A simple list of 30 words (with definitions) of words that I have spotted in Grade 9 responses on A Christmas Carol over the years.

Use for a final revision session or series of sessions on A Christmas Carol Present the students with 6 big ideas about the novel. Students use the attached top 50 quotations sheet to help add their ideas about each big idea. I have also included a top 100 quotation version for higher ability students. Then go through possible answers on the PowerPoint. The PowerPoint is animated and each answer appears on the mouse click so you can talk through each one as it appears. I have also included 6 predictions about what extract might come up. Now we are 3 years into the 9-1 syllabus, I predict they might use a more obscure extract so I have picked 6 less obvious extracts. Students read each extract and complete the planning grid. Also includes some sample exam style responses to different generic questions. New for 2022 is a large PowerPoint encouraging students to choose and explain their top 3 quotations for 9 different themes.

Use for a final revision lesson on Macbeth. Present students with the 6 big ideas about the play. Give students the attached top 50 quotations revision sheet. Ask them to make notes on each big idea using the sheet. Then go through the model answers on the PowerPoint. Each answer appears on a mouse click so you can talk through each answer one by one. Also includes 6 exam questions to plan on one printer-friendly planning sheet. Also includes a 100 question quiz on the play with accompanying answer sheet that is useful to use throughout Year 11 to assist with knowledge retention. Also contains the top 100 quotations with a brief explanation to help students get started with developing their inferences on each quotation. Alternatively, ask students to use a code to link each quotation to one or more themes such as a for ambition, g for guilt, s for supernatural. Also includes theme and character revision cards. The 50 quotation quiz comes in two forms. One will take a full lesson while one is ideal as a repeatable recap activity (spaced learning).

A lesson revising key themes and quotations for Macbeth and A Christmas Carol. It goes over 6 themes in each text in detail. Students fill in the grid as the teacher goes through the PowerPoint and make notes. Also contains detailed analysis of 6 quotations for each theme in both texts for students to takeaway with them to revise.

A list of ambitious vocabulary and short definitions of words I noticed from reading lots of grade 9 level Lord of the Flies exam responses. Hopefully this is useful for students aiming for the top grades.

A grade 7 and a grade 8 slightly improved response to the following exam style question about Lady Macbeth. This is pretty similar to the May 2024 question but the featured extract was from Act 1 Scene 7 rather than Act 1 Scene 5. Starting with this speech (Act 1 Scene 5 ‘The raven himself is hoarse’) explain how far you think Shakespeare presents Lady Macbeth as a powerful woman.Write about: • how Shakespeare presents Lady Macbeth in this speech • how Shakespeare presents Lady Macbeth in the play as a whole. Includes a grade 7 version and a grade 8 version for comparison. The grade 8 version has a more thoughtful introduction and conclusion and creates more of a debate. The PowerPoint contains colour coded annotations to showcase a deliberate and easy to imitate method for helping students structure a successful response. Also contains a grade 9 response analysing Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s marriage.

PowerPoint full lesson with resource for analysing the poem independently to compare to teacher annotations. Also includes a sample exam question.