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J. D. Gardner's Shop

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I teach English at an academically successful school in Berkshire. I only publish resources that I have personally used in the classroom and always aim for maximum visual and interactive impact.

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I teach English at an academically successful school in Berkshire. I only publish resources that I have personally used in the classroom and always aim for maximum visual and interactive impact.
The Handmaid's Tale: Chapter 4
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The Handmaid's Tale: Chapter 4

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The presentation begins by focusing on the character of Nick as first presented in Chapter 4 of the novel. There is a group task with key quotations for this purpose. Next, to promote discussion, there is inter-textual information on Newspeak from Orwell's 1984, which has strong similarities with the language used in Chapter 4. Finally, there are some questions about the end of the chapter and sexual repression in Gilead, along with a link to an online article on the same topic; QR code provided for students with ipad or similar.
The Handmaid's Tale: The Commander
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The Handmaid's Tale: The Commander

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The lesson begins by building character profiles of Commander Fred Waterford and Fred Judd, and asks students to consider the significance of each character. Next is a close focus on the presentation of his character with discussion questions and, finally, a motion that forms the basis of a debate over his character.
Dystopian Writing - the genre and writing openings
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Dystopian Writing - the genre and writing openings

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Lesson 3 in the scheme of work on writing in the dystopian genre. The lesson could be used as a one-off resource but is designed to build on students’ prior knowledge of noun phrases, non-finite clauses and adverbials. The resource asks students to think about the conventions of the genre and then asks them to write their own story openings. An original exemplar story opening is included to discuss / annotate with the class, which showcases the techniques practised in the previous two lessons. The lesson has been designed for use with high-ability year 7s, but would equally be suitable for students in years 5, 6 or 8, dependent upon ability.
Dystopian Writing - Persuasive Language
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Dystopian Writing - Persuasive Language

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Intended as the fifth in a creative writing scheme of work on dystopian writing. However, this lesson will work independently. The resource is centred around an extract from Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K Dick as an example of how students could write a persuasive advert for their own automaton - either humanoid or animal. I have included an additional starter activity as the material may take more than one lesson to cover. The resource was designed for high ability year 7 students, but could work for students in years 5, 6 or 8, dependent upon ability.
Exposure by Wilfred Owen
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Exposure by Wilfred Owen

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Up to two lessons’ worth of content on Wilfred Owen’s poem Exposure. This was created and delivered to a middle-ability Year 8 class and provides a number of engaging activities including: Storyboarding Descriptive writing Language analysis (focusing on the presentation of nature, not war) Diary entry imaginative writing AI generated imagery has been used in this lesson, making it very visually pleasing.
On The Sea by John Keats
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On The Sea by John Keats

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A lesson filled with contextual information on Keats’s On The Sea. Discussion points are also provided for Keats’s use of the sonnet form as well as his philosophy of negative capability and the role of the poet. Some images have been created using AI.
Still I Rise by Maya Angelou
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Still I Rise by Maya Angelou

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Two lesson’s worth of material on Maya Angelou’s Still I Rise, designed to get students to get students to engage with the poetic language and structure of the poem. These lessons were put together with the Edexcel IGCSE Language A coursework in mind. There is an array of activities, including a webquest with links, group work, analysis of form and structure, and a focus on imagery. The resource is highly visual and includes a video of Maya Angelou reading her poem. There is also some support material in the form of a word and phrase bank to help students write their coursework essay. We wrote on the presentation of the theme of identity. However, the resources would easily be adapted to another question.
Bright Star by John Keats
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Bright Star by John Keats

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An updated version of this lesson, now with more activities and greater aesthetic appeal. The presentation contains key context, activities on form and structure, language analysis, and comprehension questions. The final part of the lesson provides questions to prompt comparisons with other poems by Keats, so that students begin to forge connections and understand Keats’s prevailing themes and motifs.
Eat Me by Patience Agbabi
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Eat Me by Patience Agbabi

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A full lesson on Patience Agbabi’s ‘Eat Me’ from the Edexcel A level Literature anthology ‘Poems of the Decade’. This is a highly visual resource with tasks on the poem’s themes, imagery, form and structure. The lesson is highly task-based, providing opportunities to flip the learning and have students collaborate and think hard. This resource will be bundled with lessons on the other modern poems from the specification in future.
Romeo & Juliet: The prologue
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Romeo & Juliet: The prologue

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The presentation contains a number of activities which will appeal to a range of abilities. For the lower ability there is a storyboard of the prologue and, for stronger students, there are activities on the sonnet form, iambic pentameter and an article on the role of fate in Shakespeare's plays. There are challenge and extension activities. Enough work for 1 - 2 one-hour lessons.
Ozymandias PEAL paragraph writing
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Ozymandias PEAL paragraph writing

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A step-by-step PowerPoint that takes students through writing an analytical response to a question on Shelley's Ozymandias. It centres on an exemplar piece that might be indicative of a grade 7 or 8 and has a writing frame included. There is also an annotating activity and a web hunt. It does not cover comparison to other poems. Suggested for more able years 10 and 11.
Comparing Poetry (Eduqas)
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Comparing Poetry (Eduqas)

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A presentation which takes students through the very basics of understanding what it means to 'compare' one thing to another, to analysing a model answer and then planning their own response. The model answer compares Death of a Naturalist and Excerpt from the Prelude from the Eduqas exam board. Parts of the resource would suit low ability learners but, for the most part, the presentation suits middle ability learners.
Keats for Key Stage 3
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Keats for Key Stage 3

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A three-lesson scheme of work on John Keats, designed to teach students about the sonnet and ode forms, context and Romantic ideals including the Sublime. The poems covered are: On The Sea, To Autumn and Bright Star.
Poetry Through Time
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Poetry Through Time

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The first part of a scheme of work on poetry from Beowulf, through Chaucer to the Romantic era. It gives students an understanding of how language has changed and the importance of the oral tradition. Lessons on the Romantic era help students engage with the sonnet and ode forms, provide context and teach them about Romantic ideals such as the sublime. The lessons on Keats are also available as a separate, smaller bundle.
Of Mice and Men: Chapters 1-3
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Of Mice and Men: Chapters 1-3

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A KS3 scheme of work which covers the first three chapters of Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men. There are a range of activities which cover both reading and writing aspects of the novel. Note that we use ipads at my school so, where they are infrequently mentioned, you could set the task as a homework or else book a computer room. Keep your eyes peeled for lessons on chapters 4 and 5 in the coming weeks.
'When I have fears that I may cease to be'
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'When I have fears that I may cease to be'

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A step-by step look at John Keats’s ‘When I have fears that I may cease to be’. The lesson begins with a look at the context, the unusual form of the poem and then the language. It also asks students to begin to make comparisons to similar ideas in some of Keats’s other poems e.g. the ocean in On The Sea and the harvest in *To Autumn. *
Ode on Indolence by John Keats
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Ode on Indolence by John Keats

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A lesson which focuses on the language Keats uses to present the three figures (Love, Ambition and Poesy), as well as drawing connections and distinctions between this poem and the other great odes. There is little discussion of context here, save for the initial clarification of the epigraph as my students’ knowledge of Keats’s life is already strong.
On First Looking into Chapman's Homer by John Keats
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On First Looking into Chapman's Homer by John Keats

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This lesson takes students through the Petrarchan sonnet form and Keats’s use of it, key context surrounding the poem and discussion / language analysis questions which focus students on its main interpretations. The language analysis task can be enacted in groups or as individual / paired comprehension. I have also included some information on Apollo and his relevance to Keats, as well as information on ‘The Camelion Poet’.