This is a set of five lesson plans, with homework tasks and other resources, on Charles Dickens' Great Expectations.

Aimed at KS3 but could be used at KS4, these four lessons introduce the idea of researching and presenting a job / career that students would like to do in the future, after looking at some celebrity jobs. Includes an interactive whiteboard game to emphasise key speaking and listening skills. Peer and self assessment are part of the lessons.

THIS IS PART ONE OF MY DECLARATION SCHEME AIMED AT KS3. I USUALLY TEACH IT TO Y8 OR Y9 AND STUDENTS LOVE IT! IT'S A FAB DYSTOPIAN STORY THAT RELATES WELL TO OUR WORLD TODAY. THIS PART CONTAINS TEN LESSONS, INCLUDING 2 INTRODUCTORY LESSONS TO DYSTOPIAN FICTION. PART TWO IS ALSO AVAILABLE IN MY 'SHOP'.

Please note: this resource assumes you have a copy of the Anthony Horowitz retelling of this story. This is a fun and engaging couple of lessons on the story of Glaucus and Scylla (the one where gets Circe to change Scylla so that she loves him but actually changes her into a monster). Starter activities include a Greek Goddess memory game and a look at the symbols of some of the goddesses. Students then imagine what they would like to control, if they were a Greek god or goddess and design a symbol to represent their power. Following this, there are language activities looking at the writer’s use of words and phrases and sentence forms (as in Language Paper 1) when introducing the character of Circe. Then an examination of the language techniques used to describe Scylla’s transformation.

This lesson works through Q1 and Q3 of one of AQA's KS3 practice papers for GCSE English Language. Answers are provided for Q1 to enable self assessment. Pupils are then asked to identify a set of given structural features before considering 4 different levels of example responses and deciding which is the 'best' one. Cloze exercise as a creative writing extension task.

Students are shown a short set of slides defining women and marriage in Victorian times, including part of a Tennyson poem and Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management. Kahoot quiz follows (link available). Then students should match up a range of Pride and Prejudice quotations about marriage with the modern translation to get an idea of how important marriage was to women at this time. They will then watch the clip where Mr Collins proposes to Lizzie to show that she was atypical of victorian women of the time. Then we look at noble women and the extract where Lady Catherine de Bourgh visits Lizzie Bennet to show her disapproval of her alleged marriage to Mr Darcy. Discussion of language choices to show her attitude to the middle classes. Radio clip of a rich girl relating a day in her life; this links to the idea of governesses which are looked at in connection with middle class women and their jobs. Students can use two extracts to compare the job of a governess (Jane Eyre) with an account of the duties of a lady’s maid. Leads on to lower class women and a clip of Downton Abbey where students have to be observant and answer a series of questions about the servants’ roles. Leads to women (Nancy) who cannot get respectable work - students look at an extract and then freeze frame the emotions described. Ends with creating a wordle about all that they have learned.

This resource contains lessons on The Storm, Piroska, Pitch, The Boy in the Boat, Nature, Mud and Monkey from Chris Priestley’s Tales of Terror from the Black Ship. Some focus on identifying and writing skills such as simile, onomatopoeia, alliteration, metaphor and inference. Aimed at Y7 & 8.

These are a selection of activities to compliment the reading of this wonderful book by Mark Lowry. I did this with my LA Y8s and they really loved it. I would say that Y7 and 8 would be most suited to this book and these activities. Mark Lowry cleverly works in poetry to this story so it is ideal to dip into poetry alongside enjoying this story of two brothers. Included are activities on Haiku and Limericks, plus some non-fiction relating to dolphins and persuasive writing.

Two lessons focusing on Q2 and Q4 of AQA English Language Paper 2 (one lesson each) using Rory Stewart’s Afghanistan travel extract and an extract from Dorothy Wordsworth’s Grasmere Journals.

A short unit covering Reading, Writing and Speaking and Listening. Could be used as a whole class unit of work, or small literacy group. Mixed ability but could be differentiated up or down. Extracts (all provided) from Robinson Crusoe, Life of Pi, Lord of the Flies. Real life survivor account analysed for descriptive writing techniques. Students invent their own survivor scenario and write diary entries and descriptions based on the example extracts and trailers shown in lessons. Opportunity to create class island map and use as stimulus for writing. Some lessons may take slightly longer than an hour so I estimate this unit is between 4 and 6 hours of lessons, depending on the pace.

This mini unit aims to introduce KS3 pupils to the way female figures have been historically presented in poetry. Originally written as a remote scheme, these would work equally well in the classroom. Copies of the poems are included as part of the powerpoints and can be easily found on the internet. Pupils will read a range of poems (see below) which portray views of the female, in line with the context of the time period. They will be encouraged to apply new knowledge of the context in which the poem was written, in their readings. The unit will introduce inference skills, as we consider the connotations of the poets’ language choices and imagery. Poems covered are: ‘Perfect Woman’ by William Wordsworth ‘The Lady of Shalott’ by Alfred Lord Tennyson ‘Cousin Kate’ by Christina Rossetti ‘Mirror’ by Sylvia Plath.

Step by step approach to this past question on the supernatural. Students can work through the extract, finding relevant evidence and matching up suggested annotations to gain understanding of the key themes and ideas. Example paragraph response using extract evidence provided so that students can produce their own based on what they have uncovered. To address the second part of the question, students are given an example quotation from the wider play and an example paragraph which uses the reference to respond. Four further key quotations on the supernatural are provided so that students can use them to create their own paragraphs. The quotations can be printed off and used for revision purposes.

This complete lesson takes your students through this question step by step. it is useful to break down this question since may students do least well on this question in the exam. The lesson starts by asking students to answer questions which clarify understanding of key structural terms such as ‘climax’ and ‘flashback’. Students are given tips on how to approach the extract to provide themselves with a quick summary of what happens, where and when (a key mantra for this question). They use the Tales of Terror extract (see linked language lessons that can precede this lesson) to practise the advice. They are given examples of what structural features might be selected in the given extract and tips of what key phrases to include in their written response. This is demonstrated in an example paragraph response and then students have the option to answer the question themselves, using their notes and ideas.

THIS COMPLETE LESSON LOOKS AT PERSONIFICATION, MOOD AND RHYME SCHEME. INCLUDES POEM. AIMED AT HA KS3.

AIMED AT HA KS3, THIS COMPLETE LESSON EXPLORES THE EFFECTS OF IMAGERY AND STRUCTURE. INCLUDES POEM.

AIMED AT HA KS3, THIS COMPLETE LESSON LOOKS AT PERSONIFICATION AND METAPHOR. POEM INCLUDED IN PPT.

AIMED AT MIDDLE ABILITY KS3, THIS COMPLETE LESSON LOOKS AT THE IDEA OF A POEM HAVING A SPEAKER. ALSO COVERED IS LANGUAGE USED TO CREATE TONE. INCLUDES LINK TO HOMELESS DOCUMENTARY AND INCLUDES SOME CREATIVE ACTIVITIES.

This lesson is aimed at encouraging students to love reading. It has links to author readings and recommendations from celebrities. There is a genre quiz that helps students work out the kind of story that might interest them, amongst other activities. Aimed at Y6 - Y8.

A 20 MINUTE, THREE TASK LESSON LOOKING AT INFORMATION RETRIEVAL / MEMORY, INDEPENDENCE AND SUMMARISING TO ENABLE KS3 ENGLISH STUDENTS TO REVISE TEXTS FOR ASSESSMENTS.

Example essay for students to learn from. Could be used as a class marking activity. Island Man by Grace Nichols