This resource is presented as an animated Powerpoint and in word format and takes inspiration from Newt Scamander’s fifty-second edition of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. It showcases the native British breeds of dragon , namely the Common Welsh Green and the Hebridean Black. Pupils scour the information comparing and contrasting the physical attributes of these magnificent creatures in order to answer a series of questions. The answers are provided. Finally, they put their letter writing skills to the test by applying for an apprenticeship as a dragon trainer based in the Outer Hebrides under the auspices of the MacFusty clan.Pupils are reminded of the conventions of formal letter writing. This is an activity which will appeal to Harry Potter fans and is one of three similar resources which can be found in my shop, each with different extended writing options. Suitable for ages 8+

This animated Powerpoint presents pupils with information about the wandering albatross and the problems it faces with fishing boats and plastic waste. Pupils will learn about this endangered bird with its enormous wing span and how it glides across the Southern Ocean for huge distances in search of food. Pupils are asked to consider the challenges this creature faces in its quest for food and hear David Attenborough's warning about pollution in our seas and oceans as brought to our attention in the Blue Planet series. Students are asked to create their own eye catching poster and to use their persuasive writing skills in order to redress the problem of plastic waste. I include a puzzle entitled Planet Patrol concerning conservation issues as an added extra. All answers are provided.A word document is also included concerning the problem of plastic waste and includes some advice from Greenpeace. Pupils are asked to contribute their own ideas by adding to the list. These resources are intended to promote discussion and will encourage independent research and further investigation. Suitable for ages 8+

This Powerpoint explains how adverbs are used. Adverbs of time , manner and place are explored and there are plenty of exercises along the way. Animation is used to add humour to the subject. This presentation could be used to introduce adverbs or for revision purposes. Other presentations include adjectives and nouns and pronouns which are presented in a similar fashion. This resource is aimed at pupils aged between 10 and 14.

This animated power point outlines in a simplistic way the features of a Gothic novel and explains the use of pathetic fallacy as a tool used by the author to create unease. An extract from Susan Hill's ghost story Woman in Black is used as a starting point for discussion about literary techniques to create a sense of immediacy and of being enveloped by the landscape. I include a further resource where pupils can discuss and highlight examples of pathetic fallacy within extracts taken from Woman in Black, A Monster Calls and Frankenstein. This resource is suitable for ages 11-16.

This Power point resource asks pupils to change both nouns and pronouns into plurals and to insert apostrophes to show belonging and also in contractions. Choosing the correct pronoun I or me is also tested. I include a general spelling, punctuation and grammar quiz, one of several which can be found in my shop. All answers included. This resource is suitable for ages 10+ and would be ideal when revising grammar and punctuation. Answers are included.

This animated Power point showcases the features of persuasive writing and then provides advice on how to use the powers of persuasion to win an audience over. The features are recorded in a way which will make the techniques memorable. The students are asked to put their writing skills to the test by choosing to write a leaflet about the dangers of smoking or, alternatively, writing a speech about taking up a new hobby which does not involve a screen. I include a resource which explains how to build a speech rather like building a sandwich and has an activity where students need to identify rhetorical devices within a short passage; ideal for homework or revision purposes. This resource is suitable for pupils aged between 11 and 16.

This power point explores anger issues and how being more mindful of our words and actions can be beneficial. A story is told of a young boy who is given a bag of nails by his father. Each time he says something hurtful to his family he has to hammer a nail into the tree at the bottom of the garden. As he discovers ways to control his temper, the nails are used less and less and eventually his father asks the boy to pull them out. The boy discovers that the nails have left holes in the tree trunk, just as his unkind words have left wounds in others that will take time to heal. Students are asked questions surrounding the story and asked to share strategies for dealing with anger. Suggestions are made at the end for using hand templates to pass round to friends to write kind words on and display ideas suggested. Talking therapies for dealing with mental health issues and mindfulness meditation are promoted as strategies for dealing with stress. This resource would be useful as an assembly or in tutor time and of particular importance around exam periods. It is suitable for ages 10+

This Power Point tests knowledge of there and their, knowledge of speech marks and commas , homophones, the use of prefixes to form opposites, alphabetical ordering, identifying deliberate mistakes and much more. Pupils are required to perfect a weirdly worded passage. Answers are provided. This resource is suitable for ages 10+ and is ideal for revision purposes.

This animated Power point examines four different sentence types: simple, complex, compound and minor. Pupils are given examples of how sentence structure might differ according to the intended audience. Later they are given examples of how sentence structure might differ according to the effect an author is trying to achieve. Finally students are asked to discuss the sentence structures found in an extract taken from a crime novel: M.J. Arlidge's Eeny Meeny. I include a resource which requires students to demonstrate their knowledge of punctuation by inserting a range of punctuation in lengthier paragraphs as well as allowing them to show off their own descriptive writing skills by describing someone they admire. This resource is suitable for audiences aged 10+

This animated Power Point discusses alliteration and onomatopoeia and asks pupils to identify these techniques within extracts from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows as well as other sources. Pupils are given phrases which they need to sort and also decide on an example which shows both these devices. Students learn that writers will try to appeal to different senses in descriptive passages and this resource focuses particularly on the sense of sound. Students are given a provocative image and are required to describe it using both techniques. This resource will be useful when encouraging descriptive writing and identifying techniques authors use to build characters and settings. Suitable for ages 10+

This animated Power Point has twenty questions all to do with water and its properties. The questions test scientific and geographical knowledge. This resource includes a poem about the sea which is told rather like a riddle. This quiz can be dropped into any lesson concerning water and could be used as a resource for revision or to kick start further investigation and independent research. I include a word document about the problem of plastic waste in our seas and oceans which includes some advice from Greenpeace. Students are invited to contribute ideas of their own to help solve this growing problem and they are encouraged to design a poster outlining the issue. Suitable for ages 8+

This power Point takes extracts from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, removes the punctuation, and asks the audience to rewrite the paragraphs inserting the necessary capital letters and punctuation marks to bring them back to life again.Pupils will need to consider paragraphing, capital letters and question marks. They will need to insert speech marks and apostrophes for contractions. They will need to think about starting a new line when a different character begins speaking. The perfected passages do magically appear and will inspire pupils to read and explore further for themselves. Formal and informal letters are looked at from the hand of J.K.Rowling and pupils are asked to write either a formal or informal letter for themselves. The formal letter explains why Harry Potter is to be expelled from Hogwarts; the informal letter is written by Harry himself explaining to his beloved Snuffles about the terrible week he's been having at Hogwarts.Pupils are given a further task of inviting either Neville, Draco or Hermione to a special event at their own school and are asked to consider why they wish this character in particular to attend. This resource is intended to support the practice of perfecting punctuation in a fun way and also examine the skills of letter writing. Pupils will be inspired to read more widely from J K Rowling's novels, whilst also revising their writing skills. Suitable for Potter fans of all ages. This resource will add an extra dimension to revision.

This resource is ideal for Father’s Day and has two poems describing dads. One dad has extremely smelly feet that stink of gorgonzola and stale underwear. The other poem describes Dad as more of a super hero type who is earth-quaking, nerve-shaking and fast talking (but only before 6pm.). Pupils will enjoy the humour and vivid imagery within the poems and will be inspired to think of adjectives that describe their own father’s finest qualities. They are asked to think of a special memory about their Dad and perhaps create their own poetry in celebration of Father’s Day. Suitable for all ages.

This animated powerpoint celebrates Halloween with a collection of spooky activities surrounding adjectives, adverbs and rhyming words. The children are asked to provide suitable adverbs to create a spooky atmosphere and to think of a revolting recipe for a witch's spell. A black cat has an encounter with a hat in a poem inspired by Dr Seuss. This resource is intended to be used with younger children on the run up to Halloween and could be used to inspire creative writing and poetry on a spooky theme.

This animated power point presentation is of a poem written by a 15 year old about remembrance. November is the time of year to remember lives lost in war and this poem compares late autumn to this sense of loss in a very poignant way. The audience is asked to focus on particular words and phrases which the poet uses to compare the decaying leaves and the perforated bodies of the battleground. Pupils are also asked to consider the symbolic significance of poppies. This resource would be ideal to use when studying war poetry or reflecting on Remembrance Sunday. This resource is suitable for students aged 11 to 16 years. I include puzzles which will aid the revision of poetry such as Keats' ode to Autumn as well as Tennyson's Charge of the Light Brigade.

This power point presentation looks particularly at the letter received by Lord Monteagle on November 4th 1605 and asks students to consider the implications and explore the inferences within. Questions are asked about the morality of the situation and the audience is asked to put themselves in the position of having a relative in Parliament and knowing full well something bad is going to happen. Students are required to reorganise the major events of the Gunpowder Plot into a cartoon strip to reinforce chronology. Background information is given about Guy Fawkes and we are asked to question why it is only his name we remember all these years later. I enclose information about the forthcoming three part screenplay entitled Gunpowder in which Kit Harington plays Robert Catesby and reveals he is related to him.There is a comprehension related to this article and opportunties for further research into Kit Harington's biography, a story board of the major events of the Gunpowder Plot or a comparison of crime and punishment then and now. Answers are provided to the questions. This resource is suitable for ages 10+

This animated power point collates ten facts about Guy Fawkes and his part in the Gunpowder Plot that are not widely known. I include information about the drama series in which the Game of Thrones actor Kit Harington plays Robert Catesby, the brains behind the Gunpowder plot. Harington reveals there is a family connection which prompted him to get involved in the screenplay.There is a comprehension related to this article and opportunities provided for further writing and research such as a biography, a story board and a comparison of crime and punishment then and now. All answers are provided to the comprehension for ease of marking. This resource would prove useful as a lesson starter or as a means of starting a discussion about this infamous historical figure. Was he really a bad guy? Why is it that we know Guy Fawkes' name and yet Robert Catesby's name is less well known today. The resource is suitable for ages 10+