A pack designed to teach the entirety of Brian Friel's Philadelphia, Here I Come! to students in Y12 preparing for the Cambridge AS International Examinations in 2018. Lessons progress chronologically through the whole play and are each designed to teach: - comprehension of plot and character - contextual detail - key quotations - significant themes - dramatic techniques - essay writing skills Students are encouraged to reflect on critical approaches to the play, as well as the various ways it has been produced and received. There are also quite a lot of revision resources included in this pack as well, such as cloze activities, practice exam questions, exemplar essays, quizzes and quote sheets. Note: We used the 1974 film at the end of each episode to reflect on some of the key events (and images from the film are therefore included as prompts), but the film differs quite significantly from the play, and isn't necessary to access the teaching materials within this pack. *Updated April 2018* (I taught it again and thought I could improve some of the resources, so re-uploaded these accordingly - there's also some new practice exam questions and exemplar essays.)

A pack designed to teach the entirety of Andrea Levy’s Small Island to students in Y12 preparing for the Cambridge AS International Examinations in 2019. A comprehensive, detailed scheme of work is included to give an overview to this teaching pack, explaining for each lesson the section of the novel being covered, the learning objective, the lesson activities, the learning outcome and any feed-forward/homework to be completed. However, lessons generally progress chronologically throughout the whole novel and are each designed to teach: comprehension of plot and character contextual detail significant themes key quotations and analysis language techniques essay writing skills Students are encouraged to reflect on critical approaches to the novel, particularly post-colonial and feminist interpretations, as well as the contextual factors influencing its creation and reception. Students were expected to have read the whole novel before teaching started, which is why the introductory lessons begins with a quiz, but this can easily be used at the end of the unit instead. While students read independently, they were given bookmarks with key contextual vocabulary and language techniques to encourage research and reflection at home. Two workbooks cover a close study of the end of the novel - we found these necessary for relief lessons, but they could be used for homework, reinforcing students’ understanding, or for revision. There are also quite a lot of other revision resources included in this pack as well, such as cloze activities, practice exam questions, exemplar essays, quizzes and quote sheets. I’ve also included some extra reading resources that can be given to students for homework, cover lessons or extension tasks. Note: We used the BBC adaptation to reflect on some of the key events (and images from the film are therefore included as prompts), but this differs quite significantly from the novel, and isn’t necessary to access the teaching materials within this pack.

Designed to accompany the CIE Robert Frost poetry anthology for AS English, but will be appropriate for any senior study of the poem Mending Wall. This lesson (intended to be taught over two periods, though can be condensed into one) introduces students to the connotations of walls using a word association activity. It then encourages students to predict Frost’s attitude to walls light of existing knowledge and consider the questions raised by two key quotations in the poem. The main part of the lesson focuses on analysis of the title, suggesting useful vocabulary and appropriate language techniques necessary for studying the poem, identifies the speaker and situation, sets comprehension questions and prompts students to consider the contrasting ideas presented in the poem and what their purpose is. After a short starter activity around Frost’s idea of “discovery” through poetry and a video recap of the poem, the second lesson then moves on to close analysis of Mending Wall, encouraging students to demonstrate their learning through a summary of Frost’s message/s and an evaluation of relevant contextual knowledge. A blank and annotated copy of the poem are also included with this resource.

Designed to accompany the Robert Frost poetry anthology for CIE AS English, but will be appropriate for any senior study of the poem The Sound of Trees. The lesson first encourages students to describe the sound of the wind in the trees through an aural starter activity. Students then consider the typical connotations of this sound, and familiarise themselves with typical poetic ways of writing about the sound. The main part of the lesson then asks students to identify the speaker and situation, as well as to find words that have negative connotations, and gives key vocabulary that will be useful when analysing the poem. Students then annotate the poem for technique using this vocabulary and then evaluate the metaphorical message of the poem. As a plenary, students demonstrate their knowledge of the poem and the techniques used by Frost within it by completing a targeted, scaffolded essay paragraph about the metaphorical message of the poem. Students finally link in their learning to relevant contextual details and other poems by Frost, as well as a song by Joni Mitchell on a similar theme to encourage wider contextual awareness. Blank and annotated copies of the poem are also supplied in this pack.

Designed to accompany the Robert Frost poetry anthology for CIE AS English, but will be appropriate for any senior study of the poem The Road Not Taken. This lesson reminds students about Frost’s prioritisation of metaphor through a word-decoder starter, and encourages students to reflect on the metaphors they’ve already seen in Frost’s poetry. The main part of the lesson focuses on a discussion question considering choices and regret, a quick analysis of the title including an evaluation of what the road “less traveled” could metaphorically represent, then supplies a video animation of the poem. The lesson encourages students to identify the speaker and situation and gives comprehension questions to secure their understanding. The next slides suggest useful vocabulary and appropriate language techniques necessary for studying the poem. The lesson then moves on to close analysis of the rest of the poem. As a plenary, students demonstrate their learning through completing a paragraph on the metaphor of the road. There is also some relevant contextual knowledge supplied at the end, as well as a modern re-visualisation of the poem.

Designed to accompany the Robert Frost poetry anthology for CIE AS English, but will be appropriate for any senior study of the poem “Out, Out - “. The lesson first encourages students to recognise and understand the ideas within the soliloquy by Macbeth that the poem’s title is alluding to, and then make inferences about the poem based on that understanding. Students then consider the power and potential significance of a buzz-saw from the 1910s through looking at images and a short video. The main part of the lesson then asks students to identify the speaker and situation, discusses the emotional response provoked by the death of the boy, supplies further comprehension questions to deepen their understanding, and then gives key vocabulary that will be useful when analysing the poem. Students then annotate the poem for technique, with pictures supplied as visual cues for understanding and memory. As a plenary, students demonstrate their knowledge of the poem and the tone used by Frost within it by completing a targeted, scaffolded essay paragraph about technique, with an example given. The resource also includes a worksheet for a subsequent lesson or homework, intended to consolidate students’ knowledge of the poem through a mix of visual tasks and more complex comprehension questions. Blank and annotated copies of the poem are also supplied.

Designed to accompany the Robert Frost poetry anthology for CIE AS English, but will be appropriate for any senior study of the poem Home Burial. This lesson (intended to be taught over two periods, though can be condensed into one) introduces students to the idea of strong relationships by evaluating those in another poem by Frost, Death of the Hired Man. The main part of the lesson focuses on analysis of the title, identifies the speaker and situation, suggests useful vocabulary and appropriate language techniques necessary for studying the poem, sets comprehension questions and prompts students to consider the similar and contrasting ideas presented in this poem and Death of the Hired Man. After a short starter activity encouraging students to recap the characterisation within the poem, the second lesson then moves on to close analysis of the rest of the poem, prompting students to demonstrate their learning through an evaluation of relevant contextual knowledge and consideration of techniques used to present a failure in communication. A final comparison table sets students up for an essay question comparing the presentation of relationships in Frost’s poetry. A blank and annotated copy of the poem are also included with this resource, as well as a critical essay students can look at for homework.

Designed to accompany the Robert Frost poetry anthology for CIE AS English, but will be appropriate for any senior study of the poem Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening. The lesson first encourages students to write a line of iambic tetrameter to explore how difficult it is (a challenge activity can be to then write a second line that rhymes…) Students then define iambic tetrameter and discuss the aural effect, considering pace and rhythm. The main part of the lesson then asks students to identify the speaker and situation, then to consider the rhythm and rhyme scheme in detail. It then gives key vocabulary that will be useful when analysing the poem. Students next work to find words that have connotations of either civilisation or wilderness, and then annotate the poem for technique using this vocabulary. Students finally evaluate the metaphorical message of the poem. As a plenary, students demonstrate their knowledge of the poem and the techniques used by Frost within it by completing a targeted, scaffolded essay paragraph about the metaphorical message of the poem. Students finally link in their learning to relevant contextual details and other poems by Frost. Blank and annotated copies of the poem are also supplied in this download.

A comprehensive pack intended to teach Frankenstein for Paper 1 of the GCSE Literature exam. This pack introduces students to the conventions of the Gothic, Romantic and Science-fiction genres, as well as giving contextual detail regarding Shelley, frame narratives, galvanism, Prometheus and science. It then goes through the novel chapter by chapter, considering key themes, ideas and quotations, preparing students to write essay paragraphs in response to the AOs. The pack also includes debate activities, revision worksheets, homework tasks and cloze activities.

A resource aimed to introduce Y9 students to the history of apartheid in South Africa, looking at origins, policies, protests (within and outside of South Africa), Mandela and his legacy. We watched Invictus part-way through the unit, but this isn't essential to the scheme of work.

An overview table for the AQA Conflict and Power Cluster anthology, looking at the following poems: Ozymandias (Shelley) London (Blake) Extract from The Prelude (Wordsworth) My Last Duchess (Browning) The Charge of the Light Brigade (Tennyson) Exposure (Owen) Storm on the Island (Heaney) Bayonet Charge (Hughes) Remains (Armitage) Poppies (Weir) War Photographer (Duffy) Tissue (Dharker) The Émigrée (Rumens) Kamikaze (Garland) Checking out Me History (Agard) ...and a short revision game where students try to remember objects (Generation Game style) from the first 9 poems. In theory, the better their knowledge of the poems, the better their score!

Designed to accompany the Robert Frost poetry anthology for CIE AS English, but will be appropriate for any senior study of the poem Death of the Hired Man. This lesson (intended to be taught over three periods - it’s a long poem!) introduces students to the process by which Frost characterises the four main characters in the dramatic poem. The main part of the lesson focuses on analysis, suggesting useful vocabulary and appropriate language techniques necessary for studying the poem, identifies the speaker and situation, takes students through the poem and then sets comprehension questions. After a short starter activity matching descriptive words to characters, the second lesson then moves on to close analysis of the second half of the poem, encouraging students to demonstrate their learning through discussion questions and an evaluation of relevant contextual knowledge. A blank and annotated copy of the poem are also included with this resource.

Designed to accompany the Robert Frost poetry anthology for CIE AS English, but will be appropriate for any senior study of the poem The Black Cottage. This lesson (intended to be taught over two periods, but could be summarised into one with annotation for homework) first introduces students to the crux of the poem: whether values and beliefs change over time, or are in some sense immutable and inherent. The main part of the lesson focuses on analysis of the title, suggesting useful vocabulary and appropriate language techniques necessary for studying the poem, identifies the speaker and situation, glosses unfamiliar words and provides a brief introduction to the American Civil War. The lesson then sets comprehension questions to check understanding, and invites students to evaluate both the characters of the minister and the old lady. The second part of the lesson then moves on to close analysis of the second half of the poem (which can be done using the supplied annotated PDF), encouraging students to finally demonstrate their learning through an evaluation of relevant contextual knowledge and by making links to previously studied poems by Robert Frost. A blank and annotated copy of the poem are also included with this resource.

Designed to accompany the Robert Frost poetry anthology for CIE AS English, but will be appropriate for any senior study of the poem “Two Look At Two ". The lesson first encourages students to recognise and understand how Frost has presented humans’ relationship with the natural world in other poems they have studied previously. The main part of the lesson then gives key vocabulary that will be useful when analysing the poem, including revising the idea of the locus amoenus. Students listen to a recording of the poem to identify the speaker and situation, and then annotate the poem for technique, with pictures supplied as visual cues for understanding and memory. Students consider how some key ideas are developed using selected quotations. As a plenary, students demonstrate their knowledge of the poem and the tone used by Frost within it by completing a targeted, scaffolded essay paragraph about how Frost has presented humans’ relationship with the natural world in this poem. Lastly, students link in contextual and critical information about Frost and his poems that might be relevant. Blank and annotated copies of the poem are also supplied.

Designed to accompany the Robert Frost poetry anthology for CIE AS English, but will be appropriate for any senior study of the poem ‘Gathering Leaves’. The lesson first encourages students to recognise and understand how Frost has presented the act of labour in other poems they have studied previously, through a matching activity. The main part of the lesson then encourages students to consider the action and purpose of gathering leaves. Students listen to the teacher reading the poem to identify the speaker and situation, and analyse structure closely to recognise the simple rhyme and rhythm, commenting on effect. Students then copy down key vocabulary that will be useful when analysing the poem, and then annotate the poem for technique, with comprehension questions supplied for each section. As a plenary, students demonstrate their knowledge of the poem and the tone used by Frost within it by completing a targeted, scaffolded essay paragraph about how Frost has presented the act of labour in this poem. Lastly, students link in relevant contextual and critical information about Frost and his poetry. Blank and annotated copies of the poem are also supplied.

Designed for a secondary school creative writing club that meets weekly for 45 minutes, with the aim of encouraging students to write in ways that they might not have covered in their English lessons, while learning about new forms and techniques for writing creatively. This pack includes ten lessons. Lessons are designed as one-off sessions due to students not necessarily being able to attend consistently. Lessons include warm-up writing activities or starter games to play; directed writing in forms such as kennings, constrained writing or site-specific poetry; focused writing using sensory description, the second person and specific themes; and examples of poetry or fiction writing that exemplify certain techniques.

Designed to accompany the Robert Frost poetry anthology for CIE AS English, but will be appropriate for any senior study of the poem The Cow in Apple-Time. The lesson first encourages students to make inferences about fables through a picture starter. Students then consider key features of fables, so as to later evaluate the poem in light of these features. The main part of the lesson then asks students to identify the speaker and situation, and gives key vocabulary that will be useful when analysing the poem. Students then annotate the poem for technique and evaluate it as either a fable or a parable, deciding on the possible messages contained within the poem. Suggested relevant contextual information is also supplied. As a plenary, students demonstrate their knowledge of the poem and the tone used by Frost within it by completing a targeted, scaffolded essay paragraph about the moral message of the poem. Blank and annotated copies of the poem are also supplied.

Designed to accompany the Ted Hughes poetry anthology for CIE AS English, but will be appropriate for any senior study of the poem Thistles. This lesson encourages students to consider the connotations of the title, suggests useful vocabulary and language techniques for the poem, sets comprehension questions, explains the speaker and situation and gives relevant contextual detail. The download also includes an annotated copy of the poem.

Designed to accompany the Robert Frost poetry anthology for CIE AS English, but will be appropriate for any senior study of the poem ‘A Soldier’. The lesson starts with a structured recap of relevant contextual detail regarding Frost’s life and poetry. The main part of the lesson then encourages students to create a personal response to the poem, considering how it is different to poems by Frost that they have previously studied. Students then copy down key vocabulary that will be useful when analysing the poem. Students listen to the teacher reading the poem to identify the speaker and situation, and share what they know about WW1 to improve their contextual awareness. Students then analyse structure closely to recognise the complex rhyme and rhythm of the sonnet form, commenting on effect and purpose. Comprehension questions guide the students through an understanding of the poem, and then annotate the poem for technique as a whole class. As a plenary, students write a personal response to the poem, with an example supplied. Lastly, students revise the relevant contextual and critical information about Frost and his poetry that they have learned in this lesson. Blank and annotated copies of the poem are also supplied.

Designed to accompany the Robert Frost poetry anthology for CIE AS English, but will be appropriate for any senior study of the poem Birches, this lesson is divided into two halves. This first lesson encourages students to consider why certain activities are considered “childish” through a picture starter. Students then watch a video of birch swinging and learn about Frost’s own childhood experiences as a “swinger of birches”. The main part of the lesson then supplies a recording of Frost reading the poem, asks students to identify the speaker and situation and gives comprehension questions to secure their ability to analyse technique, based on key vocabulary suggested. As a plenary, students demonstrate their knowledge of the poem and these techniques by completing a targeted, scaffolded essay paragraph about technique, with an example given. In the next lesson, students fully annotate their copies of the poems (both blank and scanned annotated copies are included in the download) and then demonstrate their learning through completing a paragraph on the metaphor of the activity of birch swinging. There is also some relevant critical analysis supplied at the end, and a re-cap of relevant contextual detail from the previous lesson.