A fun and easy-to-do 'back to school' activity for your new class, which is ideal for getting to know each other and for creating a first day display. The objective of the lesson is for the children to create an imaginative list of 10 things that they would like to have in their school bag for the first day of a new school year. Their choices can be as strange or as sensible as they like, allowing for plenty of creative writing opportunities. The resource has two writing frames - one for a simple decorative piece and one for adding more imaginative written details - so the task can easily be differentiated to your class' needs. I have used the activity across KS2, but it can also be easily adapted for younger children. Includes: • Teacher PowerPoint presentation - provides instructions and examples for introducing the activity. • Writing frame 1 - can be completed with personal details and the 10 chosen items and then used for display. • Writing frame 2 - can be used to add imaginative written details about each of the children's 10 items and can then also form part of the display. Please see the Goldtopfox shop for a full range of useful teaching resources: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/goldtopfox

This is an ideal set of resources for a range of 'back to school' lessons and activities. It is best suited to KS2, although it can also be easily adapted for younger children. It includes plenty of creative art and writing, some puzzles and a differentiated mental maths activity, making it a handy resource for the first few days of a new term. The overall aim of the activities is to welcome children to their new class, while also giving them some constructive work to do. The activities should also provide you with some useful displays for the start of a new term. The pack contains: *Teaching PowerPoint with introductions and examples for 4 separate activities - design a personal shield; design a target/achievements wall; create a school superhero; design some serious or fun class rules. *Templates for: target wall, shield, superhero design and a rules poster. *Back to school themed anagram and wordsearch puzzles - easier and harder versions. *Mental maths - number bonds. This is differentiated 4 ways (bonds to 20, 100, 1000 and 1). *Answer sheets for the maths. Please see the Goldtopfox shop for a full range of useful teaching resources: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/goldtopfox

This is a fun and engaging quiz that can be used at any time of year. It contains 20 multiple choice questions about some crazy Guinness World Records - they are virtually impossible to know, so it is all about the children guessing and having some fun! It is great to do in small teams as a 'back to school' ice-breaker, as it gets the children talking about some real nonsense... All answers are included on the PowerPoint, as well as internet links to each record (in case anybody doesn't believe they are real). In addition, the last 2 slides of the PowerPoint contain an optional independent task for the children to try, which involves creating an account of their own imaginary weird world record. There also 2 differentiated writing templates included to support this. This resource includes: *25 slide PowerPoint, containing all questions, answers, internet links and outline of optional independent task. *PDF version of the PowerPoint for printing *2 differentiated writing templates for the optional independent task Please see the Goldtopfox shop for many other useful teaching resources: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/goldtopfox

This is an enjoyable Key Stage 2 creative writing English project, which easily contains enough work for up to two weeks of lessons. It can be used at any point in the term, but is certainly a great way to start or end an academic year and provides everything that you need for some productive English lessons. I have used this in Years 5 and 6, but it can also be easily adapted to Lower Key Stage 2. The basic aim of the project is for the children to design a strange and unique school, which could be a magic school, monster school, superhero school, etc. There are no limits to how the children approach this and the project leaves plenty of room for creative writing and art work. The project also works well alongside book work linked to schools, such as Harry Potter, Demon Headmaster or Diary of a Wimpy Kid. There are 6 separate sessions included in the planning and PowerPoint, which can be used over anything from 3 to 10 days - it just depends on how much time you have and how much detail the children want to include! All teaching resources, student support sheets, planning and differentiation are included, making this a simple and rewarding project to manage. In addition, each activity can be introduced in as much depth as required, allowing the children to then work independently on various engaging tasks. Included in this resource are: *21 slide teaching PowerPoint, containing all task instructions, examples of work to discuss and challenge/extension activities. *9 resource sheets to support the independent tasks. *Full planning grid, including differentiation. Please see the Goldtopfox shop for a full range of teaching resources: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/goldtopfox

A word puzzle for primary children, which is based on Edward Lear's 'Jumblies' poem. This would be ideal for use around World Poetry Day (21st March 2017). 2 versions of the puzzle are provided (with and without clues).

Two/three fun and easy-to-do lessons for KS2 poetry work. These would also be ideal for use around National Poetry Day or World Poetry Day. The lessons are based on 'The Jumblies' nonsense poem, by Edward Lear. All lesson resources, differentiated activities, answers and planning are provided as part of the pack. Lesson 1: Reading the poem and identifying various key features. Then planning a diary of the Jumblies' adventure. Lesson 2 (and 3 if needed): Writing 1 or 2 diary entries for the Jumblies' adventure. There is differentiation built into both lessons, with challenge tasks and activity support for those who need it. The flexibility of the lessons means that I have been able to use them in Years 4 to 6, but they could also be easily adapted for younger children. Please note: some video links are included in the sessions, which should always be assessed for suitability prior to use! Includes: *Teacher PowerPoint presentation *Writing support sheets *Text version of the poem *Full planning grid, linked to English curriculum Please see the Goldtopfox shop for more great English and general teaching resources: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/goldtopfox

This is my best selling primary resource and is a set of lessons and activities for KS2 poetry work. These would also be ideal for use around National Poetry Day or World Poetry Day. The lessons are based on ‘Revolting Rhymes’ by Roald Dahl. All lesson resources, differentiated activities and planning are provided as part of the pack. I have used this pack for a week of activities linked to Revolting Rhymes, as well as for a one-off lesson on Poetry Day. It could also be used for a set of guided reading activities. The teaching PowerPoint contains some background and introduction, as well as examples for modelling and discussing each independent task. The PowerPoint and the task sheets are provided in Word and pdf format. There are 5 independent activities, so the pack can be used for a whole week or just for 1 or 2 lessons. Focus can also be on one of the Rhymes or on all six, depending on your requirements. The flexibility of the lessons and the entertaining nature of the text means that I have been able to use this pack in Years 4 to 6, but it can also be easily adapted for younger children. Please note: some video links are included in the sessions, which should always be assessed for suitability prior to use! Also, as is well known, Cinderella is called a ‘slut’ at one point, so be prepared! Includes: *Teacher PowerPoint presentation *5 independent task sheets for support or structure *Challenge tasks are built into the PowerPoint slides *Full planning grid, linked to English curriculum Please see the Goldtopfox shop for more helpful English and general teaching resources: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/goldtopfox

An enjoyable and easy-to-manage short story creative writing lesson. This pack is designed for teaching 1-2 English writing lessons at KS2 and is great for developing text structure, grammatical awareness and imaginative language. *Note to my previous customers: This is the original lesson which I adapted for the 'New Year Short Story Writing Lesson'. The New Year version has also been available in my TES shop for some time, so please check that you haven't already bought it! The topic is writing a short story with a school theme. The teaching PowerPoint contains a story opening for the class to read and analyse, followed by an independent writing task, in which the children should continue and complete the story. Opportunities for the children to plan their ideas are also built in, allowing for the activity to be extended over 2 sessions. In addition, there is an optional challenge activity contained in the PowerPoint, as well as writing support sheets for any children that require them. All planning is also included in the pack. The flexibility of the lesson means that I have been able to use it in Years 3/4 and in Years 5/6. Includes: • Teacher PowerPoint presentation (with challenge task included) • Two differentiated writing support sheets (lower and middle ability) • Full planning grid, linked to English curriculum Please see the Goldtopfox shop for more great teaching resources: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/goldtopfox

This is a pack of English book-themed activities, which can easily be used across KS2. They are all ideal for a Book Day or for independent work at other times of the year. The activities cover the following areas: *Famous authors anagram and word search puzzle - this has four versions with differing levels of support and an answer sheet provided. *ICT focused task, using Publisher to design an imaginary book cover. All images and templates are provided in the task sheets. There are also 2 extension activities included. *Four differentiated comprehension sheets on Edward Lear’s poem ‘The Jumblies’. The poem is also provided, as are answers for each version of the task. More detailed teacher notes are also included in the pack. These activities are great for use on a Book Day or during class book study sessions, providing opportunities for independent work from Years 3 to 6. Please see the Goldtopfox shop for more great resources on a range of topics: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/goldtopfox

A fun and easy-to-teach lesson for KS2 book study work or for World Book Day. The lesson focuses on discussing favourite book characters, before creating social media ‘bookface’ pages for them. This involves using knowledge of the character to design an online-style profile for him or her, which should reflect their behaviour and characteristics in the story. The children have the opportunity to work imaginatively, while also applying what they have learnt from reading their favourite books. Tip 1: It is worth giving the children advance warning of the lesson, so they can choose a favourite book character and bring the book to school with them. Tip 2: The social media aspect of the lesson also makes it an opportunity to discuss some internet safety issues. There is differentiation built into the lesson, with a challenge task and writing support frameworks for those who need them. The flexibility of the lesson means that I have been able to use it in Years 3 to 6, but it could also be easily adapted for younger children. Includes: *Teacher PowerPoint presentation *3 differentiated ‘bookface’ profile template sheets (covering lower and middle/higher ability) *Full planning, linked to English curriculum Please see the Goldtopfox shop for more great teaching resources: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/goldtopfox

Two complete lessons for KS2 poetry work, which would also be ideal for use around National Poetry Day or World Poetry Day. The lessons are based on ‘The Jumblies’ nonsense poem, by Edward Lear. All lesson resources, differentiated activities, answers and planning are provided as part of the pack. Lesson 1: Reading the poem and identifying various key features, including discussing the story of the poem and picking out aspects of the poetic style. The children can then complete a set of questions about the structure and style of the poem plus an extension to rewrite a verse, using a supporting guide sheet if necessary. Lesson 2: Fully differentiated reading comprehension session, based on the poem. The lesson begins with a review of key comprehension skills and some sample questions to look at together. Then there are different levels of comprehension worksheets for independent work - answers are also included! There is differentiation built into both lessons, with challenge tasks and activity support for those who need it. The flexibility of the lessons means that I have been able to use them in Years 4 to 6, but it could also be easily adapted for younger children. Please note: some video links are included in the sessions, which should always be assessed for suitability prior to use! Includes: *Teacher PowerPoint presentation *4 differentiated comprehension task sheets (lower, middle and higher ability); all answers also provided *Extra verse writing guide (2 versions) *Text version of the poem *Full planning grid, linked to English curriculum Please see the Goldtopfox shop for more great English and general teaching resources: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/goldtopfox

This pack contains everything that you will need for teaching a week of instructions in English. All planning, worksheets and support resources are included, as well as the main teaching PowerPoint. The sessions are aimed at Years 3 and 4, but can easily be adapted for older or younger children. Each lesson contains full differentiation, both for challenging and supporting children. The pack includes: * Full teaching PowerPoint for 5 lessons * All planning for 5 lessons * All support materials and worksheets Please see the Goldtopfox shop for other useful teaching resources: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/goldtopfox

A full and original primary show play script, which can be used in a variety of teaching and performance areas. Brad, Sally and Mike are TV presenters with a very different take on history and technology. While Sally and Mike love to find out about how things were done in the past, Brad just can’t get enough of his internet-enabled communication tools. Through the stories of King Darius, Cleopatra and Chief Sitting Bull, we learn all about how great civilisations managed to keep in touch in years gone by…but will Brad be able to tear himself away from Twitter for long enough to notice? A class assembly for older primary children, with a fun take on how communication has developed through the ages. This is a fun and educational story, which is enjoyable for children to read and perform, as well as being straightforward for teachers to organise and direct. In addition, the show incorporates a number of cross curricular themes and links directly to the following topic: IPC Milepost 3 unit, ‘Making the News’ This product includes a show script only. Please note: an alternative version of this show is also available, containing full production notes, 2 supporting PowerPoints and all music files and sound effects. This can be found here: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12922277 Key information: Age range: 8-12 Show running time: approx. 30-40 mins Number of parts: up to 30+ The show is designed for a class or year group performance (or as a great way to begin/end a topic) and contains differentiated roles, in order to allow for inclusion of pupils of all abilities.