This is a straightforward but lengthy quiz so suitable for homework. The text used is James Shirley’s “Death the Leveller”. There are 21 questions. Answers are provided. If used in class, this could be used as a pre-reading activity prior to a lesson on tackling unseen poetry. The quiz could identify gaps in knowledge and understanding enabling subsequent teaching to be more precisely focused. Alternatively, answers to the quiz could be used as a scaffold for students in answering a question about how the poet presents ideas about power - for example. The questions could be used to structure a guided reading activity, some providing a springboard for further questioning to deepen understanding. It’s a Word document so questions can be added, removed or edited to suit the focus of your teaching.

This powerpoint is initended to be used alongside a first reading (cold reading) of “Beowulf A New Telling” by Robert Nye. There are 17 slides, one for each chapter (apart from chapter 7 which falls neatly into two sections). On each slide there is a choice of three activities. The intention is that the children work through these activities as they read through the novel. You may wish the children to work through each activity; you might give them the opportunity to select their own activity or you might wish to assign the activity based on ability or learning target. Some activities are suitable for homework even if the children don’t have a copy of the novel.

This is a short scheme of work on “Romeo and Juliet” - used at my school as a revision scheme, recapping key events, themes and language. The intention is that it can be delivered across ten lessons although obviously the pace will need to be tailored to your students. One of the ten lessons has been set aside for the completion of an exam question.

This is a very simple and straightforward quiz on the prologue from “Romeo and Juliet” intended to embed basic understanding. Answers are provided. Could be set as a homework or alternatively used as a starter to identify gaps in knowledge or understanding so that subsequent teaching can be more precisely focused.

This is a very straightforward activity whereby the students have to match the annotations to the poem. Useful as a homework after you have taught the poem. Alternatively, this could be used as a pre-reading activity so that the basics have already been covered and the subsequent teaching can focus on more depth and subtlety.

16 questions on the Queen Mab speech. Could be used as a pre-reading activity to identify gaps in knowledge and understanding so that subsequent teaching can be more sharply focused. Could be set as homework to embed learning. Word document so editable. Answers provided.

Planned for KS3 (11-14) as part of a project on stretch and challenge, this lesson uses Edith Nesbit’s “The Grey Folk”. The aim of the lesson is to use close reading to support an evaluation of the poem. There are 10 slides, which include questioning. The settler activity encourages a close look at the poem’s title, asking pupils to think about the connotations of the colour, how the colour establishes mood - and why, the impact of the definite article and the effect of the plural. There is then a close focus on the setting and the use of personification in the first verse. Thereafter the focus changes to the writer’s use of the metaphor with ‘the green fields of yesterday’ and pupils are asked to consider the effect of the contrast of grey and green. The final zoom in is on the repetition of the modal verb in the final verse - “they will not”. After this, pupils are asked to draw their learning together, recording at least five ideas that support the idea that this poem is about ghosts. They are then asked to think, pair and share to come up with an answer to the question - if this poem is not about ghosts, what might it be about? Finally, pupils are asked to explain to what extent they agree with the statement that this is NOT a poem about ghosts. If the writing is to be undertaken in class, this will go across more than an hour’s teaching time. Alternatively, the questioning and note taking can be done in class and the written response set for homework

This activity uses “The Ghost” by Walter de la Mare and there are 21 multiple choice questions, some of which can be used to support further discussion about the effect of the writer’s methods. Answers are provided. This quiz could be used as a pre-teaching activity to identify gaps in knowledge and understanding so that subsequent teaching can be more precisely focused. The questions could be used to structure a guided reading session and exploration of the poem. Alternatively, it could be used as a starter activity before writing a more formal, exam-style response to an unseen poem. Useful for cover and homework.

This is a comprehension activity that could be used in class or at home. There are ten questions, some closed and some more open-ended and developed. This could be set as homework or a cover activity. Alternatively, it could be used to structure a guided reading session.

This task uses a short extract from Ann Radcliffe’s “The Mysteries of Udolpho”. There are 12 multiple-choice questions that could be used for homework, as an extended starter prior to a deeper focus on the text or to structure a guided reading activity. Answers are provided. Useful as part of a unit on gothic horror.

This is a straightforward quiz (answers provided) based on Siegfried Sassoon’s poem, “Autumn”. There are 15 questions which could be used as a starter activity leading into an analysis of the poem. Alternatively, the quiz could be used for homework or to structure a guided reading activity. Some questions test basic comprehension of the poem; others lead into an exploration of the poet’s methods. This is a Word document so editable to suit the needs of your class. If you want to use this as a starting point for an unseen poetry question, there is a suggested question on the sheet, alongside the poem. It uses the same kind of wording as is used in the AQA English Literature Paper 2.

This is a multiple-choice quiz with 15 questions. Answers are provided. Useful for revision or embedding of technical vocabulary. Could be used as a starter prior to more detailed analysis of the poem.

This is a simple multiple-choice quiz using Walter de la Mare’s lovely, simple poem, “Someone”. It makes a great companion piece to “The Listeners”. There are 11 questions (answers provided) focusing on the writer’s methods with some basic comprehension. This could be used as a starter prior to looking at the poem in greater depth. It works as a homework task. Alternatively, it could be used to structure a guided reading activity.

These are the slides that I used to take my class through a first reading of “A Taste of Honey”, their set text for AQA GCSE English Literature. There are 67 slides in total. We read the play before beginning our close study.

This is a straightforward powerpoint taking students through activities to support and hone their reading skills. The focus is on the writer’s viewpoint - identifying it and beginning to look at how it’s suggested - and on the effect of language on the reader.

This uses Emily Dickinson’s beautiful poem about resilience. I created this as a revision task for year 11 but it could be used at KS3. There are 11 questions that could work for cover, for homework or to structure a discussion or guided reading session. Suggested responses are provided but these are not definitive!

This is a straightforward powerpoint using questioning and discussion to explore Emily Dickinson’s poem (about a train), “I like to see it lap the miles”. Created for a KS4 class to prepare for their exam question on unseen poetry, I have used the questioning and discussion in class, left it for a few days and then set the exam-style question for homework. Created for KS4 but could also be useful at KS3, especially in schools beginning GCSE study in year 9.

This short and simple activity could be used for cover or set as homework. Alternatively, the questions could be used to structure a guided reading session. The excerpt is Oberon’s short speech about the part of the enchanted wood where Titania sleeps. There are thirteen questions requiring some simple analysis - and the final question could be used as an extension task - asking the pupils to evaluate a simple statement. Suggested answers are provided

This is a lesson focusing on the skills needed to tackle the unseen poetry question in paper 2 of the English Literature exam. The two poems used are “The Thunderstorm” by Emily Dickinson and “The Thunder Mutters” by John Clare (both public domain). Printable copies of the poems, for annotation, and the exam-style questions are on the final slide.

14 tasks here that could be used for pick and mix homework or alternatively set for cover so that pupils can select their own task.