Melissa Victoria is a former English teacher with over 15 years' experience in a variety of secondary school settings, including comprehensive and grammar schools. She provides English resources mainly for high-ability students studying for GCSE and A level (AQA).
Melissa Victoria has an MA in English from the University of Birmingham, UK.
Melissa Victoria is a former English teacher with over 15 years' experience in a variety of secondary school settings, including comprehensive and grammar schools. She provides English resources mainly for high-ability students studying for GCSE and A level (AQA).
Melissa Victoria has an MA in English from the University of Birmingham, UK.
This is high-level revision sheet (PDF) of Charles Causley’s ‘Eden Rock’ for students aiming for levels, 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 ‘Before You Were Mine’ 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.
Best wishes,
Englbee x
A fully-adaptable PowerPoint which explores ‘Eden Rock’ in preparation for the AQA Literature Examination
The PowerPoint and accompanying teacher notes are aimed at high-level GCSE candidates aiming for grades 6-9
The resource contains the following:
AQA Assessment objectives for the poetry anthology examination paper
Warm-up activity
A brief biography of Charles Causley
A link to an audio of a reading of the poem
A link to a copy of the poem (due to copyright; you can easily copy and paste into PowerPoint)
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 -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 Causley’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 juxtaposition; symbolism, half-rhyme 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 high-level revision sheet (PDF) of Daljit Nagra’s ‘Singh Song!’ for students aiming for levels, 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 ‘The Farmer’s Bride’ 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.
Best wishes,
Englbee x
15 fully-adaptable PowerPoints covering each of the Love and Relationship poems in the AQA English Literature GCSE Poetry Anthology. Suitable for those students aiming for grades 7-9.
Each PowerPoint contains:
AQA Assessment objectives for the poetry anthology examination paper
A brief biography of the poet
A link to an audio reading of the poems and a listening task before reading
A list of high-level terminology for each poem as required for higher grades, and as a ‘way-in’ to the poems
A pyramid of critical questions which moves from knowledge to evaluation as a way of stretching higher students’ thinking, rather than you simply offering didactic teaching/leading questions
A copy, or link to a copy of the poem (due to copyright of some poems; you can easily copy and paste into PowerPoint)
A student sheet which can be printed off or projected onto the board as a structure to record ideas whilst working through critical questions
A short plenary
Followed by:
Teacher notes -two/three slides containing ideas for understanding each 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 whether you use them to aid independent learning is up to you. Notes are not definitive, but offer good-grounding in understanding poets’ use of method in the poems, with detail on structure and form as well as language in order to reach higher grades.
NEW: THREE PAGE LESSON PLAN ON HOW TO USE EACH SLIDE INCLUDING KEY QUESTIONS, LEARNING AND OUTCOMES
The lessons presume 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 and why? etc.)
You can find revision posters for your students nearer exam time here https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/love-and-relationships-revision-12183742
Kind regards,
Englbee x
A fully-adaptable PowerPoint which explores ‘Follower’ in preparation for the AQA Literature Examination
The PowerPoint and accompanying teacher notes are aimed at high-level GCSE candidates aiming for grades 6-9
The resource contains the following:
AQA Assessment objectives for the poetry anthology examination paper
Warm-up activity
A brief biography of Seamus Heaney
A link to an audio of a reading of the poem
A link to a copy of the poem (due to copyright; you can easily copy and paste into PowerPoint)
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 Heaney’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. symbolism, juxtaposition, enjambment, 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
This is high-level revision sheet (PDF) of Maura Dooley’s ‘Letters from Yorkshire’ for students aiming for levels, 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 ‘Netural Tones’ 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.
Best wishes,
Englbee x
A fully-adaptable PowerPoint which explores ‘Letters From Yorkshire’ in preparation for the AQA Literature Examination
The PowerPoint and accompanying teacher notes are aimed at high-level GCSE candidates aiming for grades 6-9
The resource contains the following:
AQA Assessment objectives for the poetry anthology examination paper
Warm-up activity
A brief biography of Maura Dooley
A link to an audio of a reading of the poem
A link to a copy of the poem (due to copyright; you can easily copy and paste into PowerPoint)
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 Dooley’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. juxtaposition, enjambment, communication as metaphor, pronoun shifts 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 ‘Singh Song!’ by Daljit Nagra in preparation for the AQA Literature Examination
The PowerPoint and accompanying teacher notes are aimed at high-level GCSE candidates aiming for grades 6-9
The resource contains the following:
AQA Assessment objectives for the poetry anthology examination paper
Warm-up activity
A brief biography of Daljit Nagra
A link to an audio of a reading of the poem
A link to a copy of the poem (due to copyright; you can easily copy and paste into PowerPoint)
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 Nagra’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. Phonetic spellings/Punglish, structure/refrain 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 high-level revision sheet (PDF) of Simon Armitage’s 'Mother, any distance…’ for students aiming for levels, 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 ‘Walking Away’ 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.
Best wishes,
Englbee x
This is high-level revision sheet of Owen Sheers’ ‘Winter Swans’ for students aiming for levels, 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 ‘Neutral Tones’ 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.
Best wishes,
Englbee x
A fully-adaptable PowerPoint which explores ‘Winter Swans’ in preparation for the AQA Literature Examination
The PowerPoint and accompanying teacher notes are aimed at high-level GCSE candidates aiming for grades 6-9
The resource contains the following:
AQA Assessment objectives for the poetry anthology examination paper
Warm-up activity
A brief biography of Owen Sheers
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 link to a copy of the poem (due to copyright; you can easily copy and paste into PowerPoint)
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 Sheers’ 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 juxtaposition; symbolism, non-rhyming end-couplet 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
A fully-adaptable PowerPoint which explores ‘Mother, any distance…’ by Simon Armitage in preparation for the AQA Literature Examination
The PowerPoint and accompanying teacher notes are aimed at high-level GCSE candidates aiming for grades 6-9
The resource contains the following:
AQA Assessment objectives for the poetry anthology examination paper
A brief biography of Simon Armitage
A link to an audio of a reading of the poem
A link to a copy of the poem (due to copyright; you can easily copy and paste into PowerPoint)
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 Armitage’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 form, use of rhyme, fricative 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.)
Kind regards,
Englbee x
This is high-level revision sheet (PDF) of Seamus Heaney’s 'Follower’ for students aiming for levels, 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 ‘Walking Away’ 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.
Best wishes,
Englbee x
Macbeth resources for high-ability pupils studying for English Literature GCSE.
Bundle contains:
An introduction to the dramatic tragedy genre with didactic and interactive tasks to help your pupils understand tragedy as a genre
A 60-page graphic organiser workbook with support for every scene. Includes information and questions on themes, genre, method and context
A 16-page study-guide which will help with teacher preparation and student revision. Includes mini essays and reflections on: gender, children, boundaries, Great Chain of Being, the Human Condition, plus notes on the dramatic tragedy genre
Eight character revision posters which focuses on how each contributes to the following six themes: gender, guilt, kingship, children, appearance and realty, and fate/freewill. Key language evidence from the text is also included.
All you need to teach Macbeth!
Best wishes,
Englbee
The lesson is part of an outgoing AQA English Literature B Specification. It offers relevant background discussion on method and philosophical ideas explored in the novel, Enduring Love.
If you like what you see in this lesson, at a the link below you can find further resources for this text:
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/-enduring-love-by-ian-mcewan-chapter-by-chapter-11916197
Best wishes,
Englbee x
