Poetry analysis and descriptive writing: Spring. ‘I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud’ by William Wordsworth is analysed at word and whole text level with an essay style analysis task. The descriptive writing includes a skills slide, a writing planning slide and a checklist for peer assessment. Includes three differentiated copies of the poem: high, medium and EAL. Highly visual and engaging.

An Inspector Calls starter activities. A range of visual, creative and practical activities to engage lower ability pupils. Includes a quiz, discussion around images, key words, acrostic poems. Varied, visual and effective.

GCSE persuasive writing activity based on graffiti. Starter sort activity (needs photocopying on to card and cutting/mixing up) linked to persuasive techniques and youtube clip of a short documentary on Banksy (content only for GCSE pupils; please view before you show this to a class) Pupils make notes and then discuss the documentary as preparation for a draft magazine article on graffiti. This is then peer assessed and pupils set their own targets for improvement from the chart shown on the powerpoint. The draft version can then be improved in a subsequent lesson and then typed up on to a magazine template to create authentic texts which are good for display and which also provide good exemplars for other groups.

A fun poetry analysis and writing activity lesson (or two lessons) based on The Dentist and the Crocodile by Roald Dahl. This detailed presentation analyses language and puctuation features at word level, there is dictionary work and a range of poetry or creative writing tasks linked to the poem for the pupils to choose from. Includes opportunities for self and peer assessment with target setting and review slide. Ideal for primary Y5 and 6 or KS3.

A Christmas Carol Visual: plot and Scrooge’s character development. A power point and worksheet with images in chronological order to discuss as a whole class and for pupils to make notes on plot, Scrooge’s character, themes and the author’s message. Highly visual so ideal for low ability and visual learners. Scaffolded questions at the end of the worksheet as a plenary to explain how Scrooge’s character changes.

Descriptive writing: Summer (The Beach) The power point includes: a starter, an extract from ‘Holiday Memories’ by Dylan Thomas which is analysed at word level, an opportunity for pupils to improve their work to show progression, a skills slide, a planning slide and a checklist for peer assessment. Also included, a pupil exemplar and examiner’s comments. Highly visual and engaging.

A taste of The Gothic from Mary Coleridge. 'The Deserted House presentation includes: brief background to The Gothic; starter descriptive writing activity, the poem and 6 questions to answer, an opportunity to show progression by reviewing and improving the starter activity, PA/SA review and target setting. Copy of the poem included for highlighting and annotating (or slide 4 could be copied for pupils as it has the poem and the questions on it) KS3 or 4.

Persuasive speeches: Martin Luther King "I have a dream" Pupils watch an extract of MLK's famous speech and note spoken language techniques. They then read the extract, highlight specific persuasive language features, write their own speeches, peer assess the same then perform them to the class trying to emulate some of the techniques used by MLK. Engaging and fun!

Of Mice and Men starter activities power point. Includes a quiz, images to discuss or print out and annotate, key words activities such as acrostic poems.

Detailed analysis of conflict in Romeo and Juliet. Sharp focus on Act 1 Sc 5, Act 3 Sc 1 and Act 3 Sc 5 with an exploration of themes and relationships. This resource is ideal for getting pupils to annotate copies of the texts during the whole class interrogation of the extracts slide per slide. With leading questions and colour coded word level analysis

Poetry extract from The Witches by Roald Dahl (analysis and writing tasks) The Grand High Witch reveals her plan to turn all children into mice. Acrostic poem starter, watch film trailer, detailed analysis of text with self assessment, choice of writing tasks and peer assessment and review. Copy of the poem for the pupils to highlight and annotate. Also phoneme word families sort activity and a spelling sort with words taken from the extract. KS2 and 3. Ideal for Halloween or general poetry topic.

The Lost Happy Endings by Carol Ann Duffy: The Witch analysis and writing activity with worksheet. Power point with extract on the witch. The question "How does the writer portray the character of the witch?" is explored via colour coded analytic slides. Print and give out the blank extract slide to high ability pupils, the colour coded slide to medium ability pupils and the colour coded and annotated slide to lower ability pupils in order to answer the question. Subsequently, the pupils can use some of the descriptive writing techniques which they have just identified in order to fill in the worksheet describing their own witch. The final slide has skills criteria on in order for the pupils to peer assess their work. Level descriptors on the powerpoint and the worksheet are for the new GCSE 1-9 criteria but can be easily adapted for KS2/3.

GCSE assessment/marking codes and descriptors: pupil friendly, aesthetic and engaging. Useful laminated as a classroom or departmental resource. Pupils can then tick criteria boxes with a marker pen which is easily wiped off later. Ideal for self and peer assessment and making target setting accessible for all abilities. GCSE grades G-A* for Reading, Writing and Speaking and Listening (can be quickly adapted for the 1-9 framework) 6 assessment sheets in total.

Muhammad Ali: non fiction analysis and writing/presentation tasks. Includes two news articles to read and analyse with comprehension questions on the short article, factual information on the powerpoint (including Ali's famous sayings) with word level dictionary work, non fiction writing task and pupil presentation task. NB: Slide two needs sensitivity regarding Ali's statement about refusing to be conscripted into the US military and joining the Vietnam War. Song lyrics by Faithless and R Kelly; one of these could be played as a starter. Equally, there is a plethora of YouTube videos of greatest moments.

Reading skills: Ballooning Handbook by Don Cameron. Ideal for use after skills lesson 1 on an extract from Enduring Love (the balloon accident) I have uploaded this to TES too. Analysis of extract with detailed annotation on the power point, comprehension questions and model answers so that pupils could self or peer assess their work. Persuasive letter writing task linked to the subject matter at the conclusion. Works for KS3 or 4.

Descriptive writing: Autumn. The power point includes: a starter, 'Ode to Autumn' by John Keats which is analysed at word and whole text level, an opportunity for pupils to improve their work to show progression, a skills slide, a writing planning slide and a checklist for peer assessment. Highly visual and engaging.

A Christmas Carol: Poverty and Children (Scrooge and The Ghost of Christmas Present) Background social and historical context about The Poor Law, The Workhouse and prisons and detailed analysis of the extract where Scrooge sees the "two children; wretched, abject, frightful, hideous, miserable" Worksheet to accompany the power point and a discursive essay with tips for success on the final slide.

Macbeth and Banquo meet the witches diary enty. Image, instructions and key words to enable pupils to imagine that they are either Macbeth, Banquo or one of the witches. They write a descriptive diary entry of the meeting upon the heath. Good for low ability as the worksheet is visual with key words for guidance.

A detailed analysis of parent/child relationships in Romeo and Juliet, Caitrin by Gillian Clarke and What has happened to Lulu? by Charles Causley. Originally made for WJEC English Literature Unit 3 (poetry and drama literary heritage) but could be used to analyse these texts individually.

Romeo and Juliet: detailed analysis of love in Act 1 Sc 5. Includes a copy of the scene. KS4. Encourages pupils to highlight and annotate the script, consider themes and to interrogate the text thoroughly in preparation for essay writing. Highly visual and colour-coded analysis for maximum impact with word level and dictionary work.