This KS3 lesson looks at they key differences between plays and other text types, including exploring format and layout differences, in addition to the terminology needed when analysing a play i.e. audience, dialogue, stage directions etc.

A lesson introducing the context for Seamus Heaney’s ‘Storm on the Island’, one of the poems in the AQA Power and Conflict poetry anthology. This has been planned for use in a Yr 9 bottom set, but could be easily adapted. It includes a link to a 5 min video that explains ‘The Troubles’ as well as clear presentation slides that explains a (brief!) history of Ireland. The lesson was planned to be taught after the class had had an initial lesson or two, unpicking the key themes, ideas and imagery within the poem, with this lesson highlighting the importance and significance of context in shaping our understanding. In a nutshell, the lesson follows the lines of: what is context; here’s some context; apply the context to the poem; what’s our understanding now.

A lesson exploring and comparing the characterisation of Mrs Johnstone and Mrs Lyons in Act 1 to Act 2 (Mrs Lyons confronts Mrs Johnstone), focussing in on the power balance shift between the two women.

Included is a storyboard of the poem, with some instructions on how you could use for Yr 11 revision: pupils to put them in order, from memory see if they can write a quotation from the poem for each of the images, pupils then to check back with the actual poem and add any quotations where needed, then begin to identify and analyse language. I have also used the story board to teach first time round, especially with lower ability pupils to help them visualise the poem better. Also included, is a storyboard image sort & language identifying task which is an A3 sheet. It consists of a copy of the poem, with space for the images to be sorted and stuck in and a table which gets pupils to identify key language techniques in the poem. The table can easily be adapted to add more advanced level techniques for idenitification, but as it currently stands is suitable for low to mid ability.

3 lessons aimed at LA pupils to explore the presentation of characters. Included are: Birling Sheila Gerald Watch this space for resources on the other characters. Each ‘lesson’ consists of: true/false starter activity vocab match up task (adjectives used to describe the respective characters, to ensure understanding e.g: words like, ‘insightful’; ‘assertive’; 'responsible; ‘arrogant’ etc.) quotation wheel activity: a blank wheel with just the adjectives on (to print A3), with a list of quotations for pupils to cut up and stick in the correct segment of the wheel. Then to add notes to the quotations. What/How/Why template to put info from the wheel into paragraphs.

A practice / mock AQA Lang Paper 2 exam exploring the tradition of using black face paint as a disguise in Morris dancing. This paper enables pupils to engage with recent events and the renewed focus on systemic racism in our society following growing publicity and support for the Black Lives Matter movement. My aim of this paper is to address and create discussion about issues of racism in Britain, but from an unconventional / less obvious example. Section A: Reading Source A presents a ‘celebratory’ account of morris dancing in the 19th c. whereas Source B presents a critical and conflicted view in 21st c. Britain, exploring whether the tradition of using black face paint as a disguise in Morris dancing is now outdated and deemed racist. Section B of the paper continues with the controversial theme of ‘blackface’ with the statement: “From television shows such as ‘Little Britain’, and ‘The Mighty Boosh’, to traditional English Morris dancers: whatever their justification, black face is always wrong” PLEASE NOTE: Source B has been purposefully and carefully selected as it presents both the criticisms of black face paint as well as information of the traditional meaning and reasoning behind it. Thus, this should allow pupils to explore the spectrum of the issue and provides some background information to help guide the pupils’ responses. Included in this purchase are the two sources and the question paper, in addition to a powerpoint presentation that includes example/model answers for questions 2-4, for pupils to mark against ‘student friendly’ skill descriptors, suitable for DIRT activities. Source A: A newspaper cutting describing a performance of Morris dancing (traditional English dance), 1886. Source B: A newspaper article reporting the criticism of Morris dancers by a London journalist, 31st December 2019.

A whole lesson exploring the imagery used in the poem Nettles by Vernon Scannell. Initially, the tasks relate to the theme of ‘Growing Up’ and making an initial reading/understanding of the poem. Then it links to imagery of war, before returning to theme of ‘Growing Up’ and the ‘battles’ faced by children and parents. Have used this lesson with year 7 and 8 classes. Quite a good lesson to develop pupil’s to consider deeper/secondary meanings of poems.

Introduction lesson for AQA GCSE English Language Paper 2: Writer’s Viewpoints and Perspectives. A whole lesson & resources which focus on pupils exploring how to distinguish between ‘viewpoint’ and ‘perspective’.

A lesson exploring Thatcherite Britain, responding to Thatcher’s view that everyone’s able to be successful, if you work hard enough. Pupils are to apply this view to the events in the play (Act 2), and then write a letter to Mrs Thatcher addressing their point of view (whether they agree/disagree with her statement).

Powerpoint resource on the assessment: ‘How does the writer use language in the text to present the character of Hyde?’ from an extract taken from CH. 1 of the novel. (Can easily be adapted to ask pupils to compare to the rest of the text too.) Included in the resource is: the assessment question with scaffold to remind pupils how to respond to the Q. a DIRT lesson that includes a model answer, a model annotation of a single quotation, and then a selected quotation for pupils to then annotate themselves (with the focus on, ‘a lot from a little’ ). Pupils can then rewrite new, improved PEA paragraphs based on the quotations selected for them, and the annotations made. A peer assessment task.

A lesson introducing the device of ‘pathos’, with suitable tasks scaffolded for pupils to go from ‘understand’ -> ‘identify’ -> ‘apply’. This lesson has been personally used for KS3, and lower ability KS4.

AQA 2019 Language Paper 2 DIRT tasks, section A: Writer’s Viewpoints and Perspectives A series of lessons that reflect upon questions 2-4 of 2019 Paper 2, advising pupils where they may have missed marks and how to improve. AQA 2019 Lang Paper 2: ‘The Crossing’, an extract from James Cracknell and Ben Fogle’s autobiographical account of crossing the Atlantic and ‘Idle Days in Patagonia’, an extract from W H Hudson’s travel writing.

A lesson introducing pathos exploring how we are lead to feel sympathy for Mrs Johnstone at the start of Blood Brothers.

A lesson on exploring and reviewing the structural features used so far within the play (at the start of Act 2), with a task comparing the start of Act 1, with the start of act 2, searching for similarities and differences, moving onto specifically exploring the role of dramatic irony.

A 1 slide presentation, writing task - writing to describe with a narrative frame to guide the pupils.

Article writing task on the topic of Boxing. Perfect for AQA Language Paper 2, Q5 practice. This ppt includes lots of ideas and information for pupils to read and make notes on before formulating a viewpoint for themselves and presenting in the form of a broadsheet newspaper. This ppt does NOT overly go over article features. This lesson is best suited as a lesson to apply and demonstrate what they have learned about article features. Alternately, this could be used as baseline assessment, prior to teaching article features.

A 5 lesson walkthrough of AQA Language Paper 2, section A on the topic of ‘Hunting’ (the Q paper itself is not my resource, and can be found for free, but the lessons are my own). Can be used for first time teaching of the paper as the lessons indicate how pupils should approach the paper, highlighting how each question builds onto the next, and ‘photos’ of teacher’s copy to model how to annotate their own extracts and prepare to answer. All questions come with model answers for pupils to mark against skill descriptors, with lessons culminating in pupils given the opportunity to ‘magpie’ ideas and improve their own responses. If you like these resources, please do leave a review, so other teachers can find my resources too - much appreciated :)

A lesson exploring the topic of unemployment in Act 2 of Blood Brothers.

Shakespearean language Starter activity - Thou, thee, thine and thy Activity Task, with answer slide.

Descriptive writing cover lesson - 1 slide, with all info on.