"Keep loving teaching. Keep being creative."
Well, it might seem like madness to you and, indeed, to myself much of the time but it’s fair to say that I love teaching.
What I seek to keep at the heart of my blog & resources, and in my own heart of hearts, is a passion. A passion for learning in myself and my students.
A passion for my subject: English.
Led by principles from 'The Learning Scientist'.
"Keep loving teaching. Keep being creative."
Well, it might seem like madness to you and, indeed, to myself much of the time but it’s fair to say that I love teaching.
What I seek to keep at the heart of my blog & resources, and in my own heart of hearts, is a passion. A passion for learning in myself and my students.
A passion for my subject: English.
Led by principles from 'The Learning Scientist'.
This is a KS3 resource for those studying ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, involving a short extract (taken from the end of Act 2, scene 1) and an exemplar explanatory paragraph.
As a stretch resource, it focuses on how to structure the paragraph and language analysis. Space is provided for students to write their own second paragraph.
Additionally, this resource has been created with layout ideas taken from ‘The Learning Scientist’, which should help students with accessing the text, processing its contents and remembering the work.
AQA GCSE Language students will benefit from these revision activities, encouraging students to recap all fifteen poems and revise their content, language and themes.
This activity is easily accessible for more able students as independent work, and it would be simple to run through these as class activities for less able students.
This could be set as cover.
Additionally, the formatting and layout has been influenced by ‘The Learning Scientist’ and their principles on how to make resources most accessible.
Take a look at my other resources or blog: http://idealisticteacher.edublogs.org/
AQA GCSE students will benefit from this example ‘An Inspector Calls’ question using the latest question styles (May 2019).
This would be useful as an independent stretch activity for more able students, and it would be possible to run through it as separate, timed class activities for less able students. It may be useful if students are failing to explain the writer’s language in depth.
For students who are just coming across ‘An Inspector Calls’ essays for the first time, it would be useful to run through how to plan as a class, modelling how to answer before encouraging students to write their own paragraph.
Students approaching the exam could do this as a timed practice or it could be set as cover.
Additionally, the formatting and layout has been influenced by ‘The Learning Scientist’ and their principles on how to make resources most accessible.
Take a look at my other resources and blog: http://idealisticteacher.edublogs.org/
KS3 students will benefit from this storyboarding activity.
These poems would be useful as a supporting activity for less able students, although it would be possible to add in stretch through the addition of quotations from the story or students’ own dialogue.
This could, also, be set as cover.
Additionally, the formatting and layout has been influenced by ‘The Learning Scientist’ and their principles on how to make resources most accessible.
Take a look at my other resources!
AQA GCSE Language students will benefit from these example non-fiction reading questions using the latest question format (May 2019).
These texts will provide stretch activities for more able students, and it would be possible to run through these as class activities for less able students.
For students who are just coming across the non-fiction exam for the first time, it would be useful to run through question by question, culminating in question four as an amalgamation of the previous questions.
Students approaching the exam could do this as a timed practice or it could be set as cover.
Additionally, the formatting and layout has been influenced by ‘The Learning Scientist’ and their principles on how to make resources most accessible.
Copyright for the modern hotel review belongs to: Becca Blond.
Dogs Stay Free at Denver’s Hotel Teatro
Posted on March 28, 2017 by Becca Blond
The article can be found at:https://planetblond.com/2017/03/28/dogs-stay-free-at-denvers-hotel-teatro/
Take a look at my other resources or blog: http://idealisticteacher.edublogs.org/
GCSE students will benefit from this example ‘A Christmas Carol’ exam-style extract question for the current examination series (May 2019). This focuses on the Cratchits and their Christmas dinner. Provided are two exemplars, one more stretching and the other more supportive, as well as the extract itself.
This would be useful as an independent stretch activity for more able students, and it would be possible to run through it as separate, timed class activities for less able students. It may be useful if students are failing to explain the writer’s language in depth.
For students who are just coming across extract essays for the first time, it would be useful to run through how to annotate and understand the extract, how to plan as a class, modelling how to answer before encouraging students to write their own paragraph.
Students approaching the exam could do this as a timed practice or it could be set as cover.
Additionally, the formatting and layout has been influenced by ‘The Learning Scientist’ and their principles on how to make resources most accessible.
Take a look at my other resources and blog: http://idealisticteacher.edublogs.org/
AQA GCSE students will benefit from these example unseen poetry questions using the latest question format (May 2019).
These poems would be useful as stretch activities for more able students, although it would be possible to run through these as class activities for less able students. They may be useful if students are failing to understand the impact of context on the writing of a poem.
For students who are just coming across unseen poetry for the first time, it would be useful to run through question one and poem one separately, before focusing on language comparison and poem two.
Students approaching the exam could do this as a timed practice or it could be set as cover.
Additionally, the formatting and layout has been influenced by ‘The Learning Scientist’ and their principles on how to make resources most accessible.
Difficult words are translated and there is some planning space provided.
Take a look at my other resources!
These are posters I’ve used for my classroom. They can be divided into two types - classroom communication and BfL.
They seek to communicate with students, allowing them to receive messages and top tips as well as enabling further behaviour for learning.
Rewards based, these posters encourage effort and producing work of the highest quality.
Whilst the specific class names may not apply in your school context, I have included a blank class communication poster that could be adapted.
Any comments, please do get in touch!
Check out my other resources or take a look at my blog where I talk about these…
https://idealisticteacher.edublogs.org/author/idealisticteacher/
AQA GCSE Language students will benefit from these example fiction reading questions using the latest question format (May 2019).
This text would provide stretch activities for more able students, and it would be possible to run through these as class activities for less able students.
For students who are just coming across the fiction exam for the first time, it would be useful to run through question by question, culminating in question four as an amalgamation of the previous questions.
Students approaching the exam could do this as a timed practice or it could be set as cover.
Additionally, the formatting and layout has been influenced by ‘The Learning Scientist’ and their principles on how to make resources most accessible.
Difficult words are translated and there is some planning space provided.
Take a look at my other resources or blog: http://idealisticteacher.edublogs.org/
AQA GCSE Language students will benefit from these example fiction reading questions using the latest question format (May 2019).
This text would provide stretch activities for more able students, and it would be possible to run through these as class activities for less able students.
For students who are just coming across the fiction exam for the first time, it would be useful to run through question by question, culminating in question four as an amalgamation of the previous questions.
Students approaching the exam could do this as a timed practice or it could be set as cover.
Additionally, the formatting and layout has been influenced by ‘The Learning Scientist’ and their principles on how to make resources most accessible.
Difficult words are translated and there is some planning space provided.
Take a look at my other resources or blog: http://idealisticteacher.edublogs.org/
Here, every poem from the power and conflict cluster is titled and summarised. Additionally, significant phrases from each poem are selected.
These should be a handy revision aid for students or as posters to put up outside classrooms. They could also be cut up, becoming useful revision cards.
These have become a real bible for my classes as we write essays based on the poems and a handy reminder for my less able students who struggle to remember what each poem is about…
Do check out my other resources!
AQA GCSE students will benefit from this example ‘power and conflict’ exam style question for the current examination series (May 2019). This focuses on Exposure and Bayonet Charge.
This would be useful as an independent stretch activity for more able students, and it would be possible to run through it as separate, timed class activities for less able students. It may be useful if students are failing to explain the writer’s language in depth.
For students who are just coming across comparative poetry essays for the first time, it would be useful to run through how to plan as a class, modelling how to answer before encouraging students to write their own paragraph.
Students approaching the exam could do this as a timed practice or it could be set as cover.
Additionally, the formatting and layout has been influenced by ‘The Learning Scientist’ and their principles on how to make resources most accessible.
Take a look at my other resources and blog: http://idealisticteacher.edublogs.org/
AQA GCSE students will benefit from this example unseen poetry question two and response using the latest question format (May 2019).
This would be useful as stretch activities for more able students, although it would be possible to run through as a class activity for less able students. It may be useful if students are failing to understand how to explain language.
For students who are just coming across unseen poetry for the first time, this would be useful to run through question one and poem one using an example, before focusing on language comparison for question two.
Students approaching the exam could do this as a timed practice or it could be set as cover.
THIS GOES WITH ANOTHER RESOURCE (SIMILARLY TITLED). The other resource has an additional poem and includes question one.
Additionally, the formatting and layout has been influenced by ‘The Learning Scientist’ and their principles on how to make resources most accessible.
Difficult words are translated and there is some planning space provided.
Take a look at my other resources!
Or my blog: https://idealisticteacher.edublogs.org/author/idealisticteacher/
AQA GCSE students will benefit from this example ‘power and conflict’ exam style question for the current examination series (May 2019). This focuses on Exposure and Bayonet Charge.
This would be useful as an independent stretch activity for more able students, and it would be possible to run through it as separate, timed class activities for less able students. It may be useful if students are failing to explain the writer’s language in depth.
For students who are just coming across comparative poetry essays for the first time, it would be useful to run through how to plan as a class, modelling how to answer before encouraging students to write their own paragraph.
Students approaching the exam could do this as a timed practice or it could be set as cover.
Additionally, the formatting and layout has been influenced by ‘The Learning Scientist’ and their principles on how to make resources most accessible.
Take a look at my other resources and blog: http://idealisticteacher.edublogs.org/
AQA GCSE students will benefit from these example unseen poetry questions using the latest question format (May 2019).
These poems would be useful as stretch activities for more able students, although it would be possible to run through these as class activities for less able students.
For students who are just coming across unseen poetry for the first time, it would be useful to run through question one and poem one separately, before focusing on language comparison and poem two.
Students approaching the exam could do this as a timed practice or it could be set as cover.
Additionally, the formatting and layout has been influenced by ‘The Learning Scientist’ and their principles on how to make resources most accessible.
Difficult words are translated and there is some planning space provided.
Take a look at my other resources!
AQA GCSE students will benefit from these example unseen poetry questions and responses using the latest question format (May 2019).
These poems would be useful as stretch activities for more able students, although it would be possible to run through these as class activities for less able students. They may be useful if students are failing to understand the impact of context on the writing of a poem.
For students who are just coming across unseen poetry for the first time, it would be useful to run through question one and poem one separately, before focusing on language comparison and poem two.
Students approaching the exam could do this as a timed practice or it could be set as cover.
Additionally, the formatting and layout has been influenced by ‘The Learning Scientist’ and their principles on how to make resources most accessible.
Difficult words are translated and there is some planning space provided.
Take a look at my other resources!
Or my blog: https://idealisticteacher.edublogs.org/author/idealisticteacher/
AQA GCSE students will benefit from this example unseen poetry question one and response using the latest question format (May 2019).
This would be useful as stretch activities for more able students, although it would be possible to run through as a class activity for less able students. It may be useful if students are failing to understand how to explain language.
For students who are just coming across unseen poetry for the first time, this would be useful to run through question one and poem one using an example, before focusing on language comparison for question two.
Students approaching the exam could do this as a timed practice or it could be set as cover.
THIS GOES WITH ANOTHER RESOURCE (SIMILARLY TITLED). The other resource has an additional poem and includes question two.
Additionally, the formatting and layout has been influenced by ‘The Learning Scientist’ and their principles on how to make resources most accessible.
Difficult words are translated and there is some planning space provided.
Take a look at my other resources!
Here you’ll find three different worksheets: one running through the first text on slavery; the second running through a second text on ancient Egyptian slavery; and a worksheet running through the different questions, one to four.
Both of these texts are 19th century to provide increased stretch.
The aim here is that the worksheets provide a structure for a series of lessons, giving students time to learn how to approach a non-fiction text before then answering exam style questions. The texts could be used separately or could build up to writing full exam answers.
Questions one and three could be done when studying the separate texts.
Take at look at my other resources and blog!
http://idealisticteacher.edublogs.org
These resources seek to redress imbalances in most English curricula, containing writing challenges, unseen poetry analysis and non-fiction analysis by LGBTQIA+ writers and writers who are black, asian and from other ethnic groups often, wrongly, omitted from canon.
Where possible, intersectionality has been considered too as we are more than one label…
It is SO important that our children/students hear a range of voices and know that the world should value each of us equally.
Thank you for taking the time to view these resources.
Any mistakes or clumsy phrasing is my own - please let me know politely if I should change anything.
This writing challenge focuses on describing a slum - it might be worthwhile showing students 'Slumdog Millionaire from 06:30 to 09:30 minutes to help them visualise what life is like in a slum.
KS4 students would benefit most from this writing activity which could be done as a stand alone lesson or to support the teaching of English Language paper one in general.
This activity would be useful as stretch activities for more able students, although it would be possible to run through it as a class activity (perhaps planning together) for less able students.
For students who are just coming across writing description for the first time, it would be useful to run through how to plan and write it up separately, before focusing on editing and improving. The Writing Revolution would suggest that approaching it through describing as a teacher (modelling how it’d done), then in pairs and then indvidually would lead to better responses too.
Additionally, the formatting and layout has been influenced by ‘The Learning Scientist’ and their principles on how to make resources most accessible.
Take a look at my blog and other resources!
http://idealisticteacher.edublogs.org/