This is a middle school creative writing lesson and (practice / homework?) assessment task. The power point and student diagrammatic handout gives an outline of main techniques in creative writing. The exemplar and comprehension task provides a rich example of descriptive writing and the questions tied to targeted concepts which are themselves explained (Justify, Explain etc). The assessment task provides for a range of student abilities, with an outline of suggestions about what to write about in the descriptive passage. The criteria for the writing task is explained in simple language to provide student feedback.

This is a colorful, professionally produced study guide of ten numbered pages, used and found practical for a range of Year 11 and 12 students. With plenty of graphics, including cartoons and a range of activities to promote active participation in watching the film, this is aimed at promoting extended writing about positioning, bias and point-of view, with comprehension questions, crossword and discussion questions aimed at vocabulary building and identifying film techniques. It includes an annotated exemplar of effective reviewing, guidance questions for the viewing process, and builds on skills in a cumulative way, from literal understanding of the content to more sophisticated concepts such as selectivity, language choices in commentary and the power of documentary film making to promote change.

SHOOTING AN ELEPHANT DOWN THE MINE A HANGING Three essays, presented in a visually enhanced manner, with vocabulary and meanings list, comprehension and extension questions. I have used these for Years 10, 11 and 12. For engaging students who are covering Orwell texts such as “Animal Farm” and “1984” these essays with close analysis examine Orwell’s sense of social justice, his understanding of the structures of tyranny, and his keen eye for observation. There are annotated commentaries on Orwell’s choice of language and each essay is constructed as sufficient for a lesson of class work. This has also been useful in my classes as an extension reading comprehension for stronger students, and for homework activities. Word and PDF format for each should you wish to shorten or add your preferred commentary and questions.

This ten page study guide covers all the elements of plot characters and themes in the play. It is envisaged as all the teacher will need for a two to three week unit. The activities invite close reading and reflect on social conscience issues, and are presented in a visually stimulating setting with the emphasis on depth of comprehension of plot, characters and themes. There is an analytical essay provided as an exemplar which summarises the work covered on character relationships and the theme of social responsibility.

This is a practical study guide for Roald Dahl’s “Boy.” It is an 8 page handout* that will guide students through the plot, characters and themes of the autobiography, and is presented in a visually appealing way to make the analysis enjoyable, while building vocabulary (significant words and their meanings are provided), challenging deeper reading of the text and creative exercises. The emphasis in this resource is a practical comprehension and vocabulary unit that is self-working for students who read ahead, and is able to be immediately used without teacher explanation because of direct, clear activities. The activities are comprehension questions for each chapter vocabulary and meaning for each chapter grammatical exercises to identify parts of speech creative questions to develop the ideas in the memoir the pages are numbered - a pet issue with me to avoid time wasting “where are we?” questions and immediate “go to” in giving class instructions

Handout sheet for discussion and analysis on Oscar Wilde's chief character quotes in "The Picture of Dorian Gray." Useful for analysing Wilde's witty inversion of the superficial and the profound, and the tragic perspective of the character's doomed efforts to retain that which is impossible - the lustre of youth and the invincible appeal of physical beauty.

Fifteen Power Points, each containing nine letters in cells, the objective being to make words from the nine letters. The quiz is effective as a lesson starter, and can be incorporated into language skills lessons to vary the class routine of doing whole lessons from the textbook. Each power point contains up to fifty answers, alphabetically listed, covering the words that can be constructed from each of the letter sets. Rules of the Quiz Students can’t form words by doubling up and using a single letter twice Each time a word is made all nine letters can be used again for constructing the next word All words must be English language - no nic-names or abbreviations Useful to set a time limit of 3 to 5 minutes. Differentiated learning possibilities include Encouraging strong students to be competitive in demonstrating vocabulary and word construction skills, achieving over the average score (provided on each power point) for each quiz Goal setting for less able students - set an objective within their reach for the number of words they can find (usually a dozen) and also encourage them to beat their previous score from the last quiz if used on a regular basis Vocabulary enhancement for all students - new words can be entered into vocabulary list (each of the 15 activities have some challenging words that will represent new vocab for most students)

THE ENGLISH ROMANTIC POETS - A PRACTICAL STUDY GUIDE This is a visually stimulating fifteen page study guide on the poetry of the great poets of the Romantic Period. It is intended as the basis of a two week unit. The emphasis is on direct, attention getting material that will engage learners of different levels, covering the life and poetry of John Keats William Wordsworth Samuel Taylor Coleridge Percy Shelley Lord Byron William Blake The numbered pages contain exercises on (i)the concept of romanticism (ii) the distinction between romance poetry and the philosophy of romanticism in the late 1700’s and early 1800’s (iii) backgrounding of each poet and an outline of his distinctive viewpoint (iv) poems from each of the six poets, with vocabulary explained for each poem, and comprehension questions. the poems are ‘Daffodils’ (Worsworth), (v) art activity for the visual learner (vi) exercise in distinguishing love poetry and romantic poetry The work involves straightforward explanation so that the student can proceed at his / her own pace, without need for constant guidance. Students will be able to identify the major elements of romanticism beyond mere rebelliousness and be able to locate textual evidence about pantheism, philosophical interest in heroic mythology, romantic preoccupation with the imagination over clinical intellect and the embrace of the non-rational and spiritual in the works of some of the poets. The layout and design is meant to have a magazine style level of visual interest and at the same time provide rigorous and serious commentary in a way that doesn’t rely on jargon or confusing terminology (vocabulary is explained in each of the poems so that teacher direction is minimized)

This is a practical handout which is aimed at Year 10 to Year 12 students, and covers work for two or three lessons, made up of the following material Characteristics of the genre of eulogy and tribute writing - tone, structure, purpose, language choices, use of anecdote Preparation overview - note taking and planning suggestions Exemplar of a tribute - annotated with explanations of structure Two practice writing activities Famous eulogies - texts of two historical eulogies in full, with comprehension Audio of the eulogies

This is a complete unit of work for use in the study of the animated film “A Bug’s Life.” The seven pages of activities are varied, well illustrated to gain interest, and sequenced for comprehension of plot, character, characterization and theme. The material is practical, so that students at various levels of ability can proceed through the work at their own pace, with self-explanatory language and a magazine style visual presentation that does not require teacher clarification and guidance. The material is intended for Years 7 to 9 The material guides students through the following steps Plotting - cloze exercise Characters - reading comprehension Characterization - comparing and contrasting External and internal elements of characterization - comparative case study Tweety Bird / Flik Using evidence and quotes from the text - identifying key elements of dialogue and drawing conclusions Paragraph writing - revision and practice writing exercise Themes and Ideas in the film - summary and practice questions.

A set of visual exemplars of sexist advertising accompany the handout which will take at least a lesson or two to complete. It includes an overview of what to identify in gender-discriminating advertising, with exemplar responses and explanations of how to write more effectively. Student exercises follow to apply the knowledge learned. A brief power point about the deconstruction of advertisements is included.

Seventeen page Study Guide of engaging analysis and activities for use in your class teaching of the novel, “The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas.” This is a highly visual resource intended to comprehensively guide students in understanding plot, characters, theme, point of view and historical context, answering their questions along the way about fundamentals such as historical timelines, meaning of key terms and explaining belief systems. The contents on the numbered pages are as follows Plot exercises Historical terms / vocabulary Visualization timeline Frequently asked questions about the Holocaust Fact versus Fiction in the novel Paragraph writing - exemplar and extended writing activities Chapter Questions - comprehension questions fr each chapter with page numbers to locate answers Comparing and Contrasting - diagrammatic representation of character similiarities and differences Crossword on plot and characters Irony analysis in the novel - student activities on use of irony in the plot and dialogue of the novel Fences and Boundaries in History - research Point of view analysis and higher order thinking exercises on character perspective Themes - analysis and comprehension questions Essay Questions Further reading and viewing This resource is a complete unit that would would be all that teachers would require in a class study of the novel over several weeks.

This study guide, with extensive visuals and historic inserts framing key questions students want answered about the Holocaust, is envisaged as a three week program of vocabulary building, language and literacy exercises, extended responses and opportunities for students to debate, reflect and extend themselves in further reading. Intended to reflect the power of the text, the material is focused on close reading together with historical backgrounding to give students context and detailed knowledge to enable students to make detailed, justified responses in extended prose, as well as in genres of letter writing, persuasive writing and creative reflection. The sections covers, in a visually engaging manner, the plot, characters and ideas of the memoir, with focus questions on each of the numbered pages. There is a vocabulary list of historical terminology, as well as vocab building exercises based on the language used by the author in the memoir. In addition to close analysis of the use of language there are sections on ~ the author’s themes and purpose, with text examples immediately following in close reading exercises, with comprehension questions on authorial positioning, implied reading and language devices ~ compare and contrast exercises ~ practice paragraph and essay topics ~ language activities on euphemism ~ topics for class debate and discussion ~ list of extension material for further reading and viewing The study guide is intended to be a complete self-contained program of course work which can be assigned to the students for completion at their own pace.

Gordon Lightfoot's stirring ballad THE WRECK OF THE EDMUND FITZGERALD is a powerful tool to use when teaching the ballad form. The enthralling and terrible tale of the mighty transport ship that never made it across Lake Superior in one of Canada's greatest naval disasters is presented here as 1. a film clip, MP4 with the full lyrics 2. student handout with the lyrics and comprehension questions

THE POETRY OF WAR - COMPLETE UNIT In Depth Power Point (one lesson)- overview of the evolution of attitudes and representations in war poetry, from the Victorian patriotic versifiers to the oppositional school of World War One, and up to the the poetry of the nuclear age and the anti-war poems of the Vietnam War era. Focus is on the values and assumptions of the different time periods, and how poetry reflects the time in which it is written. The presentation is composed of fifty slides, introducing the key poetic terms, ideological disposition of each generation, the landmark poets and their achievements, and how poets can be social legislators, not just reflecting their times but influencing them. STUDENT STUDY GUIDE (completely self contained unit of work - approximately 3 weeks - 18 strongly illustrated pages of activities, with comprehension activities for each poem, exemplar essays on two of the poems, a practice essay rubric providing a paragraph by paragraph structured response, and discussion stimulus pages. Poems covered - “The Charge of the Light Brigade” - Tennyson “The Soldier” - Rupert Brooke “The Rear Guard” - Siegfried Sassoon “Dulce Et Decorum Est” / “Exposure” - Wilfred Owen “The Grave”* - Don McLean “And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda”* - Eric Bogle “Men in Green” - David Campbell “Your Attention Please” - Peter Porter “I Feel Like I’n Fixin’ To Die Rag”* - Joe Macdonald Items marked with an asterisk are verses that have been used as song lyrics - students will further engage with the material if the easy-to-find Youtube clips of these being performed are used as part of the instruction. For those wishing to go beyond a reading study of the handout text, the items set to music will enhance enjoyment and the visual presentation in the clips will give contextual clues so that students can connect the poetry to social information.

This fifteen page study guide is intended as a complete self-contained work unit for students in Years 10 to 12 studying the film “Dead Poets’ Society.” It offers a wide range of analytical and creative activities for students to fully engage with and respond to the film and its themes. The study guide has been created for maximum visual appeal, calculated to reflect the idealism and romanticism of the film, and to provide your students with opportunities for both rigorous analysis of plot, characters, themes and film techniques, as well as activities to give scope to their own self-expression in the form of poetry writing, personal argument and script writing. The study guide is made up of Introduction to the film with questions based on prior knowledge and preliminary reflections on the purpose of education and the tension between conformity and individualism Plot summary and close exercises on the storyline and conflicts Character Analyses with questions on all major characters Case study of Film Techniques, with analysis of scripting, camera and lighting, with comprehension questions about scene direction Drama writing exercise for students to create alternative endings and additional scenes to the film Poetry analysis of verse from the film with comprehension questions Stimulus for personal poetry writing on the themes and ideas in "Dead Poets’ Society’ Paragraph writing exercises and essay topics Discussion and debate topics As a unit of work, this study guide is envisaged as covering two to three weeks of work

This is a comprehensive guide intended for class use for a full unit of study of Sophocles’ ‘ANTIGONE.’ This can be used as a stand alone unit for exclusive study of ‘Antigone’ only, as It provides contextual background of the Theban plays so that students do not need to have covered ‘Oedipus Rex’ or ‘Oedipus at Colonus’ to understand in depth the plot, characters and themes of ‘Antigone.’ If your students are covering additional Theban plays in their literature course, I offer a separate student study guide, “Oedipus Rex,” sold separately here. This study guide is a highly visual resource aimed at engaging students with a variety of activities, including paragraph writing, crossword, class debate and discussion ideas, and contemporary examination of the thematic content. Each of the numbered pages contains comprehension questions to check student understanding, reinforce learning and extend student processing of the thematic ideas of the text. The sections in the guide are 1. Background and context to the Oedipus cycle 2. Analysis and tasks on the nature of tragic drama 3. Levels of meaning in the text 4. Alternative interpretations and readings of the text 5. Comparative viewpoints within the text 6. Feminist reading of the text 7. Language usage in the text 8. Analysis of themes This guide is created as a self-contained unit for students to work through independently at their individual rate. The material is of graduated complexity, taking students from basic elements to more advanced reasoning and the application of higher order skills. The material has been chosen and presented to engage students through a variety of activities to suit different skill levels.

This is a complete unit of work in the form of a student study guide covering the novel ‘All Quiet on the Western Front.’ It contains all that is needed to examine, in a comprehensive literary study, the plotting, characterization, use of language and narrative point-of-view of Erich Remarque’s novel. It is envisaged that this will support a three to four week span of class work at senior level. The material is 25 pages of activities, thoroughly illustrated with varied text types and graphics to stimulate engagement and understanding. The handout is intended to provide a cumulative study of writing that causes social change and the way language is used to make a social protest. Contained in the student handout is Background notes on World War One and Remarque’s point of view Analysis of characters Detailed analysis of themes Key quotes - student comprehension testing on the use of language and dialogue to position and form representations and symbolic meaning Exemplar essay Reflection activities Exemplar of persuasive language with comprehension test

This is a complete unit of study for students studying Aldous Huxley’s ‘Brave New World,’ in the form of a 20 page, highly visual analysis of the novel covering all elements of the plot, characters and themes, engaging students in wide ranging activities including crossword, vocabulary building, text comprehension, extended writing and visual literacy tasks. In addition, there are activities in paragraph writing, comparative literary analysis using Orwell’s ‘1984,’ practice essay topics and personal response questions about the contemporary relevance of Huxley’s warnings. The study guide aims to extend students by engaging students in a range of enquiry and writing skills in designated sections - justifying, researching, comparing and contrasting, identifying cause and effect, drawing conclusions and making inferences. This is a practical work unit that uses eye appealing graphics and a graduated level of difficulty to enable students through a guided close analysis of the literary elements of the novel to be able to make their own substantiated conclusions to the writer’s themes and purpose.

Twelve page study guide for the study of Ned Kelly based on the text “Black Snake.” The focus is on vocabulary and the representations of Ned Kelly in poetry, legal records, journalism and film. Students are provided with language activities for each chapter and with comparative studies of Ned Kelly as hero and outlaw.