Aimed at middle to low ability KS3, this lesson looks at the context of Victorian England, giving a range of information about life in the workhouse and looking at the difference between the lives of the rich and poor. There is also an extract from Berlie Doherty’s ‘The Street Child’ to analyse. Perfect for introducing any Victorian novel, but with A Christmas Carol in mind. Could be useful as re-capping context prior to exam.

This complete lesson shows students how to identify the rhythm of a poem and to think about its effects. The lesson also asks students to analyse the poem using CLAPS as an approach. Copy of the poem included.

Around 15 lessons on a range of women's poetry of the First World War. A wide selection of poems taken from the anthology 'Scars Upon My Heart' - lessons and poems included. Aimed at A Level English Literature students but could stretch able pupils at GCSE.

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 25 slide PowerPoint contains 8 practice questions for students to try. Each question pairs two of the power and conflict poems from the AQA anthology. I have provided extracts of the longer poems for ease and to facilitate both poems being placed side by side. The chosen poems / extracts anticipate common themes and each pair has a set of highlighted colour-coordinated quotations. This is to help students anticipate connections between the poems with the exam in mind. The idea is that the students consider the suggested quotations to come up with points of connection or comparison. This will be their umbrella point (linking point / topic sentence) for each section of their answer. Examples of what these umbrella points could be are provided for each question / pair of poems. Students could then mind map the given quotations and produce their analytical paragraphs in response to the given question. Examples of a mind-mapped quotation are provided for each question. These tasks are ideal for class or independent revision in preparation for the GCSE Lit exam.

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.

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.

Two lessons aimed at building confidence in language analysis. Using an extract from Chris Priestley's Tales of Terror (included), students are reminded of methods in a starter task (answers provided) then led through a step by step analysis. Taking a section at a time, questions are provided that aim to get students thinking about the choices Priestley has made in creating his atmosphere. At the end of each section, there is a mini plenary task to consolidate knowledge and check understanding. The end of L2 has an extension task which encourages students to extend Priestley's extract by describing what could be seen inside the house, using similar methods.

Using Anthony Horowitz's re-telling of the story, these couple of lessons look at the relevance of the four seasons and ask pupils to consider how they affect people in everyday life. This starter activity helps them understand the ending of the story later in the lesson. Following more reading, there is a 'What do we learn about Hades' Q2 type task, with given answers for use with peer or self assessment. Then, students examine Demeter's feelings for her daughter by selecting evidence to support a number of given inferences. After discussion of the ending, pupils are asked to invent a fifth season and a god / goddess to control it.

This booklet uses a variety of extracts (easily available on the internet) which, in some cases have been simplified e.g. the Dickens Great Expectations extract, and short structured comprehension and written tasks that are linked to the extracts. Each extract and set of tasks aim to focus on a particular technique including vocabulary choices, considering connotations, simile, pathetic fallacy, personification. There is also some focus on sentence variety including using lists and varying sentence openers. The final task asks pupils to try to use all the skills covered in the activities. Would suggest aimed at low ability for KS4 students. Easily adaptable.

TWO COMPLETE LESSONS THAT YOU COULD USE TO INTRODUCE DYSTOPIAN FICTION TO A KS3 OR 4 CLASS. USES FILM TRAILERS AND PLOT SUMMARIES FROM MODERN OLDER CHILDREN'S DYSTOPIAN FICTION.

STEP BY STEP THROUGH AN EXAM QUESTION ON SCROOGE'S CHANGING CHARACTER. KEY QUOTES ARE PROVIDED FOR EACH STAGE OF THE STORY, FOR USE IN ANSWERING THE QUESTION. ENABLES STUDENTS TO WRITE A COMPLETE ANSWER WITH MINIMAL HELP FROM THE TEACHER.

Using Anthony Horowitz’s retelling of this myth (copy not provided), there are several activities looking at the different sections of this myth. This is the tale of Perseus and how he slays Medusa. Please see my ‘shop’ for further resources. As an optional starter task, you could create a ‘Pandora’s Box’ of objects related to the Gorgon’s Head myth, for students to use to predict what will happen. I have used toy snakes, pebbles, Halloween eyeballs etc. Students then use inference skills to create an impression of King Polydectes, draw the gorgons using the given extract, list four things they have learned about them (in the style of Language Paper 1 Q1) with answers supplied for easy self assessment. After this, students can research Athena on computers or phones. Students then analyse the writer’s use of language to describe Medusa’s cave using an evidence table which supplies suggested answers for easy assessment. Finally, draw Athena’s shield to include Medusa’s head and play the interactive whiteboard game ‘Gorgon’s Head’ to sum up learning.

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'.

This is a made up specimen descriptive writing question, with a sample response to facilitate student discussion.

A copy of the poem with some questions for students to answer. Teacher copy with answers provided.

This resource comprises of an introductory personification task, followed by analysis of Daphne du Maurier's use of personification and pathetic fallacy in her novel Rebecca. Concludes with a creative task to continue the author's description using the same techniques.

Students have a drawing starter activity to consider the importance of precise description. Then students look at short examples of beach descriptions and consider the most effective. Following this, there is a guided question task, where pupils write down answers to some questions designed to get them thinking about beaches. After this, a mind map encourages pupils to visualise their ideas for the final task which would be to describe a beach. Extension tasks include asking students to identify where there is potential to use the senses to describe, and also to consider vocabulary choices.

1-2 LESSONS RE-CAPPING ONOMATOPOEIA, IDENTIFYING IT IN THE POEM 'NOISE', DESCRIBING A TSUNAMI WITH VISUAL STIMULUS USING ONOMATOPOEIA AND FINALLY LOOKING AT ITS USE IN A SHORT EXTRACT OF CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY.