A PowerPoint that demonstrates the structure of GCSE Language Paper 2, Section A (AQA 8700/2) and the skills that examiners are looking for. Source A is an article entitled ‘London’s Pauper Children’ in which Charles Dickens describes his visit to the Norwood Pauper School in the summer of 1850. Source B is a ‘Guardian’ article about Ian Mikardo School in London’s east end, published in 2014. Link provided on slide. This PowerPoint covers Section A only but there are sample answers included for each question, 1-4. If you can obtain a copy of the 8700/2 mark scheme, you may wish to encourage learners to mark the sample responses. Appropriate for middle-upper ability learners.

A 99-slide PowerPoint that provides the full text of ‘Macbeth’, Act Five, translated and annotated. The PPT uses layered text boxes with translations appearing first in blue, followed by analysis and critical commentary in different colours. The annotations include: AO3 detailed contextual background information and its relationship with the text (e.g. features of Greek tragedy, biblical allusions, cultural expectations of women, fear of witches etc.) Analysis of writer’s methods Analysis of effects of structural devices There are a series of comprehension and analysis activities to work through and the PPT will indicate when these should be undertaken. With the appropriate school licence, this could be uploaded onto a network and accessed by students for revision. NB: on the cover image, the translations may be hidden under additional text boxes. However, they do exist!

A 25-slide PPT that enables an exploration of Tennyson’s ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’. It covers the contextual background and the concept of dactylic dimeter. A series of questions are provided to prompt annotation of the poem. Suggested answers to the questions are included for those that may be unfamiliar with the poem.

This lesson provides an alternative to : https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/my-last-duchess-11887073 In this lesson: Learners use a context notes sheet and its accompanying worksheet to generate a collection of ideas about the historical context of the poem. There are links to two different video clips in which the poem is recited. Learners then discuss their answers to a series of comprehension questions on the poem. Teacher answers provided. Learners go on to annotate the poem using the context sheet and a prompt sheet. Learners will need their own copy of the poem. Slide 7 provides a glossary of the more unfamiliar terms in the poem. The final slide presents 4 different long-answer questions which can be explored in groups and used a basis for group presentations.

A PPT that teaches Owen’s ‘Exposure’. Aimed at middle-upper ability GCSE. There is a dictionary activity to begin with, followed by some contextual background and then an annotated copy of the poem. The PPT concludes with tasks for group work.

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

A full lesson on Heaney’s ‘Storm on the Island’. It incorporates: A brief scansion entry task Learners then read the poem and form initial impressions, giving reasons for their interpretations. There is then a vocabulary task relevant to the context of the poem. Learners read a sheet entitled 'Different Interpretations of ‘Storm on the Island’ which provides a brief introduction to the political situation in Northern Ireland. Learners use this information to respond to questions on a worksheet. Learners can then annotate the poem using a guidance sheet. The whole lesson is likely to take 1.5-2 hours approx. It is aimed at higher ability learners.

A full lesson on the extract from ‘The Prelude’ in the AQA Power and Conflict Anthology. The entry task is a short multiple choice quiz entitled ‘How Romantic Are You?’. The aim of this is for students to identify how closely their own ideas tie-in with those of the Romantic poets. Students then use a detailed context sheet to create a mind map of contextual influences on the poet Wordsworth. This is followed by an annotated copy of the extract and two questions on the poem: one just on the extract itself and one comparison question. I have provided a WAGOLL for the question on the poem itself. Finally, students peer assess their responses using success criteria. The whole PPT is likely to take more than an hour - probably more like 2 - and it aimed at higher ability learners.

A crossword that tests learners’ awareness of the following terms: foot quatrain enjambment blank verse tercet refrain sonnet personification iamb trochee stanza sestet A teacher copy with the answers is also provided. Could be used as a starter into an unseen poetry task. This document was last saved in Word 2016.

An hour lesson that provides an introduction to the plot of ‘Macbeth’. Learners examine a range of sources that provide an insight into what happens in the play and its socio-historical context. The sources cover: A 19th Century poster advertising a production of the play Shakespeare’s Twitter feed A diary entry by Lady Macbeth A diary entry by Macbeth A letter from Malcolm to Donalbain, from England. For additional challenge, learners can attempt to link their inferences about the play to a range of quotations illustrating key ideas. After feedback, learners write a summary of the plot. There are three levels of challenge here, with the ‘gold’ challenge encouraging the use of higher level discourse markers. The lesson culminates in a plenary in which learners write one thing they have learnt about the play on a post-it note. This lesson is aimed at middle-upper ability learners.

This 67-slide PPT and accompanying resources enables an exploration of Stave One. It is aimed at middle-ability learners and includes: A thorough exploration of the context of the novel Guided reading of the chapter with much of the difficult vocabulary explained A range of activities to promote understanding and analysis.

A PowerPoint that can be used to teach or revise AQA 8700 Language Paper 1, Question 2 - the 8 mark language question. The main question is based on an extract from George Orwell’s ‘1984’. If you purchase this resource, please be aware that you will need to source the extract for yourself. It is from the opening chapter of the novel, from ‘It was a bright, cold day in April’ down to, ‘Only the Thought Police mattered’. The entry task is based on a link to a YouTube video which outlines the plot of the novel. Learners listen out for the answers to 9 questions. After a short Q1-style task, the lesson then moves onto the main extract, which is accompanied by a sample exam question. Learners read and highlight the extract in relation to the question and then feedback. There are some key point on the language question to go through followed by a sample answer/WAGOLL. Learners then taken ten minutes to write their own responses and peer assess.

A straightforward lesson that follows on from: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/lower-ability-ks3-what-is-a-sentence-12053604 It includes: A starter in which learners identify the missing features of a range of sentences. These features are categorised as either ‘missing subject’, ‘missing verb’ or ‘missing verb or more’. There is also the option of ‘no errors’. Slides 1-2 contain the sentence ready for correction, so it would help to have access to an interactive board. An introduction to simple, compound and complex sentences. Learners read an example of each type and see if they can work out how they are different. A guide sheet that explains the nature of simple, compound and complex sentences. Learners then identify whether sentences A-J are either simple, compound or complex and have a go at writing their own complex sentences, choosing from a list of subordinating conjunctions. The lesson concludes with a game involving five different pictures. The impetus is on learners to come up with a sentence in relation to each picture, with a simple sentence being worth 1 point and a complex sentence being worth 3. The instruction is, ‘Look at the picture, think of a sentence, raise your hand.’ This lesson should take about an hour and is aimed at lower-middle ability learners. It could be used as a cover lesson.

A lesson for lower ability KS3. It covers: A short punctuation starter Paired discussion: what is the difference between a sentence and a group of words? What is a subject and a verb? Learners then read and identify ten statements and identify the sentences. Making simple sentences interesting using adverbs and adjectives. Learners use a table of words to create a range of sentences with suggested structures (increasing difficulty). Review Estimated time: 1 hour. NB: These lessons increase in demand through the series.

Following on from this introductory lesson: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/an-introduction-to-creative-writing-ks3-12065152 This lesson develops learners’ understanding of similes and metaphors. It draws slightly on material from this much older lesson: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/simile-metaphor-and-personification-11747189 This lesson provides: Anagram starter using devices from MRS SOAP (descriptive techniques) What is a simile? Learners identify which statements, 1-3, are similes. Simile challenge worksheet What is a metaphor? Check understanding with common metaphors from everyday language Learners then complete metaphors 1-8 using their own imagination. Review task. Target ability: Lower KS3 Lesson time: 1hr approx.

The sixth in the MRS SOAP creative writing series for lower ability KS3. It includes: Starter - write the opening of a story based on one of four given images. Each response should include one complex sentence and one specified descriptive technique. Feedback slide What is onomatopoeia? There are links to several YouTube videos so that learners can suggest onomatopoeic words. Learners fill in a table, suggesting onomatopoeic words appropriate to a range of environments. There is a table of 126 onomatopoeic words to help. Descriptive or poetic writing task with image prompts. Review This lesson can stand alone but assumes some knowledge of the following terms: complex sentence, simile, metaphor and personification.

The 7th in the MRS SOAP creative writing series for lower ability KS3. The starter asks learners to read an extract from a story and then write the next paragraph based on what they have read. Feedback slide What is repetition? To check understanding, there are three images representing three fairytales: Jack and the Beanstalk, Rapunzel and The Three Little Pigs. Ask learners if they can identify the fairytale from the image and if they know what key phrase is repeated in these stories. This is followed by a worksheet in which learners read four mini extracts and identify the repeated words/phrases. They then comment on the effect of the repetition. After this, learners write the opening of their own fairytale based on one of several image prompts. They then say what they would repeat and why and how they would continue the story. An example is provided. Review Estimated time: about 1.5 hours. Update: if you have recently purchased this lesson, please note that I have added a sheet detailing the features of the MRS SOAP acronym, as it is referred to in the Review. However, you may wish to adapt this review question if you have not bought the previous PPTs in the series.

This is the tenth in the KS3 Creative Writing for lower ability learners. It follows on from this introduction to creative writing techniques: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/introduction-to-creative-writing-la-ks3-12065152 This lesson includes: Do Now task: learners identify the ‘typical’ sights and sounds on a street, with extension task Feedback slide MRS SOAP revision task Learners then go on to complete a worksheet that asks them to apply their knowledge of creative writing techniques to their own street. Teacher examples and challenge task included, Peer assessment Learning review

An extended lesson on writing the text of a persuasive speech, aimed at middle-upper ability GCSE groups. The lesson covers: The purpose of a speech AFOREST techniques inc. a cut-up, match and stick activity Links to example speeches (differentiated for ability) A speech-writing task (differentiated for ability) I would set aside about 2 hours for these activities in total, with approximately 45 minutes dedicated to independent writing. This lesson is not tailored towards any particular board but provides learners with an understanding of what is required when writing a persuasive speech. These files were last saved in Office 2016.