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.

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.

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.

A fun, students out of seats activity which is a great way to get to know your students and stimulate interest in any topic. Students are asked a series of opinion questions which they respond to by moving to an A, B, C or D sign in a different area of the classroom. There are 15 fun, topical questions in a ppt presentation and handout, A, B, C and D sign posts and flash cards. Teacher’s notes and instructions are included. This can be used successfully with any Grade Level and no preparation is required. This is a fantastic way of getting to know a new class or livening things up throughout the year.

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 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 22 slide ppt and handouts which teaches students to understand Romeo and Juliet as a piece of theatre to be watched rather than a text which is read. Students work in groups on drama, arts and crafts activities to produce a tableau of one moment in Act 3 Scene 1, although any moment in the play can be used. Elements including facial expression, body language, proximity, symbolism and use of props to create meaning are explored. Ideas for using masks, playing cards and colour to create meaning are included. An entertaining range of activities are provided which prepare students to complete the central task of creating a tableau. The tableau will communicate information about the characters, themes and issues of the play using only the sense of sight. Students are also asked to write a short essay explaining the content, symbolism and meaning of their tableau. Handouts with detailed instructions, sentence stems and a sample essay are provided. Originally created for Key Stage 4, I am confident this can be used successfully with any age group and ability level as an assessment task or a fun project. The props created can also be adapted for use in a display, as can photographs of the tableaus (with student permission).

A large (136 pages of WORD documents and 11 detailed ppts), fully editable, no prep required complete unit of work which really brings A Midsummer Night’s Dream to life. This unit of work makes the play relevant to student’s lives and the world in which they live, asking them to experience the play as a piece of theatre as well as a literary text. Quizzes, tests, essay questions, worksheets, debate cards, character analysis, group projects, creative activities, contextual information and more. All activities are graduated to fit the learning stages of Blooms Taxonomy moving from recall and understanding through to analysis, evaluation and creation with collaborative projects. Primarily designed for A Level courses or GCSEs, most activities can be easily used with younger age groups at Key Stage 3 (11 to 14 years old). I have placed particular focus on contextual appreciation, textual knowledge, critical thinking, and skills in building and supporting an argument through debate, essay and letter writing tasks. Creative tasks include Director’s Log and Deck of Cards projects. The essay questions in particular are intended to stretch and challenge students’ ability and achievement. The resource includes: Context, Genre Conventions and Narrative (12 pages) Close Reading and Textual Knowledge (57 pages and 9 ppt presentations) Debate and Discussion Tasks (18 pages) Formal Letters (13 pages and 2 Marking Rubrics) Essays (17 essay questions, 25 pages and 2 Marking Rubrics) Collaborative Projects (21 pages and 2 ppts of 35 slides)

An unusual activity which enables students to access a wider range of ambitious, unexpected, descriptive vocabulary and devices than they may usually rely on in their creative writing and make their compositions stand out in the examiner’s pile. This will also assist students in creating specific language fields to assist establishing tone and character within narrative or descriptive writing. The activity should take a full lesson and requires a packet of jelly snakes or similar. It is excellent for GCSE creative writing or adaptable to any age group or ability.

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 huge 23 page document that gives you everything students need to write effective detailed and well developed persuasive pieces. It consists of definitions and a host of examples (most have between 10 and 20) of 31 persuasive devices which include more sophisticated techniques such as parallel structure, antanagogue, absurdity, weasel words, neologisms, allusion, delayed epithet, hypophora, distinction and metabasis. All of the better known devices such as rhetorical questions, emotive language etc are present as are examples of how to use punctuation for persuasive effect such as ellipsis and inverted commas. There is a list of 34 topics for debate followed by 13 AQA style GCSE Language Paper 2 Question 5s. Also provided are 14 ideas that students can choose between to build any argument around which will help them avoid repeating the same point in their writing. 10 mnemonics are included to help students remember these argument ideas. The resource ends with a handy checklist to aid students in ensuring their writing uses the conventions of a persuasive piece. This resource acts as an excellent addition to any scheme of learning or works very well alone. It is also a useful reference when focusing on specific skills with any age group.

A detailed annotation of the prologue to the first Game of Thrones novel created for the AQA Level NEA Original Writing Coursework component. This is a good example of how to annotate the Style Model and provides ideas for the Commentary.

Designed for A Level or advanced GCSE students, a 25 slide power-point presentation which provides a detailed introduction to literary criticism. The concept of critical ‘lenses’ is described and short explanations are given of a number of critical paradigms including Formalism, Deconstructionism, Historical, Intertextual, Psychological, Archetypal, Mimetic and Reader-Response. Feminist (8 slides) and Marxist (4 slides) critical perspectives are explored in some detail, encompassing their core aims, central concerns and interests with specific reference to aspects of The Great Gatsby and Tess of the D’Urbervilles. Bibliographies and guidelines for conducting further research are also included.