Objective: To identify the different features of broadsheet and tabloid newspapers. Outcomes: To compare these features in a table. This lesson goes through the differences between broadsheet and tabloid newspapers. Starter looks at two different front pages, one tabloid, one broadsheet. It then goes through the differences with the pupils. Sensational news and the public interest is also covered. Main task is to read through a 'Broadsheet vs Tabloid' article. Then pupils will annotate these two articles e.g. language differences, differences in headline. They then fill out a table with Newspaper 1/Newspaper 2. Plenary goes over headline count (how journalists count letters/numbers/symbols) and pupils can create a headline to match the count of 25. Lesson could be differentiated up or down, with more or less complex stories.

KS3 lesson developing noun and verb use, including an extract to complete. Precise noun: A noun (naming word) which is more descriptive and aids in telling the reader more about the story. E.g. ‘Mercedes Benz’ instead of car. Ambitious verb: A verb (doing word) which gives more description so the reader can picture images in their mind. E.g. ‘Slithered’ instead of walked (to describe someone who was sneaking around). Learning Objective: To learn how to develop nouns and verbs to create descriptive sentences. Learning Outcome: All will rewrite sentences using ambitious vocabulary and tasks in the PowerPoint Most will complete the Skellig work sheet Some will complete the extension work and create their own sentences using knowledge they have learnt so far (reward – Vivo points/IRIS rewards etc) To differentiate the work, I have included a variety of resources including a match-up task on the board. Fill-in the blanks work sheet and a challenge task for the HA in the class to complete, with added rewards (Vivo points) to encourage the children to take on this challenge task.

Full lesson PowerPoint which goes through the reasons for using dialogue in your writing, the Golden Rules of dialogue. This leads on to the children reading the three extracts from Harry Potter (written out for you in the attached Word document) and a task sheet (again attached). The pupils must: Identify characteristics of dialogue in the three extracts (why the dialogue is used e.g. does it reveal character relationships, move the story forward or build tension), explain how Rowling has showed this characteristic, find a quote and explain why Rowling may have chose this use of dialogue in the extract, e.g. at what point of the story is this dialogue occurring? WAGOLL (what a good one looks like) is also included in the PowerPoint.

Half lesson starter: Teacher Standards: S1 Engage the pupils in the starter activity and use multimedia (YouTube) to consolidate knowledge learnt. S2 Construct and scaffold learning, consolidate knowledge regarding genre and develop this into a clearer understanding of Gothic Horror. S3 Breaking down ideas logically to support development of learner’s knowledge. Learning objective: To identify conventions of Gothic Horror genre. Learning outcome: To be able to pick out these conventions from a YouTube clip (Sleepy Hollow). Strategies: Ensure pupils understand the conventions of gothic horror literature e.g. setting – remote locations, haunted houses, gothic architecture, dungeons, hidden rooms, dark towers, crypts. Key concepts: Gothic horror conventions (characters, setting and themes). Questions: What other characters can we think of which may fit into these typical categories? – Perhaps think about books you have read or films you have watched. What can you spot in this setting? What is typical of the image on the board, what is the weather like? What time of year is this?

GCSE Unseen Poetry comparison A3 scaffolded sheet, both original publisher file and PDF file for ease of printing. Poem: Autumn by Alan Bold (I don't own this poem). Very useful for the section A analysis of unseen poetry for Eduqas WJEC. Sheets scaffold the pupils to bullet pointing the meaning, mood of the poem. Then discussing the language/spotting devices, identifying structure and seeing if there is a deeper meaning, and the effect the poem has on the reader. Lovely resource and well scaffolded for the ability of my classes. Easily differentiated up or down, this worked with low set year 9 as well as GCSE.

Whole lesson with accompanying A3 differentiated worksheet for a 'way into' the poem for low ability year 8. This could be used for all KS3 classes or low ability Y10/11 as well if this is in your anthology. Lesson uses a post it starter and image starter to engage and think about the metaphors in the poem, e.g. anchor, kite. What could these represent? Then pupils work around the A3 sheet both collaboratively with 'think, pair, share' signposted boxes and independently, with writing full sentences and justifying their responses. This worked well with my low ability Y8 class. After every box I used whole class feedback before moving on. After the A3 sheet, pupils write a letter (10 minute timer) from the perspective of the son, telling the mother the reasons he is moving out with success criteria. Glossary to go through with pupils with some of the more sophisticated vocabulary in the poem. I have included the publisher and PDF files of the A3 sheet for ease of use.

Full lesson on GCSE transactional writing (reports). Objective: To identify the features of a report. Outcomes: To produce a plan for a report using detailed content and the required structure. Literacy objective: An apostrophe must be used to show you have missed out letters in a contracted word. E.g. Should'nt - should not. Literacy starter is a contraction wheel. Lesson goes through what a report is, the purposes of a report, the audience and possible content. Starter allows the pupils to think for themselves what might be in a report (content), and a vocab-builder allows them to engage with formal vocabulary A06. The lesson then picks apart a report question, and allows pupils to investigate the purpose/audience/tone and format of the transactional writing question. Pupils then complete a table of positives/negatives to do with a school facility, read through a model report (either alone or with classroom teacher) and then complete their aims/questions in their introductory paragraph and their data collection paragraph in independent 10 task time with success criteria and a grammar challenge. Plenary to assess their knowledge of the features of a report.

Carousel activity with A3 sheets, posters for around the room and PPT all included with PDF and publisher files for ease of use and so you can adapt these. Speaking and listening activity for Y8, can be differentiated up or down. Objective: To explain who is to blame for the tragic events of Romeo and Juliet. Outcomes: To present my reasons to the class for a speaking and listening activity. Literacy objective: Doubling the consonant shortens the vowel sound. E.g. Bate – batting, Ripe - ripping Starter: Pupils write down phrases to do with Romeo and Juliet in a Venn diagram, this will help them with their speaking and listening paragraph later on in the lesson. At least 5 phrases for both Romeo and Juliet. Then pupils use their A3 sheets to go in pairs around the room and take notes and give a rating out of 10 to how much they feel the character is to blame for the death of Romeo and Juliet. 1) Romeo, 2) Juliet, 3) The Montagues, 4) The Capulets, 5) Friar Lawrence, 6) The Nurse, 7) Mercutio, 8) Tybalt. A3 sheet is included in PDF and publisher file. 4 minutes on each station. Pupils then write a paragraph (sentence starters included and challenge activity - ambitious vocabulary) explaining their reasons why they feel one character is the most to blame. Using A3 sheet to help. Carousel posters around the room give reasons and questions afterward to encourage pupils to think for themselves. Then pupils, in register order, must read out their paragraphs one by on for the speaking and listening activity. (Challenge - adopt a serious tone, like you are trying to convince a jury). Then class together says who they think is to blame, and two pupils help to create a tally chart on the board to present our final verdict on who is the most to blame. Plenary to put a post it describing their view of the play on the board, 1-10, 1 being 'tragic', 10 being 'exciting'. Then they can explain their verdict. This can be stretched over two lessons or one, depending on length of time pupils have in class and ability.

Objective: To identify the features of a tabloid news article. Outcomes: To apply our understanding to write a lively and engaging tabloid article. Homework: Read your tabloid article and analyse the features, purpose and tone, using the table on the right. Literacy starter: Effect/Affect Starter activity is a card sort between the features of a broadsheet newspaper and a tabloid newspaper. Then a spot the features article to find the AFORREST features and how the writer has engaged the audience. Slides then move on to the main task, but first they go through example headlines to guess what the tabloid news article might be which we're writing about for an independent 10 task. Pupils then plan their tabloid article with a list of success criteria e.g. a shocking headline. Independent 10 task: Write an engaging article for a tabloid newspaper.

GCSE Unseen Poetry comparison A3 scaffolded sheet, both original publisher file and PDF file for ease of printing. Poems: Geriatric Ward and Warning. I don't own these poems. Sheets scaffold the pupils to bullet pointing the meaning, mood of the poem. Then discussing the language/spotting devices, identifying structure and seeing if there is a deeper meaning, and the effect the poems have on the reader. Lovely resource and well scaffolded for the ability of my classes. Easily differentiated up or down, this worked with low set year 9 as well as GCSE.

Objective: To investigate how Shakespeare builds tension using dramatic techniques. Outcomes: To evaluate the effect of the dramatic techniques in Act 3, Scene 1. Literacy objective: Doubling the consonant shortens the vowel sound. E.g. Bate – batting, Ripe - ripping This lesson included some PRT (pupil response time) at the start aka purple pen, so they could make some corrections - took 5/10 minutes off the lesson. Starter - pathetic fallacy key terminology - what kind of a mood do these images create. 6 images on the board. Challenge - what kind of a mood was Act 2, Scene 6 (marriage). Recap of the scene before watching the clip from the Baz Luhrmann DVD. After watching the clip (DVD - not included) then discussion to talk about the tension created within the scene and linking to pathetic fallacy. How, when Mercutio falls, the storm comes. Then pupils in groups or pairs, use a card sort activity (included) going through the quotes and plotting when the dialogue was said, and whether or not it increased or decreased tension. Time/Tension graph - linking to numeracy within the curriculum. Discussion when finished, plotting the time over tension graph on the board with key quotes. Then pupils for their independent 10 time choose a quote from the graph that is of high or low tension and they then explode this quote in their books. AO3 context challenge. Model explode-a-quote is included. Plenary for pupils to create a series of text messages between Benvolio, Mercutio, Tybalt and Romeo about the happenings of Act 3, Scene 1. For A3 tension over time graph, there is one illustrated on the PPT and I just drew this out onto A3 paper.

Lesson PowerPoint on a character comparison of the two main families in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone for year seven.

A-Level revision of William Blake's 'London', the PowerPoint gives some detail to Blake's background, and then dives into detail regarding form and structure, lexis, syntax and context. It also gives the themes and imagery in the poem for the students to use in their revision. The slides are stanza by stanza, and some stanzas are split in two as there's a lot of information included. (Full notes on the PowerPoint slides, you can edit this, use bullet points instead and talk the pupils through the poem, or leave it as it is. Clear explanations of terminology added.)

This lesson goes over the features of informal letters (KS3) in preparation for the transactional writing part of the GCSE language exam. Stick-in sheet for pupils to make some notes on in their books included. The lesson also focuses on ambitious vocabulary and has a literacy homophone starter (where/were/we're). It goes over tone and style of informal letters, then 'spot the errors' in a small informal letter which is far too formal. Easily differentiated by editing the example. Main task is to write an informal letter to a friend: this includes a brief for the pupils to follow. Success and challenge criteria included. Peer assessment for AfL and plenary included at the end.

Two full lessons on review writing for Y9 taken from GCSE specification. Homophone starter 'Your/You're' Lesson 1 Objective: To identify the different features of film reviews. Outcome: To plan a film review using the required features. Lesson 2 Objective: To investigate the different features of film reviews. Outcome: To apply our knowledge and write a film review, using the required features. First whole lesson, complete with a small section of film reviews to analyse takes pupils through different features of reviews, and the purposes of them (inform, describe, persuade and advise). A starter activity is to go through different kinds of reviews (book/film/restaurant) and who is the possible audience. Then the pupils (in pairs) go through a short review and try and spot the features. Then they can mind-map these features in their books or together on the board at the front of the classroom. Then the pupils watch an embedded clip (trailer for Pirates of the Caribbean) and then can plan to create a review. Extension tasks are added for the most able pupils. In the second lesson, pupils (on their whiteboards/in books) go through a recap (what is a review, purpose, audience), rewrite a paragraph of a film review using ambitious punctuation, read a WAGOLL (what a good one looks like) to look for AFORREST persuasive features, then read a bad example of a film review. Class then write an WWW/EBI for the reviews. Go over the structure of a review, then write their film review for an independent 15 task. I have also included success criteria checklists to print off for your classes.

Romeo and Juliet KS3/GCSE carousel activity for pupils. This resource doesn't include the full lesson. Available altogether in my shop in another resource. Includes all 8 posters describing the roles in the deaths of Romeo and Juliet, and A3 sheet for pupils to write reasons and give a rating out of 10. Both PDF and original publisher files included for ease of use.

This is a full lesson planned for Sci-Fi conventions and use of dialogue. The start of the lesson the PowerPoint shows a few film posters typical of the Sci-Fi genre and the children are asked to raise their hands if they know what we're talking about. The PowerPoint then goes over the Golden Rules of dialogue and the Uses of Dialogue. Then the pupils can be paired and they work in pairs to create a mind map. I used colourful card and differentiated the planning task. Lower ability had two image stimulus of a human and an alien. Clear human and alien set for them, and their mind-map was already sectioned off to give some structure. Higher attainers were only given the question. Colourful pens can be handed out to the class too in order to ensure who has wrote what on the plan, to gauge progress. The main task for the lesson is to write dialogue between a human and an alien. One of these characters is pleading for their lives. The class will then present this in a dramatic reading, using their dialogue tags as directions e.g. whimpered, shouted, bellowed. If you wanted, the pupils could freeze, and then teacher could point to pupils and say "which convention of Sci-Fi have partner A and B used?" The class I delivered this lesson to loved it, very creative and it sparked imaginations.

Full lesson on Narrative Structure for KS3. Includes PowerPoint going through the four stages of narrative structure (exposition, complication, climax and resolution - uses a short story about Homer Simpson to illustrate this). Crip sheet is attached to stick in children's books for a clear guide, without the need to make too many notes in class (differentiated resource - not needed for top sets etc). The pupils are then asked to plan a story, or re-plan their end of term assessment story, and start to write it out in full. List of success criteria added on the story page. There is also a 'hot seat question' section included in the PowerPoint, and a challenge task. A range of stories for task 1 sourced, for children to identify the different narrative structures within the stories, and to complete the work sheet. Learning Objective: To identify the structure of a story, and use this to improve the stories we have written this term. Learning Outcome: To use the story we have been given to identify its narrative structure. To work in pairs to arrange a story into the correct order. To start to write a story using the techniques we have learnt so far.

Small sheet resource to support pupils in writing a letter of complaint to a theme park. Supports highest grades with use of a clear voice and taking on the persona of another.

Objective: To identify techniques used within the war poem Bayonet Charge. Outcomes: To apply our knowledge to discuss the attitudes and realities of the soldier. Lesson analysing the poem Bayonet Charge by Ted Hughes. Starter to engage using an image, then a word sort activity to identify the key themes in the poem. Main task after analysing and discussing is to write an overview of the poem.