Poetry analysis: ‘Text’ and ‘Quickdraw’ by Carol Ann Duffy. Detailed powerpoint with leading questions and colour coding for pupils to effectively interrogate and compare both poems. Two differentiated image sort worksheets (one with some quotations) to track the poem. Copy onto card and cut up. Once they have filled in the quotations, get them to organise into two categories, love and conflict; this will help them to understand the extended metaphor and identify semantic fields. Ideal for lower ability. Plenary sheet cloze activity which links directly into the learning objectives and assessment criteria.

The Lost Happy Endings by Carol Ann Duffy: The setting analysis and writing activity with worksheet. Power point with extract on the setting. The question "How does the writer portray the setting?" 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 setting. 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.

A differentiated, visual pair of worksheets which track August's school experience. Key words enable pupils to construct their own commentaries on the images: the more able worksheet has space for pupils to write their own sentences; the lower ability worksheet is a cloze exercise whereby the key words can be used to complete the commentary. Visual and engaging!

Christmas acrostic poems worksheets (3) In colour and with images. Grid to make 9 poems. User friendly and engaging.

Halloween starter activities (2 worksheets) One worksheet has 5 cloze questions considering "which witch". Starter 2 has a table for pupils to make 5 acrostic poems with key words from Halloween. Colourful and fun as starters linked to Halloween. KS2 and 3.

AFL meta cognition chart: encourage pupils to reflect on their learning. Visual and colourful chart for use as a plenary. Pupils choose an image which most matches their learning in a particular lesson. They can justify their choices verbally or in writing. Encourages honest reflection and can lead to some valuable conversations with individual pupils. Laminate the sheet for greater longevity.

An exploration of Island Man by Grace Nichols. Activities on this 21 slide powerpoint include: a starter to revisit and subsequently show progression (slides 1 and 3), a culture map for pupils to complete (slide 2); images of the poem to annotate (slide 4) a cloze exercise of the poem before reading (slide 5), copy of the poem to highlight (slide 6), a link to an audio clip of the poem in performance, a group drama task, imagery work, stimulus for writing task (slides 18 and 19) which can also be used as exemplars to support pupils and thereby differentiate and, finally, peer assessment.

First lesson back! Alton Towers creative writing power point, you tube clip and worksheet. Includes: embedded you tube clip, individual slides on rides to add vocabulary to as a whole class, exemplar worksheet to highlight and label techniques on which is duplicated, colour coded and labelled on the power point. Good, creative first lesson back after the holidays which gives an opportunity for baseline assessment in writing skills.

Reading Skills lesson: based on an extract from Enduring Love by Ian McEwan Always a winner with pupils! This presentation leads pupils to analyse the opening of the novel. A longer extract is attached. There are 4 comprehension questions which interrogate the text with model answers to each so that pupils can use self or peer assessment to mark them. The opening extract is on the power point; the first comprehension question could be completed as a whole class activity with the teacher showing pupils where the evidence is. I have also shown the extract from the film version of the novel as well (on Youtube); show before reading and stop it a few minutes in to entice the pupils to read the extract to see what happens. There are a number of writing tasks after the plenary.

Reading skills: Richard Branson biography extract Analysis of an extract from Richard Branson: the inside story by Mick Brown. Includes questions and a model answer (slides 11 and 12) for pupils to identify and highlight PEE formulas. There is a sentence starter slide (13) to help pupils attempt the questions independently and the whole extract (which is also on the power point) for the teacher to work through and identify key areas so that pupils have highlighted and annotated copies ready to work on the reading skills questions. Works for KS3 and 4. Works well after Reading skills lesson 1 (on an extract from Enduring Love) and 2 (on a ballooning handbook) Both these resources are uploaded on TES too.

The Tell Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe. Sound effects starter, social and historical context of Poe's life, analysis of the opening to the story (pupils annotate their own copies) with leading questions in order to interrogate subsequent paragraphs. Comic strip writing activity with self assessment and review.

Descriptive writing; semantic fields based on 'The Soldier' by Rupert Brooke. Enquiry based learning using a word cloud of the poem to create pupil led categories. These are then used as a springboard for writing and creating semantic fields before the poem is studied (I used an audio clip of the poem on Youtube) The pupils then revisit and improve their work (showing progression) and it is then either self or peer assessed using the WJEC grade criteria on the power point. The plenary has leading questions linking to semantic fields, key skills and target setting. I printed out copies of the slides showing the poem, the word cloud and the grade criteria (one between two) Don't let the pupils access the poem until they have tried categorising the words in the word cloud. This enquiry based learning lesson is effective in terms of varied activities, a range of learning styles, showing progression and target setting.

The Witches' song from Macbeth Act 4 Sc 1 (analysis and writing tasks) Watch a YouTube reading of the poem, acrostic poem starter, detailed text and word level analysis with a choice of writing tasks, peer assessment and review. Copy of the extract for the pupils to highlight and annotate. KS3 and 4. Ideal for Halloween or general Shakespeare/poetry topic.

Macbeth: sequencing the plot power point and image sort activity. The worksheet has 20 images which the pupils cut up and sequence in the correct order. The powerpoint shows the correct sequencing of the images. There is space on the powerpoint to annotate and add notes on plot, characters, themes as you go through. The pupils can then stick the images into their books and write sentences underneath to consolidate learning. Ideal for low ability/ EAL. Highly visual and engaging.

Descriptive writing: Winter. The power point includes: a starter, an extract from Storms of Silence by Joe Simpson which is analysed at word and whole text level, an opportunity for pupils to improve their work to show progression, a skills slide, a planning slide and a checklist for peer assessment. Highly visual and engaging.

Dulce et decorum est: detailed analysis of the poem with background social and historical context.

Writing to persuade carousel powerpoint and 9 worksheets. The worksheets should be enlarged to A3 for maximum effectiveness. The 'carousel' set up could be merely passing the worksheets forwards to the pair in front rather than having to change the seating plan (if the classroom is not set up for group work) Stick to the timing (5 minutes on each paragraph) and this is a fast paced engaging lesson. Used for GCSE non-fiction writing practice prior to exams. The worksheets remind pupils of persuasive techniques along the way. As this is paired, and shared, group work, differentiation is by task.

AQA Conflict Poetry: War Photographer by Carol Ann Duffy. Power point exploring context, detailed analysis, starter and plenary and a choice of creative writing tasks on the final slide to consolidate understanding. Slide 8 can be printed out to use as a plenary. Copy of the poem included for highlighting and annotating. Colour coded, visual and accessible. Ideal for use with Conflict Poetry cluster or as a creative one/two lesson poetry exploration.

Of Mice and Men: detailed analysis of the fight scene. Highly visual with colour coded word level and whole text level analysis of the whole fight scene. Thorough preparation for an essay entitled How does Steinbeck create tension in the fight scene? Script of the scene attached.