Romeo and Juliet is explored in this unit alongside the poems, "My Last Duchess," "A Women to Her Lover," and "Sonnet 130" for the purpose of writing the literature paper. Even if you are not a GCSE teacher, this unit still comprehensively covers topics and themes surrounding relationships, love, and mistreatment within the two, and offers an opportunity to write comparatively on several pieces of literature. Using backward design, the unit begins by looking at ideal partners, looks at the outcome of the unit, then goes into Shakespearian context before delving into the film and close readings of particular sections afterwards. All of the handouts and activities mentioned in the continuous PPT are included; the only additional item you will need is the film (I opted for the Baz Luhrmann edition).

While this unit was made with a GCSE focus, it is highly adaptable since it includes a range of creative writing activities and exercises to help develop written communication - with a flare! From first sentences to understanding how to pick out the fine details that allow for encompassing descriptions, the unit begins by looking at the overall assessment and then works towards it using the aforementioned methods and more. Resources mentioned in the PPT are included, but mostly all content comes straight from the continuous PPT. There are definitely some exciting and involved activities, but this is why I found this unit so successful again and again - and well worth the effort of setting up! You'll work your students' technical skills in punctuation and vocabulary just as much as their imaginations will be invoked.

Using the GCSE theme of Power and Conflict, this entire Unit contains continuous PowerPoints for 9 NEW GCSE poems, including: Kamikaze, Tissue Paper, War Photographer, Storm on the Island, and Exposure. All handouts, lyrics, and sample essays for high, middle, and low attainment mentioned in the PPT are included for reference and use. The unit uses backwards design to show - from the beginning - the intended outcome, and then proceeds to take you through lessons for each poem. An outline giving instructions on how to use each slide of the PowerPoint is now included. Remember to always check the notes box of the slides, as clarification on activities, links to clips, etc. is often found there. However, should you experience confusion using this resource, reference the, "How to Use the GCSE Poetry PowerPoint" guide for assistance.

Based on the new AQA English Language specifications, this unit is designed to take you and your students through preparatory classes and skills that will allow them to be successful on Section B (description/narrative prompt) of the English Language exam, Paper 1. This resource will be best-used with a middle or top-set class, but can be easily adapted. Using the theme of "Worlds Unlike Our Own," the classes engage with the fantasy genre and practice skills that include the following: - developing and using genre-specific vocabulary - creating and evaluating catchy openings - exploring and successfully using a variety of sentences - being able to use all aspects of a picture prompt to creatively write (while invoking the 5 senses) - understanding how to use a variety of punctuation for effect - practicing use of literary devices in creative tasks - peer and self-evaluation - evaluating creative writing, especially while using the specimen mark scheme All of these skills lead to the finale - writing an assessment in the fashion of English Language, Paper 1: Section B. A complete, comprehensive PowerPoint of 115 slides is included and refers to the following handouts/resources, which are also within this package (PDF and Word doc versions): - a student-friendly mark scheme (condensed, simplified) - sentence variety worksheet (student and teacher copy) - stations activity cut-outs - first sentences activity cut-outs - extract for evaluation - genre-specific spelling list An introductory guide on how to use this resource is also included. Note: students should have a basis of literary devices prior to beginning this unit. While this will be worked on, they should have a basic understanding of what similes, metaphors, etc. are, and how to identify them. As well, this unit is created with a paper-saving initiative in mind, so the majority of the activities and tasks are slide-based so we can all save a few trees!

Given the new GCSE specifications, this unit is designed to tap into 19th century literature; specifically, by E.A. Poe. Made with a backwards design approach, the continuous PowerPoint begins with the intended outcome, and leads students through various lessons that will prepare them for success on the final assessment. All handouts and activities have been included, and focus on: context and Poe's strange life, the use and importance of foreshadowing as a technique, the effect of punctuation, story-specific vocabulary, and structuring an essay response using multiple PEE paragraphs.