‘Am I able to explore Chapter 12 and comment on the most significant moments?’ Designed for a Y11 top set reading lesson and includes a ‘significant moments’ grid which can be used to reflect on and analyse key moments in the chapter. Students can record their own thoughts and add the feedback of other students in a different colour. The plenary enables students to reflect on the ending and why it might be significant. Lesson plan and grid included.

‘Am I able to continue exploring Chapter 8 and comment on the most significant moments?’ This lesson was created for Y11 top set, but can easily be differentiated. Lesson includes memory recall starter and discussion points that can be addressed as the class read the chapter. There is also a quotation explosion task where they choose a quotation from the chapter to analyse and explore (could be used as a homework task). Lesson plan included, and a link to quizziz (quiz questions also included in the lesson plan document).

’After reading an extract from Act 1 Scene 2, can I analyse the character of Caliban and consider whether he is a victim or a villain?' Delivered to a mixed ability Y8 class, focusing on the analysis of Caliban as a victim or villain, where students prepare to write an exam style response to the question - How does Shakespeare present Caliban as a victim?

’With my partner, can I begin to write a short script from an extra scene to prepare for my Speaking and Listening Assessment?' This was delivered over two lessons to a mixed ability Y8 class, the first part focusing on preparing students for their speaking and listening assessment, and the second part where they practice and deliver their scripts. Includes help sheet resources to prompt and aid students if needed, a script check list, and also my ‘What Went Well’ and ‘Even Better If’ feedback sheets. The lesson also includes some drama techniques which students absolutely loved (vocal warm ups, show me don’t tell me tasks, facial expressions etc.).

’Using creative writing skills, can I write a recipe for a magic spell to summon a storm?' This lesson was created for a mixed ability Y8 class who were studying The Tempest. I used this for the last lesson of term, so it was a nice and creative lesson to end on and the students had lots of fun creating their own spells. The lesson includes an activity where students identify poetic devices in the spell chanted by the witches in Macbeth, and then goes on to support them writing their own spell to conjure a storm (like the Tempest).

Designed for top set Y10 and was taught over a period of two lessons. Students explore the question: Can I compare the similarities and differences in the poets’ presentation of choice in two unseen poems? The poems used to compare are ‘The Road Not Taken’ and ‘Invictus’ (this lesson builds on my previous resource which solely explores The Road Not Taken). The lesson includes various discussions relating to Invictus surrounding free will and fate, an activity exploring comparative terminology, a worksheet grid where students map ideas for comparison of the two poems, an exemplar paragraph, and peer assessment activity.

A (2 hour) lesson guiding Y10 students (top set) through an approach to exploring, analysing and responding to an unseen poem - The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost. The lesson addresses the question: ‘Can I analyse language and structure in an unseen poem, learning a strategy to respond to an unseen poetry exam question?’ Students are working towards the question: In ‘The Road Not Taken’, how does the poet present the speaker’s feelings about choice? Groups of students are given a particular stanza to focus on independently and then feedback their ideas as the teacher makes notes on the board (I have left some of the answers my students delivered on the slides FYI). The next task focuses on an exemplar response, where students will construct their own paragraph responding to the question and utilising their annotated poem to support them. Resource includes Powerpoint, lesson plan, exemplar paragraph word doc and a word doc displaying the poem and question.

A lesson exploring ideas about appearance, reality and the presentation of women in Shakespeare’s ‘Sonnet 130’. Prompts discussion about ‘reality’ and ‘appearence’, weaving in ideas about social media. Students work individually to interpret different given lines in the poem (worksheet including challenge questions), and then class collaboratively discuss, explore and feedback their interpretations. Lesson also includes a creative writing task.

A lesson exploring how Sylvia Plath uses language to present ideas about identity in her poem ‘Mirror’. Was designed for a mixed ability Year 9 class, but would be a great stretch and challenge lesson for a higher ability Year 8 class. Various activities including an imagery task, where students match images to a line or phrase in the poem (handout). Stretch and challenge tasks also incorporated.

A lesson to enable students to create emotion and atmosphere through language using the skill pathetic fallacy. The lesson uses visual stimuli (clips from Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings) to facilitate students’ understanding of pathetic fallacy and how the weather/landscape reflects characters’ emotions and affects the audience. This resource contains video links and resources to print for students. It also includes a written example of pathetic fallacy, a writing task for students to demonstrate their understanding of pathetic fallacy, and sentence stems and words banks for differentiation.

A lesson delivered to a Year 10 class that explores how John Agard presents ideas about power and conflict in ‘Checking Out Me History’. This was delivered before going on to analyse and annotate the poem. Includes: a key word and definition mix and match a video a research task (and grid) where students find out who the key black historical figures are in order to understand the context of the poem an extension task where students identify lines in the poem that correspond to the images

This lesson begins to explore the context, plot and key ideas in the poem ‘My Last Duchess’?

Designed for a two-hour Year 12 lesson, this resource introduces the characteristics of ecocriticism using Dr Seuss’ ‘The Lorax’ to demonstrate how to analyse a text from an ecocritical perspective. In the second half of the lesson, students will then apply their ecocritical knowledge to an extract from Cormac McCarthy’s ‘The Road’. This resource includes: a structured and comprehensive Powerpoint presentation a lesson plan a mix and match activity Video clips numerous discussion points ‘The Road’ extract and an exploration grid an example analytical paragraph with success criteria I thoroughly enjoyed planning and teaching this lesson, and the students seemed to enjoy it too! I hope your class benefits from it too. If they do, please leave a review!

A Freudian reading of LOTF, suitable for remote learning as well as in the classroom. This lesson explores Freud’s psychoanalytic theory of the Id, Ego and Superego, applying it to Lord of the Flies to develop students’ contextual knowledge and understanding of characterisation. This is a great stretch and challenge lesson, planned for a top set Y11 class, although can easily be differentiated according to ability. Includes a range of tasks and stimuli to engage and facilitate learning such as videos, a Guess Who game, character profiles activity and a quiz (link included to quiz in lesson plan).

A lesson to enable students to explore and understand pathetic fallacy. This lesson is designed for online teaching platforms, utilising polls, student votes and the chat function to encourage and monitor engagement, and allow for formative assessment. Teacher notes are included in the presentation for guidance. Film clips are used to aid understanding of pathetic fallacy, and the main task involves a creative piece of writing to demonstrate their knowledge. Ideal for KS3 and can be adapted to suit class ability.

A student-led exploration and analysis of significant moments in Chapter 6 of LOTF. This lesson uses jigsaw work, enabling students to work in groups to share and discuss their explorations. The lesson can be adapted for online learning through the use of collaborative breakout rooms in Teams.

A descriptive writing lesson which focuses on using a variety of sentence types for clarity, purpose and effect. This resource uses the Horror/Gothic genre as stimulus to encourage students to think about the intentional effects of different sentences, including sentence fragments. Lesson was designed for Year 7, but perhaps suitable for L/A Year 8.

Designed to follow on from the simile lesson, also available on my shop. Students build upon their knowledge of similes and develop these skills into creating effective metaphors using advanced vocabulary. During this lesson they will understand the effects of metaphors, and how they are similar/different from similes. They will use their knowledge to develop effective metaphors in their creative writing, using engaging stimulus.