I am an experienced English teacher and Literacy Coordinator. All of my resources are organised, engaging, ready to teach and designed to save you - the teacher - your valuable time!
Please have a look at all of my resources - at least 20% of which are free.
I am an experienced English teacher and Literacy Coordinator. All of my resources are organised, engaging, ready to teach and designed to save you - the teacher - your valuable time!
Please have a look at all of my resources - at least 20% of which are free.
Engaging and ready to teach one hour lesson to cover chapter three of ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ by John Boyne. This lesson introduces the key word mondegreen (misheard words that are given a new meaning) and prompts students to analyse the effect of the Fuhrer being misheard as “The Fury” and Auschwitz being misheard as “Out-With”. Students are given scaffolding to write an analytical paragraph to consider the effect of this technique.
Learning Objective: Analyse the effect of mondegreens as symbols in the text.
Learning Outcomes:
Bronze: Understand what a mondegreen is and give examples from the text.
Silver: Explain clearly how these words are used as symbolds.
Gold: Explain clearly what the effect is on the reader.
**Lesson Outline: **
Do It Now: What do you notice about the chapter titles?
Starter: Listen to ‘Message in a Bottle’ – what is a mondegreen?
Activity one: Discussion and reading
Activity two: PETER paragraph
Peer assessment
Plenary: Would all readers of this book be able to consider the mondegreens?
Freebies:
Two pre-reading lessons to introduce students to the context of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is available for free here.
A lesson on chapter 1 of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is available for free here.
A scheme of work for teaching the entire novel is available for free here.
If you find this lesson useful, please consider purchasing this ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ Bundle or have a look at other resources available in my shop. .
Leave a review and choose any other resource of up to the same value for free from my shop.
An engaging hour-long lesson which introduces students to the main characters and themes in The Merchant of Venice before studying the play. This is aimed at students in Key Stages 3 and 4.
This resource includes:
A full Powerpoint including all teacher instructions (including printing instructions)
A graphic organiser for students to record their notes.
5 detailed character profiles: Antonio, Bassanio, Shylock, Jessica and Portia.
Learning Objective: Understand the main themes and characters in The Merchant of Venice.
Learning Outcomes:
Students will consider the title and posters of the play to mind-map themes.
Students will work in groups to use an example summary and success criteria to write their own summary of a character from the play.
Students will share features of their character with other students in the class.
Lesson Outline:
Do it now: Mind-map your ideas about the play based on the title.
Starter: Look at these covers and posters; add your ideas you have about themes and ideas in the play to your mind-map. Think-pair-share ideas with the class.
Activity 1: Modelling of an effective summary. Students read character profiles in groups and write a summary.
Activity 2: Students circulate, share information and write down notes about the other characters.
Plenary: Character quiz.
More Resources for The Merchant of Venice
Click here for a bundle of all the lessons to take you through the play plus a quiz, knowledge organiser and character revision posters.
Freebies:
For character revision posters for your classroom, click here.
For an English/Drama lesson based on Portia’s choice in Act 1 Scene 2, click here.
For a Scheme of Work overview for the unit, click here.
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A detailed 100 question quiz for GCSE/IGCSE Of Mice and Men revision with all answers included. The quiz includes the following rounds (round one is available for free):
1. Context (free)
2. Setting, Structure and Symbols
3. Literary Devices
4. Descriptions - Name the Character
5. Animals
6. Character Names and First Lines
7. George and Lennie
8. Chapter One
9. Chapter Two
10. Chapter Three
11. Chapter Four
12. Chapters Five and Six
I have an Of Mice and Men resources bundle available here. . I have a whole range of Of Mice and Men revision resources available in the shop and a range of revision videos on my YouTube channel (this is linked to in my shop).
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This one-hour lesson is designed to guide students through Lady Macbeth’s persuasive techniques in Act 1, Scene 7, focusing on how she manipulates Macbeth to commit murder. Ideal for key stage 3 or key stage 4 classes studying Macbeth, this resource is tailored towards developing students language and literature skills and providing them with a range of practice opportunities.
What’s included:
Complete PowerPoint with step-by-step teacher instructions—ready to download and teach.
Ready-to-print worksheet for students to label and explain Lady Macbeth’s use of persuasive techniques.
Learning Objective:
Students will analyse how Lady Macbeth persuades and manipulates Macbeth using powerful rhetorical techniques.
Learning Outcomes:
Identify the persuasive strategies Lady Macbeth uses.
Practice applying these techniques in both analysis and through writing your own examples.
Write an analytical paragraph exploring the effects of her language.
Lesson Outline:
Do It Now Activity: Persuade the teacher for extra game time.
Starter: Introduction to key persuasive techniques.
Activity 1: Annotate the worksheet, labeling persuasive methods and explaining their effects.
Activity 2: Write an analytical paragraph answering, “How does Lady Macbeth manipulate Macbeth?”
Peer Assessment to evaluate analytical writing.
Activity 3: Write a persuasive letter using Lady Macbeth’s rhetorical techniques.
Plenary: Reflect on the power dynamics between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.
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In this comprehensive lesson, students are guided through how to understand and interpret Shakespeare independently using word roots and context clues to unpick meanings of familiar words. They will work through Act 3 Scenes 3-5 with varying levels of support.
Learning Objective: Independently comprehend and interpret scenes from The Merchant of Venice
Learning Outcomes:
-Students will be guided through how to comprehend and decipher Shakespearean English using word roots and context clues.
Students will work both in pairs and individually to interpret scenes.
Students will make a prediction about what will happen next in the play.
Lesson Outline:
Do it now: Students infer details from image.
Starter: Overview of differences between Shakespearean and modern English.
Task one: Teacher modelling of how to interpret Act 3 Scene 3.
Task two: Students work in pairs to interpret Act 3 Scene 4.
Task three: Students work individually to interpret Act 3 Scene 5.
Plenary: Students predict what will happen next in the play.
More Resources for The Merchant of Venice
Click here for a bundle of all the lessons to take you through the play plus a quiz, knowledge organiser and character revision posters.
Freebies:
For character revision posters for your classroom, click here.
For an English/Drama lesson based on Portia’s choice in Act 1 Scene 2, click here.
For a Scheme of Work overview for the unit, click here.
Leave a review and choose any other resource for free from the LikeAnExpert shop.
A detailed knowledge organiser to support students studying ‘Of Mice and Men’ by John Steinbeck.
It includes the following:
Important quotes
Descriptions of the key characters (George, Lennie, Crooks, Curley, Curley’s Wife, Slim and Candy)
Important key words for studying the novel.
Literary terms found in the novel.
This can be used for setting homework, quizzing in classes or as a support mat.
Leave a review and choose any other resource, of up to the same value, for free from the LikeAnExpert shop.
I have a whole range of Of Mice and Men revision resources available in the shop and a range of revision videos on my YouTube channel (this is linked to in my shop).
A fully-resourced one hour lesson to support students in exploring how Shakespeare uses dramatic irony in Act 3 Scene 2 to create tension as Bassanio chooses a casket. Students will be guided through and discuss the scene.
Learning Objective: Understand how Shakespeare uses dramatic irony to build tension in Act 3 Scene 2
Learning Outcomes:
-Students will experience dramatic irony through a class demonstration.
Students will understand how dramatic irony can be used for humour or to create tension.
Students will discuss Act 3 Scene 2 and interpret the meaning of Shakespearean language.
Lesson Outline:
Do it now: Recall questions about the casket tests from Act 2.
Starter: Dramatic irony explanation and examples.
Activity one: Think – pair – share after students watch and discuss two examples of dramatic irony.
Activity two: Summary of scene with discussion and interpretation tasks interspersed.
Plenary: Students answer questions on mini-whiteboards or scrap paper.
More Resources for The Merchant of Venice
Click here for a bundle of all the lessons to take you through the play plus a quiz, knowledge organiser and character revision posters.
Freebies:
For character revision posters for your classroom, click here.
For an English/Drama lesson based on Portia’s choice in Act 1 Scene 2, click here.
For a Scheme of Work overview for the unit, click here.
Leave a review and choose any other resource for free from the LikeAnExpert shop.
Fully resourced and differentiated 1 hour lesson in which students learn how to independently close read a challenging text.
This lesson has been designed to be reused multiple times as it teaches students the skills that they need to independently close read any new text to them.
Easily adaptable to all abilities as you can differentiate the difficulty of the text given (example texts and teacher text selection advice included).
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This lesson unlocks the complexities of the ending of* Macbeth*. This resource focuses on the play’s powerful conclusion, helping students grasp how key themes are resolved and the characters’ journeys culminate. This is designed for Key Stage 4 or for Key Stage 3 as they develop the skills needed for GCSE/IGCSE English Literature.
Learning Objective: Understand the ending of Macbeth and how key themes are resolved.
Learning Outcomes:
Students will comprehend the events of Act 5, Scenes 6–9.
Students will analyse Macbeth’s character arc and how Shakespeare uses this resolution to comment on unchecked ambition.
Students will evaluate the play’s ending by discussing themes, the role of prophecy, and the moral implications of Macbeth’s downfall.
Lesson Outline:
Do it now: Students summarise the key characters journeys in the play in one sentence each.
Starter: Discussion questions anticipating the ending.
Activity One: Read Act 5 Scenes 6 to 9 and write a brief summary of each as you go.
Activity Two: Students complete comprehension and analysis worksheet followed by discussion of answers.
Activity Three: Class discussion of the moral message of the play.
Plenary: In one sentence, share your main takeaway from today’s lesson. Go round the class so that students can share their ideas.
Why Choose This Resource?
Designed for Confidence-Building: Helps students feel secure in their analysis of complex texts.
Ready to Use: Download and start teaching immediately with no prep required.
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Two engaging and detailed lessons to teach students how to approach the descriptive writing question in Language paper 2 of CIE 0500 English Language IGCSE.
This resource contains a ready-to-teach powerpoint with printing and teaching instructions.
LESSON ONE
Learning Objective: Plan a structure for descriptive writing for Language Paper 2
Learning Outcomes:
-Students will understand what the descriptive questions look like and what is assessed on the mark scheme.
Students will be introduced to a recommended descriptive structure and then will plan their own answer.
Lesson Outline:
Do it now: Quick recall – what skills are needed for descriptive writing? Share as part of a class discussion.
Starter: Overview of paper 2, descriptive writing and the mark scheme.
Task one: Outline of structure and students plan their structure.
Peer assessment
Plenary: Look at your zoom section and where your partner has added a ‘?’ Write a simile or metaphor to describe this feature.
LESSON TWO
Learning Objective: Improve our descriptive writing for Language Paper 2
Learning Outcomes:
Students will revise the recommended structure for descriptive writing.
Students will practise improving extracts using the success criteria.
Students will begin to write a piece of descriptive writing using their structure plan.
Lesson Outline:
Do it now: Quick recall on structure and length of exam
Starter: Gap fill exercise for descriptive writing success criteria
Task one: Improve three examples using the success criteria.
Task three: Write piece of descriptive writing.
Peer assessment
Plenary: After today’s lesson, what do you think are the top three rules for success in descriptive writing?
Freebies:
A free lesson giving an overview of CIE 0500 Language Paper One here.
A free lesson giving an overview of CIE 0500 Language Paper Two here.
Free marking templates for CIE 0500 here. #
If you find this lesson helpful, have a look at my CIE 0500 Language Paper 1 bundle here or the Language Paper 2 bundle here. If you’re interested in both, there is a combined bundle here which is cheaper than buying them separately.
Please leave a review as I value all the feedback I receive, and have a look at other resources available in my shop.
This bundle contains whole-school resources to promote literacy within your school. In includes:
A whole-school CPD presentation on explicit vocabulary instruction.
A whole-school CPD presentation on reading strategies.
An Excel yearly plan outlining which word root should be taught each week of the school year.
Assembly/homeroom slides or bulletin board posters for each of the 36 word roots. These are a great resource for displaying in assemblies or at the start of lessons to embed vocabulary.
36 lesson starters to explicitly teach and embed the understanding of each word root.
If you have any questions about how to use these, please don’t hesitate to email likeanexpertresources@gmail.com.
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In this lesson, students are guided through the court room scene in Act 4 Scene 1 of The Merchant of Venice. Students will consider the implications of justice and mercy and then consider how a Shakespearean audience would have viewed Shylock’s fate as compared to a modern one.
Learning Objective: Compare and contrast how a Shakespearean audience and a modern audience would respond to the trial scene in Act 4.
Learning Outcomes:
Students will discuss the implications of justice and mercy in practice.
Students will answer comprehension questions about Act 4 Scene 1.
Students will compare the response of a Shakespearean audience with a modern audience to Shylock’s fate.
Students will write a paragraph to address the question of to what extent do they feel pity for Shylock.
Lesson Outline:
Do it now: Students write their ideas on a post-it note examining a quote by the Duke about Shylock.
Starter: Introduction to key vocabulary (justice and mercy) and discussion around them.
Activity 1: Read and discuss a summary/extracts from Act 4 Scene 1. Questions are interspersed.
Activity 2: Class discussion exercise. Students share their opinions on to the extent that feel sorry for Shylock followed by an outline of the contextual differences between a Shakespearean and a modern audience.
Plenary: Students write a paragraph to answer this question: “Shylock is the true victim of The Merchant of Venice”. To what extent do you agree with this statement?”
More Resources for The Merchant of Venice
Click here for a bundle of all the lessons to take you through the play plus a quiz, knowledge organiser and character revision posters.
Freebies:
For character revision posters for your classroom, click here.
For an English/Drama lesson based on Portia’s choice in Act 1 Scene 2, click here.
For a Scheme of Work overview for the unit, click here.
Leave a review and choose any other resource for free from the LikeAnExpert shop.
A detailed 10 page revision guide focusing on how loneliness is presented in Of Mice and Men: this includes a step-by-step guide to writing a grade 9 essay on loneliness for students studying IGCSE English Literature.
This contents of this revision guide are:
What does the mark scheme say?
Context: loneliness in 1930s America
George and Lennie
Candy
Crooks
Curly’s Wife
Other symbols of loneliness
Revision tips and tricks
I have an Of Mice and Men resources bundle available here. . I have a whole range of Of Mice and Men revision resources available in the shop and a range of revision videos on my YouTube channel (this is linked to in my shop).
Leave a review and choose any other resource, of up to the same value, for free from the LikeAnExpert shop.
A clear and ready-to-teach lesson on CIE 0500 Language Paper 1 Questions 1(a)-(e) which assess explicit and implicit meanings and comprehension skills. In this resource is an original exam script with Text A for questions 1(a)-(e) as well as answers with explanations adapted from the mark scheme.
Text A and the questions are included as a pdf for easy printing or as a word doc in case you wish to amend the layout (although the layout is based on the exam).
All the questions and answer scheme have been based on the Cambridge IGCSE First Language English 0500 syllabus and the questions have been worded so that they are similar/identical to the specification paper.
Learning Objective: Understand how to approach Q1(a)-(e) of language paper 1.
Learning Outcomes:
Students will practise answering question 1.
Through marking and discussing their answers, students will leave with a personalised goal of how to gain more marks for this section.
Lesson Outline:
Do it now: One minute challenge – how many reading skills can you name?
Starter: Explanation of what Q1(a)-(e) is assessing.
Main task: Students complete a practice assessment by reading Text A and completing questions 1(a)-(e)
Consolidation: Teacher goes through answers and troubleshoots any issues that arise. Hints and tips for gaining marks are given throughout.
Plenary: Class discussion – what have you learned about how to approach question 1(a)-(e). Students create a personalised target.
Freebies:
A free lesson giving an overview of CIE 0500 Language Paper One here.
A free lesson giving an overview of CIE 0500 Language Paper Two here.
Free marking templates for CIE 0500 here.
If you find this lesson helpful, have a look at my CIE 0500 Language Paper 1 bundle here or the Language Paper 2 bundle here. If you’re interested in both, there is a combined bundle here which is cheaper than buying them separately.
Please leave a review as I value all the feedback I receive, and have a look at other resources available in my shop. **
A detailed knowledge organiser/revision mat that outlines punctuation and grammar techniques and writing styles. This could be used in English lessons or printed for desk placemats to develop literacy across the curriculum.
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A detailed PowerPoint with accompanying printable worksheets for students to explore the context of Shakespeare’s Macbeth before embarking on their reading of the play. This lesson prompts students to dive deep into the historical and cultural backdrop of the play while honing critical skills like summarising, analysis, and collaboration.
The lesson includes a thorough exploration of Macbeth’s context, including the reign of King James I, the Gunpowder Plot, witchcraft and the supernatural, family life, and gender roles. Through teacher modelling, students learn effective summary writing techniques, equipping them with the tools to distill complex information into concise and impactful summaries. They then put this into practice by using one of the worksheets to summarise information on their given topic.
Students then engage in a carousel activity, where they delve into each of the context topics, learning from their peers, and collaboratively constructing their understanding.
Learning Objective: Summarise contextual information about British society in the Jacobean period.
Learning Outcomes:
Students will read and comprehend new information and life in Jacobean times.
Students will summarise this information in their own words.
Students will clearly articulate what they have learned to your classmates.
Lesson Outline:
Do it now: Students think – pair – share about the importance of understanding a text’s context.
Starter: Walkthrough of how to write an effective summary using an example text about James I.
Activity 1: Students write their own summary of one of the contextual topics (King James I and the Gunpowder plot, Witchcraft, Family Life and Gender – these are differentiated by ability as shown by notes on PPT slide). Students spend 15 minutes creating their summary and then self-assess.
Activity 2: Summary carousel – students move around the classroom sharing their summaries and taking notes on the various topics.
Plenary: Mini whiteboard questions on the topic from this lesson.
Leave a review and choose any other resource, of up to the same value, for free from the LikeAnExpert shop.
Two engaging and detailed lessons to teach students how to approach the narrative writing question in Language paper 2 of CIE 0500 English Language IGCSE.
This resource contains a ready-to-teach powerpoint with printing and teaching instructions. The first lesson covers structure and the students are guided towards completing a planning sheet for their story which includes hook, characterisation, development, climax and the resolution. The second lesson asks students to consider how to write an engaging hook and then to complete their piece of narrative writing.
LESSON ONE
Learning Objective: Plan our narrative writing for Paper 2.
Learning Outcomes:
Students will understand what the narrative questions look like and what is assessed on the mark scheme.
Students will be introduced to a recommended narrative structure and then will plan their own answer.
Lesson Outline:
Do it now: What is the difference between narrative and descriptive writing?
Starter: Overview of Language Paper 2 and the mark scheme.
Task one: A model plan for the five-part structure.
Task two: Students plan their own narrative piece of writing using the five part structure.
Peer assessment
Plenary: What questions do you have about creating effective narrative writing?
LESSON TWO
Learning Objective: Write an engaging narrative for paper 2.
Learning Outcomes:
Students will recall and revise the success criteria for narrative writing from the previous lesson.
Lesson Outline:
Do it now: What is the difference between narrative and descriptive writing?
Starter: Overview of Language Paper 2 and the mark scheme.
Task one: A model plan for the five-part structure.
Task two: Students plan their own narrative piece of writing using the five part structure.
Peer assessment
Plenary: What questions do you have about creating effective narrative writing?
Freebies:
A free lesson giving an overview of CIE 0500 Language Paper One here.
A free lesson giving an overview of CIE 0500 Language Paper Two here.
Free marking templates for CIE 0500 here.
If you find this lesson helpful, have a look at my CIE 0500 Language Paper 1 bundle here or the Language Paper 2 bundle here. If you’re interested in both, there is a combined bundle here which is cheaper than buying them separately.
Please leave a review as I value all the feedback I receive, and have a look at other resources available in my shop. **
Engaging and ready to teach one hour lesson to cover chapter two of ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ by John Boyne. This lesson introduces the key words juxtaposition and foreboding. Students then look at three quotes and consider the techniques and effects used in them before writing a scaffolded PETER paragraph about the chapter.
This resource includes a ready-to-teach lesson and a printable scaffolding worksheet.
Learning Objective: Write a PETER paragraph about the impression of Bruno’s new house.
Learning Outcomes:
Bronze: Write a paragraph using the PETER structure.
Silver: Explain the effect of the quote in detail.
Gold: Make links between different parts of the text.
Lesson Outline:
Do It Now: Students try to work out the meaning of the two key words of today’s lesson.
Starter: Students read the chapter and write down any quotes that give a foreboding impression
Activity one: Think – pair- share discussion of the literary techniques used and the effects.
Activity two: Students use PETER paragraph outline to write an analytical paragraph.
Peer assessment
Plenary: What do you think made Bruno feel “cold and unsafe” in the new house?
Freebies:
Two pre-reading lessons to introduce students to the context of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is available for free here.
A lesson on chapter 1 of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is available for free here.
A scheme of work for teaching the entire novel is available for free here.
If you find this lesson useful, please consider purchasing this ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ Bundle or have a look at other resources available in my shop. .
Leave a review and choose any other resource of up to the same value for free from my shop.
A fully-resourced one hour lesson to support students in exploring different interpretations of Shylock through the analysis of his “Hath not a Jew” monologue.
Learning Objective: Consider different interpretations of Shylock in Act 3 Scene 1.
Learning Outcomes:
Students will use a worksheet to independently analyse Shylock’s speech to find language devices and consider their effect.
Students will consider the multiple ways that Shylock’s character can be interpreted in this scene.
Lesson Outline:
Do it now: Students complete questions individually on definitions of tension and suspense.
Starter: Summary of Act 3 Scene 1 followed by reading of Shylock’s speech.
Activity one: Students individually analyse the scene using the worksheet followed by class discussion and suggested answers.
Activity two: Watch different interpretations of Shylock’s monologue followed by discussion of what different emotions they portray.
Plenary: Students perform excerpts of the speech applying different emotions to it each time.
More Resources for The Merchant of Venice
Click here for a bundle of all the lessons to take you through the play plus a quiz, knowledge organiser and character revision posters.
Freebies:
For character revision posters for your classroom, click here.
For an English/Drama lesson based on Portia’s choice in Act 1 Scene 2, click here.
For a Scheme of Work overview for the unit, click here.
Leave a review and choose any other resource for free from the LikeAnExpert shop.