KS3 Teaching Resource: A Dutiful Boy by Mohsin Zaidi

A Dutiful Boy by Mohsin Zaidi – KS3 Teaching Pack and Activity Resource.

Introduce KS3 students to the compelling memoir A Dutiful Boy by Mohsin Zaidi with this comprehensive KS3 teaching pack, designed to engage learners with powerful themes of identity, acceptance and belonging. This KS3 activity pack provides everything needed to support lessons around memoir, resilience and self-discovery, making it an invaluable addition to any English classroom.

A Dutiful Boy follows Mohsin Zaidi’s deeply personal journey from a devout Muslim upbringing to becoming the first student from his school to attend Oxford University, navigating the challenges of growing up gay in a traditional community. The memoir offers a unique perspective on courage, love, and finding the strength to live authentically—making it an excellent choice for broadening students’ understanding of identity and representation in literature.

This KS3 teaching pack contains a full set of resources to support classroom learning, including:

• KS3 lesson plans for targeted, structured learning around memoir and identity

• KS3 activity pack PowerPoints with a range of reading, speaking, analysis and comprehension tasks

• PDF text extracts from Chapters 10 and 25 of A Dutiful Boy for close reading and annotation

• Links to exclusive video readings by Mohsin Zaidi and interview material to enrich class discussions and provide deeper context

The resource is flexible and easy to use: simply follow the KS3 lesson plans, guide students through the activities PowerPoints, and use the chapter extracts and videos to spark thoughtful conversation and analysis. Whether used as part of a wider curriculum focus on representation, or as a standalone module, this teaching pack supports both individual and group work, and helps students build vital comprehension and critical thinking skills.

Ideal for English teachers seeking a ready-to-use KS3 activity pack that explores meaningful themes and offers fresh perspectives, the A Dutiful Boy teaching pack ensures students experience the richness of contemporary memoir while developing empathy and confidence in expressing their own identities.

Additional resources:

• Top tips for building confidence in teaching books by authors of colour
• Tools for Secondary Schools
• The (incomplete) Lit in Colour Book List 2024
• KS5 Teaching Resource - A Dutiful Boy