Short stories are a vital part of English literature. These short story studies can be used to build a short story unit, to supplement other texts, or as a standby lesson. Use this with our FREE Introduction to Short Stories two-page handout. Each classic story is copyright free in Australia, the U.K. and U.S. Paragraphs are numbered for ease of reference. There are four activities, corresponding to Bloom’s taxonomy of lower- to higher-order tasks. A comprehension question checks knowledge and understanding A close reading task assists development of textual analysis A writing at length task involves considering the story’s effect, mood, or technical strategies. A choice of two creative writing tasks use an aspect of the story as a springboard to write creatively, discursively, or persuasively. This short horror story ‘The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar’, by Edgar Allan Poe is around 3600 words and has been successfully used with a Year 10 class (age 14-15).

This is a three-part resource for students undertaking the NSW HSC Standard English Module B: Close Study of a Text. A generic essay plan shows students how to compose an essay suitable for Stage 6, progressing them from the simpler PEEL/TEAL models of Stage 4 and 5. A sample essay for the prescribed text, Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, answers the 2019 HSC question: Literature reinforces or challenges our understanding of ordinary situations. Discuss this statement, making detailed reference to your prescribed text. There is also a second copy of the essay, marked up to show how it follows the plan, and with five short questions which require students to engage critically with the essay and its form.

Victorian poetry regularly makes the top ten poems in public surveys, and much of our conception of what makes ‘good’ poetry was shaped by poets like Tennyson, Browning, Rossetti, and Arnold. This period formed the emotional and social attitudes which linger today – even in post-modern texts which claim to have moved beyond them. While the Romantics were read by the literati, the Victorian poets in this unit formed the core of public poetry consumption. An understanding of this period is essential for students who will read Edwardian and Modernist literature in later terms, by showing them what these writers and artists reacted against. This activity comprises two poems by Lear and Carroll with questions which require students to make a close analysis and interpretation suggestions for extension reading to extend their knowledge of the poets a creative writing task which helps them to engage laterally and personally with the ideas in the poetry.

Wilde’s Gothic novel about vanity and perdition is an established favourite for senior students. Each chapter has a single-page task sheet comprising three higher-order tasks: a close reading of a nominated passage, an extended response to develop interpretative thinking, and a choice of creative writing tasks which springboard from the language and ideas in the chapter. These tasks get students writing analytically, personally, and creatively, helping them to build up their own unique interpretation of the work, and eventually to express this in a formal essay.

This eight-section unit written for Years 8-9 (ages 13-15) focuses explicitly on poetic techniques and elements of poetry. It can be taught as a complete unit over a term, or in sections complementing a wider study of rhetorical and poetic devices. The unit comprises sections on rhyme and rhythm, personification, imagery, epithet, theme (cats and men; modern life); symbolism, and form (acrostic poetry). Each section can be bought separately. Each section includes: one page-explanation of the device or technique at least two poems for easy differentiation writing tasks for each poem following Bloom’s Taxonomy of lower- to higher-order questions And there’s a free summative assessment in short answers format!

This worksheet introduces students to an important element of poetry: symbolism. It can be taught as a stand-alone lesson or as part of a wider study of poetry, and contains a one page-explanation of the device or technique at least two poems for easy differentiation writing tasks for each poem following Bloom’s Taxonomy of lower- to higher-order questions

An understanding of the early period of the English language is novel and exciting for junior high schoolers. This unit of work introduces them to the Anglo-Saxon period and provides a gentle, easy and fun overview of what English language and literature once looked and sounded like. The focus text is Michael Morpurgo’s Beowulf, an excellent version of the heroic poem retold for children and young adult readers. The unit strives to remind students and teachers of all cultural and language backgrounds of their contribution and membership of the worldwide Anglophone community. Written as a combined unit of work and worksheets, teachers only need to purchase Morpurgo’s Beowulf to teach this unit! The unit includes lessons on: Our Language Family Runes, Gods, and the Northern Heritage Kennings, Riddle Poems, and Gnomic Poetry The First Hero: Michael Morpurgo’s Beowulf (focus text) The Hero’s Journey: Overcoming the Monster The End of Old English Where is Old English today? Practice assessment task Assessment task suitable for ages 11-13

‘Ecopoetry is nature poetry that has designs on us, that imagines changing the ways we think, feel about, and live and act in the world.’ This unit introduces students to ecopoetry and illustrates the difference between traditional nature poetry and poetry which responds to the Climate Crisis. It contains activities on: Pollution The Anthropocene Deforestation Flood Drought Species extinction Post-Human Worlds Each section comprises an introductory discussion, a selected poem about the issue with questions and creative writing activities, a list of poems to use as companion pieces, and links to further information about the issue which can be used for comprehension and discussion. This unit has been tested with a mixed-ability Year 10 group (age 15).

Wilde’s Gothic novel about vanity and perdition is an established favourite for senior students. Since the bulk of English literature units focus on close textual analysis, the ability to perform ‘close readings’ is essential for students of literature. This handout provides a a brief, student-friendly explanation of what a close reading actually is and how to perform it, followed by a sample close reading of the opening passage.

Shakespeare’s tragedy about madness and family is an established favourite for senior students. Ten senior-level essay questions offer a choice of arguments about character, theme, language, and context, and a sample essay responds to the question: King Lear is enduringly relevant because it shows us that when we suffer from distorted perception we need others’ care, not their exploitation. Does this satisfactorily explain the relevance of the play?

Shakespeare’s tragedy about madness and ambition is an established favourite for senior students. Ten senior-level essay questions offer a choice of arguments about character, theme, language, and context, and a sample essay responds to the question: I dare do all that may become a man. Who dares do more is none. How are ideas of manly behaviour presented in the play?

Fitzgerald’s novel about ‘careless people’ and avarice in the modern era is an established favourite for senior students. Ten senior-level essay questions offer a choice of arguments about character, theme, language, and context, and a sample essay discusses whether we can think of the novel as a tragedy.

HSC Module C: The Craft of Writing offers students complex texts from which to draw for their own writing. Because of their complex construction and ideas, students can be at a loss for ‘ways in’ to the text, and teachers can often struggle to break down these complex texts in the time available. This teacher’s version of Diving Bell’s ‘Ways Into’ for Module C provides the answers to the student worksheet (also available). These comprehensive answers help teachers to lead classes through complex texts in the brief time available. With the ‘Ways Into’ Module C both teachers and students should be clear on the content, meaning, construction-strategies, and ways to use Kim Cheng Boey’s autogiographical poem ‘Stamp Collecting’. NOTE: the final question, addressing ways to appropriate the text for the student’s own work, is undone since it invites an individual, creative response.

This extensive set (21 pages) of student worksheets breaks Campion’s biopic of John Keats into four sections for easy viewing in class. It contains 44 high-order thinking questions which require students to engage with the text-as-film, and to consider it as Campion’s own reading of Keats’ poetry. A final question asks them to write at length evaluating Campion’s presentation of Keats’ poetry and his relationship with Fanny Brawne.

Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s famous short story broke new ground in both topic and style and is a great vehicle to introduce senior students to more sophisticated ways of analysing and evaluating texts. This 38-page resource comprises A copy of the text, in numbered sections for easy reference Questions for the story which follow Bloom’s Taxonomy of lower-to-higher order tasks A handout on different schools of theory and how they have viewed Gilman’s story, with an accompanying reading and analysis task A longer extract from the first academic article about ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’, which gets students to read academic prose, and consider formation and challenges to argument A discussion of related texts which also respond to similar ideas and themes, and a sample poem by William Carlos Williams which students can compare to Gilman’s story. A 2-page bibliography of poems, short stories, and films from which students can select their own related text A choice of six engaging creative tasks

The poetry of W.B. Yeats is a great choice for higher interest/ability senior students. This worksheet will take 1-2 lessons to complete. It provides: a copy of the poem a comprehensive series of questions structured according to Bloom’s Taxonomy for easier differentiation a creative writing task which students can complete as homework

This comprehensive set of study notes includes a solid, step-by-step commentary on the text, relevant contextual detail, and pull-boxes giving examples of criticism in ‘Essay Language’ (allowing teachers to show differentiation of tone, register and modality). There’s also a sample essay to this question: Self-discovery often involves uncovering things hidden and reconsidering things known. How is this perspective explored in The Awakening and ONE other related text? The sample essay uses The Awakening and Jane Campion’s film The Piano. Remember- if you’re going to print copies, please buy a licence for each copy. Items are priced to make this possible for all schools. Thanks for supporting our work.

‘Late Ferry’, by the Australian poet Robert Gray, is a familiar poem for senior study. This set of notes gives a full analysis of the poem with a relevant image and a handy grab-box explaining poetic techniques, and related texts which complement the poem for students who must study it in concert with one other text. Important points are in red. A simple, one-stop analysis of this complex poem which students can work through in class or take home for private study.

This unit of work brings John Wyndham’s vivid novel to life for students of all abilities, aimed at Year 9-10/Stage 5 students. The program provides clear differentiation for three levels of student: higher ability, lower ability, and Gifted and Talented, and clearly indicates core and differentiated tasks. Activities accompany each chapter, and relevant secondary texts such as Edwin Muir’s ‘The Horses’ are included. There are a selection of news articles on genetic mutation and ‘post-human’ or far-future people which will engage students of different levels and persuasions. Brief and cogent discussions of how societies have treated difference develop students’ general and historical knowledge and sharpen their critical thinking.

This short unit of work for students in the final year of primary or first years of middle school accompanies Guus Kuijer’s short novel ‘The Book of Everything’. Chapter by chapter questions provide activities which will allow students to read, research, and discuss issues such as childhood fear, WWII and its aftermath, religious intolerance, and parental anger. A great modern short novel to accompany works like The Diary of Anne Frank, and with a male protagonist, provides a reading experience which will draw in boys too. The unit of work concludes with a short assessment task and accompanying criteria for easy marking.