This is intended for KS3 English lessons looking at Victorian context in preparation for English Literature at GCSE. This resource is a minimum of 2 lessons. Includes extracts from Lowood school (Jane Eyre) followed by a kahoot quiz, an extract from Dickens’ Nicholas Nickleby with a cloze exercise to describe the dilapidated school room, followed by an inference exercise on the boys of Dotheboys Hall. Drama task to finish capturing Mr Brocklehurts’s reaction to a curly haired, red-headed pupil at his school.

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.

Please note: an error has been noted for a slide within MWTL ppt. Now been rectified. THREE LESSONS plus resources Assumes students have cold read The Man with the Twisted Lip first. Copy of story included. Use template to plot out the story using Freytag’s Pyramid. Idea of exposition will be returned to in the lesson. Read 'Opium in Victorian Britain article to learn about the influence of opium at this time. Look at an extract towards the start of the story to analyse how atmosphere is created, particularly with the idea of the opium den setting in mind, followed by a more detailed second extract. Plenary asks students to discuss the effectiveness of the exposition, in the context of Victorian England. Students given an outline of two scenarios and they should use inference skills to deduce what they think is happening. Tasks then given on an example crime scene with initial tasks. Then, students should apply this understanding to sketching out the crime scene in The Man with the Twisted Lip, using the facts from the story. Students use inference skills to deduce ideas about Holmes’ character from a given extract. Given a quiz on a set of detective conventions and then asked to match the conventions to the plot of Man with the Twisted Lip. Plenary asks them to think of any modern detective films / stories that also match this pattern.

2 x complete lessons analysing the character of Duncan in L1, followed by the character of Macbeth in L2. Both lessons look at whether each man can be considered a good king or not. A range of tasks are included such as note-taking, Kahoot quiz (you will need to log in), mind map, discussion, comprehension questions and challenges along the way. Resources at the end of the ppt to print off.

Based on Anthony Horowitz's re-telling of the myth, this resource contains several activities to work through the story. Contains a range of teaching and learning activities to stimulate children's interest, with a focus on Q1 & 2 English Language Paper 1 skills. The final task is a dramatic performance of the humorous scene where Thrym tries to kiss Thor!

Please note: resource assumes you have a copy of the Anthony Horowitz retelling of the Greek Myths, or at least the Judgement of Paris chapter. This is a range of activities that would take 2 or 3 lessons, looking at the greek gods and working through the various stories within this myth. First activity is to match the pictures of the gods in this story with their correct descriptions. Answers supplied for easy marking. Watch 10 minute clip on the greek gods. Activity 2 is to plan Peleus and Thetis’ wedding using information from the story. Next, students examine an extract and consider how the writer uses language to build tension (English Language Paper 1 Q2 style). Find evidence to show Hera’s persuasive skills, compare the descriptions of Athena and Hera (English Paper 2 style), summarise Helen’s story using given images and choose the true statements about Troy (as in Paper 2 Q1).

White Fang - AQA English Language Paper 1 Reading style tasks and questions. Extract provided with a list of techniques for students to identify. Followed by group discussion and feedback of the effects of these techniques. Exam style question given, with help sheet provided if needed. Final task is a further extract which can be used as an extension of class work or homework task.

This two lesson resource gives students an example of a story, for which they can discuss what the candidate has done well and what could be improved. Following this they can use the mark scheme included (from the new spec AQA) to award a level / mark. Using this knowledge of what makes a good narrative, the remaining slides give some prompts and advice about how to go about planning and writing a narrative. Planning sheet and suggested titles is included for students to plan according to what they have learned. The actual story could be written by way of extension.

A Powerpoint presentation consisting of a variety of tasks relating to Lady Macbeth. Main focus is working through the exam question, beginning with the given extract. Aimed at low to mid ability.

Lesson on Medusa by Carol Ann Duffy. Includes set of questions and discussion points. Copy of poem provided.

Aimed at mid to low ability, this resource contains 4 separate worksheets which challenge students to find the answers in the given extract or extracts. Activities based on Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Treasure Island, Buddy and the planet Mercury. Could be used as homework or to support low ability KS4 students prepare for the English Language papers.

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.

Four differentiated lessons looking at the following Victorian themes: Darwin’s theory of evolution, Lombroso’s theories of physiognomy, duality of man, respectability and reputation, Science versus Religion. Analysing a selection of extracts from Jekyll and Hyde with support / stretch and challenge in each lesson. Suitable for Y7 to Y9. Good preparation for KS4 context if Jekyll and Hyde is a text for study at GCSE

This resource is 3 ppt slides which demonstrate key ideas to bear in mind when planning a response to Q5, the narrative / descriptive question of English Language Paper 1 (AQA). It contains some key advice from a recent AQA Language training session I attended, involving getting students to consider the ‘bigger ideas’ when presented with an image for stimulus.

This resource includes 4 x worksheets. Each worksheet contains an extract describing a famous fictional character. Here, these are Dr No (James Bond_, Gollum, Mrs Pratchett and a witch from the Witches. Pupils are asked to identify a range of tasks using colours and symbols. Then, they are given another picture linked by the theme of the first extract. They can plan their description using the planning boxes provided. Once they have described their own character, using the image, they can then self assess which skills they have used from the reading task. Easily adaptable and easy to set for independent learning. Easier for pupils to print out and then complete the tasks. Please see my other describing character tasks (booklet).

SINGLE POWERPOINT SLIDE CONTAINING POSSIBLE QUESTION AND A FEW IDEAS TO GET STUDENTS STARTED. USEFUL TO HAVE ON DISPLAY AT THE FRONT OF THE CLASSROOM. TASK IS TO WRITE A LETTER TO A LOCAL MP ARGUING THAT NURSES DESERVE MUCH BETTER PAY AND WORKING CONDITIONS.

This resource contains pictures of animal footprints to be put around the classroom. Students are required to match up the footprint with the animal they think it belongs to. Includes footprints to stick up, teacher answers PPT and student quiz sheet.

This is a poster for a collective memory activity, where pupils in small groups take it in turns to have a minute to memorise the images and quotes on the poster. The aim is to reproduce the poster as exactly as possible. This facilitates discussion about what the play might be about.