A whole lesson on Zephaniah's poem 'No Problem' from the new Edexcel GCSE Conflict Cluster. Includes discussion of dialect, interpretations and devices.

This lesson is part of an Imaginative Writing Scheme of Work focused on Science-Fiction and Dystopian short stories. This lesson leads on from the previous about Room 101 by introducing students to an extract from 1984. Students are introduced to the assessment task and have to analytically explore how fear is created by Orwell. PLEASE NOTE: You will need to download my FREE short story anthology for use with this lesson.

A whole lesson analysing the poem 'A Poison Tree' from the Edexcel Conflict Cluster (1-9 GCSE) Includes language analysis, vocab, context and questions.

A whole lesson analysing the poem 'Extract from The Prelude' by William Wordsworth from the Edexcel Conflict Cluster (1-9 GCSE) Includes language analysis, vocab, context and questions.

This is a whole lesson on imaginative writing and the skill of 'show, don't tell', originally developed for Year 9. It includes a full lesson plan and an accompanying PowerPoint presentation. It uses clips from Hitchcock's 'Rear Window' and the Netflix hit 'Stranger Things.' There are lots of fun activities and an extended writing task. All links are copied into the 'notes' sections of the slides in case they do not work.

The Columbine tragedy affected the world. It was the first in a wave of school shootings and people have fought to understand why and how it could have happened. Michael Moore's award-winning documentary seeks to unearth the background to America's gun crimes and questions everything from causes to culpability. This two-page worksheet is a comprehensive way to ensure that students are watching the 'Bowling for Columbine' documentary with purpose. This information can then be used for informative or persuasive writing outcomes - I like to create a debate model with students for and against gun ownership. Entirely print and go - no preparation needed! -NOTE- This documentary is 'R' rated in the US and '15' in the UK. Prior-viewing is advised. There are some incidents of bad language and some graphic footage, but I strongly believe that the importance of this documentary outweighs any potential concerns.

This lesson is part of an Imaginative Writing Scheme of Work focused on Science-Fiction and Dystopian short stories. This is a full lesson guiding students through a close reading of Ray Bradbury's short story, 'The Veldt'. It is fully interactive and engaging with a detailed lesson plan. PLEASE NOTE: You will need to download my FREE short story anthology for use with this lesson.

Create a visually appealing display while encouraging recall and quotation retention! This set includes 30 key quotations from Orwell’s novella, taken from across the ten chapters. Each is clearly labelled with the chapter it has come from, and, where relevant, the character that said it. It is an excellent way to quiz students on their knowledge retention, and studies show that having these visuals displayed in classrooms helps students to remember the quotations in the exams!

A whole lesson analysing the poem 'What Were They Like' by Denise Levertov from the Edexcel Conflict Cluster (1-9 GCSE) Includes language analysis, vocab, context and questions.

A whole lesson analysing the poem 'Poppies' from the Edexcel Conflict Cluster (1-9 GCSE) Includes language analysis, vocab, context and questions.

A full lesson exploring the poem 'Half-Caste' by John Agard.

A whole lesson analysing the poem 'Cousin Kate' from the Edexcel Conflict Cluster (1-9 GCSE) Includes language analysis, vocab, context and questions.

A whole lesson analysing the poem 'The Charge of the Light Brigade' from the Edexcel Conflict Cluster (1-9 GCSE) Includes language analysis, vocab, context and questions.

A whole lesson analysing the poem 'Exposure' by Wilfred Owen from the Edexcel Conflict Cluster (1-9 GCSE) Includes language analysis, vocab, context and questions.

This is a whole lesson analysing Belfast Confetti by Ciaran Carson. Includes analysis, background information on 'The Troubles' and an excellent video link of Carson explaining his thought processes.

This is a homework menu that may help students with researching poems surrounding the Conflict cluster as part of the Edexcel exam board, and giving some creative choices for further study.

This is a two-page worksheet - one side containing analysis and comprehension questions around Dahl's short story 'Skin' - the other an extended writing activity to encourage students to write in Dahl's style. Students respond really well to this, particularly when they realise that Soutine the artist was real! Full text is available online as a PDF.

A whole lesson analysing the poem 'Catrin' from the Edexcel Conflict Cluster (1-9 GCSE) Includes language analysis, vocab, context and questions.

This is a homework menu for Lord of the Flies - containing a huge range of tasks and activities with a points value attached to each. I usually assign a number of points that the students must achieve across the unit and collect in one piece per week.

This is a set of progressively more challenging gap-fill sheets to help students learn key quotations for the Edexcel Conflict poetry cluster. Begin by giving students the completed quotations to learn. I then give them a week to practise them and give them the next sheet to complete either independently or in groups. This has had tremendous results for my students, all of whom are now feeling much more confident about sitting the poetry exam!