About Nothing’ at the end. This PowerPoint will be most useful with higher-level GCSE students aiming for grades 7,8 and 9 in their study of Shakespeare’s ‘Much Ado about Nothing’, enabling them to explore method and genre as they read, which will help in their reaching higher levels in the examination. Could be adapted for aspiring grade 6 students. The PowerPoint might also be used as a starting point for A Level English Literature students although further reading and research will be necessary. It will certainly aid less able A Level students who benefit from visual and practical tasks, and discussion (I have used a version of this PowerPoint as a starting point with an AS group for coursework under an old spec). Best wishes, Englbee x

A fully-adaptable PowerPoint which explores ‘The Farmer’s Bride’ in preparation for the AQA Literature Examination The PowerPoint and accompanying teacher notes are aimed at high-level GCSE candidates aiming for grades 7, 8 & 9 The resource contains the following: AQA Assessment objectives for the poetry anthology examination paper Warm-up activity A brief biography of Charlotte Mew A link to an audio of a reading of the poem A list of high-level terminology for this particular poem as required for higher grades A pyramid of questions which moves from knowledge to evaluation as a way of stretching students’ thinking A copy of the poem A student sheet which can be printed off or projected onto the board to record ideas whilst working through questions A short plenary Followed by: Teacher notes - two slides containing ideas for understanding the poem and its methods at a high level which you should likely read before the lesson as preparation for discussion and teaching. How much you ‘teacher-lead’ using these notes, or how much you use them to aid independent learning is up to you. Notes are not definitive, but offer good-grounding in understanding Mew’s use of method in the poem, with detail on structure and form as well as language in order to reach higher grades (e.g. Subversion of the pastoral, significance of the ending, use of irregular couplets, natural imagery etc…) NEW: THREE PAGE LESSON PLAN ON HOW TO USE EACH SLIDE INCLUDING KEY QUESTIONS, LEARNING AND OUTCOMES The lesson presumes that some previous learning has taken place on what language, form and structure mean, and that students have a good level of understanding of what questions they should ask of poems in order to explore them (e.g. when was it written? how might that influence language choices? is there a specific form? what relevance is the form? how is the poem’s narrative structured? Is there a clear structure? etc.) Best wishes, Englbee x

This is high-level revision sheet of Lord Byron’s ‘When We Two Parted’ for students aiming for grades 6-9 in the new GCSE Literature Paper 2 The revision sheet is laid out in sections with minimal graphics to allow effective revision of ideas and method. Ideas are written in a brief format rather than being too text/colour heavy to aid key learning and memory The method focus is rooted in structure and form as well as language choices in order to hit higher band criteria. Only a few choices for each as AQA stresses depth as opposed to breadth to achieve top grades. There are suggested links to Winter Swans and evaluative questions to consider in a potential essay conclusion. The sheet is not definitive, and students should have a much deep knowledge of the poem from class studies; however, it will help as an aid for themes and methods regarding the second, unprinted poem in the examination in which they will need to draw on their memory. Please note the preview shows only a small section of the revision sheet. Kind regards, Englbee x

A fully-adaptable PowerPoint which offers an introduction to the study of dramatic tragedy as a genre. As well as some didactic commentary, the lesson offers visual and practical tasks for pupils to work through in order to explore and begin to understand the concept of tragedy as a genre. The activities should take one lesson, but may take two. There is also an opportunity for pupils to apply their learning to an extract from Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’ at the end. This PowerPoint will be most useful with higher-level GCSE students aiming for grades 7, 8 and 9 in their study of Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’ or 'Julius Caesar’ (‘Romeo and Juliet’ differs somewhat from traditional dramatic tragedy conventions, but some aspects may be useful), enabling them to explore method and genre as they read, which will help in their reaching higher levels in the examination. Could be adapted for aspiring grade 6 students. The PowerPoint might also be used as a starting point for AQA A Level English Literature students studying ‘King Lear’, ‘Othello’, or ‘Richard II’, or any of the other dramatic tragedies, although further reading and research will be necessary. It will certainly aid less-able A Level students who need a starting point and benefit from visual and practical tasks, and discussion. Link to a similar PowerPoint on Dramatic Comedy here: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/dramatic-comedy-genre-an-introduction-11922680

It’s hard work finding quality GCSE model writing answers for AQA English Language Paper 2, and even harder work writing them yourself, especially at a high level. Here, you will find a high-level model answer: a leaflet to advise with a clear point-of-view. The topic is homework. Pupils are asked to reflect on the significance of style and genre at the end as a self-reflection exercise. Please note the preview shows only a section of the sheet. Best wishes, Englbee x

It’s hard work finding quality GCSE model writing answers for AQA English Language Paper 2, and even harder work writing them yourself, especially at a high level. Here, you will find a high-level model answer: an essay to explain. The topic is homework. Pupils are asked to reflect on the significance of style and genre at the end as a self-reflection exercise. Please note the preview shows only a section of the sheet. Best wishes, Englbee x

A fully-adaptable PowerPoint which explores ‘When We Two Parted’ by Lord Byron in preparation for the AQA Literature Examination The PowerPoint and accompanying teacher notes are aimed at high-level GCSE candidates aiming for grades 7-9 The resource contains the following: PowerPoint: AQA Assessment objectives for the poetry anthology examination paper Warm-up activity A brief biography of Lord Byron A link to an audio of a reading of the poem A copy of the poem A list of high-level terminology for this particular poem as required for higher grades A pyramid of questions which moves from knowledge to evaluation as a way of stretching students’ thinking A student sheet which can be printed off or projected onto the board to record ideas whilst working through questions A short plenary Followed by: Teacher notes -two slides containing ideas for understanding the poem and its methods at a high level which you should likely read before the lesson as preparation for discussion and teaching. How much you ‘teacher-lead’ using these notes, or how much you use them to aid independent learning is up to you. Notes are not definitive, but offer good-grounding in understanding Byron’s use of method in the poem, with detail on structure and form as well as language in order to reach higher grades (e.g. cyclical structure, negative lexical fields etc.) NEW: THREE PAGE LESSON PLAN ON HOW TO USE EACH SLIDE INCLUDING KEY QUESTIONS, LEARNING AND OUTCOMES The lesson presumes that some previous learning has taken place on what language, form and structure mean, and that students have a good level of understanding of what questions they should ask of poems in order to explore them (e.g. when was it written? how might that influence language choices? is there a specific form? what relevance is the form? how is the poem’s narrative structured? Is there a clear structure? etc.) Kind regards, Englbee x

A fully-adaptable PowerPoint which explores ‘Love’s Philosophy’ in preparation for the AQA Literature Examination The PowerPoint and accompanying teacher notes are aimed at high-level GCSE candidates aiming for grades 7, 8 & 9 The resource contains the following: AQA Assessment objectives for the poetry anthology examination paper A warm-up activity A brief biography of Percy Bysshe Shelley A link to an audio of a reading of the poem A list of high-level terminology for this particular poem as required for higher grades A pyramid of questions which moves from knowledge to evaluation as a way of stretching students’ thinking A copy of the poem A student sheet which can be printed off or projected onto the board to record ideas whilst working through questions A short plenary Followed by: Teacher notes - a detailed slide containing ideas for understanding the poem and its methods at a high level which you should likely read before the lesson as preparation for discussion and teaching. How much you ‘teacher-lead’ using these notes, or how much you use them to aid independent learning is up to you. Notes are not definitive, but offer good-grounding in understanding Shelley’s use of method in the poem, with detail on structure and form as well as language in order to reach higher grades (e.g. Use of structure/argument, use of irregular couplets, plosive and sibilant sounds etc…) NEW: THREE PAGE LESSON PLAN ON HOW TO USE EACH SLIDE INCLUDING KEY QUESTIONS, LEARNING AND OUTCOMES The lesson presumes that some previous learning has taken place on what language, form and structure mean, and that students have a good level of understanding of what questions they should ask of poems in order to explore them (e.g. when was it written? how might that influence language choices? is there a specific form? what relevance is the form? how is the poem’s narrative structured? Is there a clear structure? etc.) Best wishes, Englbee x

This is high-level revision sheet of Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s 'Sonnet 29: I think of thee…’ for students aiming for grades 6-9 in the new GCSE Literature Paper 2 The revision sheet is laid out in sections with minimal graphics to allow effective revision of ideas and method. Ideas are written in a brief format rather than being too text/colour heavy to aid key learning and memory The method focus is rooted in structure and form as well as language choices in order to hit higher band criteria. Only a few choices for each as AQA stresses depth as opposed to breadth to achieve top grades. There are suggested links to ‘Love’s Philosophy’ and evaluative questions to consider in a potential essay conclusion. The sheet is not definitive, and students should have a much deep knowledge of the poem from class studies; however, it will help as an aid for themes and methods regarding the second, unprinted poem in the examination in which they will need to draw on their memory. Please note the preview shows only a small section of the revision sheet. Best wishes, Englbee x

A fully-adaptable PowerPoint which explores ‘Sonnet 29 'I think of thee…’ in preparation for the AQA Literature Examination The PowerPoint and accompanying teacher notes are aimed at high-level GCSE candidates aiming for grades 7, 8 & 9 The resource contains the following: AQA Assessment objectives for the poetry anthology examination paper Warm-up activity A brief biography of Elizabeth Barrett Browning A link to an audio of a reading of the poem A list of high-level terminology for this particular poem as required for higher grades A pyramid of questions which moves from knowledge to evaluation as a way of stretching students’ thinking A copy of the poem A student sheet which can be printed off or projected onto the board to record ideas whilst working through questions A short plenary Followed by: Teacher notes - three slides containing ideas for understanding the poem and its methods at a high level which you should likely read before the lesson as preparation for discussion and teaching. How much you ‘teacher-lead’ using these notes, or how much you use them to aid independent learning is up to you. Notes are not definitive, but offer good-grounding in understanding Barrett Browning’s use of method in the poem, with detail on structure and form as well as language in order to reach higher grades (e.g. use of the ‘abstract thought/empirical being’ structure; breaking of the Petrarchan sonnet form; use of extended metaphor/symbolism. NEW: THREE PAGE LESSON PLAN ON HOW TO USE EACH SLIDE INCLUDING KEY QUESTIONS, LEARNING AND OUTCOMES The lesson presumes that some previous learning has taken place on what language, form and structure mean, and that students have a good level of understanding of what questions they should ask of poems in order to explore them (e.g. when was it written? how might that influence language choices? is there a specific form? what relevance is the form? how is the poem’s narrative structured? Is there a clear structure? etc.) Best wishes, Englbee x

This is high-level revision sheet of Percy Bysshe Shelley’s ‘Love’s Philosophy’ for students aiming for grades 6-9 in the new GCSE Literature Paper 2 The revision sheet is laid out in sections with minimal graphics to allow effective revision of ideas and method. Ideas are written in a brief format rather than being too text/colour heavy to aid key learning and memory The method focus is rooted in structure and form as well as language choices in order to hit higher band criteria. Only a few choices for each as AQA stresses depth as opposed to breadth to achieve top grades. There are suggested links to Sonnet 29 and evaluative questions to consider in a potential essay conclusion. The sheet is not definitive, and students should have a much deep knowledge of the poem from class studies; however, it will help as an aid for themes and methods regarding the second, unprinted poem in the examination in which they will need to draw on their memory. Please note the preview shows only a small section of the revision sheet. Kind regards, Englbee x

This is high-level revision sheet (PDF) of Carol Ann Duffy’s ‘Before You Were Mine’ for students aiming for grades 6- 9 in the new GCSE Literature Paper 2 The revision sheet is laid out in sections with minimal graphics to allow effective revision of ideas and method. Ideas are written in a easy format rather than being too colour-heavy to aid key learning and memory The method focus is rooted in structure and form as well as language choices in order to hit higher band criteria. Only a few choices for each as AQA stresses depth as opposed to breadth to achieve top grades. There are suggested links to ‘Eden Rock’ and evaluative questions to consider in a potential essay conclusion. The sheet is not definitive, and students should have a much deep knowledge of the poem from class studies; however, it will help as an aid for themes and methods regarding the second, unprinted poem in the examination in which they will need to draw on their memory. Please note the preview shows only a small section of the revision sheet. Kind regards, Englbee x

A high-level GCSE essay for those studying Much Ado about Nothing for AQA English Literature Paper 1 The resource offers an extract from Act 4 scene 1 with an AQA-style examination question on the characterisation of Benedick (small amount shown in synopsis). There follows an essay which focuses on the question. The essay is written to a high-level for those aiming for grades 7-9 (although might help aspiring grade 6 also). The essay is around a side-and-a-half typed, meaning handwritten it would be about four sides (in keeping with high-level candidate expectations). After the essay, there is discussion as to: how the essay’s approach fits AQA’s ‘extract to whole’ further insight booklet on GCSE English Literature how the essay hits AO1, AO2 and AO3. how the essay covers higher band criteria The resource is fully-adapatable for you to change as needed for your OWN classroom use. Best wishes, Englbee x