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 :)

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

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 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.

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 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 resource includes two articles on the topic of ‘Elephants’. The powerpoint guides pupils to: Consider what is meant by the terms ‘viewpoint’ and ‘perspective’ and begin identifying from the texts Scaffolded paragraph as a first attempt. Model answers for EACH level in the mark scheme, for pupils to read and sort next to the correct level descriptor. Tasks to identify the differences between the model answers, getting pupils to identify what is needed to get their responses into the next ‘level’ on the mark scheme. Finishing with another scaffolded paragraph (to monitor progress), and a peer assessment task to engage with others work, as well as the mark scheme. PLEASE NOTE: I cannot take credit for the extracts, and apologies I cannot remember where I sourced them from (please do contact me if they are yours!). ALSO: This powerpoint is not set out into specific lessons however, I have used this PP with my year 11s (first time through the paper) and it took a weeks worth of lessons, to give you a guide.

Structured tasks on showing not telling method of creative writing. Variety of tasks, leading towards final task of writing from a visual prompt.

Introduction lesson for AQA GCSE English Language Paper 2: Writer’s Viewpoints and Perspectives. A whole lesson & resources which focus on pupils exploring how to distinguish between ‘viewpoint’ and ‘perspective’.

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.

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

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.

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

Booklet to accompany study of Of Mice and Men (OMAM), considering the differences between dialect, accent and standard English. Can be used as part of a SOW on the text, but has also been successfully set as cover work too.

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.

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

Worksheet for KS3/KS4 on word classes.