A Thought-Provoking Journey through Classic Dystopian Literature
Embark on a captivating educational journey with our 14-lesson scheme, “Navigating Dystopias,” designed exclusively for secondary education. This comprehensive program delves into the thought-provoking world of dystopian fiction, featuring five seminal works that have shaped the genre:
“Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
“The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
“The Pedestrian” by Ray Bradbury
“The Test” by Theodore Thomas
“Examination Day” by Henry Slesar
Educational Objectives:
Students will engage in analysis of thematic elements, character development, and socio-political commentary embedded within each story.
Our scheme encourages students to draw parallels and contrasts between the different dystopian worlds, fostering a nuanced understanding of the genre.
Engaging Content: Dystopian fiction resonates with young minds, sparking their imagination and prompting meaningful discussions about society, governance, and individual freedoms.
Includes:
14 lessons of PowerPoints
5 Dystopian Stories Booklet
An Extract from: Mathew Syed: You Are Awesome: Find Your Confidence and Dare to be Brilliant at (Almost) Anything
Mathew Syed is a three-time men’s singles champion at the Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships (in 1997, 2000 and 2001), and also competed for Great Britain in two Olympic Games: at Barcelona in 1992 and at Sydney in 2000. During his sporting career, Syed entered journalism, and later became a writer.
This lesson is based on an extract that describes his fear of public speaking. Through practice, he improves and eventually reaches a point of self confidence that inspires and motivates the reader.
Includes:
PowerPoint: 13 slides with 6 activities. Aimed at identifying the conventions of non-fiction and also focusses on the description of feelings and emotions.
PDF: 8 page document that can be printed and photopcopied and used independently for whole class, one-to-one, cover work, or homework.
The first in a collection of no-nonsense lessons and materials aimed at helping Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 pupils engage with non-fiction. With a focus on tier 2 vocabulary, each original article also includes several persuasive techniques pupils can identify.
Can be used in class or during one-to-one tutoring sessions.
Aimed at improving general non-fiction skills and understanding of tier 2 vocabulary.
Includes:
An online article for teenagers (Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level: 7.4. Reading age: 12-14)
Engaging topic: The growing trend of veganism
Power Point presentation (Suggested photocopying: slides 2+4)
Includes 15 tier 2 words (prompted with activity)
Requires analysis of persuasive language techniques
10 comprehension questions with answers
Activity leading towards an extended analysis.
Can be amended for one lesson or more.
Using a short extract from Harry potter: The Philosopher’s Stone, pupils will analyse interesting adjectives, language techniques, and sentence types.
This can be adjusted for delivery between 1 and 3 lessons.
PowerPoint:
16 slides
6 tasks
Addresses tricky vocabulary
Focus on sentence types
Analyse language techniques
Extended reading task
Writing task with engaging image prompts
PDF:
6 pages. All you need to complete the tasks given on the PowerPoint presentation
Explore Act 1, Scene 3 of Macbeth with this free lesson.
Includes:
Extract from Act Scene 3
Activity on difficult vocabulary
Matching modern translation with original text
Questions based on language techniques
Final long form reading question
Writing imaginatively activity
English Language Paper 2 (AQA): An Accompaniment to the AQA Specimen 3 Paper (Pub. 2016)
The PowerPoint is designed to accompany the AQA specimen paper released in 2016.
Source A: The Village that Lost its Children by Laurie Lee
Source B: Earthquake in England
Reading fiction 02.
Using a short extract from Susan Hill’s Woman in Black, pupils will analyse setting and character, with a focus on challenging vocabulary.
This can be adjusted for delivery between 1 to 2 classroom lessons.
Could also be used for one-to-one tuition, independent revision, or using the PDF, set for cover work.
PowerPoint: 14 slides
7 tasks
Addresses tricky vocabulary
Focus on setting & character
Analyse language techniques
Extended reading task
Writing task with engaging image prompt
PDF: 10 pages. All you need to complete the tasks given on the PowerPoint presentation. Can also be photocopied and used independently of PowerPoint for homework, revision, or cover lesson.
A simple group/individual PowerPoint activity that aids students’ understanding of the key themes explored in Priestley’s An Inspector Calls.
Themes:
Love & relationships
Social class
Age
Responsibility
Gender
Morality
Ends with an activity aimed at students collecting all theme-based information.
Word Doc. included to support PowerPoint.
Includes example theme-based questions.
“Fire and Blood and Anguish.”
A lesson aimed at understanding and studying the Inspector’s final speech during a pivotal moment in An Inspector Calls by JB Priestley.
PowerPoint includes: (9 slides)
Revision activity of 10 questions
Copy of Inspector’s final speech
Table aimed at identifying writer’s methods
Question based on analysing effectiveness of persuasive language
Sentence starters
Example response
PDF: Can be printed and used as a companion to the PP, or used independently. Ideal for whole lesson, independent work, one-to-one tuition.
Reading Non-fiction. Lesson includes an extract from a biography on Elon Musk: Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future by Ashlee Vance.
PowerPoint includes: (11 slides) Extract, activity on tricky vocabulary, activities on character and setting in biography. Ends with a writing activity aimed at improving non-fiction writing skills.
Vampires: Reading Non-fiction. A brief history of the vampire myth.
Can be used as a stand-alone lesson, or incorporated into a wider scheme on the subject of gothic literature.
With a focus on reading and understanding non-fiction, this lesson gives students the opportunity to practise independent or class reading of an engaging text.
Includes:
true or false quiz
comprehension questions based on non-fiction text
Summary activity
Writing imaginatively
5-Lesson mini Scheme on The Black Cat by Edgar Allan Poe: Explore Gothic Fiction with Engaging Activities and an End-of-Scheme Assessment
Introduce your students to the eerie world of The Black Cat through this comprehensive 5-lesson scheme. This fully planned unit not only covers key gothic themes, but also includes a range of activities to enhance students’ understanding of literature, culminating in an assessment complete with a mark scheme.
What’s Included:
Lesson 1: Superstitions and the Gothic Mood
An interactive lesson exploring superstitions, setting the stage for understanding gothic conventions. Includes a close reading of the opening passage with tasks on language and mood analysis.
Lesson 2: Character and Plot Analysis
Focuses on the narrator’s descent into madness, guiding students through key plot points with creative tasks such as storyboarding and character analysis.
Lesson 3: Gothic Elements
Delve into gothic fiction’s defining elements with a focus on tension, suspense, and supernatural themes. Includes matching tasks and key term identification.
Lesson 4: Building Suspense and Tension
Activities designed to teach the difference between suspense and tension, allowing students to experiment with writing their own examples. This lesson deepens their understanding of narrative techniques in gothic literature.
Lesson 5: Assessment Preparation & Final Test
This final lesson consolidates learning and prepares students for the end-of-scheme assessment. Students answer structured questions on themes, setting, supernatural elements, violence, and the gothic genre.
Assessment and Mark Scheme:
The scheme concludes with a comprehensive assessment designed to test students’ understanding of The Black Cat. It includes four key questions, each marked out of 3 points, with detailed mark schemes provided for easy grading. This ensures a clear and objective evaluation of student performance across key analytical areas. This can
Why This 5-Lesson Scheme Works:
Fully Planned Scheme: No prep required! The PowerPoint slides and lesson materials are ready to use, guiding you through each stage of teaching the gothic genre.
Interactive and Engaging: Varied activities, including close reading, storyboarding, creative writing, and key term matching, keep students engaged.
Focus on Key Skills: Helps students develop critical analysis and essay-writing skills, while understanding the gothic genre’s key elements.
Final Assessment with Mark Scheme: Includes a structured test to evaluate students’ comprehension of gothic literature, complete with an easy-to-follow marking guide.
Bring the chilling world of Edgar Allan Poe into your classroom with this engaging 5-lesson scheme. Designed to make gothic literature accessible and captivating, this resource will help your students develop their analytical and creative writing skills, while gaining a deeper understanding of classic literature.
AQA English Literature, paper 2, section B: Power & Conflict poetry.
A lesson focussed on comparing Kamikaze by Beatrice Garland, and My Last Duchess by Robert Browning.
Includes activities based on overall themes, language, and structure. Uses the question: Compare how poets present conflict between people in ‘Kamikaze’ and in one other poem from ‘Power and conflict’.
Also includes an example response.
PDF version can be used to support the lesson, or used as an independent resource for independent revision or one-to-one tuition.
One of a collection of no-nonsense lessons and materials aimed at helping Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 pupils engage with non-fiction. With a focus on tier 2 vocabulary, each original article also includes several persuasive techniques pupils can identify.
Can be used in class or during one-to-one tutoring sessions.
Aimed at improving general non-fiction skills and understanding of tier 2 vocabulary.
Includes:
An online article for teenagers (Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level: 9.4. Reading Age: 14-15)
Engaging topic: History of our relationship with dogs
Power Point presentation (Suggested photocopying: slides 2+4)
Includes 10 tier 2 words (prompted with activity)
Requires analysis of persuasive language techniques
10 comprehension questions with answers
Activity leading towards an extended analysis
Can be amended for one lesson or more
One of a collection of no-nonsense lessons and materials aimed at helping Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 pupils engage with non-fiction. With a focus on tier 2 vocabulary, each original article also includes several persuasive techniques pupils can identify.
Can be used in class or during one-to-one tutoring sessions.
Aimed at improving general non-fiction skills and understanding of tier 2 vocabulary.
Includes:
An online article for teenagers (Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level: 11. Reading age: 15-16)
Engaging topic: Explores why swimming is good for you
Power Point presentation (Suggested photocopying: slides 2+4)
Includes 10 tier 2 words (prompted with activity)
Requires analysis of persuasive language techniques
10 comprehension questions with answers
Activity leading towards an extended analysis
Can be amended for one lesson or more
One of a collection of no-nonsense lessons and materials aimed at helping Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 pupils engage with non-fiction. With a focus on tier 2 vocabulary, each original article also includes several persuasive techniques pupils can identify.
Can be used in class or during one-to-one tutoring sessions.
Aimed at improving general non-fiction skills and understanding of tier 2 vocabulary.
Includes:
An online article for teenagers (Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level: 9.3. Reading Age: 14-15 yrs)
Engaging topic: Disadvantages and dangers of social media
Power Point presentation (Suggested photocopying: slides 2+4)
Includes 10 tier 2 words (prompted with activity)
Requires analysis of persuasive language techniques
10 comprehension questions with answers
Activity leading towards an extended analysis
Can be amended for one lesson or more
One of a collection of no-nonsense lessons and materials aimed at helping Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 pupils engage with non-fiction. With a focus on tier 2 vocabulary, each original article also includes several persuasive techniques pupils can identify.
Can be used in class or during one-to-one tutoring sessions.
Aimed at improving general non-fiction skills and understanding of tier 2 vocabulary.
Includes:
An online article for teenagers (Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level: 6.6. Reading Age: 11-13 Years)
Engaging topic: How we can stop global warming
Power Point presentation (Suggested photocopying: slides 2+4)
Includes 10 tier 2 words (prompted with activity)
Requires analysis of persuasive language techniques
10 comprehension questions with answers
Activity leading towards an extended analysis
Can be amended for one lesson or more
One of a collection of no-nonsense lessons and materials aimed at helping Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 pupils engage with non-fiction. With a focus on tier 2 vocabulary, each original article also includes several persuasive techniques pupils can identify.
Can be used in class or during one-to-one tutoring sessions.
Aimed at improving general non-fiction skills and understanding of tier 2 vocabulary.
Includes:
An online article for teenagers (Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level: 7.8 Reading Age: 12-14)
Engaging topic: Is Bitcoin the future of finance?
Power Point presentation (Suggested photocopying: slides 2+4)
Includes 10 tier 2 words (prompted with activity)
Requires analysis of persuasive language techniques
10 comprehension questions with answers
Activity leading towards an extended analysis
Can be amended for one lesson or more
All you need to help pupils read and analyse the first chapter of Lewis Carroll’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’.
Can be adjusted for one lesson, or used over a shorter scheme of learning.
PowerPoint includes:
Overview of novel
Tricky language activity
10 comprehension questions
Language techniques activity
Mapping Wonderland activity
Creative writing and non-fiction writing activities
List of more possible activities
PDF includes:
Copy of Chapter one
Tricky vocabulary activity
10 Comprehension questions and answers
Language techniques activity
Mapping Wonderland activity
Wonderland Word Search
One of a collection of no-nonsense lessons and materials aimed at helping Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 pupils engage with non-fiction. With a focus on tier 2 vocabulary, each original article also includes several persuasive techniques pupils can identify.
Can be used in class or during one-to-one tutoring sessions.
Aimed at improving general non-fiction skills and understanding of tier 2 vocabulary.
Includes:
An online article for teenagers (Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level: 7.8. Reading Age: 13-15)
Engaging topic: How to be successful on TikTok
Power Point presentation (Suggested photocopying: slides 2+4)
Includes 10 tier 2 words (prompted with activity)
Requires analysis of persuasive language techniques
10 comprehension questions with answers
Activity leading towards an extended analysis
Can be amended for one lesson or more