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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Frankenstein analysis and creative writing: chapter 5. Word level analysis of an extract from chapter 5 "It was on a dreary night of November..." Starter activity links to subsequent creative writing where pupils try to emulate some of the techniques used by Shelley to create atmosphere and tension. Peer assessment linking to skills on final slide. Extract of chapter 5 included with sections and instructions for colour coding and highlighting clearly labelled.

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.

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.

Macbeth anagram starter activity: power point and worksheet. A starter activity designed to revise character names and key themes. With answers for self assessment.

Macbeth SQUID sort activity based on Lady Macbeth's character. Worksheet with 3 SQUID (statement, quotation, unpick, infer, develop) paragraphs jumbled up. Photocopy on to card, cut up and get pupils to rearrange. Ideal as a starter or a penary for modelling effective textual analysis.

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.

Narrative writing carousel with 8 worksheets. For use with KS3 or 4. Worksheets are more effective if copied to A3 size. Pupils work in pairs to construct a section of a story, the worksheet is passed on for the next pair to complete a section and so on until the finished worksheet is returned. This is then checked and improved and can be written up or typed up to provide the finished narrative. Each worksheet has a different section already started; one worksheet is blank for higher achievers. Follows the ODCCR narrative writing framework. The pupils enjoyed reading out the stories once completed.