A five page resource to aid last minute ‘cramming’ and revision for AQA GCSE Literature Paper 1 and Paper 2 middle to lower ability students. The texts covered are Macbeth, A Christmas Carol and The Lord of the Flies. Each page consists of a number of key words, pertinent textual references, core events, tone, context and symbolism. There are also pages for the Power and Conflict poetry cluster and the Unseen Poetry section of Paper 2. These consist of key words, voice, symbolism, tone, context, pace and setting. Ideas and possible structures for essay responses are included as acronyms and bullet points, as are sentence stems and discourse markers to aid comparison. These cards work well alone or as a short booklet.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream Context, Genre Conventions and Narrative Worksheets. A detailed, informative essay on the play’s origin and context. A detailed and clear plot synopsis with a plot ordering task as a print out worksheet. An information and worksheet exploring the conventions of Shakespearean comedy. All documents are in worksheet format, fully editable and printable. No preparation is required.

A really handy venn diagram and 6 short tasks which asks students to investigate the characters Hamlet, Claudius and Laertes through consideration of the ways they are similar and unique. This is a great way to stretch students’ knowledge of the play, stimulate discussion and debate, or simply to use as a homework task for A Level courses.

A Jekyll and Hyde essay writing unit of work with a worksheet pack for AQA GCSE Literature Paper. This gets fantastic results in examination analytical writing focusing on the themes, issues and contextual influences on the novel Jekyll and Hyde and teachers students how to build an argument and write an essay which meets all assessment objectives. This extends skills to level 8 or 9 in analysis, evaluation, incorporating contextual influences and academic writing. The resource contains a list of the central themes of the novel, two extended thesis statements for students to expand upon with supporting evidence, and a number of shorter ideas which students are asked to use to form their own thesis statements and explorations. There are a number of specific references to the contextual influences on the narrative. Together this builds to a sample exam style question and a detailed essay plan. A ppt of 12 slides and 13 page workpack.

A detailed table which breaks down many of the similarities and differences in the ways the characters, narrative events and issues in the play are extended, challenged and subverted in the modern film appropriation. It can be used as a support resource for an essay, presentation or to aid revision. It can also be adapted by deleting some parts of the text and asking students to add their own ideas and examples.

Twenty questions testing knowledge and understanding of the whole play. Most questions are multiple choice, some require short written answers and quotation interpretation. The test should take no longer than 30 minutes to complete and a full answer key is provided.

Four pages of question by question advice and tips for AQA GCSE Language Paper 1 Section A and Section B. Easy to remember acronyms, sentence stems and phrases, narrative and descriptive ideas and strategies tailored to the Assessment Objectives of each question. Excellent for last minute cramming or consolidation of knowledge.

Ninety flashcards and a teacher reference list of high level literary terms and vocabulary which raise the sophistication of literary investigation and analytical writing. If applied correctly, these terms will enhance student insight into literary texts and raise the evaluative quality of essays. This resource is great for A Level courses or advanced GCSE students.

Detailed essay ideas, quotes, scaffold included: A new spec AQA GCSE Literature Paper 1 Macbeth exam style question on the theme of ‘remorse’ incorporating a play script extract from Act 3 Scene 4 ‘Banquo’s Ghost’. A number of additional scene extracts and quotations relevant to the question are included as well as a series of detailed thesis statement ideas and a comprehensive essay scaffold handout to aid student planning. This resource provides excellent revision preparation for the upcoming examinations that can be used in class or as an independent student task.

A close reading test on the traditional story Artemis and Actaeon. The short story is included and there are nine comprehension questions and an extended response task. This is intended for a higher ability Year 8 or 9 class. It is recommended that the class reads the story together then students approach the tasks alone. Presented this way, this should take two lessons.

Three creative writing tasks with ideas and advice for producing good quality stories. This forms part of my larger resource ‘AQA GCSE Paper 1 Section B Really Effective Creative Writing Advice and Tasks’. Both resources can work brilliantly with any age group for any curriculum. This works really well with students, showing them how to write less but write it better. This also stimulates their own creative ideas for using narrative and descriptive language. I have uploaded a short film to YouTube which takes you throught this presentation names AQA GCSE Language Paper 1 Section B Creating a Narrative. Available in ppt and word document formats.

With new additions, a fantastic resource which uses Romeo and Juliet as a focus to practise and refine persuasive writing skills in a variety of forms including a letter to the editor, a newspaper article, a radio interview, a personal journal and a speech. Students develop empathy skills through writing as a series of characters to persuade an audience of Verona’s citizens of their perspective on the events of the play. Each task includes a description of the form students will be asked to write in, a list of its structural and language conventions, and detailed task instructions. This works well as early preparation for the AQA GCSE Paper 1 Shakespeare question, or the Paper 2 Section 2 Point of View task for a Year 9 class, or any other persuasive writing examination assessment, or as an extended independent learning homework project. New addition are fun Wanted Poster worksheets for Romeo, Mercutio and Tybalt which act primarily as a drawing activity, and a Hot Honeys Dating Profile worksheet that students can complete for characters of their choice.

A thorough (15 pages, 5200 words), chapter by chapter breakdown of the content, themes, issues and concerns of the author, literary devices and impact of The Handmaid’s Tale. Every point is tied to specific textual references which together provide an essential support resource for any study of the novel for A Level study for AQA, Edexcel, OCR or other examination boards. This reource also assists study for the Australian HSC.

Two really useful assessment mark sheets for AQA A Level English Language (new spec) Paper 2 Questions 3 and 4. Both documents use the language and grade descriptors of the mark scheme which correspond to grade numerals. They are both fully formatted with a good size space to enter numeric results and detailed written feedback. There is a space for the specific question to be entered at the top of the document and the usual sentence stem is included. A really handy time saving addition to AQA A Level English Language resources.

Created to raise student achievement in the Edexcel A Level Literature 9ETO/02 examination, a collection of eight sophisticated, evaluative and detailed thesis statements drawing connections between Frankenstein and The Handmaid’s Tale. The statements address all Assessment Objectives for this examination and can be adapted for use in most essays. A number of tasks are included to familiarise students with the language of the mark scheme and to develop their analytical writing skills to an excellent standard. The content and tasks here can be used as one lesson and homework or extended into a longer unit of work.

This package focuses on To My Nine Year Old Self by Helen Dunmore and prepares students for the Edexcel A Level Literature ‘Contemporary Poetry’ section of exam paper 9ETO/03. It contains a host of thought provoking learning activities designed to give students an in depth knowledge of the poem and the skills to write an evaluative comparative essay. There is a ppt with thinking routine activities and an analytical paragraph, an extended worksheet of questions and tasks which guides students towards forming and developing their own thesis statements, and an extended analysis which students are asked to adapt into a comparative essay. Links to the examination focus, question style and Assessment Objectives are referenced throughout.

15 ‘Midsummer and Me’ Debate and Discussion Question Cards which outline an ethical issue in the play and ask a series of critical thinking questions. This set is very flexible and can be used in a number of ways. Most popular uses so far are as ‘speed dating’ group discussions or as the basis for more formal debates. Tasks can be used as essay questions. Class Debates. Full instructions for holding a more formal class debate are provided along with 20 thought provoking, controversial debate topics. A handout explaining and giving examples of persuasive language devices is also included. This resource makes up part of my bundle full unit of work on A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Midsummer Night’s Dream Scene by Scene Quizzes of between 10 and 20 multiple choice questions. All are available as printouts and ppt presentations with one question per slide to aid feedback or so quizzes can easily be turned into a class competition. A full answer key is provided and everything is printable and editable. A quiz on the opening scene which asks for short written responses. This can be used with any age group though it is probably better suited to 14 years old and upwards, GCSE and A Level or similar age curriculums.

15 A Midsummer Night’s Dream critical thinking essay question cards, indicative content and marking sheets. Best for A Level or extending GCSE students, or any curriculum ages 14+. All resources are printable and editable. Each has a challenging and engaging central essay question, with the remainder of the page given over to a number of thought provoking and sophisticated thesis statements or ideas which students can extend to form a complete essay. Questions focus on: love, power, characterization, the influence of setting, narrative methods, justice and morality, reality and illusion, the conventions of Shakespearen comedy, argument and conflict, plays and acting roles, rebellion and dissent, transformation and personal identity, the value a society places on free will, the consequences of argument and conflict, the interplay of states of order and chaos. Essay focuses are concerned with enabling comment on the human condition and the structures of the world around us. Samuel Pepys’ Review Essay Task: a highly engaging essay task asking students to respond to a 17th century negative review of the play. The task is presented in a 4 page hand out which provides step by step tuition in how to form sophisticated, convincing response ideas, source textual evidence and write engaging, analytical and perceptive paragraphs. An additional 2 page resource consists of exemplar paragraphs and a short essay are provided with a list of useful vocabulary and perceptive ideas for students to adapt and use. This is available in 2 alternative formats for teacher choice. A graphic organiser to assist students in forming specific, complex ideas is included as are two Marking Rubrics.

A ‘How To’ guide in writing successful, sophisticated short stories. These 8 pages break down all the major elements including; narrative viewpoint and the way this shapes meaning, the importance of setting and context, plot building, character creation and development, the necessity of strong themes, methods to create and maintain a central conflict, effective openings, and maintaining reader interest. This is best suited to advanced classes or older students. This will raise achievement for AQA GCSE Language Paper 1 Section B.