This 23-slide lesson explores W.H. Auden’s ‘Funeral Blues’. The lesson begins with questions for students about the poem’s title and information about the poem’s history (including how it’s now so famous from ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’). Students then read the poem (a glossary of key terms is provided) and discuss their first impressions. The poem is summarised and explained generally before the lesson moves into detailed questions about the poem: its speaker, its tone, its language, its imagery, its ending, and its message. Notes are given about the poem’s key tensions, as well as form, structure and rhyme. Key themes are listed, and there is a list of sophisticated vocabulary to allow students to conduct precise and high-level analysis. There is an image-based task for students to match pictures to the poem. There are questions provided throughout, including comprehension and though-provoking questions at the end. An example of an essay question (particularly relevant to the Cambridge IGCSE) is also included. PowerPoint is attached as a PDF and in its original format. The PDF is recommended if you wish to retain the fonts, layout, and design.

This 25-slide lesson serves as the perfect introduction to William Golding’s ‘Lord of the Flies’, establishing the key context and background to the novel. The lesson includes exploration of the novel’s key themes and ideas, Golding’s life and his own comments about the text, the historical background of the Cold War and Atomic Age, as well as key terms and vocabulary to unpick the novel’s ideas. Questions, discussion-points and tasks are included for students. At the end of the lesson is an extended task that could work either in class or as a homework activity. The lesson is ideal for GCSE or KS3 study of the novel. PowerPoint is saved as PDF.

This 33-slide lesson explores Sylvia Plath’s poem ‘You’re’. The lesson provides detailed analysis of the poem and includes: biographical information about Plath, analysis of the poem’s use of language and poetic techniques, analysis of the poem’s structure, form & rhyme, as well as questions, discussion points, and tasks for students to complete. The final task at the end of the lesson is a piece of creative writing in which students write their own poem. This lesson is ideal for KS3 pupils, but could be used for GCSE too. PowerPoint saved as PDF.

This resource includes an extract from and questions on Louis Sachar’s ‘Holes’, based on AQA’s English Language GCSE Paper 1. The bundle includes the extract from the novel and a PowerPoint with questions and tips for how to answer three questions. Two exemplar paragraphs are given in response to Question 2 (analysing the writer’s use of language). The focus is on the first three questions of Paper 1 in the exam. This resource is perfect for introducing students to the exam specifications. It works well for a LA set or SEND GCSE group. It is also suited KS3 groups, if your school chooses to get students used to the exam early.

This 36-slide lesson explores Liz Lochhead’s ‘Poem for my Sister’. The lesson deconstructs the poem’s central extended metaphor with detailed analysis of shoe metaphors and idiomatic expressions, before delving into in-depth analysis of Lochhead’s language, structure, rhyme and form. Questions, discussion points, and tasks are included for students throughout. The lesson ends with a creative writing task which could be set in class or as a homework activity. This lesson is ideal for KS3, but could work as a practice poem for KS4 too. PowerPoint saved as PDF.

This 21-slide lesson explores John Keats’ poem, ‘La Belle Dame sans Merci’. Students begin by exploring popular depictions of Medieval culture, particularly gender dynamics and attitudes towards heroism in storytelling. Stereotypes surrounding knights and damsels are discussed, and we unpick the concept of ‘chivalry’ from both a Medieval and modern context. We talk about the life of John Keats before reading the poem. The ballad’s language, imagery, rhythm, and structure are discussed. Students are taught ambitious vocabulary to describe each of the characters, and we think about how Keats is subverting stereotypes regarding Medieval attitudes to gender within the poem. The notion of the ‘femme fatale’ is explored, and students are encouraged to conduct close linguistic analysis through a table of key quotations from the poem. Questions, discussion points, and tasks are included for students throughout. The lesson ends with a creative task (which could be set as homework or covered in a following lesson). A copy of the poem is included in this resource. This lesson is ideal for KS3 students, but could easily be used for GCSE students exploring poetry too. PowerPoint and Word Doc saved as PDFs.

This 14-slide lesson offers students an introduction to the ballad form of poetry. Students explore the history behind the ballad form, focusing on its sensationalist subject matter and significant use of rhyme and rhythm. We discuss how appreciating the oral nature of performed ballads is vital to understanding the rhythm and sound of the poems, and we think about which subjects commonly recur in popular ballads. A starter activity encourages students to consider rhyme and the aural nature of words. Students learn how the ballad form developed into the ‘Lyrical Ballads’ of Wordsworth and Coleridge, popularising the form that we now recognise as poetic ballads. The rise of modern ‘power ballads’ in pop music is also noted. An example of a ballad (by Wordsworth) is given for students to deconstruct its rhythm and rhyme scheme. Students then have a go at writing their own ballad. Another example - this time an original ballad (by yours truly) - is provided to help students with their own ballads. Questions and discussion points are included for students. This lesson is ideal for those studying the ballad form or poetry in general in KS3. PowerPoint is saved as PDF.

This 43-slide lesson explores the character of Malvolio in Shakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night’. With academic scrutiny, the lesson analyses one of Shakespeare’s most famous and complex characters, beginning with an overview of his key lines, attributes, and role in the plot. This then leads to analysis of Malvolio’s name, key vocabulary that we might use to describe him, and how his ‘gulling’ threatens the comic spirit of the play. Important historical and theatrical context is explored alongside Malvolio’s character, and we look at how Shakespeare uses him to satirise Puritanism. Using Elizabethan debates surrounding acting and its influence, we think about how Malvolio functions as a metatheatrical symbol of anti-theatricality. Interesting viewpoints from a range of critics, directors, and actors are discussed. Crucially, we also explore how Malvolio’s character relates to the key themes of the play and is central to the comedy of ‘Twelfth Night’. We look at how Malvolio interacts with other characters in the play, the vivid imagery used in his gulling, and how his famous ending might be interpreted from a range of critical lenses. The Carnivalesque atmosphere of the play is analysed in light of Malvolio’s character. Questions, discussion points, and essay questions are featured throughout. Students are encouraged to consider Malvolio’s character at a high level, so this lesson would be ideal for students aged 16+. PowerPoint saved as PDF.

This 34-slide lesson explores the character of Viola in Shakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night’. With academic scrutiny, the lesson analyses one of Shakespeare’s most complex heroines, beginning with an overview of her key lines, attributes, and role in the plot. This then leads to analysis of her name, key vocabulary that we might use to describe her, and how her role as a cross-dressing protagonists compares to other Shakespearean comedies. Important historical and theatrical context is explored alongside Viola’s character, and we consider the debates around just how ‘proto-Feminist’ Shakespeare’s presentation of Viola really is. Interesting viewpoints from a range of critics, directors, and actors are discussed. Crucially, we also explore how Viola’s character catalyses other key events in the play and is central to the comedy of ‘Twelfth Night’. We look at how Viola interacts with other characters in the play and debate modern interpretations of whether homoeroticism is integral to her character. The role of twins in other Shakespearean plays is considered, and the Carnivalesque atmosphere of the play is analysed in light of Viola’s character. Questions, discussion points, and essay questions are featured throughout. Students are encouraged to consider Viola’s character at a high level, so this lesson would be ideal for students aged 16+. PowerPoint saved as PDF.

This 38-slide lesson explores the character of Olivia in Shakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night’. With academic scrutiny, the lesson analyses one of Shakespeare’s most complex female characters, beginning with an overview of her key lines, attributes, and role in the plot. This then leads to analysis of her name, key vocabulary that we might use to describe her, and how there may be more than meets the eye to Olivia’s excessive mourning. Important historical and theatrical context is explored alongside Olivia’s character, and we consider the debates around how subversive and ‘proto-Feminist’ Shakespeare’s presentation of Olivia really is. Interesting viewpoints from a range of critics, directors, and actors are discussed. Crucially, we also explore how Olivia’s character relates to the key themes of the play and is central to the comedy of ‘Twelfth Night’. We look at how Olivia interacts with other characters in the play and debate modern interpretations of whether homoeroticism is integral to her character. Her connection to Queen Elizabeth I is considered, and the Carnivalesque atmosphere of the play is analysed in light of Olivia’s character. Questions, discussion points, and essay questions are featured throughout. Two exemplar paragraphs are included, too. Students are encouraged to consider Olivia’s character at a high level, so this lesson would be ideal for students aged 16+. PowerPoint saved as PDF.

This 20-slide lesson explores how props and stagecraft are used in Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’. Important theatrical context is discussed in order to analyse how Wilde’s play relates to ideas of farce, melodrama, and Naturalism in the late 19th century. Students are encouraged to reflect upon the various props used in the play and their symbolic significance. Costumes, entrances, exits, asides, off-stage characters, and dramatic irony are also considered. PowerPoint saved as PDF.

This resource - for teachers/students of AQA GCSE English Language - is a series of questions based upon an extract from Franz Kafka’s iconic story ‘The Metamorphosis’, in which Gregor Samsa wakes up to discover himself transformed into a giant insect. Questions are based on Paper 1 of the AQA GCSE Language exam. The questions are included on the PowerPoint, along with tips for how to answer each question. This is an ideal mock or structured support resource for GCSE students.

This 25-slide lesson is a thorough and comprehensive study of Carol Ann Duffy’s poem, ‘Before You Were Mine’, included in AQA’s GCSE English Literature ‘Love and Relationships’ poetry anthology. The lesson unpicks key themes of parent-child relationships, admiration, guilt, memory, and sacrifice. A brief introductory biography of Carol Ann Duffy is also provided. Also included are small questions and tasks for students and a ‘mock’ essay question in which students must compare ‘Before You Were Mine’ to another poem, just like in the real AQA exam. PowerPoint is saved as PDF.

This crossword on Dickens’s ‘A Christmas Carol’ provides an enjoyable but academic activity for pupils to test their knowledge of the novella. It always works as a great starter or plenary task.

This 26-slide lesson covers the Prologue to Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ in great detail, analysing its purpose and the questions that it raises for the audience about how the story might unfold. The lesson includes: an introduction to the function of Renaissance Prologues; an explanation of the setting of ‘Romeo and Juliet’; a step-by-step modern translation of Shakespeare’s Prologue; analysis of the Prologue’s key images and themes; key vocabulary; and several small tasks/questions to tackle. This is ideal for KS3 or GCSE pupils commencing their study of the play. PowerPoint saved as PDF.

Explore William Blake’s ‘The Lamb’ as a critique of organised religion and child exploitation with this comprehensive lesson. Perfect for those studying Blake’s ‘Songs of Innocence and Experience’ for AQA’s ‘Political and Social Protest Writing’ paper.

This 23-slide lesson explores Chapter 3 of George Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’. In this comprehensive lesson, students consider the significance of Napoleon’s focus on the education of the young, and the beginnings of the farm’s use of propaganda and indoctrination. Boxer’s stupendous strength is discussed and his role foreshadowed. The allegorical function of the novella is also closely studied, as pupils learn about who/what Squealer represents. Questions, discussion points, and tasks are included for students. This lesson builds to an extract-based essay question (included in the resource), with step-by-step instructions for students. The lesson is ideal for KS3 or GCSE students. PowerPoint and Word Doc saved as PDF.

This 20-slide lesson explores Chapter 5 of George Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’. In this comprehensive lesson, students consider how the farm juggles punishing dissenting characters like Mollie as plans develop for the windmill. The most significant event explored here, of course, is Napoleon’s attack on Snowball, revealing his behind-the-scenes quest for leadership and paving the way for his totalitarian dictatorship. The allegorical function of the novella is also closely studied, as pupils learn about Stalin’s expulsion of Trotsky from the Soviet Union. Questions, discussion points, and tasks are included for students. An extract-based question is also included here. An exemplar introduction is featured in the PowerPoint. The lesson is ideal for KS3 or GCSE students. PowerPoint saved as PDF.

This 30-slide lesson explores Stave Three of Charles Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’. Students are encouraged to consider how Dickens presents the Ghost of Christmas Present and how Scrooge is affected by what he is shown, including the Cratchit family, Fred’s party, and how Christmas is celebrated by even poor and isolated communities. The lesson explores Dickens’ use of children as symbols - notably Ignorance and Want - and how this might link to the context of the Industrial Revolution. We think about how this all relates to Dickens’ authorial message. Questions, discussion points, and tasks are included for students. This is ideal for those studying the novella at GCSE or at KS3. PowerPoint saved as PDF.