Twenty-two lessons on JK Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone aimed at weak Key Stage 3 students, so it would be suitable for Key Stage 2 students also. Activities include designing your own sweet and selling it ; mapping out and labelling Diagon Alley; creating your own potion; creating your own wand; creating similes; selecting text to fill in the blanks cloze exercises. As you progress through the scheme, students create a silly name for themselves which they develop into a character who will have to defeat a monster. They create their own monster and then write a story where they imagine themselves running through the corridors of Hogwarts to defeat it. Full of supporting resources and examples to get them writing. My Harry Potter name is Sally Silly Sausage. What will yours be?

This twenty-one page student workbook contains twelve poems on the theme of football, designed to engage reluctant readers. Each poem has an accompanying activity. The culminating activity is for students to write a letter to their local newspaper arguing either for or against the case that the job of a football manager has become too stressful today. Stimulus material to promote discussion on this includes newspaper reports on sacked managers. This is an absolute bargain, even if I do say so myself! Poems include: Boys’ Game Give us back our ball, missus Oi, Ref Goalpost Blues Several haikus - write your own haiku England v Germany A Manager’s Tale Letter to Newspaper There’s only one Michael Owen It Makes You Think Hard Man

This folder includes a powerpoint which guides students through the poem. The first activity helps them to work out what the Latin sentence “Dulce et Decorum est…” means. This is followed by looking at the poem in terms of Owen’s use of similes, metaphors and imagery. Two example paragraphs of analysis of the first lines of the poem serve as a model to encourage students to write some analysis of their own. A storyboard worksheet is also included which students could complete for homework.This lesson could be used in conjunction with the background lesson on Wilfred Owen, also found here.

This introductory lesson to the greatest World War One poet includes sixteen slides about his life. The folder also contains a very moving letter that he wrote to his mother about a disastrous sentry duty that he had to undertake. The powerpoint concludes with a choice of activities inspired by this letter, such as highlighting all the powerful language and writing your own poem; responding to the letter as Owen’s mother; interviewing Owen and then writing up the interview as a newspaper report (planning sheets included). A great resource to celebrate the centenary of the end of World War One and can be used in both English lessons and history lessons. This can also be used as an introduction to the two other lessons on Dulce et Decorum Est and Exposure, both available here.

A fun lesson on how many objects in the English language have been named after people. The powerpoint includes an explanation of the meaning of the term and then students complete a worksheet with clues to fifteen eponyms. The powerpoint then gives the answers with visually stimulating cartoons. Finally students are asked to create an educational poster for younger students to embed the learning. This is an enlightening and enjoyable lesson, ideal for when your students need a diverting break.

There are eighteen lessons covering the twelve chapters of Neil Gaiman’s horror story for children, “Coraline”. Lessons explore Gaiman’s original use of language as you progress through the book, in particular his description of colours, smell and his use of similes. The scheme of work culminates in students writing their own horror story about “The Other School” that they attend and the “other teachers” who they have to battle to defend their school from. Some lesson folders contain more than one choice of activity. The key theme of bravery is also explored also.

Using Levi Tafari’s poem “Caribbean Christmas”, students read the poem as a class, then take a verse each to practice and perform. Finally students write their own poem about what Christmas is like in the region where they live. Tafari’s poem is great fun as it includes several “Call and response” verses that students love interacting with. Festive fun for all the class with a multi-cultural element. Don’t be all bah humbug this Christmas. Have some fun with your students! Folder includes powerpoint and hard copy of poem.

Don’t you just hate it when students overuse the verb “get” in their writing? With this fun powerpoint, you can encourage your students to abandon this tedious and unimaginative verb. The powerpoint contains several quick-fire activities and the folder includes five worksheets to embed the learning. Great for teaching synonyms and how to vary your vocabulary.

This folder contains a twenty-two page Student Activity Booklet corresponding to twelve lessons on the novel; a scheme of work; plus exam questions; a quote quest activity; a plot sorting activity with answers; as well as various resources to support discussion regarding what makes a true hero.

Two Lessons on AQA Power and Conflict cluster poem “The Charge of the Light Brigade” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. The first lesson gives detailed historical background with activities to understand the archaic vocabulary. Students then explore the poet’s use of language. Students are guided to discover why Tennyson adopted his point of view towards the soldiers and the charge. The second lesson explores the language further by explolding quotations showing the fear of the soldiers. Students are then supported to imagine that they were a survivor of the charge and to write a creative account of the battle using actual testimony from survivors and footage of a cavalry charge from “War Horse”.

Students explore John Agard’s use of irony in this clever poem. They are then supported to write a parody of the poem, rejecting any stereotypes of themselves. A multiple choice quiz worksheet is used as a starter to get students interested in the themes and ideas.

Three lessons and two worksheets on John Agard’s brilliant poem “Checking Out Me History”. The first lesson uses a worksheet to enable students to discover the eight historical figures referred to in the poem and to discuss their own experience of history education. The second lesson covers the theme of the poem, focusing on how Agard presents identity. Using a worksheet and activity, students then explore their own identity. Finally, the third lesson looks at how Agard uses imagery of seeing in his work and students are then supported to create original and interesting imagery of their own.

Get your students ready for Halloween with this article packed full of interesting facts about the origin and history of Halloween. Eight comprehension questions follow, mainly based on select and retrieve questions, with mark scheme included. Finally there is a task to design a leaflet for younger students promoting Halloween. Created to engage students with British history and culture, this resource would also be ideal for EAL learners also.

Using an extract from the brilliant Roadl Dahl’s memoir “Going Solo”, students analyse how he appeals to the senses to describe his arrival in Africa for the first time. Students are then given lots of ideas for places, times of the day, what they can see, hear, smell, feel and they write their own description, just like an expert. The folder contains a worksheet of the toolkit vocabulary and copy of the Dar Es Salaam extract. All you need to inspire your students to describe places like a professional.

Revise how to use the apostrophe of omission with your students with this comprehensive Powerpoint packed full of exercises with answers. Together with the Powerpoint “Apostrophes of Possession” your students will become experts in the use of the apostrophe and not victims of the Apostrophe Protection Society!

Two lessons that cover cliches in the English language. The first lesson looks at how many similes are cliches and invites students to create their own original similes to create a poem about autumn inspired by five different autumnal pictures. The second lesson looks at how many idioms are cliches and uses a worksheet for students to explore the meaning of well-known idioms. Worksheet included.

Engage your weaker students with this sixteen lesson workbook covering literacy topics, as well as creative and imaginative work, inspired by Dav Pilkey’s hilarious comic duo, George and Harold. As George and Harold attempt to foil another of Captain Underpant’s dastardly deeds, your students can create their own superhero. Supplementary Powerpoints include apostrophes of possession and complex sentences, all linked to the book. My class of boys with special educational needs absolutely loved this scheme of work.

This student workbook contains activities based on poems from Benjamin Zephaniah’s poetry antholgy entitled “Talking Turkeys”. There are twelve lessons covering the following poems - “Greetings”, “Bodytalk”, “Running”, “Fear Not”, “Little Sister”, “According To My Mood”, “De Generation Rap”, “Civil Lies”, “For Sale”, “Who’s Who”, “Heroes” , “Memories” and “Pride”. There is also “Checking Out Me History” by John Agard included for comparison. Creative writing tasks include writing about a hero and writing about a time when you felt proud. This is designed to engage and enthuse low ability students with fun activities on the great Benjamin Zephaniah. An added bonus is a powerpoint that encourages students to write about a relative.

Have fun exploring ideas about animal cruelty with Benjamin Zephaniah’s hilarious poem “Talking Turkeys”. This folder contains a cloze exercise on the poem to engage students directly with the text with follow-up comprehension questions. There are then three more powerpoint options for further exploration. Students can either create a leaflet to persuade people to give up turkey and eat something else at Christmas. Or if you are looking for a Christmas themed activity, students can use the poem as inspiration for their own Christmas poem. And don’t forget to watch Mr Zephaniah in action on Youtube, performing said poem in a bright pink shell suit. Not to be missed!

Would you like your students to have more opportunities to practice their English GCSEs? If so this AQA style English Language Paper 1 exam paper, with mark scheme could help you. Using an extract from the novel “Anne of Green Gables” by Lucy Maud Montgomery, published in 1908, this exam paper and mark scheme mirrors exactly an AQA paper 1 English GCSE.The PDF includes spaces for students’ to write their answers, together with the mark scheme. All you need to set your students on the road to success.