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 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.

Poetry: ‘The Quarrel’ by Maxine Kumin. Ideal for National Poetry Day! A fun poetry analysis and writing activity lesson (or two lessons) based on The Quarrel by Maxine Kumin. This detailed presentation analyses language and puctuation features at word level, there is thesaurus work and a range of poetry or creative writing tasks linked to the poem for the pupils to choose from. Includes the opportunity for peer assessment with target setting and review slide. Ideal for primary Y5 and 6 or KS3. Includes worksheet with poem and space for pupils’ responses to the poem. Slide 2 starter could be printed out for pupils or they could copy the spidergram into their books.

An Inspector Calls: revision of themes and social and historical context. This is a highly visual and interactive presentation with a PEE formula card sort activity. Pupils review SHC and make notes, make links between images and themes in AIC then complete the PEE formula card sort (in pairs or individually). Now they have PEE formulas modelled, they continue by creating 3 of their own (quotations are provided) This work is then peer assessed, then the plenary uses images to review themes. Engaging, visual and effective.

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

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.

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.

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!

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!

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.

A fun poetry analysis and writing activity lesson (or two lessons) based on Dino Thought by Jane Yolen. Illustrated copy of the poem attached. The presentation analyses repetition, rhyme and onomatopoeia, there is word level dictionary and thesaurus work and a range of poetry or creative writing tasks linked to the poem for the pupils to choose from. There is a peer/self assessment and target setting slide. Ideal for primary Y5 and 6 or KS3.

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.

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.

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.

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.