The knowledge organiser I’ll be using with my students for their AQA Literature Poetry Anthology.
Each poem is broken down by poet, key themes and then 2 language and 2 form / structure points.
The last page is a ‘Tube map’ that links the different poems together by their theme.
Using the London Tube Map as inspiration, here I have connected the poems from the Power & Conflict AQA anthology by theme.
Useful display or revision resource. Could easily remove the names as a lesson exercise as well.
A mini-guide designed to fit in a student’s blazer pocket of all the processes, tips, reminders, models, structures and terms required to SMASH Language Paper 1.
How to fold it -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYc2eQfO40k
I swear by Walky Talky mocks in the run up to the final exams. This one includes:
Copycat AQA exam that looks and feels like the real thing.
A 19th century and a modern text both focussing on women in prison.
Accompanying slides of strategies, approaches, tips and structures.
Model answers for every question, annotated with why they’re effective.
Relevant stimulus materials: one from Dickens and one from March 2022.
This is my unit of 16 lessons for the final Macbeth teaching to year 11. This is a very knowledge focussed unit that precisely focusses on the key scenes, the critical quotes and the central themes. It focusses on building the skills required for the exam and the multiple layers of analysis that secures the top marks. The whole unit is based around my Macbeth workbook to log all the class’ interpretations and key knowledge - this is also included.
Each character and theme is accompanied by a youtube revision video. Just Youtube ‘Mr Kirby’ and the character / theme of your choosing.
Everything a student would need to smash AQA Language Paper 2…
Strategies and approaches for every question.
Examiner’s advice for every question.
Model examples for every question
Structures and recipies for each question that have been PROVEN to hit the top marks
Mark schemes for each question.
Example text and example questions for application practice.
Resources for planning where appropriate.
I swear by Walky Talky mocks in the run up to the final exams. This one includes:
Copycat AQA exam that looks and feels like the real thing.
An exam style text from the classic Birdsong - the scene of the Somme battle.
Accompanying slides of strategies, approaches, tips and structures.
Model answers for every question, annotated with why they’re effective.
I swear by Walky Talky mocks in the run up to the final exams. This one includes:
Copycat AQA exam that looks and feels like the real thing.
A 19th century and a modern text both focussing on using people as entertainment.
Accompanying slides of strategies, approaches, tips and structures.
Model answers for every question, annotated with why they’re effective.
Relevant stimulus materials: PT Barnum (Greatest Showman) and Jeremy Kyle.
Everything a student would need to smash AQA Language Paper 1…
Strategies and approaches for every question.
Examiner’s advice for every question.
Model examples for every question
Structures and recipies for each question that have been PROVEN to hit the top marks
Mark schemes for each question.
Example text and example questions for application practice.
Resources for planning where appropriate.
I always teach literature using a booklet like this for students to record the KNOWLEDGE they need on the text. The quotes, questions and tasks in here shape the learning every learner needs on An Inspector Calls. It moves through the characters and themes and the tasks are shaped in a way to allow learners to have their own personal interpretations for each point.
This booklet could be used as…
A homework resource alongside usual teaching
A final revision resource before an Inspector Calls exam.
A long term cover booklet for a class that needed to complete An Inspector Calls Study
A core knowledge store resource in literature teaching
I always teach literature using a booklet like this for students to record the KNOWLEDGE they need on the text. The quotes, questions and tasks in here shape the learning every learner needs on A Christmas Carol. It moves through the text in chronological order and the questions are shaped in a way to allow learners to have their own personal interpretations for each point.
This booklet could be used as…
A homework resource alongside usual teaching
A final revision resource before a Christmas Carol exam.
A long term cover booklet for a class that needed to complete A Christmas Carol Study
A core knowledge store resource in literature teaching
Updated after the 2018 examiners report, these two 30 page activity workbooks includes everything a student will need to know for both papers of the AQA English Language GCSE. It gives overviews of the whole exams, with advice regarding timing and approaches. For all questions in both papers, it includes key information and strategies students need to know, and smaller tasks where appropriate to support students with their planning. There are annotated model examples and paragraph structures for each task, and practice questions with space for them to be completed. The oaoer 1 revision guide is based on a text called ‘Dieter’s Decision’ and provides rich oppurtunity for close evaluation, language and structure analysis. The paper 2 booklet compares first-person non-fiction accounts from Florence Nightingale (her diary) and a modern day nurse (a newspaper comment piece).
This could be ideal as a revision workbook or a resource for a unit of lessons.
A 55 page activity workbook that takes students through everything they will need to know for their GCSE. Through completing tasks including graphs, tables, timelines, explorative and multiple choice questions, students are essentially building their own revision guide for the exam. Students are able to revise the content of the play whilst developing their own personal interpretations of Shakespeare’s choices and purpose. The booklet takes students through the scenes, characters, symbols, motifs, contexts and themes and is targeted towards the GCSE mark scheme, so has specific tasks on the language, structure and stage choices deployed. The last section focusses on essay technique and includes annotated paragraphs, an annotated Level 7+ essay, practice tasks and guidance for completing effective essays. I use this instead of an exercise book for my Macbeth teaching, but could also be used as a homework or revision tool.
This workbook takes students through the key essentials they need to know about each poem in the AQA anthology by steering them to their own interpretatons using prompt questions, targetted to the richest parts of the poem. To accompany the booklet, there is a video for each poem, talking students through the meaning of each poem, before examining in depth, with multiple interpretations, key aspects of language, structure and form. The workbook also includes a blank version of each poem for further analysis as a class or as HW. Primarily aimed at a middle ability group - this is essentially everything they would need to know about the poetry anthology, broken down into accessible, retainable chunks.
I have used these workbooks as the anthology in my GCSE poetry teaching (for the term) and the feedback from students has been really positive. Could also be used as HW or as a revision tool.
A 30 page revision workbook taking students through all they need to know for Language Paper 2. This updated 2018 version has been updated based on our experiences in the 2017 exam series. For each question it includes key reminders, advice regarding approach and strategy, structure outlines, mark schemes, high quality colour-coded model examples and signposts towards reminders and considerations for the highest marks. The whole booklet is based around extracts connected to nursing: a 20th century article from a newspaper by a disenchanted NHS nurse and an extract from Florence Nightingale’s diary from the 1800s.There is space to practice each Language Paper 2 question. The booklet can be used as either a revision booklet, a homework booklet or as a basis for a series of lessons.
A 29 page revision workbook taking students through all they need to know for Language Paper 1. This updated 2018 version has been updated based on our experiences in the 2017 exam series. For each question it includes key reminders, advice regarding approach and strategy, structure outlines, mark schemes, high quality colour-coded model examples and signposts towards reminders and considerations for the highest marks. The whole booklet is based around an extract from ‘Long Way Home’ (which the film ‘Lion’ is based on) and there is space to practice each Language Paper 1 question. The booklet can be used as either a revision booklet, a homework booklet or as a basis for a series of lessons.
A mock exam using an extract from ‘The Road’ made to look like the real AQA exams, with accompanying ‘Walky-Talky’ Mock powerpoint. The powerpoint features important reminders for each question, reminders of structures, approaches, key reminders and colour-coded model examples. An outline of recommend times is at the start, with timers throughout for students to practice their timing of the exam. My students found this very helpful preparation for their Language Paper 1, and I hope yours do to!