This lessons asks students to plan how they could write convincingly in role, using persuasive techniques to develop their ideas whilst referring to their knowledge of the play Macbeth. The lesson is good writing practice for AQA English Language Paper 2, section B and of course the Literature Paper 1. Students would need to know the whole play in order to complete this task. The lesson starts by asking students to list persuasive devices (I have used the DAFOREST acrostic here but you could change to which ever you use). They are then asked, initially in pairs, to plan for the following task: Imagine you are Lady Macbeth. You have been put on trial for the involvement in King Duncan’s murder. You must convince the judge that you were not responsible for the murder… It was all your husband’s fault! There is a slide which suggests some ideas and a planning sheet to help them articulate their ideas using the devices discussed previously. This could be taught across two lessons (1 to plan and 1 to write it). There is an opportunity to either peer or self assess the plan or the written argument at the end of the lesson which refers to the exam's success criteria.

In this lesson students are asked to explore how Golding uses patterns of imagery within 'Lord of the Flies' in order to explore the sinister nature of the boys and the island itself. The lesson starts by asking students to consider how the boys would feel after arriving at the island and the challenge task asks them to consider why Golding chose the island as the setting at all. As a warm up, students are then asked to consider 2 quotes from the first chapter in pairs and list any techniques used and the effect of those comments. A slide follows with suggested ideas to discuss. Student can then in groups consider the list of quotes from across the rest of the novel attached.They can stick them in their books, annotate and highlight them and then the teacher can annotate them on the board where the class can feedback their ideas. Students are encouraged to think about the following questions: - What is Golding’s message to the reader? - What is he trying to say to us about what is happening to them? - The novel was published in 1954. How might these quotes link to people’s attitudes towards the world after WWII? - Some people think that the island is like a character itself. To what extent do you agree? Students are then asked to write essay paragraphs independently using provided sentence starters which come in 3 formats: a 'layers of meaning' approach, PEA or the 'reading ladder'. An opportunity to self or peer assess their essay writing follows this. To follow this, there is an exemplar essay about the island which students can peer assess in order to think again about the targets that they can set themselves. They can annotate this essay within their books and compare it to their own efforts. I've also added it to the powerpoint for class feedback annotations. The success criteria provided refers to the Edexcel English Literature course but can be adapted to suit your course. This lesson, as my other Literature lessons do, includes: - Links to online videos (see 'notes' under Powerpoint slides) - Starter tasks which introduce the main idea of the lesson - Handouts of quotes / extracts from the novel - Differentiated tasks - Opportunities for pair and group talk within activities ('Talk for Writing') - Alternating opportunities for self and peer assessment - Essay writing prompts to allow students to write about the text

Attached is everything you need to set up a speaking and listening project that could be adapted to last up to 3 lessons and could be assessed as a GCSE style Speaking and Listening activity. After studying the play Romeo and Juliet, students are asked to get into groups of up to 6 and perform in role as an outsider commenting on the relationship between Romeo and Juliet (it's suggested that the imaginary discussion takes place after their suicide for maximum impact). They can choose from the roles of: Friar Lawrence, the Nurse, Lord and Lady Capulet, Benvolio and Mercutio. By planning and performing the activity, they are not only revising the plot of the play but they are also practicing/being assessed on their speaking and listening skills. This task is naturally easy to differentiate since some characters are more challenging as others and you can choose who plays which role if you like. Although this is designed to help departments using the AQA exam board, it can be adapted for any course. Attached is: - Lesson 1 powerpoint (planning and assigning roles) - Lesson 2 powerpoint (performing and peer assessing) - a prompt sheet for each student's character where they're offered ideas to explore in the discussion - a student friendly copy of the AQA Speaking and Listening mark scheme (Pass, Merit, Distinction) - A student and teacher assessment tick sheet (plenty of space for peer and self assessment which refers to the success criteria.

This is a lesson on a poem which explores the consequences of the American attacks on Vietnam during the war. It features in the Edexcel anthology of Literature exam poems. It's particularly useful to compare to 'Kamikaze' by Beatrice Garland (AQA) or 'War Photographer by Carole Satyamurti (see my lesson on this in my shop). The lesson begins by asking students to comment on Vietnamese cultures based on images presented on the slide. There is then a slide which introduces them to the Vietnam war and then Denise Levertov as a poet. Students are then introduced to the 'WPSLOMP' method of analysing poetry which they can then apply in pairs before colour coding quotes which are examples of peaceful and violent imagery, as well as some more challenging devices. The ideas they pull together for this can then be explored as a class and the slides can be annotated by the teacher on the board and there are also some quotes colour coded as the answers. Students are then asked to think about structure and there is a slide which refers to the use of anaphora, alliteration and the overall effect of the poem's layout. The lesson ends with a chance for students to write independent essay paragraphs with Edexcel's exam success criteria but this can be adapted for your course. There are 3 options on how to approach essay writing: 'layers of meaning', PEA, or the 'reading ladder' which follow the same idea. There is then an opportunity to self or peer assess according to the key skills. As with all my lessons, there are 'Talk for Writing' activities and Challenge tasks for more able students. Attached is; - A powerpoint with the lesson clearly outlined - A copy of the poem with a word bank - A handout of glossary style word banks which students can stick into their anthologies - PEA style writing frames which can be cut out to support weaker students in their essay writing - Links to online videos/readings (see 'Notes' under slides). - A separate powerpoint with 2 suggested homework activities linked to this poem. If you like this resource, please review it!

In this lesson students are asked to identify key moments from 'Lord of the Flies' and comment on how the writer explores the theme of violence throughout the story (A01, 3). The lesson starts by asking students what violence is and list all the relevant moments from the book that they remember. A slide follows with suggested ideas to discuss. Student can then in groups consider the list of quotes from across the novel on the A3 sheet attached. They can stick them in their books, annotate and highlight them and then the teacher can annotate them on the board where the class can feedback their ideas. Since there are a lot of quotes on this sheet, student may want to allocate a section to each member of the group in order to get through it all. Students are encouraged to think about the following questions: - What is Golding’s message to the reader? - What is he trying to tell us about what is happening to the boys? - The novel was published in 1954. How might these quotes link to people’s attitudes towards the world after WWII? - Some people think that the island is like a violent character itself. Do you agree? Why is this effective? Students are then asked to write essay paragraphs independently using provided sentence starters which come in 3 formats: a 'layers of meaning' approach, PEA or the 'reading ladder'. An opportunity to self or peer assess their essay writing follows this. The success criteria provided refers to the Edexcel English Literature course but can be adapted to suit your course. This lesson, as my other Literature lessons do, includes: - Links to online videos/websites (see 'notes' under Powerpoint slides) - Starter tasks which introduce the main idea of the lesson - Handouts of quotes / extracts from the text - Differentiated tasks - Opportunities for pair and group talk within activities ('Talk for Writing') - Alternating opportunities for self and peer assessment - Essay writing prompts to allow students to write about the text

This is a lesson on a poem about the First World War which laments how soldiers died 'as cattle' without proper Christian burial in the trenches of France. It is a conflict poem which explores the themes of violence and fear in war which can be linked to other poems taught within a unit. It's particularly useful to compare to 'Bayonet Charge' by Ted Hughes and 'Exposure' (also by Owen). The lesson begins by asking students to list what they know about the poor living conditions within the trenches. There is then a slide which offers facts later referred to in the poem. Students are then introduced to the 'WPSLOMP' method of analysing poetry which they can then apply in pairs before colour coding quotes which are examples of religious references, metaphors, simile and alliteration. The ideas they pull together for this can then be explored as a class and the slides can be annotated by the teacher on the board. Students are then asked to think about structure and there is a slide which introduces them to the structure of a sonnet, iambic pentameter and demonstrates the rhyme scheme. The lesson ends with a chance for students to write independent essay paragraphs using a generic success criteria but this can be adapted for your course. There are 3 options on how to approach essay writing: 'layers of meaning', PEA, or the 'reading ladder' which follow the same idea. There is then an opportunity to self or peer assess according to the key skills. As with all my lessons, there are 'Talk for Writing' activities and Challenge tasks for more able students. Attached is; - A powerpoint with the lesson clearly outlined - Links to online videos/readings (see 'Notes' under slides) - A copy of the poem with a word bank

In this lessons students will be able to explain how a poet explores particular contexts within a poem and discuss useful quotes in order to prove their ideas (A01, 2, 3). The poem is part of AQA's anthology of Literature exam poems. The poem, if you don't know it, illustrates Agard's anger at the inadequacy of teaching of black history taught in schools and how certain figures are still unknown by many. It is a conflict poem which explores the themes of prejudice and ignorance which can be linked to other poems taught within a unit. It's particularly useful to compare to 'The Émigrée' by Carol Rumens and 'Tissue' by Imtiaz Dharker. The lesson starts with asking students what context is. The next few slides introduce them to key words relating to colonialism as well as some facts about the British / European occupation of Agard's homeland, Guyana. There are also some facts about the famous black people he lists: Toussaint L’Ouverture, Nanny of the Maroons, Shaka the Zulu, etc. This background information will help them contextualize his feelings which are presented in the poem. In pairs, they're asked to use the WPSLOMP acrostic to annotate the poem and there is a slide with it on to be presented on the board. The lesson ends with a chance for students to write independent essay paragraphs with AQA's exam success criteria but this can be adapted for your course. There are 3 options on how to approach essay writing: 'layers of meaning', PEA, or the 'reading ladder' which follow the same idea. There is then an opportunity to self or peer assess according to the key skills. As with all my lessons, there are 'Talk for Writing' activities and Challenge tasks for more able students. Attached is; - A powerpoint with the lesson clearly outlined - Essay PEA styles sentence starters writing frames for weaker students. - Links to online videos/readings (see 'Notes' under slides).

This is a lesson on a modern poem (published 1957) about the First World War which features in AQA's anthology of Literature exam poems. The poem, if you don't know it, describes a nameless soldier's advance 'over the top' in the trenches. It is a conflict poem which explores the themes of violence and fear in war which can be linked to other poems taught within a unit. It's particular useful to compare to 'Exposure' by Wilfred Owen and 'Remains' by Simon Armitage. The lesson begins by showing students a list of words featured in the poem, asking them to define them and consider associations with them which encourages them to think about the context. There is then a slide which explains what a bayonet is and features a link to a video on 'going over the top'. Students are then introduced to the 'WPSLOMP' method of analysing poetry which they can then apply in pairs before colour coding quotes which explore peace and violence as well as any imagery. The ideas they pull together for this can then be explored as a class and there are slides which reveal the devices for them to then write about. The lesson ends with a chance for students to write independent essay paragraphs with AQA's exam success criteria but this can be adapted for your course. There are 3 options on how to approach essay writing: 'layers of meaning', PEA, or the 'reading ladder' which follow the same idea. There is then an opportunity to self or peer assess according to the key skills. As with all my lessons, there are 'Talk for Writing' activities and Challenge tasks for more able students. Attached is; - A powerpoint with the lesson clearly outlined - A copy of the poem with a word box - A handout of glossary style word banks which students can stick into their anthologies - Essay PEA styles sentence starters writing frames for weaker students (these refer to a different essay question to the lesson but can be adapted)

In this lesson students are asked to explain how Shakespeare uses the theme of disorder in order to reflect the Jacobean fear of evil . The lesson starts by asking students to identify how there has been disorder so far in the play and comment on some provided quotes. Students are then asked to read the scene where Ross and the Old Man discuss the chaos within Scotland since Duncan's death and identify and explain key quotes. The lesson ends with an opportunity to respond independently by writing an essay paragraph. All lessons in this series include: - Links to online videos (see 'notes' under Powerpoint slides) - Starter tasks which introduce the main idea of the lesson - Differentiated tasks - Opportunities for pair and group talk within activities ('Talk for Writing') - Handouts of scenes or a selection of quotes from scenes studied - Alternating opportunities for self and peer assessment - Essay writing prompts to allow students to write about the scene - References to the AQA English Literature mark scheme for Paper 1, particularly to the demands for attaining a grade 5 - what is considered a 'good pass' for the qualification. It's suggested that you download the whole series to appreciate the full learning journey.

In this lesson students are asked to explain how Macbeth’s personality and his use of language has changed since he’s been King . The lesson starts by asking students to consider the security of Macbeth's position and make predictions based on what they know already. Students are then asked to read Macbeth's soliloquy (a link is provided to Patrick Stewart's performance) and consider what his treatment of the assassins shows about him. The lesson ends with an opportunity to respond independently by writing an essay paragraph. All lessons in this series include: - Links to online videos (see 'notes' under Powerpoint slides) - Starter tasks which introduce the main idea of the lesson - Differentiated tasks - Opportunities for pair and group talk within activities ('Talk for Writing') - Handouts of scenes or a selection of quotes from scenes studied - Alternating opportunities for self and peer assessment - Essay writing prompts to allow students to write about the scene - References to the AQA English Literature mark scheme for Paper 1, particularly to the demands for attaining a grade 5 - what is considered a 'good pass' for the qualification. It's suggested that you download the whole series to appreciate the full learning journey.

In this lesson students are asked to explain how Shakespeare uses language in order to explore Macbeth’s state of mind before he kills Duncan. The lesson starts by asking students why Shakespeare's use of 'apostrophe' is an effective dramatic device and leads to asking how Banquo feels about the evening's atmosphere as he roams Macbeth's battlements. Students are then asked to identify quotes in Macbeth soliloquy (a link is provided to Patrick Stewart's performance) where he feels nervous and confused. The lesson ends with an opportunity to respond independently by writing an essay paragraph. All lessons in this series include: - Links to online videos (see 'Notes' under Powerpoint slides) - Starter tasks which introduce the main idea of the lesson - Differentiated tasks - Opportunities for pair and group talk within activities ('Talk for Writing') - Handouts of scenes or a selection of quotes from scenes studied - Alternating opportunities for self and peer assessment - Essay writing prompts to allow students to write about the scene - References to the AQA English Literature mark scheme for Paper 1, particularly to the demands for attaining a grade 5 - what is considered a 'good pass' for the qualification. It's suggested that you download the whole series to appreciate the full learning journey.

In this lesson students are asked to peer assess an extract from an essay and set themselves their own target based on their scrutiny of success criteria provided. After this, they are asked to identify and explain how Lady Macbeth uses language to persuade Macbeth to kill Duncan. Attached is a printable grid listing persuasive devices where students can annotate suitable quotes from the text. On these slides are essay prompts where students can then write up their findings, aiming to act on the target they set at the start of the lesson. All lessons in this series include: - Links to online videos (see 'Notes' under Powerpoint slides) - Starter tasks which introduce the main idea of the lesson - Differentiated tasks - Opportunities for pair and group talk within activities ('Talk for Writing') - Handouts of scenes or a selection of quotes from scenes studied - Alternating opportunities for self and peer assessment - Essay writing prompts to allow students to write about the scene - References to the AQA English Literature mark scheme for Paper 1, particularly to the demands for attaining a grade 5 - what is considered a 'good pass' for the qualification. It's suggested that you download the whole series to appreciate the full learning journey.

In this lesson students are asked to explain how and why Lady Macbeth has changed within the play so far. The lesson starts by offering students an analogy about Lady Macbeth and asks them to comment on it. Students are then asked to read the scene where she sleep walks and reveals her guilt to others (links to various film and stage slips are attached). In groups students are then asked to make links to what she says unwittingly here and to what she has previously said in the play. The lesson ends with an opportunity to respond independently by writing an essay paragraph. All lessons in this series include: - Links to online videos (see 'notes' under Powerpoint slides) - Starter tasks which introduce the main idea of the lesson - Differentiated tasks - Opportunities for pair and group talk within activities ('Talk for Writing') - Handouts of scenes or a selection of quotes from scenes studied - Alternating opportunities for self and peer assessment - Essay writing prompts to allow students to write about the scene - References to the AQA English Literature mark scheme for Paper 1, particularly to the demands for attaining a grade 5 - what is considered a 'good pass' for the qualification. It's suggested that you download the whole series to appreciate the full learning journey.

Here I chose to read Act 5 quite quickly with my class and this is how we did it. Feel free to adapt this into 2 or more lessons. In this lesson students are asked to comment on how Macbeth’s attitude to losing the throne highlights how he’s changed as a character. At the start of the lesson,students are presented with a list of qualities expected within a tragic hero and consider how Macbeth is clearly one himself. Students are then asked to read act 5 scene 3 and consider how his attitude towards his position has changed since the start of the play. For the study of scene 5, students are given selected quotes and asked to explore these ideas further, including his use of imagery for effect. There are film clips of his famous 'Tomorrow' soliloquy from both the Patrick Stewart and Fassbender film. To end the lesson students are then asked to consider whether Macbeth was a hateful or sympathetic character and present their ideas on a continuum. All lessons in this series include: - Links to online videos (see 'notes' under powerpoint slides) - Starter tasks which introduce the main idea of the lesson - Differentiated tasks - Opportunities for pair and group talk within activities ('Talk for Writing') - Handouts of scenes or a selection of quotes from scenes studied - Alternating opportunities for self and peer assessment - Essay writing prompts to allow students to write about the scene - References to the AQA English Literature mark scheme for Paper 1, particularly to the demands for attaining a grade 5 - what is considered a 'good pass' for the qualification. It's suggested that you download the whole series to appreciate the full learning journey.

This is a bundle compiling of a powerpoint which introduces students to basic facts about Shakespeare, a sheet which lists facts about King James I, witchcraft and religious conflict in the 1600s that link to the play. Also there is a copy of act 1, scene 1 and an exit slip which can be used at the end of the lesson to assess students' understanding. All lessons in this series include: - Links to online videos (see 'notes' under powerpoint slides) - Starter tasks which introduce the main idea of the lesson - Differentiated tasks - Opportunities for pair and group talk within activities ('Talk for Writing') - Handouts of scenes or a selection of quotes from scenes studied - Alternating opportunities for self and peer assessment - Essay writing prompts to allow students to write about the scene - References to the AQA English Literature mark scheme for Paper 1, particularly to the demands for attaining a grade 5 - what is considered a 'good pass' for the qualification. It's suggested that you download the whole series to appreciate the full learning journey.

Attached is a powerpoint introducing students the scene where we hear about Macbeth before we meet him. He is successful in defending Scotland and Shakespeare sets him up as the hero of the battlefield. The powerpoint starts by informing students about medieval warfare and then explains the context of the battle which rages at the start of the story. It then offers questions for students to consider in groups and then asks students to identify imagery and comment on its effect. All lessons in this series include: - Links to online videos (see notes under powerpoint slides) - Starter tasks which introduce the main idea of the lesson - Differentiated tasks - Opportunities for pair and group talk within activities ('Talk for Writing') - Handouts of scenes or a selection of quotes from scenes studied - Alternating opportunities for self and peer assessment - Essay writing prompts to allow students to write about the scene - References to the AQA English Literature mark scheme for Paper 1, particularly to the demands for attaining a grade 5 - what is considered a 'good pass' for the qualification. It's suggested that you download the whole series to appreciate the full learning journey.

If you haven't already, it's a good idea to have a bank of postcards which teachers can send out to parents to celebrate their child's progress in lessons or extra curricular activities. They can truly add a personal touch, more so than a text message which teachers are often asked to send. This competition offers all students in your school the opportunity to have a go at designing the postcard which teachers will send home. This bundle includes a powerpoint which can be adapted to use in assembly or in lessons and an A3 poster which can also be adapted to be used in corridors or form rooms. Most schools have a reprographics room or member of admin staff who can scan A4 designs and adapt them using software like Photoshop and cut them for use by teachers. Entries for the competition could be shown as part of a display within your department or in the school library.

Attached are 3 quote banks that are either 1 side of A4 or 2. All quotes are from across the novel. As a form of revision of the novel you could ask students to stick them across a double page in their exercise book and ask them to annotate them explaining what they show about those characters. They focus on Dr Jekyll, Mr Utterson and Mr Hyde only. They also contain word boxes which define any archaic language that would be useful for EAL students particularly. On some of these there are challenging questions which students can consider in groups or pairs.

In this lesson students are asked to connect the themes discussed in the novel as a whole with the background and social history in which is was set. The lesson starts by asking students what the words THEME and CONTEXT mean and then there are some prompts for a pair/class discussion on particular themes which arise in the story line. There are 3 slides with easy to follow facts on: crime, poverty and science within the Victorian period, some of which are easy to relate to moments or characters within the novel. Students are then asked in pairs or groups to read a sheet of 13 quotes from across the novel and connect to them to what they've learned about the novel's context. They can annotate and highlight them and they can then be annotated on the board when the class can feedback their ideas. The lesson ends with a chance for students to write essay paragraphs independently using provided sentence starters which come in 3 formats: a 'layers of meaning' approach, PEA or the 'reading ladder'. An opportunity to self assess essay writing follows this. The success criteria provided refers to the AQA English Literature course but can be adapted to suit your course. All lessons in this series include: - Links to online videos (see 'notes' under Powerpoint slides) - Starter tasks which introduce the main idea of the lesson - Differentiated tasks - Opportunities for pair and group talk within activities ('Talk for Writing') - Handouts of extracts/quotes from the novel - Alternating opportunities for self and peer assessment - Essay writing prompts to allow students to write about the scene - References to the AQA English Literature mark scheme, particularly to the demands for attaining a grade 5 - what is considered a 'good pass' for the qualification. It's suggested that you download the whole series to appreciate the full learning journey.

...even tackles Dactylic Dimeter! This is an interesting poem which features in both AQA and Edexcel's anthology of Literature exam poems. The poem, if you don't know it, describes the advance made by the Light Brigade during the Battle of Balaclava, part of the Crimean War. It is a conflict poem which explores the themes of glory and tragedy in war which can be linked to other poems taught within a unit. The lesson begins by showing students some images of the Crimean war and asks them to list what they teach them about the battle and the context, thus predicting what the poem could be about. There is then a slide which lists important facts about the battle which are easy to read and discuss as a class. They are then introduced to the 'WPSLOMP' method of analysing poetry which they can then apply in pairs before colour coding quotes which explore the themes of violence and bravery. The ideas they pull together for this can then be pulled together as a class and there are slides which reveal the devices for them to then write about. I have added 2 slides to this presentation which go into depth about structure for more able students - particularly on Dactylic Dimeter which can be hard to explain. There is a clear annotation of a stanza and an explanation of how it works to add the crucial rhythm which this poem is famous for. The lesson ends with a chance for students to write independent essay paragraphs with AQA's exam success criteria but this can be adapted for your course. There are 3 options on how to approach essay writing: 'layers of meaning', PEA, or the 'reading ladder' which follow the same idea. There is then an opportunity to self or peer assess according to the key skills. Attached is; - A powerpoint with the lesson clearly outlined - A handout of glossary style word banks which students can stick into their anthologies - Essay PEA styles sentence starters writing frames for weaker students (these refer to a different essay question to the lesson but can be adapted) Within this powerpoint are also links to online analyses of the poem as well as the BBC Bitesize video.