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Humble English Teacher hoping to cut down on teachers' workload by providing high quality resources (from primary to secondary - mostly English but some other subjects too). Please share and review if you like what you see here.

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Humble English Teacher hoping to cut down on teachers' workload by providing high quality resources (from primary to secondary - mostly English but some other subjects too). Please share and review if you like what you see here.
Of Mice and Men: Crossword
MrGradgrindMrGradgrind

Of Mice and Men: Crossword

(0)
This crossword on John Steinbeck’s ‘Of Mice and Men’ 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.
An Inspector Calls: Crossword
MrGradgrindMrGradgrind

An Inspector Calls: Crossword

(0)
This crossword on J.B. Priestley’s ‘An Inspector Calls’ provides an enjoyable but academic activity for pupils to test their knowledge of the play. It always works as a great starter or plenary task.
Animal Farm: Crossword
MrGradgrindMrGradgrind

Animal Farm: Crossword

(0)
This crossword on George Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’ 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. Ideal for KS3 or KS4.
Macbeth: Crossword
MrGradgrindMrGradgrind

Macbeth: Crossword

(0)
This crossword on Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’ provides an enjoyable but academic activity for pupils to test their knowledge of the play. It always works as a great starter or plenary task.
The Little Black Boy: William Blake
MrGradgrindMrGradgrind

The Little Black Boy: William Blake

(0)
This 31-slide lesson on William Blake’s ‘The Little Black Boy’ offers superb analysis for those studying the poem at A level. In tackling one of the most complex and ambiguous of Blake’s ‘Songs’, this lesson provides sophisticated linguistic, contextual and thematic scrutiny. This is an ideal lesson for those studying Blake as a protest writer with AQA’s Political and Social Protest Writing course. PowerPoint saved as PDF.
Animal Farm: Context
MrGradgrindMrGradgrind

Animal Farm: Context

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This 21-slide lesson offers a fantastic introduction to George Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’, including everything that students need to know about the novella’s historical context. Included is information on the Russian Revolution, Orwell, anthropomorphism, satire, and much more. This resource is ideal for GCSE students or KS3 classes. PowerPoint saved as PDF.
Love's Philosophy: Percy Bysshe Shelley
MrGradgrindMrGradgrind

Love's Philosophy: Percy Bysshe Shelley

(1)
This is a thorough and comprehensive lesson on Percy Bysshe Shelley’s poem ‘Love’s Philosophy’, which is studied as part of AQA’s GCSE Literature anthology on ‘Love & Relationships’. This PowerPoint unpicks key themes of unrequired love, intimacy, frustration and religion with close analysis of language, form and structure. Also included are many small questions for students and a ‘mock’ essay question in which students must compare ‘Love’s Philosophy’ to another poem, just like in the real AQA exam.
The Great Gatsby Poster
MrGradgrindMrGradgrind

The Great Gatsby Poster

(1)
Enjoy this stylish poster for ‘The Great Gatsby’ by F. Scott Fitzgerald to enhance your learning environment. Designed by MrGradgrind.
Oliver Twist Poster
MrGradgrindMrGradgrind

Oliver Twist Poster

(1)
Enjoy this stylish poster for ‘Oliver Twist’ by Charles Dickens to enhance your learning environment. Designed by MrGradgrind.
The Old Man and the Sea: Extract & Questions (AQA GCSE)
MrGradgrindMrGradgrind

The Old Man and the Sea: Extract & Questions (AQA GCSE)

(1)
This resource contains an extract from Ernest Hemingway’s ‘The Old Man and the Sea’ as well as 4 exam-style questions based on the AQA GCSE English Language Paper 1. Questions examine students on reading comprehension, language analysis, structural analysis, and constructing an argument in relation to the extract. This is an ideal mock for students to sit or a lesson resource for teachers to use with classes to practise and tackle the demands of each question.
Sonnet 29: Elizabeth Barrett Browning
MrGradgrindMrGradgrind

Sonnet 29: Elizabeth Barrett Browning

(1)
This is a thorough and comprehensive lesson on Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s poem ‘Sonnet 29: I Think of Thee’, which is studied as part of AQA’s GCSE Literature anthology on ‘Love & Relationships’. This PowerPoint unpicks key themes of romantic passion, longing, distance and intimacy with close analysis of language, form and structure. Also included are many small questions for students and a ‘mock’ essay question in which students must compare ‘Sonnet 29’ to another poem, just like in the real AQA exam.
Porphyria's Lover: Robert Browning
MrGradgrindMrGradgrind

Porphyria's Lover: Robert Browning

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This is a thorough and comprehensive 30-slide lesson on Robert Browning’s poem ‘Porphyria’s Lover’, which is studied as part of AQA’s GCSE Literature anthology on ‘Love & Relationships’. This lesson unpicks key themes of obsession, possessiveness, delusion, control and violence with close analysis of language, form and structure. Students are also encouraged to consider Browning’s use of the dramatic monologue form and how the poem’s gender dynamics might act as a mode of satirising masculinity. Also included are many small questions, tasks and discussion points for students, as well as a ‘mock’ essay question in which students must compare ‘Porphyria’s Lover’ to another poem, just like in the real AQA exam. The lesson is aimed at GCSE students but could be adapted for KS3. PowerPoint saved as PDF.
Jekyll & Hyde: Essay Questions
MrGradgrindMrGradgrind

Jekyll & Hyde: Essay Questions

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This resource features 28 exam-style questions on Stevenson’s ‘Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’ for students to use as mock/practice stimuli. It is designed to support those studying the text for GCSE. Teachers may wish to find appropriate extracts (as per the AQA exam) to accompany each question. These questions cover all the key themes and characters of the novella. If students feel capable answering all of these questions, then they should feel very well prepared for the exam.
Frankenstein: Context
MrGradgrindMrGradgrind

Frankenstein: Context

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This 23-slide lesson provides a comprehensive introduction to key context for studying Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’. The his lesson covers the significance of the Prometheus, Gothic genre, Romanticism, Industrialisation and much more on Shelley’s famous novel, including the influence of ‘Paradise Lost’. Shelley’s life is explained, and the key themes are explored. Questions and tasks are also included for students. A creative task is featured at the end of the lesson. This could be used either as a class-based or homework activity. The lesson is ideal for GCSE students, but could be used for introducing the text for high-attaining KS3 pupils or even at A level. PowerPoint saved as PDF.
The Lovely Bones Extract & Questions (AQA GCSE)
MrGradgrindMrGradgrind

The Lovely Bones Extract & Questions (AQA GCSE)

(0)
This resource contains an extract from Alice Sebold’s novel ‘The Lovely Bones’ as well as 4 questions based on AQA’s GCSE English Language Paper 1. This is an ideal practice or revision resource for those studying the AQA GCSE. Also included is a PowerPoint with some step-by-step questions for students to consider before answering the mock questions.
Animal Farm: Boxer
MrGradgrindMrGradgrind

Animal Farm: Boxer

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This 24-slide lesson is the perfect analytical summary of Boxer’s character function in Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’. Students are encouraged to consider Boxer’s purpose within the novella and how he links contextually to the allegory of corrupted Communism. Emphasis is placed on his stupendous strength, tragic naivety, and exploitation. There are discussion points and questions posed for students to answer either individually or collaboratively. At the end of the PowerPoint is an extended essay question for students to answer (either in class or as a homework activity). This lesson (which could easily be split into multiple lessons) is ideal for GCSE students but could also be used to challenge high-attaining KS3 pupils. PowerPoint saved as PDF.
Animal Farm: Old Major
MrGradgrindMrGradgrind

Animal Farm: Old Major

(0)
This 23-slide lesson is the perfect analytical summary of Old Major’s character function in Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’. Students are encouraged to consider Old Major’s purpose within the novella and how he links contextually to the allegory of corrupted Communism. Emphasis is placed on his rhetorical skill, foreshadowing, and structural significance. There are many questions posed for students to answer either individually or collaboratively. At the end of the lesson is an extended essay question for students to answer (either in class or as a homework activity). This lesson (which could easily be split into multiple lessons) is ideal for high-attaining GCSE students but could also be used to challenge KS3 pupils. PowerPoint saved as PDF.
Disgrace (Protest Extract: AQA KS5)
MrGradgrindMrGradgrind

Disgrace (Protest Extract: AQA KS5)

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This extract from J.M. Coetzee’s powerful novel ‘Disgrace’ is perfect for practising analysing ‘unseen’ passages of Protest Literature. Designed for those studying ‘Political and Social Protest Literature’ with AQA for A level. Please note: this extract contains mature themes.