Use of the Apostrophe - a grid sheet

Online activities to stretch English Skills

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.

Ever run an English based film making competition at your school? This one asks students to plan and record a short film exploring a poem about the theme of remembrance. Students could use imovie on their iphones or by using the computers at your school. Attached is a handout which lists youtube videos which act as inspiration for keen film makers and and a list of poems which touch on the set theme. These poems include 'Ozymandias' by Shelley and 'Funeral Blues' by W.H Auden. There is also a poster which advertises the competition across the school - both of which can be uploaded to Homework websites. Perhaps a scheme of work can be build around this?

This is a lesson on the poem ‘Hurricane Hits England’ by Grace Nichols The lesson starts by asking students to think about the impact of hurricanes and there’s a link to a video recital of the poem. Students are then introduced to the ‘WPSLOMP’ method of analysing poetry which they can then apply in pairs before colour coding any imagery and key poetic devices. 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 a generic success criteria. 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.

An oldie but a goodie! This is still an interesting poem to explore with classes who you feel would benefit from studying the themes of conflict, prejudice and racism. This could be a lesson within a unit on conflict poetry in year 9 or may be used as a chance to explore an 'unseen' poetry which is not in your GCSE class's anthology of Literature exam poems. The poem, if you don't know it, describes a South African's feelings whilst walking through a familiar community that was devastated by the effects of the Apartheid in South Africa. The lesson begins by asking students to define the concept of segregation and then teases out any facts they may already know about the Apartheid regime. There are images and some facts for them to consider. They are then introduced to the 'WPSLOMP' method of analysing poetry as well as being asked to colour code devices the poet uses for effect (metaphor, simile, peaceful and violent imagery). The lesson ends with a chance for students to write independent essay paragraphs with a generic success criteria which 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. Attached is; - A blank copy of the poem with a word box for tricky words - A handout of Apartheid images - Essay PEA styles sentence starters writing frames for weaker students - A worksheet with a range of tasks on it along with the poem (good cover work?) - A storyboard template - A powerpoint with the lesson clearly outlined

In this lesson students are asked to comment on what Lady Macbeth's use of language shows about her intentions within the story. As with the last lesson, there is emphasis on how dramatic irony works within scene. Students are asked to identify where she is deliberately being polite in order to hide her murderous intentions towards Duncan who has arrived at her castle. After this stage, students are then asked to find imagery within her dialogue which is a key skill that these lessons encourage throughout the project. 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 consider how Shakespeare exposes Macbeth’s loss of control. The lesson starts by asking students to identify where in the play so far the theme of the supernatural has been explored. Students are then asked to read the scene where Macbeth alone sees Banquo's ghost and reacts wildly in front of his guests (a link is provided to Patrick Stewart's performance). In groups they are then asked to consider key questions about how his behaviour builds tension and how it reflects his loss of control. 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 explore how Roald Dahl describes his childhood in chapter 1 of his autobiography, Boy. It would ideal to use as part of a KS3 unit. The lesson starts by asking students to read the preface and respond to it in pairs. There is a group task for students to do after reading the chapter where they are given 4 questions on the board and a challenge task. All questions are linked to the GCSE reading skills AO1, 2, 3 where they have to think about language, structure and the readers’ reactions. There are slides with the text on for teachers to annotate on a smart board as well as a map to show the area in Wales in which Dahl grew up. The plenary asks students to discuss anecdotes about members of their own family which links to the text. This lesson, as my other Literature lessons do, includes: Starter tasks which introduce the main idea of the lesson Handouts of extracts/text Differentiated tasks Opportunities for pair and group talk within activities (‘Talk for Writing’)

In this lesson students are asked to explore how Roald Dahl describes his childhood in chapter 4 of his autobiography, Boy. It would ideal to use as part of a KS3 unit. The lesson starts by asking students to ‘think, pair, share’ about when they may have been surreptitious. They are then to read chapter 4. There is a group task for students to do after reading the chapter where they are given 4 questions on the board and a challenge task. All questions are linked to the GCSE reading skills AO1, 2, 3 where they have to think about language, structure and the readers’ reactions. There are slides with the text on for teachers to annotate on a smart board. The plenary asks students to write an essay paragraph using the SQUID structure provided. There is a slide which demonstrates how students can self assess their essay writing skills. This lesson, as my other Literature lessons do, includes: Starter tasks which introduce the main idea of the lesson Handouts of extracts/text Differentiated tasks Opportunities for pair and group talk within activities (‘Talk for Writing’)

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

This lesson asks students to identify how Shakespeare establishes Macbeth as a cunning character and builds tension within a scene. This powerpoint offers pertinent questions for students to consider about the dramatic irony which underlies the scene where Macbeth plays host to King Duncan. There is a tick sheet where students are to identify how key quotes refer to key themes and a chance to 'explode' a key quote as part of the plenary. 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 and Lady Macbeth’s roles have reversed in the story judging by their language. The lesson starts by asking students to identify the differences between them as people, referring to what they have previously learned. Students are then asked to read the scene where Macbeth admits to his torturous guilt (a link is provided to Ian McKellan and Judi Dench's performance). They are then to colour code where they find particular patterns in the imagery Macbeth uses and then invited to compare his use of language to his wife's previous use within her soliloquy near the start of 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 the 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 explore how Roald Dahl describes his childhood in chapter 12 of his autobiography, Boy. It would ideal to use as part of a KS3 unit. The lesson starts by asking students to ‘think, pair, share’ about what it would be like to go to boarding school. They are then to read chapter 12. There is an extract attached which students can stick into their book. There is a group task for students to do after reading the chapter where they are given 4 questions on the board and a challenge task. All questions are linked to the GCSE reading skills AO1, 2, 3 where they have to think about language, structure and the readers’ reactions. There are slides with the text on for teachers to annotate on a smart board. There is a slide which demonstrates to students how they can structure an essay. The plenary asks students to write an essay paragraph using the SQUID structure provided. There is a slide which demonstrates how students can peer assess each others’ essay writing skills. This lesson, as my other Literature lessons do, includes: Starter tasks which introduce the main idea of the lesson Handouts of extracts/text Differentiated tasks Opportunities for pair and group talk within activities (‘Talk for Writing’)

This lesson asks students to explore the character of Macbeth across the play by commenting on the significance of quotes (A01,2, 3). It refers to the success criteria of the AQA English Literature GCSE but can be adapted for your course. The lesson starts by asking students to summarize him as a character using adjectives and then to narrow down his appearances into 5 'top' moments in order to remind them of the wider picture. Slides reminding them of these follow as well as a list of links to online videos of some of these key scenes. Since there's not always time in lessons, perhaps they can be given to students to watch as homework. Attached is a 'quote explosion' sheet of quotes that he says or that others say about him. Students can stick these across a page in their exercise book and annotate what they show about him as a character and pick out any imagery (symbolism, metaphor, antithesis, apostrophe etc). It could also be blown up to A3 size (great for displays!) A copy of this is on a slide in the Powerpoint for the teacher / students to also annotate on the board when the class gathers their ideas together. Next there is a list of 'challenge/extension' tasks which explore Macbeth as a tragic hero. A list of qualities expected in tragic protagonists is listed and students can discuss how Shakespeare used this formula to enrich the plot. 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. Please see my other lessons on Macbeth which explain his state of mind in more detail.

Attached are some resources for students to use in groups in order to make a magazine. This would be perfect for year 7 and 8 since from this age students need to be encouraged to read a wide range of non fiction texts in preparation for GCSE and magazines are a good place to start. I would suggest that you provide piles of different types of magazines for them inspect and scrutinize such as ones based on music, fashion, teen girl, cars, football/sport and gaming. Within their groups, students can assign roles and each student can plan and design their own page. Since I can't share images of front covers or pages from real magazines, I have left boxes on some of these planning sheets blank so that students can stick their own in to demonstrate their decision making. I have made these resources into PDFs so that the text boxes don't shift. The resources attached include: - Magazine Planning Sheet (a sheet to record their group's initial decisions) - Front Cover Analysis Sheets (provides space to stick examples and thinking prompts) - A suggested questionnaire for students to distribute or an exemplar which students can build on - Design a Contents Page - a planning resource - Design a Front Cover - a planning resource - Design a Letters or Problem Page - a planning resource - Design a Product Review - a planning resource - Page Templates - boxed sections to place text and images - Planning an Advert - a planning resource - Spellings - suggested spelling lists which can be adapted - Write a Feature Article - a planning resource.

This is a lesson on a poem which explores the point of view of a War Photographer - not to be confused with Carol Ann Duffy's poem of the same name (AQA). It features in the Edexcel anthology of Literature exam poems. The poem, if you don't know it, contrasts the photographer's memories of taking photos of conflict in a war zone and the Ascot races. It explores the themes of violence and isolation in war which can be linked to other poems taught within a unit. It's particularly useful to compare to 'Remains' by Simon Armitage and of course Duffy's poem (see my shop for a lesson on that one). The lesson begins by asking students to consider what it would be like to be a war photographer and why they would be an effective focus for a poem. There is then a slide which introduces them to Carole Satyamurti 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 metaphors, simile and contrasts, 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 sibilance, alliteration and how the poem develops through each stanza. 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 - A PEA style writing frame for weaker students - Links to online videos/readings (see 'Notes' under slides).

This lesson asks students to analyse what Mr Birling’s dialogue shows about him as a character and consider how the audience is meant to react. The lesson starts by asking students to consider what his attitudes expose about attitudes in 1912 and what he symbolizes as a 'challenge' task. 2 extracts from the play follow this which students can think about in pairs and they can then be annotated on the board by students/the teacher. There is a handout to use with this task attached which has a word box to explain some of his political comments. Also attached is a list of quotes from across the whole play which illustrate a range of ideas about Arthur (either what he says or what others say about him). Students can annotate these in their books or they can be blown up to A3 size to write on. The lesson ends with a chance for students to write independent essay paragraphs with the AQA English Literature GCSE success criteria which 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.

In this lesson students are asked to explore how Roald Dahl describes his childhood in chapter 3 of his autobiography, Boy. It would ideal to use as part of a KS3 unit. The lesson starts by asking students to discuss their favourite sweets with a partner and they are then to read the chapter. There is a handout attached which is a template of a sweet jar which they can stick in their books and label with the quotes they find about Dahl’s favourite sweets mentioned in the text. The plenary asks students to write a descriptive paragraph about their favourite sweets using key skills, using Dahl’s writing as inspiration. The key skills which are mention fit into the ‘MASSIVEOP’ acrostic. There is a handout for this also attached. This lesson, as my other Literature lessons do, includes: Starter tasks which introduce the main idea of the lesson Differentiated tasks (challenge tasks in red) Opportunities for pair and group talk within activities (‘Talk for Writing’)

This is a popular speaking and listening game which can also be used in other subjects other than English. How to play: One student stands in front of the board whilst each slide is projected (these show images and the ‘taboo’ words). They cannot turn around and look at what’s behind them. The rest of the class have to raise their hands and describe what’s behind them WITHOUT using any of the words listed. Their aim is to get the standing student to say the word at the top of the board. This game is based on the novel ‘The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’. It’s a great way to revise the novel once you’ve finished it - many of the slides refer to key themes and moments in the story. There are 38 slides which can be adapted to suit your class’s ability. All images are taken from Open Clip Art.