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)

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.

A Scheme of Work for the A Level Edexcel Coursework Component 9ET0/04 based around The Great Gatsby. Included are 20 tried and tested essay questions that have lead to successful coursework submissions, 22 possible comparison texts and 10 specific points of comparison with any second text. There is a list of over 30 textual themes and issues in The Great Gatsby, notes and tasks on its contextual influences, literary elements and narrative methods. There are also links to 3 useful documentaries.

A ccss compliant, no prep required 14 page work book consisting of 100 reading questions, a detailed list of the gothic features of the novel and a creative writing task ‘The Danvers Letters’. There is also a two page essay which introduces the novel and argues its merit as a source of study. A document of four sample PEA paragraphs which explore the gothic features of the text and an analysis grid worksheet considering the female characters are also provided.

A comprehension and creative writing task based around an amusing extract from Cider with Rosie describing Laurie Lee’s first day at school. There are a series of short answer comprehension questions which test a variety of reading skills followed by an extended Creative Writing task. This is available in both Question Booklet form and Question and Answer Booklet form. It is an excellent way to gain early data on student’s abilities and needs. No preparation is required.

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 detailed program for Australian Stage 4 Year 8 on Trash by Andy Mulligan which is estimated to last 7 or 8 weeks / 20 to 25 lessons. All activities are tied to Australian National Curriculum Outcomes and fully differentiated for G&T, LD and ESL students. Learning activities and assessment tasks are embedded throughout taking the form of group projects, debates, close analysis of visual, literary and digital texts, and creative writing in a range of text types including news reports, feature articles and diary text types. Students also compose graphic organisers, charts and Venn diagrams. Visible thinking routines, self and peer assessment are used throughout, and there is an emphasis on social justice, diversity, sustainability and critical thinking built into all tasks. Extensive ICT learning is embedded through the unit with the creation and development of a ‘Digital Portfolio’ where students will store and reflect on their work. All activities also comply with UK NC guidelines.

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.

For the Edexcel A Level Literature Prose Study: Science and Society, a detailed Scheme of Learning connecting Frankenstein and The Handmaid’s Tale. A range of concepts and focuses for study are included, along with sophisticated vocabulary and terminology. There are many thought provoking discussion questions, critical viewpoints and ideas provided which can be adapted to extended essay content. Interesting individual and collaborative learning activities with a number of links to websites with useful related content are included throughout.

37 detailed study questions for chapters 1 to 5, a list of gothic features with a task, a short exemplar essay analysing an extract and another extract with questions which can be used as a test. A list of ideas for learning activities is also included.

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.

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.

A detailed reading test which asks students to answer comprehension questions based around every chapter of the novel. The document is 8 pages long with spaces for written responses. This can also be used as a worksheet or shared activity.

A nine slide ppt and 8 page work pack filled with examples of good quality writing that shows rather than tells, top tips, tasks and challenges for students to build skills in using language to show something with their creative writing skills rather than tell it. Ideal for AQA GCSE Language Paper 1 or Key Stages 2 and 3 creative writing.

A 21 page reading guide to Of Mice and Men including chapter summaries, brief thinking tasks, a bank of quotations, character descriptions, explanations of themes and issues.

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 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).

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.

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.

A full Scheme of Work for the Romantic Poetry unit (9ETO/03) of the Edexcel A Level Literature course. Information and a host of learning activities address each Assessment Objective, focus on contextual influences, conventions and characteristics of the movement, then on each poet and prescribed poem in turn. Tasks and ideas for study are provided to extrapolate evaluative and insightful understanding of the meanings of each poem in conjunction with further activities which prepare students for writing high level essay responses to essay questions.