A multiple choice quiz based on Dickens’ description of Arthur Gride from “Nicholas Nickleby”. There are 15 questions and answers are provided. This could be a cover activity or used for a reading homework. Alternatively, the questions could be used to structure a guided reading activity.

This is a multiple choice quiz (answers provided) based on the description of Nicholas’s arrival at Dotheboys Hall. Useful for cover or as a homework activity. Alternatively, the questions could be used to structure a guided reading activity or for flipped learning, to identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge and understanding so that the subsequent lesson can be more precisely focused.

This is a 14-slide powerpoint which guides students through an exploration of Sassoon’s blistering poem, “Atrocities”. This is easily adapted to suit the ability of your class. Slides 12, 13 and 14 can be used either to structure whole-class question and answer or could be an opportunity for students to work in pairs to discuss the questions and annotate the poem with their thoughts. The final slide reiterates the question from the lesson aim - How does Sassoon communicate his feelings towards the person being addressed in the poem? Depending on the students’ confidence, this could be an opportunity to model a paraqraph or two or they could go straight into writing a response.

This is a simple and straightforward powerpoint intended to help students practise an approach to an unseen poetry question. It uses “At the Movies” by Florence Ripley Mastin. There are several slides of questions which can be used for whole-class discussion or to prompt paired work. The powerpoint ends with an exam-style question.

This resource uses Walter de la Mare’s poem, “All But Blind” and there are 9 attached tasks. Originally created for homework for a mixed-ability task, the intention was that pupils would choose five tasks from the grid. This could also be used for cover or in class. It would work well as part of a unit on writing about the natural world. Alternatively, the tasks on the grid could be used to structure a guided reading session.

This was planned as a homework task for a mixed-ability year 7 class but would work for KS2. The intention was that the pupils would choose five of the nine available tasks. This could be used in class, set as cover or even used to structure a guided reading session. Suggested responses are provided. This is a really good way into the skills of analysis that will be needed at KS3 and even more at KS4.

This grid has 12, short activities, all linked to the genre of gothic horror. Activities should take roughly ten to fifteen minutes. Originally created as homework to support a unit on gothic horror but could also be developed for cover.

There is a multiple-choice quiz with 15 questions (answers provided). This quiz focuses on the first paragraph of a longer extract, asking students to think about the writer’s viewpoint and the methods that he uses to express this viewpoint. In class, I have used this prior to a lesson which then uses the whole text (included) which is an article from 1857 by Daniel Clarke Eddy on parenting. If you don’t wish to use it in this way, the quiz could serve as a useful homework or cover activity. The questions could be used to structure a guided reading or revision session. There is scope for students to use the text as a springboard for their own, transactional writing, expressing views about effective guidance and support for young people.

This is a gentle way into an unseen poetry response. It uses Rossetti’s poem, “Song” and there are 12 multiple-choice questions (answers provided). This could be used for flipped learning so that students have had an opportunity to think about the poem before writing an exam-style response. I’d suggest something like: How does the writer present the speaker’s feelings? For greater challenge, you could ask the students to create their own title, filling in the blank: How does the writer present the speaker’s feelings about __________? Alternatively, the questions could be used to structure a guided-reading session or used for a revision homework or for cover.

This multiple-choice quiz has 20 questions and could be used in a variety of ways. It could be used prior to a lesson so that subsequent teaching can be more precisely focused on gaps in pupils’ knowledge and understanding. It could be used to structure a revision session on the poem. It could be set as a homework or as a cover activity. Answers are provided.

This multiple choice quiz has 14 questions (answers provided) and can be used for flipped learning, identifying gaps in students’ knowledge and understanding so that subsequent teaching can be more precisely focused. Alternatively, it can be set as homework or used for cover. I have used it to structure a guided reading/revision session as some of the questions lend themselves to further discussion about the effect of the writer’s methods. The extract is a good one for students to practise their ability to understand a writer’s viewpoint.

This is a simple and straightforward powerpoint designed to polish the reading skills necessary for English Language Paper 1. The ppt was planned for a less able class (targets 3) so there is scope to edit the powerpoint if you would like a closer focus on question 2 (language) or question 3 (structure) or if you would like to add an evaluation question. The final slide is a suggested writing activity to harness the ideas that will hopefully have come from the reading.

This lesson was planned for a mixed-ability year 7 class and explores Titania’s description of the chaotic weather that has resulted from the fairies’ argument.

This is a very simple and straightforward powerpoint using John Clare’s poem “Hares at Play” and created as a revision activity for year 11 in the run up to their English Literature GCSE exam to support them in practising reading and responding to an unseen poem. This could be used as a homework task or revision activity. Alternatively, the questions could be used in class to structure a model answer. There are prompt questions on structure and form and on language. On the following slides are suggested answers to these prompt questions - these are easy to remove if you wish to use the ppt for homework. The question uses similar wording to AQA English Literature Paper 2 and asks: **How does the poet present the speaker’s ideas about hares? **

This powerpoint uses questioning to direct learners to some of the writer’s methods. The poem itself has an easily recognisable viewpoint and is a good one for less confident learners to practise responding to unseen poetry.

This uses Walter de la Mare’s simple poem, “Alone” and encourages an analytical response through questioning, leading to a question that could prompt a more extended response. Useful for homework, cover or for revision prior to a GCSE English Literature exam.

This is a short and simple powerpoint taking as its starting point Oberon’s speech to Puck about seeing a mermaid on a dolphin’s back. Reading skills are developed through drawing inferences from images (both in the public domain). There is then a slide which focuses on the “rude sea” and using present particples and adverbs in a short piece of descriptive writing.

I created this for a year 11 class. The intention is that they use it alongside their knowledge organiser or anthology to support quick revision of the poetry. There are two questions for each poem so it should be straightforward for students to identify their own gaps for further revision.

On this powerpoint, slides 3 and 4 are the same for ease of printing off (2 slides per page) so that students have a copy of the poem to annotate and a copy of the question that they will be tackling once they have worked through the tasks and questions. The exam style question is: How does the poet express the speaker’s thoughts and feelings about the landscape? Prior to attempting the question, students are invited to consider the use of: semantic field, sibilance, enjambment, pace and structure. Planned for a year 11 class as a revision/practice activity. Would also suit a capable KS3 group.

This activity uses a prose retelling from “Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare” by E. Nesbit (public domain). The extract focuses on Oberon and Titania’s quarrel. There are 8 questions/activities (answer and guidance provided) testing both reading and writing skills. Created as a cover activity for a year 7 class but would also be suitable for KS2.