KS4 Teaching Resource: Burnt Sugar by Avni Doshi

Burnt Sugar by Avni Doshi – KS4 English Resource Pack for Unseen Fiction and Exam Practice

Bring contemporary literature into your classroom with this expertly designed KS4 English resource pack for unseen fiction and exam Practice, based on Avni Doshi’s Booker Prize-shortlisted novel Burnt Sugar. This downloadable teaching pack is perfect for English teachers looking for high-quality unseen fiction text activities and comprehensive GCSE English Language practice.

Burnt Sugar is a powerful exploration of the complex relationship between mother and daughter, set in modern India. The novel follows Tara, a woman who defied tradition in her youth, and her now-adult daughter who must care for a mother who was often absent and unpredictable. As memories unravel, the story delves deep into themes of family, identity, and truth, offering students rich material for discussion and analysis.

This KS4 resource pack includes:

• Four engaging activities for comprehension, critical analysis, and exam skills

• A PowerPoint activity pack for younger KS4 students, focusing on descriptive and narrative techniques, structuring ideas, and using evidence

• A practice GCSE English Language exam paper using an extract from Burnt Sugar

• Video resources featuring author Avni Doshi reading the extract and discussing the novel

• A printable PDF of the text extract for classroom use

• Activity pack for advanced exam technique and preparation

Perfect for use as standalone activities or as a full lesson (approx. 1 hour 30 mins), these resources are designed to build confidence with unseen fiction texts and support effective exam preparation. Teachers can introduce the videos for context, followed by the structured activities to deepen student understanding and skills.

Download this Burnt Sugar KS4 English resource to bring modern fiction and high-quality exam practice into your classroom.

How to use the pack

Get your students to watch the videos below with the author, before completing the corresponding activities and giving the students a copy of the text extract.
Some of the activities aimed at younger students, specifically Activity 2 and 3, will require students to have a copy of the text extract to work from.

Activity 1 and 4 could be carried out by just listening to author Avni Doshi reading the extract. The activity pack for exam technique is designed for older students to engage with prior to attempting the mock exam questions.

Click the links below for further support in teaching books by authors of colour:
* Top tips for building confidence in teaching books by authors of colour
* Tools for Secondary Schools
* The (incomplete) Lit in Colour Book List 2024