A PowerPoint that enables an exploration of ‘The Emigree’ by Carol Rumens. Learners begin with an entry task that encourages them to think about some relevant vocabulary and then explore the poem’s context in terms of Rumens’ interest in the poetry of Anna Akhmatova and Osip Mandelstam. A series of questions are provided to prompt annotation of the poem - this could be done in small groups or pairs. Learners should them complete the comparison table, thinking about how ‘The Emigree’ shares similar ideas with ‘Kamikaze’. There is an opportunity to explore a related poem as an unseen poetry task. For this, you will need copies of ‘I am not one who left their land’ by Anna Akhmatova. This lesson is aimed at upper ability learners and is likely to take about two hours approx.

A highly simplifed re-writing of Act Two of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ in modern English. There are 5 pages at font size 14. Written for a Year 9 nurture group.

A PPT that enables the exploration of ‘Tissue’ in the Power and Conflict anthology. Each student will need a copy of the poem e.g. in their anthologies. You will need an interactive whiteboard or a screen that can be written on with the PPT as a background. Students match up the poem’s more difficult vocab with their definitions. An extension task looks at three of these words in more depth. There is some basic contextual information. Students could make notes on this. The aim then is that students work in pairs or small groups to annotate the poem using a series of prompts and questions. These are contained in the file entitled ‘Tissue Stanza Questions’. Slides 9-19 provide space for students to write their answers on the board. You could have students coming up in their groups to present their ideas to the rest of the class.

A set of three differentiated lessons on discursive essay writing for AQA English Language, Paper 2, Question 5. They are not lessons in series. You will download discursive essay writing for highler, middle and lower ability learners. Each PPT comes with a WAGOLL in response to a specimen task on whether eating meat is the right thing to do. This resource incorporates some materials from older lessons: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/discursive-essay-writing-for-gcse-higher-ability-11780567 https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/discursive-essay-writing-for-gcse-lower-ability-11782723 As an illustration, the higher lesson is structured as follows: An entry task (see cover image) with answers. Key points about Paper 2, Question 5. Sample Question in which learners identify the PAF. A definition of a discursive essay with a brief focus on the language used in the definition. Learners then examine the (suggested) structure of a discursive essay and reflect on how this could be represented pictorially. Suggestged teacher response included. Learners then answer 4 questions on the different sections e.g. what is the function of the introduction? They then ‘brainstorm’ ideas in response to the earlier specimen question. They write their own paragraph according to the suggested structure. This is peer assessed. The question is set for homework. Before attempting the homework, learners read and label a WAGOLL according to 5 success criteria. Traffic light style review. NB. The homework tasks have been added to a 14 per page sticker template. Please note that you will need to supply your own sticker sheets.

A PPT that enables an exploration of ‘Checking Out Me History’ by John Agard. The entry task is a true or false activity based on a paragraph from a 19th Century non-fiction text called ‘Buccaneers and Pirates of Our Coast’ by Frank R. Stockton (1898). The paragraph hints at the answer to Agard’s question about what happened to the the Caribs and the Arawaks when Christopher Columbus and his crew arrived in the Bahamas in 1492. After this, learners complete a quiz entitled ‘How much of a history buff are you?’ The aim is to match the historical figure or year to the correct explanation of its significance. Some of the explanations contain clues so that some elimination is possible. There is a context sheet to be given out after this activity, which learners can use in conjunction with their exploration of the poem. Learners then watch a video in which Agard discusses his poem (link provided). As they watch, learners are encouraged to think about who is in conflict in the poem and who or what has power. The next task is to read the poem in conjunction with a video of a recording of Agard reciting the poem (link provided). After this, learners explore the poem using a worksheet. The lesson culminates in a summary task, which is differentiated according to challenge. This resource is aimed at middle-upper ability learners and should take about 1.5 - 2 hours. UPDATE: A few typos corrected on the Context Sheet. Simplified context table added.

The fifth in the ‘MRS SOAP’ Creative Writing series for lower ability KS3. This is an extended lesson that covers some basic grammatical concepts: Subject Predicate Main clause Dependent clause Simple Sentence Compound Sentences Complex Sentences The starter links to the previous lesson on adverbs and adjectives. After this, the lesson progresses steadily towards complex sentences. There are activities to test and apply learning at each stage and the lesson culminates in a creative writing task with a picture prompt. You would need to allocate about 2 hours, maybe a shade longer, depending on your group.

A straightforward lesson on personification for lower ability KS3 learners. It is the third in a series that begins with this introductory lesson: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/introduction-to-creative-writing-la-ks3-12065152 It provides: A lesson starter in which learners use a series of pictures as a prompt for creating similes and metaphors What is personification? Identifying personification and its effects in an extract from the opening of a story A storyboarding task that encourages learners to use personification in a six-scene description of their day Plenary

A starter activity that tests learners’ recognition of simple, compound and complex sentences. There are 5 different boards and one teacher sheet. Board 1 is the winning board. All being well, this resource will soon be incorporated into a wider lesson on developing complex sentences, but in the meantime, you may wish to purchase it separately. It is aimed at a lower-middle ability Year 8.

A straightforward lesson on choosing between a full stop and a comma. The starter encourages learners to revise the terms subject and main verb. The term predicate is introduced. Learners identify the subject, main verb and predicate in a range of different sentences contained within a table. Slide 2: The idea of a comma splice is introduced. Slide 3: Learners identify whether a comma splice exists in five different sentences. It would be helpful to have an interactive board so that the sentences can be annotated on screen. Slide 4: Learners are directed to a paragraph which contains multiple comma splices. They must identify them. Slide 5: Feedback on screen Slide 6: Learners write a paragraph about themselves, ending their sentences correctly. Slide 7 Review/Check Learning

The seventh in the Basic Literacy series for lower ability KS3. This lesson covers: Starter/Do Now: following on from the previous PPT, learners practise making inferences from text (see cover image) Feedback slide Quick revision on complex sentences What is a relative clause? What is the purpose of a relative clause? What is the difference between a non-defining and a defining relative clause? Learners then work through a series of four relative clause-based tasks with corresponding feedback slides. There is a two-sided guidance sheet to aid their completion. Review Learning **NB: As this lesson is aimed at lower ability learners, it only asks them to work with four relative pronouns instead of the complete range. These are: who whose that which**

A lesson that follows on from this introduction to speech writing for KS3: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/an-introduction-to-speech-writing-for-ks3-12049010 This is a speech-writing lesson based on the issue of homework. It includes: Starter - learners say to what extent they agree with a series of statements relating to homework Feedback slide Keywords for the lesson + extension task A link to a relevant article for research and a YouTube link An exploration of the main arguments for and against homework Sample GCSE question (AQA-style) WAGOLL Writing time Peer assessment and review This lesson is aimed at lower-middle ability learners and should take about two hours.

This lesson aims to teach learners the difference between you’re and your. It is aimed at lower ability learners and follows on from this lesson on inference-making: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/ks3-basic-literacy-making-inferences-12082697 It can stand alone but assumes some pre-teaching on making inferences from text and images. This lesson includes: Do Now Task: make inferences from these images and text Feedback slides The difference between your and you’re, with ‘test your understanding’ statements Practise using your and you’re double-sided worksheet with challenge task Listen for the homophone task (you will need to provide hold-up whiteboards, pens and erasers) Review learning

A straightforward introduction to creative writing for lower ability KS3 learners. It provides: A starter (see cover image) An introduction to using language descriptively. Learners read two sentences, A and B. B incorporates personification whereas A is simple ‘telling’. Learners say which one they prefer and why. An introduction to descriptive writing techniques using the acronym MRS SOAP. Learners match the technique to the letter in the acronym. Learners go on to create a structured poster that lists the letters of the acronym, what they mean and one example. Two extension tasks. Review.

The 9th in the KS3 Basic Literacy series that begins with: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/ks3-basic-literacy-what-is-a-sentence-12053604 This lesson on semicolons includes: Do Now Task (see cover image) Do Not task feedback slides Revision of key terms: main clause, dependent clause and complex sentence The purpose of a semicolon Independent practice using a semicolon Feedback slides Learning Review Estimated time: 1 - 1.5 hours. Target group: lower ability KS3

A lesson that aims to develop learners’ confidence with complex sentences. It includes: Sentence Bingo starter (also sold separately) What is a complex sentence? The difference between the main clause and dependent clause An exercise in producing complex sentences using prompt material An independent writing task Review Time suggested: 1 hour Target Ability : Lower to middle KS3

The tenth in the KS3 Basic Literacy series aimed at lower ability learners. It includes: Do Now Task (see cover image) Feedback slides Revision of key term: main clause The main differences between the semicolon and the colon, with examples Independent practice Feedback slides Review Learning Estimated time: 1 - 1.5 hours

The 11th in the KS3 Basic Literacy Range. This lesson is aimed at middle ability learners. It includes: Do Now task based on previous lesson on inference-making. Learners examine a range of texts and images and say what conclusion can be drawn from them. Feedback slides Revision of the terms subject and verb Identifying the subject and verbs in a range of sentences (worksheet + answers) What does subject-verb agreement mean? An information sheet covering six of the rules relating to subject-verb agreement, each with its associated task. Teacher answers included. Feedback slides Learning Review

Following on from this introduction to unseen poetry: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/unseen-poetry-lesson-1-12130945 This lesson is the third in the series and looks at the concepts of syllables, feet and meter. The lesson is as follows: The Do Now task encourages learners to examine the first two stanzas of Wordsworth’s ‘I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud’ and identify four of the poetic methods used. Teacher answers included. Feedback slide An explanation of syllables, feet and meter in relation to poetry, with a corresponding worksheet. An application task which focuses on an extract from ‘Macbeth’. Feedback slides Learning Review Revise key terms from previous lesson/section Trochaic tetrameter task with a focus on ‘I Wandered Lonely…’ Feedback slide Learning Review Estimated time: 1.5 - 2 hrs Target: middle ability learners

A useful learning mat that provides a guide to writing detailed paragraphs in English Literature. Works as a display or a teaching tool for learners who struggle to write in depth.