B and D Publishing’s KS3 scheme of work on The Machine Gunners by Robert Westall. The resource pack includes notes on the text, worksheets and oral and written assignments suitable for key stage 3 pupils. The workbook can also be used by pupils for revision, homework and home learning. The Machine Gunners is a great little adventure story set in the North East of England during the Second World War. It follows the adventures of a group of school children who find a crashed German plane and take away the machine gun. The police realise that the machine gun has gone from the wreckage and are anxious to find it. Written by Robert Westall, who was himself a boy growing up on Tyneside during the war, the novel gives an interesting and realistic account of what it was like to live in Britain during those years. Our Machine Gunners resource pack contains 48 pages of worksheets covering story, characters, background information, themes and ideas. Free sample pages can be downloaded here: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/the-machine-gunners-scheme-of-work-sample-pages-12224674 Visit our Shop for more high quality English resources and to download free samples of all of our schemes of work, including our extensive collection of Shakespeare resources: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/BandDPublishing If you like our resources please leave a review. The regular licence enables you to use this resource with your own students. Copy, edit and provide the material to those students you teach in any medium or format for the purpose of educating them and/or their private study/exam revision. The school licence allows you also to share this resource with colleagues at your school.

This resource offers a complete novel study unit for The Machine Gunners by Robert Westall. It includes a printable student booklet and teacher’s plan, making it a convenient and time-saving option for teachers looking for suitable text study materials. This study unit is designed for students aged 10-14 years, and is particularly relevant for those studying the novel in Australia or other locations. It covers a range of topics and includes comprehension questions focusing on character development, themes and events, as well as creative writing tasks and analysis of language techniques, symbols and themes. In addition, this novel study unit also comprises a webquest on the author, a Machine Gunners Character file template, and pages dedicated to exploring the setting and context of the novel. Further resources include big ideas discussion pages, an interview and presentation task, and essay structure and planning pages. Overall, this 40-page ready-to-print resource is ideal for teachers seeking a comprehensive text analysis unit that prepares students for essay writing and is an excellent accompaniment to the Text Response Essay Writing Unit, also available in our store.

Powerpoint lesson plan resources about The Machine Gunners, a children's historical novel by Robert Westall. Information and activities included.

A scheme of work for the first 5 chapters of this classic. Aimed at boys and lower ability but could be adapted to suit all needs. Uses the Heinemann New Windmills edition of the text but is easily transferable to other versions.

Useful homework sheet with a variety of different tasks available.

resource to support teaching THE machine gunners y9 text

Plot Chas's tension throughout the novel.

Here is a differentiated comprehesion actvity for Chapter 7 of the Machine Gunners by Robert Westall.

This unit supports a mid-to-lower level group of Year 9 students as they read Machine Gunners. Some of the lessons work on building reading skills at levels 5 and 6, while others work on writing skills. The final assessment for this unit was a written assessment.

This is a unit I wrote a couple of years ago, aimed at building year 8s knowledge of poetry and narrative writing. This unit starts of by introducing WW1 propaganda and then leads into Wilfred Owen. The booklet then supports to teaching an analysis of The Machine Gunners, along with teaching skills of non-fiction writing such as diaries, newspapers and argumentative writing. This is a term’s worth of work and broken up into 100 minute lessons. This could easily be adapted to fit 50 or 60 minute lessons. Additionally, I have attached the Take Away Homework that ran alongside the unit. I really enjoyed teaching this unit, the students also enjoyed it too.

Lesson focuses on chapter 2 of The Machine Gunners.

This whole class reading session aims to develop children’s comprehension skills through reading and interpreting the opening section of Robert Westall’s ‘The Machine Gunners.’ The resource pack includes the extract needed and a clear and well presented PowerPoint, guiding the teacher and learners through the various activities. The reading is followed by a series of activities aiming to develop children’s retrieval, explanation, inference, sequencing and summarising skills. A vocabulary check helps to secure children’s understanding of any new or unfamiliar language. The tasks are comprised of quick-check questions, solo thinking, pair/ group discussions and deeper thinking activities. The session is best suited for children in years 5-6, although with minor adaptations it could feasibly be used with slightly younger and older year groups.

Free sample pages from B and D Publishing’s KS3 scheme of work on The Machine Gunners by Robert Westall. The resource pack includes notes on the text, worksheets and oral and written assignments suitable for key stage 3 pupils. The workbook can also be used by pupils for revision, homework and home learning. The Machine Gunners is a great little adventure story set in the North East of England during the Second World War. It follows the adventures of a group of school children who find a crashed German plane and take away the machine gun. The police realise that the machine gun has gone from the wreckage and are anxious to find it. Written by Robert Westall, who was himself a boy growing up on Tyneside during the war, the novel gives an interesting and realistic account of what it was like to live in Britain during those years. The full resource pack contains 48 pages of worksheets covering story, characters, background information, themes and ideas and can be downloaded here: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/the-machine-gunners-scheme-of-work-12224673 Visit our Shop for more high quality English resources and to download free samples of all of our schemes of work, including our extensive collection of Shakespeare resources: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/BandDPublishing If you like our resources please leave a review. The regular licence enables you to use this resource with your own students. Copy, edit and provide the material to those students you teach in any medium or format for the purpose of educating them and/or their private study/exam revision. The school licence allows you also to share this resource with colleagues at your school.

A highly differentiated resource to support students whose literacy is a barrier to accessing the new GCSE English Language exam papers. I have adhered to the question format but have scaffolded the responses to enable less able students to practise the skills demanded by the new AQA English Language Paper 1A: Reading exam. To accompany the pupil workbook, I have produced a set of SMART Notebook slides for whole class interactive teaching of the resource. Q1 - the same Q2 - cloze exercise Q3a - sequence the statements to show understanding of narrative events Q3b - cloze exercise to show comprehension of narrative events, using specialist terminology I have uploaded lots of these differentiated practice AQA Paper 1s, using extracts from: To Kill a Mockingbird, War of the Worlds, Skellig, The Hobbit, The Monkey's Paw, The Sniper, Buddy, Dracula, Z for Zachariah, The Pearl and Frankenstein, as well as several differentiated Language Paper 2s, all available FREE at my 'shop'. Also, loads of 'actual' specimen papers with SMART Notebook slides for whole-class interactive teaching, Q by Q! Help yourself and please leave a review.

A practice exam paper for new AQA English Language Paper 1 Section A: 20th C fiction extract with Qs 1 to 4. In this extract, set in Newcastle during World War 2, a young boy named Chas McGill discovers something extraordinary in the woods near his home. Originally designed for use with pupils in Y7, to introduce the format of the new exam paper and to practise the skills tested by the exam. I thought this text quite accessible and hoped it might appeal to boys. The SMART Notebook slides are designed to assist your teaching of Qs 1 to 4, Q by Q. The 4 exam Qs follow the format of those in the approved AQA specimen papers. NOTE: I've uploaded LOADS of AQA practice exam Paper 1s AND 2s to my 'shop', ALL FREE of charge. Please help yourself - just leave a review. Thank you! I hope they are of some use to you! Matt :)

A really useful short SATs style reading test, perfect for Y6 pupils preparing for the Real Thing. Based on the format of the 2016 test, this resource includes test material with text extract and detailed marks scheme. Equivalent to one section from the 2016 test (11 questions, 17 marks). 1, 2 and 3 mark questions covering retrieval of information, clarification of language and inference and deduction skills. Time limit not provided as it is at the discretion of the teachers and the needs of the pupils, but 15 minutes would not be unrealistic.

This resource is fantastic for starters and/or plenaries. It includes a variety of engaging fictional extracts followed by either short comprehension tasks and/or SPaG correction activities. There are score sheets at the back of the booklet which will help you to keep track of progress. The PPT includes answers, which can be used to assist with self/peer assessment. In order of appearance, texts included are: Machine Gunners by Robert Westall The Magician’s Nephew by C. S. Lewis Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J. K. Rowling The Prisoner by James Riodan The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins Great Expectations by Charles Dickens The Woman in Black by Susan Hill Wonder by R. J. Palacio The Scandal by Fredrik Backman Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz Narnia by C. S. Lewis Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J. K. Rowling Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan Matilda by Roald Dahl Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl About A Boy by Nick Hornby Machine Gunners by Robert Westall 1984 by George Orwell James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl After the Fire by Will Hill Skellig by David Almond Holes by Louis Sachar Cuckoo Song by Francis Hardinge

Highly engaging recount of the experiences of Snow Fairclough, a machine-gunner in the Australian army, taken prisoner by the Japanese army and forced to work on Hellfire Pass, the most difficult section of the Thai-Burma Railway. An example of an ordinary man surviving extraordinary adversity. This resource is aimed at Stage 5 students of the NSW History K-10 Syllabus for the Australian Curriculum. Core Study 3: Australians at War - World War II.

A highly differentiated resource to support students whose literacy is a barrier to accessing the new GCSE English Language exam papers. I have adhered to the question format of Qs 1 to 3 of the exam paper but have scaffolded the responses to enable less able students to practise the skills demanded by the new AQA English Language Paper 1A: Reading exam. To accompany the pupil workbook, I have produced a set of SMART Notebook slides for whole class interactive teaching of the resource. NOTE: I have produced lots of these differentiated papers now, using extracts taken from: The Monkey's Paw, The Hound of the Baskervilles, War of the Worlds, Dracula, The Pearl, The Machine Gunners, Z for Zachariah, The Sniper, A Christmas Carol, Frankenstein, Skellig, The Hobbit and more. Q1 - the same Q2 - cloze exercise Q3a - sequence the statements to show understanding of narrative events Q3b - cloze exercise to show comprehension of narrative events, using specialist terminology I have also uploaded lots of differentiated new AQA 9 to 1 Language Paper 2s, all available FREE at my 'shop'. Also, loads of 'actual' specimen papers! Help yourself and please leave a review.

Designed for less able students at Key Stage 3 or 4, this is a practice exam paper for the NEW AQA English Language Paper 1A: Reading 20th C Fiction texts. I have adapted an extract taken from H G Wells' classic sci-fi novel, 'War of the Worlds' (1898), simplifying some of the vocabulary and sentencing to make the text a little more accessible for students whose reading age might be lower than their chronological age. I've also designed a series of SMART Notebook slides to accompany the Word resource for interactive whiteboard teaching of the questions, Q by Q. The format of the paper is as follows: Q1 - the same Q2 - cloze exercise focusing on how the writer uses language Q3a - sequence a series of statements to show understanding of narrative events / structure Q3b - cloze activity, modelling Q3 response, for pupils to complete. I know that the new GCSE paper is untiered and students will not be given this level of support in the exam. However, this resource is intended to provide an appropriate point of access and opportunities for students whose literacy is a barrier to learning to practise the reading response skills demanded by this exam - and to support the teachers who have to deliver it! I hope that it is of some use to you. I have produced other resources just like this one using extracts from Frankenstein, Skellig, A Christmas Carol, The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Monkey's Paw, The Hobbit, The Sniper, To Kill a Mockingbird, Z for Zachariah, Dracula, The Machine Gunners, The Pearl and Buddy. I've also uploaded loads of typical specimen exam papers for the new AQA Language Paper 1 and 2s to my shop, all available free of charge. Please leave a review and help yourself! Matt :)

Designed for less able students at Key Stage 3 or 4, this is a practice exam paper for the NEW AQA English Language Paper 1A: Reading 20th C Fiction texts. I have used an extract taken from David Almond's novel, 'Skellig', published in 1998. I've also designed a series of SMART Notebook slides for whole-class interactive teaching of the workbook, Q by Q. The format of the paper is as follows: Q1 - the same Q2 - cloze exercise focusing on how the writer uses language Q3a - sequence a series of statements to show understanding of narrative events / structure Q3b - cloze activity, modelling Q3 response, for pupils to complete. I know that the new GCSE paper is untiered and students will not be given this level of support in the exam. However, this resource is intended to provide an appropriate point of access and opportunities for students whose literacy is a barrier to learning to practise the reading response skills demanded by this exam - and to support the teachers who have to deliver it! I hope that it is of some use to you. I have produced other resources just like this one using extracts taken from Frankenstein, The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Monkey's Paw, The Hobbit, A Christmas Carol, War of the Worlds, The Sniper, Z for Zachariah, Dracula, The Pearl, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Machine Gunners and Buddy. NOTE: I've also uploaded loads of specimen new AQA Language Paper 1 and 2s to my 'shop', all available free of charge. Please leave a review and help yourself! Matt :)