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Tess of the d'Urban Quills

Average Rating3.81
(based on 60 reviews)

I'm a passionate secondary English and History teacher and am the main planner of resources for my department; as such, I thought I would start sharing them here with the wider community of teachers and professionals. I am Australian trained, but currently teaching GCSE and A- Level (AQA specifications). All lessons are very visually engaging, with images, clips and a variety of activities. You won't find any boring/blank resources here!

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I'm a passionate secondary English and History teacher and am the main planner of resources for my department; as such, I thought I would start sharing them here with the wider community of teachers and professionals. I am Australian trained, but currently teaching GCSE and A- Level (AQA specifications). All lessons are very visually engaging, with images, clips and a variety of activities. You won't find any boring/blank resources here!
Year 10/11: Checking Out Me History
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Year 10/11: Checking Out Me History

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Part of the Power & Conflict cluster for GCSE poetry, these 2-3 lessons firstly cover contextual factors (Agard's subjective experience and the broader issues/aftermath of colonialism), in depth annotations of the poem, themes and ideas. An guided annotation sheet can be done in class or as homework.
Year 10/11: Power & Conflict Comparison
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Year 10/11: Power & Conflict Comparison

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A lesson teaching comparison skills, designed for the "Power & Conflict" poetry cluster for the GCSE. (AQA specification). Can be taught as a one off after the rest of the unit has been taught
Year 10/11: Comparing Conflict Poetry
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Year 10/11: Comparing Conflict Poetry

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A lesson that's ideal at completion of the GCSE "Power and Conflict" poetry cluster. Activities for retaining quotes, comparing themes and critical writing (through a differentiation focused "draw of the hat" exercise) are included.
Year 11: Unseen Poetry Projects
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Year 11: Unseen Poetry Projects

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Using two unseen poems (one by Louise Gluck) this booklet allows students to work in pairs or individually to complete a mini-project that covers all the skills for the unseen poetry section of Language Paper 1, AQA GSCE specimen. This took my class about 2-3 lessons to complete. Self-directed learning is great for this time of year!
GCSE QUIZ
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GCSE QUIZ

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Revision quiz questions for all four papers for topics: Macbeth Inspector Calls Jekyll and Hyde Language paper 1 and 2 Will take you several lessons- language analysis, quotes, themes and context are all covered- enjoy!
Year 7: Vocabulary Lesson
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Year 7: Vocabulary Lesson

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A single lesson that can be taught as part of any unit. Vocabulary building skills, particularly helpful for lower ability students.
GCSE: Unseen Poetry
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GCSE: Unseen Poetry

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For the GCSE literature paper 2. Whether you’re introducing this topic for the first time or revising it, this student-led project (spanning 4-5 lessons) covers the comprehension, analysis, and critical writing skills required for tackling this question in the paper. Can also be used as a general resource for teaching poetry skills. Poems are a combination of Romantic, modernist and contemporary, and there are lots of scaffolded activities that guide students through the process of unpacking themes and ideas, annotating, analysing language, structure, and form, and writing extended responses.
English reward postcards
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English reward postcards

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If you want to inject a bit of positivity in your classrooms and reward students for this, that and the other, then enjoy these Shakespearean postcards!
Macbeth Acts 4/5 Revision
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Macbeth Acts 4/5 Revision

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A revision lesson that briefly looks at the main themes, language and contextual features for Macbeth Act 4 and 5, followed by an examination of the Biblical in Macbeth (whole play). Enjoy!
The Tyger- William Blake
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The Tyger- William Blake

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An in depth series of lessons (2-4 depending on ability) for KS3 looking at William Blake’s “The Tyger”. In-depth, structured activities focusing on themes, language, form and structure. Am quite proud of this lesson! Enjoy
GCSE: 'The Emigree' poem, Carol Rumens
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GCSE: 'The Emigree' poem, Carol Rumens

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In the wake of the Christchurch terrorist attack, it is important that English teachers are confronting issues of xenophobia as the appear in literature with our students. I was inspired to revamp my resources for ‘The Emigree`’, drawing off this recent issue as a springboard for discussion of the rising threat of white supremacy in our world. This resource includes: 2 lessons (or more, depending on pace and ability) Discussions of xenophobia, otherness, normalisation and displacement Analysis of the poem’s themes, LF&S*, and context Plenty of differentiated activities Opportunity to weave in Language Paper 2 skills, through a study of an article. Sharing this lesson for free as more than ever, we need to find the opportunities to have these conversations with students. Education is the starting point for change! *Language, form and structure Article included taken from the New Yorker.
Power & Conflict Bundle
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Power & Conflict Bundle

3 Resources
Storm on the Island, a comparison of London, Ozymandias and The Prelude and a comparison-skills lesson- three individual lessons (originally individually priced) now bundled for your convenience!
GCSE: 'Remains' poem, Simon Armitage
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GCSE: 'Remains' poem, Simon Armitage

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2-3 lessons on the poem “Remains” for the Power and Conflict anthology. Covers all GCSE outcomes AO1-3, in depth annotation of the poem, and builds students’ deeper conceptualisation of the themes of dehumanisation, PTSD, moral injury, and psychological trauma.
GCSE: 'Kamikaze' poem, Beatrice Garland
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GCSE: 'Kamikaze' poem, Beatrice Garland

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In depth 2-3 lessons on the GCSE poem ‘Kamikaze.’ Covers all 3 assessment outcomes, and deepens students’ conceptualisation of Japanese culture and the West’s understanding of collectivism. Detailed annotations of the poem included, amongst other scaffolded activities. Enjoy :)
Year 10 PBL- How do literature and social change connect?
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Year 10 PBL- How do literature and social change connect?

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As the main homework task for the past unit (‘Jekyll and Hyde’ and ‘An Inspector Calls’), my students worked on producing a project that answers the inquiry question: How does literature and social change connect? Included are the project overview, the planning proforma sheet, and the final assessment rubric. A few useful tools for anyone experimenting with PBL for the first time.
Quote Wheel
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Quote Wheel

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Make thinking visible- a useful information organiser for KS4-5.
Inspector Calls- revise all skills lesson
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Inspector Calls- revise all skills lesson

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I set this as a cover lesson for my year 10s, and it’s a great way of revising for the GCSE papers Language 1 and Literature 2. Students read an extract from the play (which focuses on Sheila and the theme of generational differences) and then complete the activities. These follow the skills and style of the Lang paper 1 style (comprehension, language analysis, structural analysis, evaluation, creative writing), but they are more scaffolded and easier for students to access. A great way of covering content and skills across papers :)