Handwritten sample answers for a LC examiner.

A Comprehensive Study Guide for Students & Teachers This detailed poetry resource provides an in-depth study of Eavan Boland’s work for Higher Level Leaving Certificate English. Designed to support students and teachers, it includes comprehensive poem analyses, thematic discussions, and exam-focused guidance. Poems Included: *** The War Horse – A reflection on violence and its lingering psychological effects. Child of Our Time – A poignant elegy responding to the Dublin and Monaghan bombings. The Famine Road – A powerful critique of historical oppression during the Irish Famine. The Shadow Doll – A meditation on marriage, confinement, and female identity. The Black Lace Fan My Mother Gave Me – An exploration of love, memory, and uncertainty. This Moment – A beautifully simple reflection on fleeting everyday experiences. The Pomegranate – A deeply personal interpretation of motherhood and change through myth. Outside History – A critique of historical exclusion and forgotten voices. Love – A reflective piece on the transformation of love over time. What’s Included? Detailed Analysis of Each Poem – Line-by-line breakdowns with key quotes, themes, and poetic techniques. Exam-Focused Discussion – Insights into comparative study links, essay writing tips, and marking scheme guidance. Symbolism & Themes – Exploration of history, memory, female experience, violence, love, and social commentary in Boland’s poetry. Student-Friendly Language – Explanations are clear, concise, and accessible, making complex themes easier to understand. Essay Writing Guide – Step-by-step advice on structuring poetry responses with sample exam questions and answers. Who Is This Resource For? Teachers – A ready-to-use classroom resource for engaging students with Boland’s poetry. Students – A perfect revision aid to improve understanding and essay-writing skills. Exam Candidates – Focused on Higher Level Paper 2, with practical guidance for approaching poetry questions. This comprehensive study guide ensures that students develop confidence in analysing Boland’s poetry, making exam preparation more structured, accessible, and effective. Download now to enhance your teaching and revision of Eavan Boland’s poetry!

**A Structured Study Aid for Higher Level Leaving Certificate English ** This annotation guide for Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan is designed to help Higher Level Leaving Certificate students engage critically with the novel, specifically through the Cultural Context and General Vision & Viewpoint comparative study modes. What’s Included? Chapter-by-Chapter Annotations – Key passages are highlighted with insights into cultural and historical context as well as the novel’s overall tone and vision. Detailed Explanations of Key Quotes – Passages are broken down to explore themes, symbolism, and their relevance to CC and GVV. Cultural Context Analysis – Examines 1980s Ireland, class divisions, religious influence, and societal attitudes that shape the characters’ experiences. General Vision & Viewpoint Discussion – Identifies the novel’s tone, moral dilemmas, and underlying messages, helping students form strong comparative links. Student-Friendly Language – Clear, accessible explanations support comprehension and deeper analysis. Who Is It For? Teachers – A structured teaching resource for exploring Small Things Like These through CC and GVV. Students – A useful reference guide for annotation, revision, and exam preparation. Comparative Study Candidates – Helps students connect key themes and perspectives for their comparative essay. This annotation guide provides structured analysis of Small Things Like These to support classroom discussion, independent study, and exam success. Download now to deepen your students’ understanding of the novel!

**Comprehensive Study Guide for Senior Students ** This detailed and accessible resource is designed for Higher Level Leaving Certificate English students studying the poetry of W.B. Yeats. It provides an in-depth analysis of key poems on the course, offering clear explanations, structured notes, and exam-focused insights to support both students and teachers. What’s Included? Detailed Analysis of Key Poems – Each poem is broken down with summary, key quotes, and thematic discussions. Exam Preparation – Step-by-step guidance on approaching poetry essay questions, with sample answers and essay structure tips. Key Themes & Techniques – Explores Yeats’s use of evocative language, symbolism, political commentary, and personal reflection. Marking Scheme Insights – Clear breakdown of how essays are assessed, helping students structure strong responses. Student-Friendly Language – Complex ideas are explained in accessible, easy-to-understand terms. Who Is It For? Teachers – A ready-to-use classroom resource for teaching Yeats with engaging explanations. Students – Ideal for revision, essay writing, and understanding Yeats’s poetry in-depth. Exam-Focused Learners – Includes Leaving Certificate-style questions, marking guidance, and practical tips. This resource ensures that Yeats’s poetry is clear, accessible, and engaging, making exam preparation smoother and more effective. Perfect for both classroom teaching and independent study. **Download now to help your students master Yeats’s poetry! **

This Annotation Guide is designed for teachers and students studying Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan, specifically focusing on the Cultural Context and General Vision & Viewpoint aspects of the text. It offers detailed, structured annotations for key moments in the novel, providing clear explanations of how cultural and thematic elements shape the story. Features of this Resource: Chapter-by-Chapter Breakdown Each chapter includes selected passages, with guidance on where to pause and key discussion points related to cultural context and general vision & viewpoint. Cultural Context Insights Explores 1980s Ireland, focusing on religious influence, economic struggles, gender roles, and social class divisions. General Vision & Viewpoint Analysis Examines themes of oppression, endurance, moral conflict, and hope, helping students develop a deeper understanding of the novel’s message. Practical Teaching Tool Clear and structured format to support classroom discussions. Ideal for annotation, essay planning, and comparative study preparation. Encourages critical thinking about the novel’s key ideas and historical setting. This resource is perfect for Leaving Certificate Higher Level English students studying Small Things Like These as part of their comparative study. It simplifies complex themes and makes literary analysis more accessible and engaging.

This resource is a comprehensive, student-friendly guide to the poetry of Elizabeth Bishop, designed specifically for Leaving Certificate Higher-Level English students. It provides structured, accessible analysis of all prescribed poems, with a clear focus on themes, Bishop’s unique style, and how her poetry can be effectively discussed in exam answers. What’s Included? Detailed Poem Summaries – Each prescribed poem is summarised in a way that highlights key themes, ideas, and poetic techniques. Key Quotes & Analysis – Important quotations from each poem, accompanied by clear explanations of their significance. Exam-Focused Commentary – Each section is written with the Leaving Certificate exam in mind, helping students engage with the material in a way that will benefit them in their essays. Step-by-Step Essay Guidance – A structured approach to answering common Leaving Cert poetry questions on Bishop, with sample answers coded to highlight key aspects of analysis. Marking Schemes & Assessment Criteria – Includes a breakdown of how Bishop questions are marked, giving students and teachers a clear understanding of what examiners are looking for. Practice Questions – A selection of past exam questions and new questions designed to encourage deeper thinking about Bishop’s poetry. Why This Resource? This booklet saves time for both students and teachers by presenting all necessary material in one structured document. It encourages students to engage meaningfully with Bishop’s poetry while developing their ability to write strong, focused exam answers. The language is clear, the analysis is insightful, and the layout is designed for ease of use in both classroom teaching and independent study. Perfect for teachers preparing their classes or students looking for a solid, reliable study guide to boost their confidence in answering poetry questions on Elizabeth Bishop.

This resource is designed for Higher Level Leaving Certificate English teachers who need clear, structured, and exam-focused materials to support the teaching of Derek Mahon’s poetry. It provides detailed poem analysis, sample exam responses, marking schemes, and structured essay plans, helping students develop a solid understanding of Mahon’s key themes, poetic techniques, and use of language. What’s Included? Detailed Poem Analysis – Covers all prescribed Mahon poems, including: After the Titanic Grandfather Day Trip to Donegal Ecclesiastes The Hospital As It Should Be Kinsale Antarctica Each poem includes key themes, techniques, and analysis, making it easier for students to engage with Mahon’s poetry. **Key Quotes & Explanations **– A selection of relevant quotations with explanations, allowing students to quickly find supporting evidence for their essays. Sample Answers – Includes exam-standard responses with marking breakdowns based on official Leaving Cert grading. Responses are coded for clarity, showing how students can incorporate language and imagery, universal reflections, and Mahon’s exploration of people and places. Step-by-Step Essay Plans – Prepares students for common exam questions, ensuring they know how to structure responses effectively. Covers: Mahon’s use of language and imagery Mahon’s approach to people and places The universal and emotional impact of his poetry Speech-style responses for public talk-style questions Marking Schemes & Feedback Tools – Includes self-assessment and peer-review tools, helping students understand how answers are graded and where they can improve. Classroom & Homework Tasks – A mix of class discussion prompts, structured writing exercises, and exam-style homework questions to reinforce learning. Why Use This Resource? Saves Time – Everything is structured and ready to use, reducing lesson planning. Exam-Focused – Materials are designed with 2025 exam requirements in mind. Accessible for Students – Clear explanations break down complex ideas without oversimplifying. Flexible for Different Learners – Suitable for a range of abilities, with enough depth for strong students while remaining accessible for weaker ones. This is a practical and exam-focused resource for teachers who want structured, ready-to-use materials to support their students in understanding and writing about Derek Mahon’s poetry.

This comprehensive and teacher-friendly resource is designed to support Higher Level Leaving Certificate English students as they prepare for the 2025 exam. Focused on developing critical thinking, essay-writing skills, and exam technique, this guide provides detailed analysis, structured approaches to past questions, and marking schemes to ensure students gain a deep and nuanced understanding of Patrick Kavanagh’s poetry. **What’s Included in This Resource? ** Detailed Notes on Kavanagh’s Life & Poetry Overview of Patrick Kavanagh’s background, themes, and literary style Explanation of his poetic vision and how he transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary Contextual insights into his depictions of rural Ireland, love, spirituality, and isolation Poem-by-Poem Breakdown Key poems on the course: Inniskeen Road: July Evening, Shancoduff, Advent, The Hospital, On Raglan Road Summaries & Thematic Analysis of each poem Key Quotes with Explanations – helping students understand poetic techniques and deeper meanings Exam-style interpretations – focusing on Kavanagh’s use of lyrical style, tone, and imagery Step-by-Step Approaches to Past Exam Questions Structured essay plans for common exam questions Breakdown of key terms in the question and how to effectively address them Sample step-by-step guides for developing clear, well-structured responses Sample Higher Level Answers Full exemplar essays with embedded analysis and key quotations Essays include marking scheme codes to highlight strong points (e.g., ST+ for successful transformation of the ordinary) Balanced arguments exploring both Kavanagh’s successes and limitations Marking Schemes & Peer Assessment Guidelines Breakdown of the 50-mark poetry question criteria Marking codes for Lyrical Style (L), Celebratory Tone ©, Success in Transforming the Ordinary (ST+) Peer assessment activity – students swap answers and use clear marking codes to provide feedback Teacher & Student-Friendly Format Designed for easy classroom use – suitable for revision sessions, self-study, or guided exam preparation Print-friendly and adaptable for differentiated instruction Encourages independent learning by helping students identify strengths and areas for improvement

This document is a comprehensive guide for Ordinary Level Leaving Certificate students on how to approach the Composition section of Paper 1 in English. It provides clear, structured advice on writing different types of compositions, including: Personal Essays – Encouraging self-reflection and storytelling with a focus on clear structure and personal voice. Short Stories – Guidance on crafting engaging narratives with strong openings, character development, and resolutions. Talks & Speeches – Emphasizing audience awareness, rhetorical devices, and persuasive techniques. Articles – Teaching students how to structure an informative or opinion-based piece for publication. Debate Speeches – Explaining how to construct logical, well-supported arguments for a debate setting. Each section contains step-by-step guidance on understanding the question, planning responses, writing effectively, and editing work. The document also includes marking schemes and sample answers to help students understand how their work is graded and improve their writing skills. Additionally, the guide is tailored for students working at an Ordinary Level in English, providing clear explanations and structured support to help them develop their writing skills. It uses accessible language and highlighted techniques to reinforce essay structure, making it easier for students to understand and apply effective writing strategies.

This comprehensive 17-page resource is designed to support Junior Cycle students in tackling exam questions related to both film and drama, with a particular focus on staging and the visual aspects of storytelling. It provides model answers, sample responses, and marking schemes for past paper questions, helping students to develop their understanding and confidence in answering questions about key moments, visual imagery, camera angles, costume design, lighting, and other dramatic techniques. **Key features include: ** Staging in Drama: Clear explanations and sample answers focusing on themes, characterisation, and dramatic techniques such as gesture, lighting, and set design. Film Analysis: Insightful examples on the use of camera shots, striking visuals, and emotional connections to enhance storytelling. Creative Directing: Guidance on how students can imagine themselves as directors, exploring the use of costumes, lighting, and visual techniques to highlight key themes and moments. Past Paper Questions: A wide range of questions and answers modelled on real exam papers, including structured responses that demonstrate clarity, focus, and development. Junior Cycle Focus: Tailored content that addresses the specific needs of Junior Cycle students, with accessible and engaging examples from texts like The Merchant of Venice, Sing Street, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and more. This resource is ideal for both classroom teaching and individual study, equipping students with the tools they need to confidently approach film and drama questions on their exams. ALSO INCLUDES:

Save time and support your students’ learning with this collection of expertly crafted sample answers for The Crucible by Arthur Miller. Designed with teachers in mind, this resource provides detailed, structured responses to exam-style questions, offering a reliable tool to guide your students through the complexities of the text. Key Features: Comprehensive Coverage: Sample answers address key questions on themes, characters, and significant moments in the play, helping you provide thorough guidance. Point-Quote-Explain Format: Clear and concise breakdowns that model effective essay-writing techniques for students. Creative Writing Examples: Includes diary entries, speeches, letters, and news articles based on The Crucible, offering a variety of teaching materials to engage your class. Tailored for Exam Preparation: Answers align with the structure and demands of exams like Educate 2025, ensuring your students are well-prepared. Accessible and Flexible: Written in straightforward language to suit a range of student abilities while offering insights that spark deeper discussions. Why Choose This Resource? Save time creating sample answers for class discussion and practice. Provide your students with strong examples to improve their writing skills. Use as a teaching aid to help students analyze the play’s themes, characters, and relevance to modern audiences. Whether you’re preparing lessons, guiding exam preparation, or supporting individual learners, this resource is the perfect tool to help your students succeed in their study of The Crucible.

This detailed and thoughtfully curated resource is designed to support Ordinary Level Leaving Certificate students in their study of prescribed poetry for the 2025 examination. It provides clear, accessible, and engaging notes on each poem, helping students deepen their understanding of the prescribed works while preparing effectively for the exam. Key Features of the Resource In-depth Notes on 35 Prescribed Poems The resource includes detailed notes on every prescribed poem, written in a clear and accessible style suitable for Ordinary Level students. Each set of notes contains the following: In Other Words… A simplified and student-friendly paraphrasing of the poem, explaining its meaning in plain language while retaining its essence. Subject Matter of the Poem A concise summary of the poem’s central themes and ideas. Poet’s Use of Language and Poetic Devices A detailed analysis of the poet’s use of imagery, metaphor, symbolism, tone, and structure. This section highlights how these techniques enhance the meaning and emotional impact of the poem. Personal Response A reflective commentary on the emotional and intellectual impact of the poem, offering relatable insights to help students connect with the text. Relevance Today A discussion of why the poem remains relevant, linking its themes and messages to contemporary life and issues. What Makes the Poem Enjoyable An exploration of the poem’s appeal, focusing on its emotional resonance, language, and literary merit. 2. Past Exam Questions Where available, each poem includes a section on past Leaving Certificate questions. These questions have been drawn exclusively from the last 25 years of examinations and are relevant to the Ordinary Level curriculum. This feature provides invaluable practice opportunities for students and helps them prepare for the specific demands of the exam. Key Takeaways Each poem concludes with a succinct key takeaway that summarises its central message or significance. This section serves as an excellent revision aid, helping students quickly recall the essence of the poem. Sample Themes and Suggested Exam Responses For poems with past exam questions, the resource offers potential discussion points and strategies for answering them effectively. These include: Why This Resource is Indispensable Exam-Focused: Includes only Leaving Certificate exam questions from the past 25 years, ensuring all content is relevant and practical. User-Friendly: Clear explanations and structured notes help students build confidence and understanding. Comprehensive Coverage: Includes all 35 prescribed poems for Ordinary Level 2024/2025, providing complete exam preparation in one resource. Encourages Critical Thinking: Offers reflective insights and personal responses, encouraging students to develop their own interpretations and ideas. Saves Time: Students and teachers can rely on this resource as a one-stop guide to the poetry syllabus.

This comprehensive resource provides detailed comparative notes for the Ordinary Level Comparative Study focusing on The Shawshank Redemption (film) and Small Things Like These (novel). Designed for the 2025 curriculum, the resource covers the three prescribed modes: Theme: Analysis of key themes, including hope, moral courage, institutional power, and freedom, with clear comparisons and references to key moments in both texts. Social Setting: Exploration of the oppressive worlds shaped by powerful institutions in both texts, highlighting societal pressures and the impact on individual characters. Relationships: Examination of central relationships, such as Andy and Red’s friendship in The Shawshank Redemption and Bill’s family and community relationships in Small Things Like These, with focus on emotions like love and hope. The notes are written in accessible language, making them suitable for Ordinary Level students. Each section includes clear comparisons, key examples, and insights into similarities and differences between the two texts. This resource will help students develop strong comparative answers by providing detailed guidance and examples that address past exam questions. It is perfect for classroom use, revision, and essay preparation.

This comprehensive resource bundle is designed specifically to support teachers and students preparing for the Leaving Certificate English exam. Focused on Claire Keegan’s Small Things Like These, this bundle is an essential tool for both Higher and Ordinary Level study, providing in-depth materials tailored to the comparative study and a range of other curriculum needs. What’s Included: Key Moments Document Detailed analysis of significant events from the text to help students grasp pivotal moments and their relevance. Higher Level Quotes Document Key quotes from all seven chapters, with analysis aligned to: General Vision and Viewpoint Cultural Context Eight quotes per chapter, tailored for Higher Level study. Comprehensive Workbook Chapter Summaries: Concise summaries of all seven chapters. Comprehension Questions: Focused questions to test understanding. Reflective Space: Students can write their own summaries or reflect on passages they found meaningful. Notes on Comparative Modes: Detailed guidance on General Vision and Viewpoint and Cultural Context. Film Reviews and Activities Two engaging film reviews with comprehension questions. Task encouraging students to write their own review. Ordinary Level Notes Comprehensive notes covering: Relationships Social Setting Hero/Heroine and Villain Theme Exploration of three key themes: Freedom, Escape, and Isolation. Includes two sample answers to recent LC questions. Sample Questions with Answers 30-mark sample questions for: Cultural Context General Vision and Viewpoint This resource has been crafted with both students and teachers in mind, focusing on accessibility, ease of use, and thorough exam preparation. Who Is It For? Teachers looking for comprehensive materials to support class teaching. Students aiming to improve their understanding of Small Things Like These for the Leaving Certificate. Whether for in-class teaching or independent student study, this resource bundle is a must-have for achieving success in the Leaving Certificate English exam.

This resource is a comprehensive project guide designed to help students adapt Arthur Miller’s The Crucible into a modern-day short film. It provides a structured approach to understanding and reimagining the play while exploring its timeless themes of fear, power, reputation, and social hysteria in a contemporary context. Below is an overview of the resource’s key components: Purpose and Goals The project challenges students to creatively reinterpret The Crucible in a modern-day setting, making connections to current societal issues such as social media, misinformation, and cancel culture. It encourages critical thinking about the relevance of the play’s themes in today’s world. Step-by-Step Guidance The resource breaks the project into clear, manageable steps: Understanding the Source Material: Students analyse the play’s plot, characters, and themes. Brainstorming a Modern-Day Setting: Encourages students to consider contemporary contexts where hysteria and fear are prevalent. Story Development: Guides students in modernising the characters, setting, and plot while preserving the essence of the original story. Scriptwriting: Offers tips on concise storytelling, modern dialogue, and symbolic representation of themes. Filming and Editing: Provides practical advice on planning, directing, and editing a short film, with attention to emotional intensity and technical quality. 3. Prompts for Creativity Prompts are included to spark ideas and deepen the adaptation process. These focus on: Setting: Identifying relevant modern contexts. Characters: Reimagining The Crucible’s characters for today’s world. Conflict: Exploring misunderstandings and how fear or misinformation spreads. Themes: Addressing issues like mass hysteria and the tension between morality, truth, and reputation. Climax and Resolution: Planning the emotional peak and conclusion of the story. 4. Evaluation Criteria The resource outlines specific criteria for assessing the final film, focusing on creativity, thematic clarity, acting, direction, technical quality, and overall impact. Educational Value This project fosters: Critical Analysis: Deepens understanding of The Crucible and its themes. Creativity and Collaboration: Encourages teamwork in writing, acting, and filmmaking. Media Literacy: Helps students engage with contemporary forms of communication and storytelling. Practical Skills: Develops skills in scriptwriting, directing, acting, and film editing. Conclusion This resource is an excellent tool for engaging students with The Crucible in a way that feels relevant and impactful. By connecting the play to modern issues, it makes its themes accessible while teaching valuable academic and creative skills.

This resource is a set of reflection prompts and comparative questions designed for students studying Sive by John B. Keane in the context of cultural themes. It is structured to encourage students to draw connections between Sive, Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan, and the 2023 Barbie movie. The questions focus on key aspects of cultural context such as social class, gender roles, authority figures, religion, morality, community, isolation, economic pressures, and the endings of the stories. The resource is structured as follows: Social Class and Status: Prompts explore how characters in each text are treated based on their social standing, and how poverty or wealth influences their lives and decisions. It encourages students to compare the class divides in Sive, Small Things Like These, and Barbie. Gender Roles: Questions guide students to reflect on the gender expectations and limitations placed on characters. They are asked to compare how gender roles are portrayed in the three texts and consider the impact of these roles on characters’ experiences. Authority Figures: This section focuses on how authority figures influence the characters. Prompts explore power dynamics and their effects, comparing how authority is handled in Sive, Small Things Like These, and Barbie. Religion and Morality: Prompts ask students to reflect on the role of religion and moral judgement in the characters’ lives and decisions. They compare how societal expectations shape moral choices in all three texts. Community and Isolation: Questions focus on the sense of community and isolation experienced by characters, and how the community supports or fails them. Students are encouraged to think about how community is portrayed in the texts and reflect on their own experiences of support networks. Economic Pressures: This section asks how economic struggles shape characters’ decisions and lives. Students are prompted to compare how poverty and financial constraints are portrayed in Sive, Small Things Like These, and Barbie. Ending and Resolution: Students reflect on how the endings of each text relate to the cultural context and whether the characters achieve resolution or remain constrained by societal pressures. They are asked to think about how the conclusions highlight key cultural themes. Personal Reflection: Each section ends with personal reflection questions, encouraging students to connect the themes of the texts to their own lives and experiences. This resource is designed to help students understand the cultural context of the texts, engage with key themes, and develop critical thinking skills by comparing and contrasting different literary works.

This resource is designed to guide students through the comparative study of Barbie (directed by Greta Gerwig), Small Things Like These (by Claire Keegan), and Sive (by John B. Keane) as part of the 2026 curriculum. Rather than providing pre-written notes, this resource focuses on questions and prompts to help students develop their own observations and reflections on the cultural context of the texts. Contents Aspect of Cultural Context: Includes key themes such as social class and status, gender roles, authority figures, religion and morality, community and isolation, economic pressures, and the ending and resolution. Comparative Analysis: Thought-provoking questions encourage students to compare Barbie with Small Things Like These and Sive, highlighting connections and contrasts across the texts. Personal Reflection Prompts: Reflective questions prompt students to connect the themes of the texts to their own lives, experiences, and observations of society. Focused Analysis of Barbie: Each cultural aspect is explored in detail for Barbie, encouraging students to critically examine its portrayal of privilege, gender dynamics, authority, moral judgement, community, economic challenges, and thematic resolution. Learning Objectives: Enable students to create their own notes and insights based on guided prompts and questions. Develop a deeper understanding of how cultural context shapes characters, themes, and narratives. Encourage critical thinking, personal reflection, and independent analysis in preparation for comparative essay writing. This resource empowers students to engage actively with the texts, fostering independence in note-making and a personalised approach to understanding the cultural contexts of Barbie, Small Things Like These, and Sive. It’s particularly suited for students preparing for the Leaving Certificate English exam.

This resource provides an in-depth exploration of the Cultural Context in Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan, tailored for the Comparative Study in the 2026 Leaving Certificate. It is designed to facilitate comparisons with Barbie and Sive and includes prompts for personal reflection, fostering critical thinking and engagement with the texts. What’s Included: Cultural Context Framework Clear headings to explore key aspects of cultural context, including: Social Class and Status Gender Roles Authority Figures Religion and Morality Community and Isolation Economic Pressures Ending and Resolution Guiding questions for each aspect, helping students identify and analyse how these themes are presented in Small Things Like These. Comparative Focus Prompts to compare Small Things Like These with Barbie and Sive. Thoughtful questions that encourage students to examine similarities and differences in cultural context across the three texts. Personal Reflection Prompts Space for students to connect their personal insights with the themes, promoting deeper understanding of cultural and social issues. Detailed and Structured Layout A systematic approach to help students break down complex ideas. Focused questions to encourage engagement with the text and support preparation for essay writing. Cultural Context in Small Things Like These Dedicated sections with guiding questions for each key theme, helping students explore the nuances of the text: Treatment of characters based on social standing. Gender expectations and limitations. The influence of authority figures and power dynamics. The role of religion and morality. Community support and isolation. The impact of economic pressures on characters’ lives. How the ending ties cultural context to the broader story. This teaching resource equips students with a structured approach to understanding and analysing cultural context in Small Things Like These while enabling meaningful comparisons with other texts. It supports both Higher Level and Ordinary Level study, ensuring accessibility for all learners.

A detailed plan to cover first year English.

Comparative Essay Introduction for 2026 Higher Level Cohort This comprehensive resource is designed to introduce the 2026 Higher Level students to the comparative section of the Leaving Certificate English course. It includes a detailed PowerPoint presentation and an accompanying PDF, both focusing on the critical components of comparative essay writing. The PowerPoint provides a clear and engaging overview of how to approach comparative essays, explaining the importance of General Vision and Viewpoint as well as Cultural Context in relation to the two texts being studied. Students will gain a solid understanding of how these elements shape the texts and their comparisons. The presentation also introduces the CARE acronym (Compare, Argument, Reference, Explain), offering a practical guide for structuring essays effectively. The PDF expands on this by offering a more detailed breakdown of how to approach comparative writing, step-by-step, with tips on how to analyse and structure their arguments. It explains in-depth the role of cultural context in the comparison and provides students with the tools to integrate general vision and viewpoint in their writing. This resource is ideal for students looking to build confidence in comparative essay writing, focusing on the importance of answering the question and staying focused on the cultural and thematic elements that drive a strong analysis