A fun poetry analysis and writing activity lesson (or two lessons) based on The Dentist and the Crocodile by Roald Dahl. This detailed presentation analyses language and puctuation features at word level, there is dictionary work and a range of poetry or creative writing tasks linked to the poem for the pupils to choose from. Includes opportunities for self and peer assessment with target setting and review slide. Ideal for primary Y5 and 6 or KS3.

Of Mice and Men starter activities power point. Includes a quiz, images to discuss or print out and annotate, key words activities such as acrostic poems.

GCSE persuasive writing activity based on graffiti. Starter sort activity (needs photocopying on to card and cutting/mixing up) linked to persuasive techniques and youtube clip of a short documentary on Banksy (content only for GCSE pupils; please view before you show this to a class) Pupils make notes and then discuss the documentary as preparation for a draft magazine article on graffiti. This is then peer assessed and pupils set their own targets for improvement from the chart shown on the powerpoint. The draft version can then be improved in a subsequent lesson and then typed up on to a magazine template to create authentic texts which are good for display and which also provide good exemplars for other groups.

Poetry: ‘The Quarrel’ by Maxine Kumin. Ideal for National Poetry Day! A fun poetry analysis and writing activity lesson (or two lessons) based on The Quarrel by Maxine Kumin. This detailed presentation analyses language and puctuation features at word level, there is thesaurus work and a range of poetry or creative writing tasks linked to the poem for the pupils to choose from. Includes the opportunity for peer assessment with target setting and review slide. Ideal for primary Y5 and 6 or KS3. Includes worksheet with poem and space for pupils’ responses to the poem. Slide 2 starter could be printed out for pupils or they could copy the spidergram into their books.

Detailed analysis of conflict in Romeo and Juliet. Sharp focus on Act 1 Sc 5, Act 3 Sc 1 and Act 3 Sc 5 with an exploration of themes and relationships. This resource is ideal for getting pupils to annotate copies of the texts during the whole class interrogation of the extracts slide per slide. With leading questions and colour coded word level analysis

Poetry extract from The Witches by Roald Dahl (analysis and writing tasks) The Grand High Witch reveals her plan to turn all children into mice. Acrostic poem starter, watch film trailer, detailed analysis of text with self assessment, choice of writing tasks and peer assessment and review. Copy of the poem for the pupils to highlight and annotate. Also phoneme word families sort activity and a spelling sort with words taken from the extract. KS2 and 3. Ideal for Halloween or general poetry topic.

An Inspector Calls: revision of themes and social and historical context. This is a highly visual and interactive presentation with a PEE formula card sort activity. Pupils review SHC and make notes, make links between images and themes in AIC then complete the PEE formula card sort (in pairs or individually). Now they have PEE formulas modelled, they continue by creating 3 of their own (quotations are provided) This work is then peer assessed, then the plenary uses images to review themes. Engaging, visual and effective.

Macbeth SQUID sort activity based on Lady Macbeth's character. Worksheet with 3 SQUID (statement, quotation, unpick, infer, develop) paragraphs jumbled up. Photocopy on to card, cut up and get pupils to rearrange. Ideal as a starter or a penary for modelling effective textual analysis.

The Lost Happy Endings by Carol Ann Duffy: The Witch analysis and writing activity with worksheet. Power point with extract on the witch. The question "How does the writer portray the character of the witch?" is explored via colour coded analytic slides. Print and give out the blank extract slide to high ability pupils, the colour coded slide to medium ability pupils and the colour coded and annotated slide to lower ability pupils in order to answer the question. Subsequently, the pupils can use some of the descriptive writing techniques which they have just identified in order to fill in the worksheet describing their own witch. The final slide has skills criteria on in order for the pupils to peer assess their work. Level descriptors on the powerpoint and the worksheet are for the new GCSE 1-9 criteria but can be easily adapted for KS2/3.

Of Mice and Men: detailed analysis of the fight scene. Highly visual with colour coded word level and whole text level analysis of the whole fight scene. Thorough preparation for an essay entitled How does Steinbeck create tension in the fight scene? Script of the scene attached.

Persuasive speeches: Martin Luther King "I have a dream" Pupils watch an extract of MLK's famous speech and note spoken language techniques. They then read the extract, highlight specific persuasive language features, write their own speeches, peer assess the same then perform them to the class trying to emulate some of the techniques used by MLK. Engaging and fun!

This is a GCSE resource on The Manhunt by Simon Armitage for use after reading the poem (poem attached) These resources (5 in total) explore PEE formulas, the poet's perspective, semantic fields and themes, leading up to an essay which is then self assessed using grade criteria sheets. The sequence of tasks is clearly organised. Pupils will need copies of the poem, the PEE formula worksheet and the Task 4 slide which has a word cloud of the poem on it. They are tasked to organise the words into groups. This is best done visually via colour coding. The lesson, or lessons as it can definitely stretch to more than one, is engaging and will appeal to a variety of learners to enable them to more easily interrogate the poem. New GCSE grades 1-9 on powerpoint. Assessment/target setting sheets have previous A-G grades. As they are still in flux, I thought I would leave them to suit individual and school preferences; they can be easily changed.

Romeo and Juliet: detailed analysis of love in Act 1 Sc 5. Includes a copy of the scene. KS4. Encourages pupils to highlight and annotate the script, consider themes and to interrogate the text thoroughly in preparation for essay writing. Highly visual and colour-coded analysis for maximum impact with word level and dictionary work.

An Inspector Calls starter activities. A range of visual, creative and practical activities to engage lower ability pupils. Includes a quiz, discussion around images, key words, acrostic poems. Varied, visual and effective.

Descriptive writing: Summer (The Beach) The power point includes: a starter, an extract from ‘Holiday Memories’ by Dylan Thomas which is analysed at word level, an opportunity for pupils to improve their work to show progression, a skills slide, a planning slide and a checklist for peer assessment. Also included, a pupil exemplar and examiner’s comments. Highly visual and engaging.

A differentiated, visual pair of worksheets which track August's school experience. Key words enable pupils to construct their own commentaries on the images: the more able worksheet has space for pupils to write their own sentences; the lower ability worksheet is a cloze exercise whereby the key words can be used to complete the commentary. Visual and engaging!

A Christmas Carol: Poverty and Children (Scrooge and The Ghost of Christmas Present) Background social and historical context about The Poor Law, The Workhouse and prisons and detailed analysis of the extract where Scrooge sees the "two children; wretched, abject, frightful, hideous, miserable" Worksheet to accompany the power point and a discursive essay with tips for success on the final slide.

Descriptive writing: Winter. The power point includes: a starter, an extract from Storms of Silence by Joe Simpson which is analysed at word and whole text level, an opportunity for pupils to improve their work to show progression, a skills slide, a planning slide and a checklist for peer assessment. Highly visual and engaging.