Engage your students with a comprehensive analysis of violence in Macbeth, designed to deepen their understanding of Shakespeare’s language, themes, and character development. It is an ideal resource to prepare students for the GCSE, English Literature, Macbeth question. Two model essays are provided about the portrayal of violence in the play: Version One: A straightforward, student-friendly essay that explores how Shakespeare presents violence in Act 1, Scene 2, and throughout the play. Perfect for mid-level students, this version emphasizes the basics of thesis development, PEEL structure, and integrating evidence. Version Two: A more advanced essay, ideal for higher-achieving students. It offers a nuanced thesis and detailed analysis of Shakespeare’s use of language, imagery, and themes, with connections to ambition, tyranny, and moral decay. Targeted questions on content, structure, language, and style to support critical thinking and essay-writing skills are included to analyse the relevant essay. The questions will encourage students to identify thesis statements, evaluate the use of evidence, and assess how the essays connect ideas from the extract to the wider play. A Picture Sequence Resource is also included focusing on Act 1, Scene 2. It contains a sequence of key images representing the battle scene and Macbeth’s heroic violence, designed to help visual learners. These images are accompanied with questions about the plot. Equip your students with the tools they need to master the theme of violence in Macbeth. Perfect for class activities, homework assignments, or revision sessions!

This resource is designed for GCSE English Literature teachers looking to deepen their students’ understanding of key themes, character development, and dramatic techniques in J.B. Priestley’s An Inspector Calls, particularly focusing on the themes of responsibility and generational conflict. It includes a comprehensive set of key vocabulary and phrases, a detailed essay analysing how Priestley explores these themes, and a range of discussion questions to encourage critical thinking and class debate. Key Features: Key Vocabulary and Phrases: A carefully curated list of essential terms, such as “responsibility,” “generational conflict,” and “moral failings,” alongside character traits and literary devices. These will help students grasp important concepts and enhance their analytical skills. Detailed Essay: A model essay exploring how An Inspector Calls critiques generational attitudes to responsibility, focusing on the contrasting perspectives of the older and younger characters. The essay discusses the dramatic techniques Priestley employs, including dramatic irony, foreshadowing, and cyclical structure, as well as the symbolic use of characters like Mr Birling, Sheila, Eric, and Mrs Birling. Key Phrases from the Play: A selection of notable quotes from the play, offering insight into the themes of responsibility, societal change, and moral conflict. Each quote is accompanied by a discussion question to help students analyze the significance and implications of the dialogue. Discussion Questions: Thought-provoking questions exploring the generational divide in the play, helping students to critically engage with the text. These questions focus on character development, moral responsibility, and Priestley’s social critique, offering opportunities for deeper analysis and class discussions. Reflection on Relevance Today: An exploration of how the generational conflict in An Inspector Calls mirrors societal attitudes during Priestley’s time and its continued relevance in today’s world, prompting students to consider the ongoing importance of social responsibility and change. An additional resource is provided which focuses on understanding the key moment when The Inspector leaves. Students have to write in speech bubbles about what each character would say in their disagreement.

This unit prepares students for the AQA, GCSE, English Literature, Unseen Poetry Section. It includes poems by Thomas Hardy and Emily Dickinson, an analysis framework, exam question and model PEEL paragraphs. A practice question is also provided. The unit begins with ‘The Darkling Thrush’ by Thomas Hardy. Students complete a table about the features of the poem divided into Subject, Theme, Imagery, Language and Emotion. They then look at a typical question and compare their response to a model paragraph. Students then focus on the comparison with a poem by Emily Dickinson. Two model paragraphs are provided. A practice paper is included for students to practice these skills.

This unit helps students with the unseen poetry section of the GCSE, English Literature exam paper and contains a poem with comprehension questions along with a model, reading response paragraph. An acronym poster ‘STILE’ is included to provide a framework to respond to unseen poems. An additional winter, descriptive writing unit is included. The unseen poem booklet contains the poem, ‘Christmas at Sea’ and has a true/false section to help understand the content. This is followed by a variety of literal and analytical comprehension question. A final exam style question is provided along with an advanced level and differentiated PEEL paragraph. The STILE poster can be used to help students structure their response - it helps the explore the subject, theme, imagery and language used in the poem. A descriptive writing booklet based on a wintry scene is included as a follow up activity. This includes an adjectives and verbs list along with a picture prompt.