Close Reading & Annotation: Lesson + Hamlet Prose Homework | 6-Part Annotation Code | AS Level Engli

Teach students a clear, repeatable method for close reading, then apply it to Shakespeare. This pack moves students from spotting techniques to explaining their effects (AO2).

What’s included:

12-slide PowerPoint (editable) for one full lesson
3-page homework worksheet (PDF) on a famous Shakespeare prose extract

The lesson:

Objectives and Bronze / Silver / Gold success criteria linked to AO1 and AO2
“First Instincts” starter and a worked example on an original sentence
A six-part annotation code: word choice, pattern/repetition, structure, tone/register, sound devices and juxtaposition, each with its own symbol
A “Spotting vs. Analysing” slide that tackles the most common mistake in AO2 writing
Independent practice on an unseen extract, with a model annotated answer
Stretch & Challenge task for high attainers
Exit ticket

The homework:

Hamlet’s “What a piece of work is a man” speech (Act 2, Scene 2), with line numbers
Recap of the annotation code
Quick-check question on why Shakespeare chose prose instead of verse
Differentiated tasks: Bronze (identify), Silver (explain, with sentence starters), Gold (a full PEE paragraph zooming in on connotations and Hamlet’s state of mind)

Ideal for: AS/A Level English Literature (Cambridge 9695, AQA, Edexcel, OCR), and adaptable for strong GCSE groups or the start of an unseen poetry and prose unit.