This is for use with or without my World Mythology materials. All the activities in this unit have the aim of introducing students to the world of mythology, starting with Greek myths and moving on to explore myths from around the world. The story has been reproduced here in printable format with the kind permission of E2BN with whom all rights reserve. Image credit: John Melven from The Noun Project Any issues, comments or questions please get in touch; I'm here to help!

Looking for a way for students to add some sophistication to their writing? Look no further. Carol Jago in her book ‘Classics in the Classroom’ argues that all students should be given the chance to experience classical literature, not just the deemed-as-gifted few. Using this resource, you can support your learners in accessing often-dense classic texts so they can extract vocabulary and techniques to experiment with in their own writing. In so doing, they not only get inspiration for their own writing but can start to appreciate the rich language that deserves the title of ‘classic’. A useful resource at any secondary level, this will be particularly helpful for KS3 students who need to be challenged, as well as KS4 and KS5 writers. Depending on the texts you choose, the activity itself could be used with almost any age, including primary and adult learners. Please get in touch if you have any suggestions for how to improve this resource, or leave comments below if you are happy with what you see. To be kept updated of when I add new resources, just click on my name and then click the ‘follow’ button.

Looking for a way in to a unit on the spy genre? Look no further than this short fun activity that asks students to use their critical thinking skills to work out a logic puzzle. Which agent should be assigned each of the items available? Only by using skills of inference and deduction will your agents succeed! This is a useful starting activity that will see your students have lots of fun. Use it as an individual or team-building discussion task. I offer this for free, so please remember to leave feedback once you've had time to evaluate the activity. If there are any issues, let me know and I'll be happy to address them. Questions or comments? Get in touch: roamingteacher@gmail.com

Get your students begging for their next prompt with this super-engaging task cards! They can be used in various ways, not only for writing but also to promote discussion skills. With 48 unique cards in 3 different categories (beginning, middle and end of the apocalypse), this resource will keep your students writing enthusiastically for as long as you want. Included in the pack are ways you can use these cards to produce shorter and longer pieces of writing. I've used this with secondary students over the years, and it leads to the students asking for MORE writing time! I am used to teaching mixed-ability classes with EAL students and all my students can rise to this challenge. My 9-year-old son also saw me making these and asked if he could use them for his writing. With careful selection on my part, he too was thrilled to be able to find new ideas for his zombie-writing fascination. This file is a PREVIEW of the resource for sale in my shop. Produced on printer-friendly paper, these task cards are sure to be a resource you use time and time again. Included: * ideas on how to use the task cards * 48 different prompts to promote writing, critical thinking and discussion (if chosen) Questions or comments? Please feel free to drop me a note via roamingteacher@gmail.com. I'm always happy to help!

This is a PREVIEW of the resource available in my shop. This lesson would be perfect for a substitute teacher as all student instructions are included. For you, it's a low-prep lesson: just print-and-go. A perfect way to start the year, this lesson combines reading, discussion and metacognition or 'learning to learn'. OVERVIEW This lesson starts with an anticipation guide, in which students reflect on their own beliefs about intelligence and learning. Following this, students read an original article on how the brain develops. It includes: * Information on intelligence as something to be developed, rather than fixed * The role of mindset in learning * The power of ‘yet’ They have a double-sided sheet to complete as they explore the text which practices: citing evidence; finding the main idea; recognising cause & effect; identifying the importance of a section as part of a whole; and synthesis. Discussion cards have been provided as a follow up to the reading, so students can develop their ideas. Finally, students are asked to reflect on how this learning might impact their attitude and actions, setting specific goals to improve their learning. (A FREE optional resource comparing the brains of zombies and humans (Zombie Brains versus Human Brains) can be downloaded from my store, for those using this resource with my other zombie-themed lessons.) My students absolutely love finding out the science behind how they learn, and this lesson has them passionately discussing their views on intelligence. It has surprised me how well it is received by all secondary grades,and it doesn't matter what subject or age I'm teaching, it's always a winner. The reading level is around Year 8 (more due to sentence structure than vocabulary), but accessible and engaging to all students from Year 7 to Year 12. Keywords: learning, brain, metacognition, yet, mindset, Dweck, intelligence, resilience, reading, speaking, listening, discussion Questions? Feel free to get in touch with me via roamingteacher@gmail.com

This file is a PREVIEW of the resource for sale in my shop. This simplified and abridged version of Macbeth is mostly in contemporary English, but also has occasional lines from the original play. I have used this script with mixed ability classes including ‘gifted’, special needs and ESL learners, and it’s always been highly successful. Depending on how it is directed, it can be performed in 30 minutes to an hour. It has been performed in our school theatre, in our classroom and also in our common room as it requires nothing more than a clear staging area, separate from ‘behind the scenes’. To separate the stage from the rest of the space, we have used raised platforms, display boards (as wings) or simply marked out the space by where we seat the audience. Alternatively, it has the potential for use as a Reader's Theatre script (though I have not used it this way myself). It is the perfect introduction to a study of the original text, or a way of touching upon the main points of the story when you do not have time to explore the original, full version. In this resource, you will find: -notes on my experiences of staging this version of the play with suggestions on how to perform it with minimal additional resources -the play script comprising of 16 pages -stage directions Keywords: Macbeth, script, play, Shakespeare, mixed ability, SEN, ESL, EAL, photocopiable, printable

This is a PREVIEW of the resource available in my shop. This lesson would be perfect for a substitute teacher as all student instructions are included. Get students to identify figurative language in an engaging way by reading and/or listening to music lyrics along the zombie / death theme. Even more importantly, these activities will build your students' confidence in discussing the impact of figurative language as used in specific texts. It's an easy hop from these activities to applying their skills to poetry. I am used to teaching mixed-ability classes with EAL students and all my students can rise to this challenge, from those who are below to those who are above grade level. (Please check suitability of the topic for younger students, although I do my best to avoid gory images.) Produced on printer-friendly paper, these task cards are sure to be a resource you use time and time again. Included: * full teaching notes * lyrics of 3 songs on the theme of zombies & death * links to the songs * 2 student worksheets with instructions and answer keys * ideas for how to use the materials for a physical movement activity * suggestions for how to use the materials as a discussion activity This product would complement any curriculum that focuses on the development of figurative language identification and analysis. Interested in other zombie-themed resources? See my store for more bargains. I intend to do regular discounts and promos, so follow me to get notifications for when this happens. Questions or comments? Please feel free to drop me a note below. I'm always happy to help.

This is for use with or without my World Mythology materials. All the activities in this unit have the aim of introducing students to the world of mythology, starting with Greek myths and moving on to explore myths from around the world. The story has been reproduced here in printable format with the kind permission of E2BN with whom all rights reserve. In return for providing this printable format, all I ask is that you leave feedback, so thanks in advance. Any issues, comments or questions please get in touch; I'm here to help! You can reach me via roamingteacher@gmail.com

This is a PREVIEW of the resource available in my shop. This lesson would be perfect for a substitute teacher as all student instructions are included. For you, it's a low-prep lesson: just print-and-go. Focus on public writing and speaking skills with this zombie-themed task. These materials set up a scenario where students' survival depends on how well they can present their arguments. If you are using my other 'zombie' materials, this activity fits well with the reading and writing tasks. I am used to teaching mixed-ability classes with EAL students and all my students can rise to this challenge, from those who are below to those who are above grade level. (Please check suitability of the topic for younger students, although I do my best to avoid gory images.) Produced on printer-friendly paper, these task cards are sure to be a resource you use time and time again. Included: * full teaching notes * task instructions * task preparation materials * rubric (editable version included) * link to speech sample video (downloadable) * links to additional useful resources Interested in other zombie-themed resources? Look in my store for more zombie bargains. Follow me to get notifications of new products and promotions. Questions or comments? Please feel free to drop me a note via roamingteacher@gmail.com. I'm always happy to help.

This is a PREVIEW of the full product available in my store. Looking for a way to develop your students' reading, while having fun - look no further! These cards have 12 short texts for students to really drill down into the skills they need to become excellent readers. Students love zombies and this, along with my other themed resources, keeps them smiling through the whole unit. I've used this with secondary (middle school) students who tell me they really enjoy these short activities to focus on particular skills. I am used to teaching mixed-ability classes with EAL students and all my students can rise to this challenge, from those who are below to those who are above grade level. (Please check suitability of the topic for younger students, although I avoid gory images and explicit mention of weapons such as guns.) Produced on printer-friendly paper, these task cards are sure to be a resource you use time and time again. Included: * ideas on how to use the task cards * 12 different tasks at different levels, focusing on individual skills * answer sheet for students to record their responses (optional double-sided printable) * suggested answers Questions or comments? Please feel free to drop me a note via roamingteacher@gmail.com

This is a PREVIEW of the resource available in my store. Many of us have experienced times when we've have set up a discussion activity only to launch it to…well, silence. The students look uncomfortably at each other, stare at their hands or mumble to a stop after only seconds of talking. This resource aims to address that by providing a lively activity that can be used to discuss any text, concept or topic. The resource includes: * top tips on how to encourage discussion amongst reluctant students * 3 sheets of discussion prompts to be used as cards or grids * detailed notes on how to use the discussion prompts in different ways Use this resource to address the following speaking & listening skills: *Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of discussions with different partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively. *Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence. *Present information, findings, and supporting evidence so listeners can follow the line of reasoning *Ensure the organisation, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. *Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and communicative tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when needed. Keywords: discussion, discuss, reluctant speakers, talk, group work, pair work, shy students, prompts. Questions or comments? Feel free to drop me a note via roamingteacher@gmail.com. I am always happy to hear from you.

This resource contains 1 page, which is is a board game to get your students talking for as short or long as you'd like to use the activity. Over the years, I have used this with Secondary (Middle / High School) and college students in EAL, ESL, Language Arts and English settings, so I can personally attest it is suitable for all and promotes lots of discussion. While these board games are deceptively simple in the idea, they can lead to all heated debates and realisations about your students you couldn't have guessed! Promote meaningful and useful discussion skills such as: * Stating opinions with supporting details * Polite disagreement with supporting details * Agreement with supporting details * Questioning further to get a more detailed response If you would like a FREE discussion mat to accompany this activity (after purchase), drop me a line at roamingteacher@gmail.com. The mat contains prompts organised by category (such as agreeing, disagreeing politely etc.) Questions or comments - please leave them below. I'd love to hear from you! Keywords: speaking, listening, discussion, group, team, groupwork, teamwork, teens, adults, esl, eal, language arts, english, game, board, boardgame, fun

This is a lesson I use at the start of my mythology units to engage the class and get them enthused about our area of study. The materials herein may be used in mixed ability classes; I have used it with such groups including EAL and SEN learners, but much of it is open-ended meaning it is rigorous for all. All the activities in this unit have the aim of introducing students to the world of mythology, starting with Greek myths and moving on to explore myths from around the world. Included in this pack are 2 activities, based on Greek Mythology. The first is a cloze worksheet with instructions to develop effective search skills. The second is a set of activity ideas for setting up your own 'in house' Olympics. Timing will very much depend on the students you are working with but I usually allow at least 1.5 hours, assuming that students will be in teams for the Olympics and everyone will select their events. In this download, you will find: -teaching notes -a printable worksheet -an answer key -instructions for setting up your Olympic event Image credit: Theresa Stoodley from The Noun Project Any issues, comments or questions please get in touch; I'm here to help!

A simple ZERO PREP 2-page task. Students start by checking their comprehension of some key language and then choose the correct answer from 2 options and then view the animation to check their responses. I've used this with mixed ability classes, including SEN and EAL. Why? It focuses their attention while they're watching and allows me to check their comprehension of the story. Use this: - at the end of a Peter Pan unit - for a cover lesson - after / before students tackle the original text Keywords: Peter Pan, movie, film, worksheet, prediction, comprehension, fun Image credit: Natsuko Suzuki ***All new products are launched with discounts for the first 48 hours! Interested? Just click on the star above to follow me and get notifications for when this happens!***

Turn a content-heavy lesson into a fun activity with an engaging research project and a creative task. I have completed this with a range of grade levels, near the start of our mythology units, and the students are always totally engaged and determined to show everyone what they can really do. Remembering all twelve Olympians and understanding their history is a challenging task, but this resource makes it easy. In this lesson, students choose one or more Olympian gods to research and create a poster. We know, from research, that memory is aided with visuals so what better way for students to help each other's learning by producing these display items for an authentic audience of their peers? Let's face it - the Olympian gods capture the imagination, so pair this with a creative outlet and you've got a winner of a lesson. And don't be put off by the idea of untidy posters hanging on your walls - simple instructions for how to make student posters go from, 'Oh well, you did your best...' to 'Wow!' are included (online access required). Ideas for the creative use of technology are included, but don't worry - of accessing ICT is an issue for you, most of the lesson can be done offline (assuming your library has information on the Olympian gods - if this is not the case, get in touch and we can work out a solution). For online access, I have included selected links for the students to begin their research. Looking for more materials to explore mythology? Click on the 'mythology' category in my store to see all the resources available. Image credit: 'Wreathed head' icon produced by Gilad Sotil of the Noun Project Keywords: myth, mythology, Olympians, Olympus, Greek, poster, fun, substitute lesson, bulletin board, activity, online, design, creativity, research, informational

This is the first in my series of 'quests' for a World Mythology unit and the most popular of my products to date. The materials herein may be used in mixed ability classes; I have used it with such groups including EAL and SEN learners, but much of it is open-ended meaning it is rigorous for all. All the activities in this unit have the aim of introducing students to the world of mythology, starting with Greek myths and moving on to explore myths from around the world. Included in this pack are 4 activities, based on Greek Mythology. The main skills focuses are (1) identifying key ideas and (2) researching effectively. Timing will very much depend on the students you are working with but I usually allow at least 1 hour for the class to try the different activities, while I monitor and encourage revision/improvements as appropriate. You will find: -teaching notes -learning intentions, skills and success criteria for each activity -an answer key -printable task sheets and worksheets -landscape and portrait blank pages with unit headers to create your own additional sheets -offline activities with opportunities to include online research skills **Please note that you will also need to download the free resources (in my store) 'Icarus & Daedalus' and 'The Minotaur' to accompany 2 of the activities in this lesson.*** Image credits from The Noun Project: Trident by Aldric Rodriguez Iborra Compass by Edward Boatman Hermes by Gilad Sotil Angel by Luis Prado Minotaur by Dabid J Pascal Seasons by Filippo Any issues, comments or questions please get in touch; I'm here to help! ***All new products are launched with 50% off for the first 48 hours! Interested? Just click on the star above to follow me and get notifications for when this happens!***

This lesson would be handy for a substitute teacher as all instructions are included. Get students to identify figurative language in an engaging way by reading and/or listening to music lyrics along the zombie / death theme. Even more importantly, these activities will build your students' confidence in discussing the impact of figurative language as used in specific texts. It's an easy hop from these activities to applying their skills to poetry. I am used to teaching mixed-ability classes with EAL students and all my students can rise to this challenge, from those who are below to those who are above grade level. (Please check suitability of the topic for younger students, although I do my best to avoid gory images.) Produced on printer-friendly paper, these task cards are sure to be a resource you use time and time again. Included: * full teaching notes * lyrics of 3 songs on the theme of zombies & death * links to the songs * 2 student worksheets with instructions and answer keys * ideas for how to use the materials for a physical movement activity * suggestions for how to use the materials as a discussion activity This product would complement any curriculum that focuses on the development of figurative language identification and analysis. Interested in other zombie-themed resources? See my store for more print-and-teach bargains. Follow me to get notifications of new resources and promotions. Questions or comments? Please feel free to drop me a note via roamingteacher@gmail.com. I'm always happy to help.

This lesson would be perfect for a substitute teacher as all student instructions are included. Focus on public writing and speaking skills with this zombie-themed task. These materials set up a scenario where students' survival depends on how well they can present their arguments. If you are using my other 'zombie' materials, this activity fits well with the reading and writing tasks. I am used to teaching mixed-ability classes with EAL students and all my students can rise to this challenge, from those who are below to those who are above grade level. (Please check suitability of the topic for younger students, although I do my best to avoid gory images.) Produced on printer-friendly paper, these task cards are sure to be a resource you use time and time again. Included: * full teaching notes * task instructions * task preparation materials * rubric (editable version included) * link to speech sample video (downloadable) * links to additional useful resources Interested in other zombie-themed resources? Click on my store for more zombie bargains. Follow me to get notifications of new products and promotions. Questions or comments? Please feel free to drop me a note via roamingteacher@gmail.com. I'm always happy to help.

Are you tired of reading student prose that fails to capture the imagination? Have you had enough of the same worn-out similes and metaphors that do nothing to enliven the mind? This lesson focuses on encouraging students to write fresh and original descriptions that will stoke readers’ curiosity and capture their imagination. Make sure you share this goal with your learners! From a reading of this popular poem by Craig Raine, students use his striking and unusual descriptions to create their own well-crafted paragraphs. This lesson was originally created to prepare students for the imaginative / creative writing section of the IGCSE exam, but it can be used to inspire writing that jumps off the page at any level. I have personally used this in KS3 and KS4 with great results every time. As students submit their writing after this lesson, I actually look forward to seeing how shifting their perspective allows them to create truly different, engaging writing. The resource includes: -full teaching notes -a copy of the poem (for classroom use only) -an accompanying set of slides (in PDF form) -game instructions and materials to get students thinking out of the box (a mental 'warm up' for writing) -5 examples of original, imaginative writing inspired by this lesson (from my students) -my ongoing support! Please remember to leave feedback as I work continuously to improve my resources. Follow me to receive updates as I post new products at Reach High. Keywords: poetry, poem, martian, postcard, lesson, printable, ppt, presentation, teaching notes, instructions, guidelines, creative, imaginative, writing, igcse, ks3, ks4, ks5, raine, mixed ability, SEN, ESL, EAL, photocopiable, printable Image credit: Laura Faraci of The Noun Project

Develop reading skills, get your students discussing passionately and improve their capacity for learning - what's not to love? A perfect resource to develop your students' thinking skills any time. BONUS MATERIAL ADDED August 2016: An 'I Have Who Has?' activity to review key vocabulary in the article. This can be used in subsequent lessons to help students remember definitions. This bundle will grow over time, so grab it now before the price increases with each addition! OVERVIEW This lesson starts with an anticipation guide, and students reflect on their own beliefs about intelligence and learning. Following this, students read an original 2-page article on how the brain develops. It includes: * Information on intelligence as something to be developed, rather than fixed * The role of mindset in learning * The power of ‘yet’ They have a double-sided sheet to complete as they explore the text which practices: citing evidence; finding the main idea; recognising cause & effect; identifying the importance of a section as part of a whole; and synthesis. Discussion task cards have been provided as a follow up to the reading, so students can develop their ideas. Finally, students are asked to reflect on how this learning might impact their attitude and actions, setting specific goals to improve their learning. (A FREE optional resource comparing the brains of zombies and humans (Zombie Brains versus Human Brains) can be downloaded from my store, for those using this resource with my other zombie-themed lessons.) In the same way you might use a magazine or newspaper article for any grade level, this text is flexible in terms of who can access it. The online Lexile Analyzer gives an estimated reading score of 940L (based on the first 2 paragraphs only) and readable.io gives an average grade level of 9.1. In reality, I have used this with able and engaged 7th years; my 6th form students really enjoyed the article - and ensuing Socratic Seminar - that we held. Enjoyed this? Follow me to get notifications of other metacognitive English lessons. Keywords: learning, brain, metacognition, yet, mindset, Dweck, intelligence, resilience, reading, speaking, listening, CCSS, discussion, start of year ***All new products are launched with discounts for at least the first 48 hours! Interested? Just follow me and get notifications for when this happens!***