Worksheets created to analyse the poem ‘Remains’ by Simon Armitage. Focus is on meaning and understanding, as well as analysis of techniques. I have found that my classes would identify techniques in a poem but not say much about them! In these worksheets, the techniques have been given to them (which will help with their understanding of a range of techniques - not the same ones time and time again that they seem to go for!), with questions aimed at analysis why the writer has used said technique, as well as further questions exploring specific language choice. i.e. why ‘life’, why not ‘body’? etc. Also includes storyboard type images, to help with dual coding. If you like this resource, please check out my storyboard activities for this poem too: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/remains-storyboard-language-analysis-and-revision-tasks-12207507

A set of 3 (potentially 4) lessons you could easily set as cover (as I have done so!) if a teacher is likely to be absent for a few days. Lesson 1: Implying information based on the image of a door. Lesson 2: Describing approaching the door (rising action / building tension) Lesson 3: The other side of the door (climax) Lesson 4 (optional): Neat write up of their 3 part description of the door ‘for display’ The lessons indicate that the writing should IMPLY, not state (i.e. my take on ‘show, don’t tell’), whereby certain rules are included such as 'you cannot use the word ‘door’. Lessons include examples / models; scaffolding and success criteria; peer assessment tasks.

A complete lesson giving a comprehensive contextual background in preparation for studying the play Blood Brothers by Willy Russell. This would work for KS3 or KS4 first time study of the play or revision. Ares covered: Willy Russell Liverpool City Liverpool Culture Marilyn Monroe The Play Housing

A powerpoint and two worksheets exploring the role of women in Shakespeare, with a specific focus on Lady Macbeth.

Worksheets for each stanza of Carol Ann Duffy’s ‘War Photographer’. Suitable for Mid- low ability classes, or a higher ability class, as a first response type activity. Activity mostly aimed for understanding meaning and imagery, as opposed to analysing language, form or structure.

Includes 6 weekly set homework tasks based on key themes, context, conventions and genre of Blood Brothers. Tasks have been created in such a way that the work can be self/peer assessed within the lesson on hand in day, to limit/reduce teacher marking workload, but still able to ‘assess’ students progress and add to your data/markbooks :)

Worksheets created to analyse the poem ‘Poppies’ by Jane Weir. Focus is on meaning and understanding, exploring the key imagery with lots of prompts and scaffolding to guide pupils. This has been created for LA pupils, where I am trying to steer away from simply identifying techniques and move further into WHY specific techniques/words have been used and what imagery it suggests. Resource includes: PRE-READING tasks: Context/Summary/Glossary page READING tasks: Each stanza broken down with tasks to explore the imagery and a challenge task to complete. POST-READING tasks: Deeper thinking questions; Lang techniques task; Themes based task; Essay style question.

A lesson exploring Thatcherite Britain, responding to Thatcher’s view that everyone’s able to be successful, if you work hard enough. Pupils are to apply this view to the events in the play (Act 2), and then write a letter to Mrs Thatcher addressing their point of view (whether they agree/disagree with her statement).

AQA 2019 Language Paper 2 DIRT tasks, section A: Writer’s Viewpoints and Perspectives A series of lessons that reflect upon questions 2-4 of 2019 Paper 2, advising pupils where they may have missed marks and how to improve. AQA 2019 Lang Paper 2: ‘The Crossing’, an extract from James Cracknell and Ben Fogle’s autobiographical account of crossing the Atlantic and ‘Idle Days in Patagonia’, an extract from W H Hudson’s travel writing.

A lesson on exploring and reviewing the structural features used so far within the play (at the start of Act 2), with a task comparing the start of Act 1, with the start of act 2, searching for similarities and differences, moving onto specifically exploring the role of dramatic irony.

Whole lesson on ‘Caged Bird’ by Maya Angelou with resources, exploring the imagery and extended metaphor. There’s also an element of looking beyond the initial ‘top layer’ meaning, and pupils are guided towards the extended metaphor. Can also be used with the focus of the role of context informing our responses, whereby pupils consider how understanding context of the poet enables pupils to identify the deeper meanings and the extended metaphor.

1 x creative writing lesson on ACC made for a cover lesson. Pupils to write a description based on the opening scene of ACC 2009 film, with an (implicit) emphasis on SHOW, don’t tell.

A task to get pupils to explore the time period that the play was written and set, to clearly understand where the play ‘fits’ in relation to key historial, social and technological moments. Pupils should be given the ‘blank’ timeline, with only the years on, and have to work in pairs to write where they think each ‘event’ occurred. The answers have also been provided for self/peer assessment and to aid further discussion.

A lesson on the prologue in Blood Brothers, including the role of a prologue (generally), the specific role of this prologue (with reference to the play’s cyclical structure) and what we learn. Suitable for first time study of the play.

This KS3 lesson looks at they key differences between plays and other text types, including exploring format and layout differences, in addition to the terminology needed when analysing a play i.e. audience, dialogue, stage directions etc.

An array of tasks on a variety of literacy /SPaG.

Handout, outlining creative writing task, with paragraph structure suggested. Based on an image: fire.

Very simply, yet clear. Have used before as basis for a display. Have also used in class, as basis for revision, for pupil’s to add everything they know or can remember about them and their role in the story.

Worksheet for KS3/KS4 on word classes.