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Tess of the d'Urban Quills

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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!

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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 8 Exam Papers
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Year 8 Exam Papers

(27)
At our school, year 7, 8 and 9 all do formative and summative assessments that mimic the GCSE style Language Paper 1. Students are given a literary extract and then complete the following: One comprehension question One language analysis quesiton One creative writing question in response to a prompt. These are some exam papers that I created for my class to practise, and can be used either at the beginning of term as a broad diagnostic of skills, part way through the term to assess progress, or as a end of year paper. The three extracts for these papers are from The Hobbit, The Eye of the World, and The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe.
Literary Devices Quiz
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Literary Devices Quiz

(7)
A good formative or summative revision tool. This quiz is included in my "Literary Devices" pack (22 lessons covering all different language techniques geared at KS3-4) but am posting it for free as it can be used separately. Enjoy :)
Year 7/8: Julius Caesar
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Year 7/8: Julius Caesar

(3)
A one off lesson, as part of an "Introduction to Shakespeare" unit for KS3. A focus on language, plot and some characterisation. Posted as a freebie to give you an insight into my lessons- if you like this then please feel free to check out my shop :)
GCSE: 'The Emigree' poem, Carol Rumens
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GCSE: 'The Emigree' poem, Carol Rumens

(0)
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.
Charactonym
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Charactonym

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A one off lesson (could be taught for either KS3 or KS4 depending on class ability) defining charactonyms. The focus is on the character of Minerva McGonagall, with an extract from "The Deathly Hallows", some language analysis and finally, a creative activity. I've designed this lesson and posted it as a free resource so as to showcase my work in resource planning/creation. If you like this lesson, please check out my other resources which span KS3-5.
Year 8: Shakespeare Termly HW
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Year 8: Shakespeare Termly HW

(0)
You can adapt this for other years if need be- an easy and fun termly HW project, geared at years 7/8 studying an introduction to Shakespeare.
KS4 Feedback annotation key
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KS4 Feedback annotation key

(1)
When students submit essays, it can become a laborious task to write extensive annotations on their responses. I developed this annotations key for my year 9 and 10 classes, based on common errors that I’ve identified in their writing. Rather than writing full comments on their essays, I’ll instead place a number. When the students receive their work back, simply print a copy of the annotations sheet and have them read through their responses and the key to understand what skills they need to improve. This is a great tool for maximising teachers’ marking time (work smarter, not harder!) and also encouraging students to really engage with their feedback, rather than just looking for their grade! Adapt the key as needed :)
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!
Year 9/10: Presentations
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Year 9/10: Presentations

(0)
If you've taught some of my other resources (Ready Player One, Jurassic Park) this can serve as a nice summative or formative assessment. This lesson guides students through developing presentations, where they choose an extract from a distinguished piece of literature, and analyse its various features. I've been really impressed with the presentations of my year 9 girls; some chose classics like Wilkie Collins to examine, with others choosing more contemporary texts such as The Book Thief. Print the relevant task slides (I did this and stapled as a booklet) for students.
Year 10/11 Victorian Context Presentations
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Year 10/11 Victorian Context Presentations

(0)
A quick resource I whipped up for my year 10s, who are about to start Jekyll & Hyde for their GCSE. They are going to research an extract from Victorian literature and present on how this text reflects contextual ideas. Please adapt the first few slides for your own use, but thought others might find the project useful! Includes: Presentation planning stage Research questions Marking criteria (made student friendly)
Inspector Calls- revise all skills lesson
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Inspector Calls- revise all skills lesson

(0)
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 :)
Quote Wheel
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Quote Wheel

(0)
Make thinking visible- a useful information organiser for KS4-5.
Literacy Placemat
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Literacy Placemat

(1)
To be used alongside literacy units- helpful toolbox for students to have on their desks or in their books while working on literacy tasks.
What is an archetype?
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What is an archetype?

(0)
A four slide resource that introduces students to the meaning of archetypes. I like to use this resource at the beginning of any fiction topic.