I am an experienced English teacher and Literacy Coordinator. All of my resources are organised, engaging, ready to teach and designed to save you - the teacher - your valuable time!
Please have a look at all of my resources - at least 20% of which are free.
I am an experienced English teacher and Literacy Coordinator. All of my resources are organised, engaging, ready to teach and designed to save you - the teacher - your valuable time!
Please have a look at all of my resources - at least 20% of which are free.
A detailed knowledge organiser to support students in taking CIE 0500 First Language English language paper 1.
It includes the following:
Key terms defined for reading skills (skimming, scanning, PAFT etc).
An overview and suggested exam technique for questions 1, 2 and 3 adapted directly from the mark scheme.
The resource is included as a pdf for easy printing and as a ppt in case you would prefer to edit it.
This is suitable for any IGCSE students. It is an excellent resource to be used for setting homework, quizzing in classes or as a support mat.
Freebies:
A free lesson giving an overview of CIE 0500 Language Paper One here.
A free lesson giving an overview of CIE 0500 Language Paper Two here.
Free marking templates for CIE 0500 here.
If you find this lesson helpful, have a look at my CIE 0500 Language Paper 1 bundle here or the Language Paper 2 bundle here. If you’re interested in both, there is a combined bundle here which is cheaper than buying them separately.
Please leave a review as I value all the feedback I receive, and have a look at other resources available in my shop. **
Detailed character profiles for five of the main characters in Macbeth: Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, Banquo, King Duncan and the three witches.
These profiles contain a description of each character and some of their important quotes.
They could be used for revision or for learning about the characters before reading the play.
To purchase the accompanying lesson with the profiles included, please click here.
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12 engaging and fully-resourced lessons which support students studying ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time’ play by Mark Haddon, adapted by Simon Stephens. This is targeted towards students taking the Edexcel English Literature IGCSE 4ET1, but the resources could be easily adapted for key stage 3 or for another exam board.
This bundle contains:
A lesson on autism and the Edexcel Pearson assessment objectives.
A lesson considering structure and how Christopher is presented at the start of the play.
A lesson on the train station scene and how the writer creates empathy for Christopher.
A lesson on the theme of truth and lies.
A lesson on humour and dramatic irony.
A lesson on how Judy is presented.
A lesson on Judy’s letters.
A lesson on how Judy changes throughout the play.
A lesson on the relationship between Ed and Christopher.
A lesson on the theme of curiosity and investigation.
A lesson on how Siobhan is presented.
A lesson on how to approach the IGCSE exam for Curious Incident.
A detailed knowledge organiser including key vocabulary and themes (2 A3 pages)
An overview scheme of work document with a suggested order for teaching these lessons.
A poster displaying the Assessment Objectives for this IGCSE course.
If you find these resources helpful, please leave a review and have a look at other resources available in my shop.
Fully resourced and ready-to-teach 1 hour lesson which introduces students to poetry analysis of the poem ‘The Lesson’ by Roger McGough.
This lesson is aimed at KS3 and would be suitable for an introduction to poetry unit - but it could easily be adapted to younger or older students. Students will need to know what personification, similes, alliteration and repetition are already.
This lesson includes:
Differentiated learning outcomes
Copies of the poem with a glossary (in both word and pdf formats - for editing or printing).
A scaffold to prompt students to consider the effect of poetic techniques (in word and pdf).
An answer key for teachers to facilitate class discussion.
Structured peer assessment.
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Engaging and ready to teach one hour lesson to cover chapter five of ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ by John Boyne. This lesson teaches students the difference between direct and indirect characterisation (with an exercise to practise writing their own examples). It then prompts them to consider the characterisation of Father. Students then write a personal response to an emotional extract from the text in which Father expresses his opinion on the Jewish people in Auschwitz.
Learning Objective: Write a personal response explaining how I feel about an extract.
Learning Outcomes:
Bronze: Describe how you feel about an extract.
Silver: Explain the reasons for your feelings.
Gold: Ask questions and make links between what you know from the text and your other background knowledge.
Lesson Overview:
Do It Now: True or false questions about the Holocaust
Starter: Indirect vs direct characterisation – explanation and whole-class activity.
Activity 1: Popcorn reading and class discussion of how Father is characterised.
Activity 2: Write a personal response to an extract from the text.
Plenary: Think-pair-share: how did this extract make you feel? What do you think the author wants us to feel?
Freebies:
Two pre-reading lessons to introduce students to the context of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is available for free here.
A lesson on chapter 1 of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is available for free here.
A scheme of work for teaching the entire novel is available for free here.
If you find this lesson useful, please consider purchasing this ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ Bundle or have a look at other resources available in my shop. .
Leave a review and choose any other resource of up to the same value for free from my shop.
Engaging and ready to teach one hour lesson to cover chapter thirteen of ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ by John Boyne. This lesson requires students to consider how John Boyne creates tension in the dinner party scene and to compare how this is shown in the book and the movie. Students will then devise their own drama scene to put into practice tension-building devices.
Learning Objective: Analyse how writers and directors create tension.
Learning Outcomes:
Bronze: Understand which techniques can be used by writers and directors to create tension.
Silver: Explain clearly how these techniques create tension.
Gold: Use some of these techniques yourself to construct a dramatic performance.
Lesson Outline:
Do It Now: How might a movie director create tension?
Starter: Reading focus – how does John Boyne create tension?
Activity 1: Students complete an analysis table based on quotes from this chapter with teacher support.
Activity 2: How is tension created in the film?
Activity 3: Devising their own scene in groups and performing.
Plenary: What do you think happened to Pavel? What do you think will be the consequences for Lieutenant Kotler?
Freebies:
Two pre-reading lessons to introduce students to the context of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is available for free here.
A lesson on chapter 1 of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is available for free here.
A scheme of work for teaching the entire novel is available for free here.
If you find this lesson useful, please consider purchasing this ���The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ Bundle or have a look at other resources available in my shop. .
Leave a review and choose any other resource of up to the same value for free from my shop.
Engaging and ready to teach one hour lesson to cover chapter four of ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ by John Boyne. This lesson begins with a reminder of key words and techniques in the book so far. It moves onto a silent debate about statements about the Holocaust - I have used this activity a number of times and it creates a very powerful atmosphere in the classroom.
Students are then guided towards independently analysing an extract with guiding questions provided.
Learning Objective: Independently analyse an extract from the text.
Learning Outcomes:
Bronze: Independently identify literary techniques in the novel.
Silver: Explain in detail the effect on the reader.
Gold: Consider how there might be different interpretations of the novel.
Lesson Outline:
Do It Now: Key words reminder - match the word to the definition
Starter: Silent debate and gallery
Activity 1: Class reading
Activity 2: Independent analysis
Discuss students’ answers as a class
Plenary: What do you predict will happen next?
Freebies:
Two pre-reading lessons to introduce students to the context of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is available for free here.
A lesson on chapter 1 of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is available for free here.
A scheme of work for teaching the entire novel is available for free here.
If you find this lesson useful, please consider purchasing this ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ Bundle or have a look at other resources available in my shop. .
Leave a review and choose any other resource of up to the same value for free from my shop.
A full paper 1 for CIE 0500 IGCSE English Language. This resource includes a full practice paper for Language paper 1 with three texts, answers/marking guide and references.
All the questions and answer scheme have been based on the Cambridge IGCSE First Language English 0500 syllabus and the questions have been worded so that they are similar/identical to the specification paper.
The resource is included as a pdf for easy printing or as a word doc in case you wish to edit it.
This has been updated according to the 2024 change of specification.
Freebies:
A free lesson giving an overview of CIE 0500 Language Paper One here.
A free lesson giving an overview of CIE 0500 Language Paper Two here.
Free marking templates for CIE 0500 here.
If you find this lesson helpful, have a look at my CIE 0500 Language Paper 1 bundle here or the Language Paper 2 bundle here. If you’re interested in both, there is a combined bundle here which is cheaper than buying them separately.
Please leave a review as I value all the feedback I receive, and have a look at other resources available in my shop. **
A fully-resourced one hour lesson to support students in exploring different interpretations of Shylock through the analysis of his “Hath not a Jew†monologue.
Learning Objective: Consider different interpretations of Shylock in Act 3 Scene 1.
Learning Outcomes:
Students will use a worksheet to independently analyse Shylock’s speech to find language devices and consider their effect.
Students will consider the multiple ways that Shylock’s character can be interpreted in this scene.
Lesson Outline:
Do it now: Students complete questions individually on definitions of tension and suspense.
Starter: Summary of Act 3 Scene 1 followed by reading of Shylock’s speech.
Activity one: Students individually analyse the scene using the worksheet followed by class discussion and suggested answers.
Activity two: Watch different interpretations of Shylock’s monologue followed by discussion of what different emotions they portray.
Plenary: Students perform excerpts of the speech applying different emotions to it each time.
More Resources for The Merchant of Venice
Click here for a bundle of all the lessons to take you through the play plus a quiz, knowledge organiser and character revision posters.
Freebies:
For character revision posters for your classroom, click here.
For an English/Drama lesson based on Portia’s choice in Act 1 Scene 2, click here.
For a Scheme of Work overview for the unit, click here.
Leave a review and choose any other resource for free from the LikeAnExpert shop.
This comprehensive one-hour lesson is perfect for exploring the Banquo’s Ghost scene in Act 3, Scene 4 of Macbeth. Students will focus on key quotes and engage in close language analysis of this pivotal scene, making it ideal for Key Stage 3 and 4 learners. The lesson includes:
Abridged version of the scene for easier understanding.
Comprehension questions and group tasks to ‘explode’ quotes for detailed analysis.
Learning Objective: Analyse Key Quotes in Banquo’s Ghost Scene.
Learning Outcomes:
Students will read and understand Act 3 Scene 3 and an abridged version of Act 3 Scene 4.
Students will independently complete comprehension questions on Act 3 Scene 4 and share their ideas in a class discussion.
Students will practise close analysis of language by ‘exploding’ key quotes from the scene.
Lesson Outline:
Do it now: Think – Pair – Share recall questions from previous scenes.
Starter: Reading and discussion of Act 3 Scene 2.
Activity One: Students perform Act 3 Scene 4.
Activity Two: Students work in groups to ‘explode’ quotes from the scene and then carousel around to add to each other’s ideas. Then a discussion as a class.
Plenary: Students vote on the question - Was Banquo’s Ghost a ‘real’ ghost that only Macbeth could see? Or was it just a hallucination showing how Macbeth’s mind is deteriorating?
Why Choose This Resource?
Designed for Confidence-Building: Helps students feel secure in their analysis of complex texts.
Ready to Use: Download and start teaching immediately with no prep required.
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Two fully resourced and ready-to-teach one-hour lessons which introduce students to the skills of annotating a poem and then writing an analytical PEE paragraph about it. These lessons are designed so that they can be downloaded and taught immediately and all printing instructions are included. The poem used is ‘I am Offering this Poem’ by Jimmy Santiago Baca.
This lesson is aimed at KS3 and would be suitable for an introduction to poetry unit - but it could easily be adapted to younger or older students. Students will need to know what personification, similes, alliteration and repetition are already.
These lessons include:
A 22-slide Powerpoint
Differentiated learning outcomes
Copies of the poem with a glossary (in both word and pdf formats - for editing or printing).
Explanation of annotation
A model PEE paragraph
Structured peer assessment
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Ready-to-teach and easily adaptable 1 hour lesson on complex sentences. This lesson teaches students how to write complex sentences and how to move the dependent clause to different parts of the sentence accurately.
This lesson was designed for key stage 3, but could easily be adapted for key stage 2 or key stage 4 depending on the ability!
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This Valentine’s Day English Lesson is aimed at key stage 3 and key stage 4. In the lesson, students will learn about the history of Valentine’s Day, consider Shakespeare’s sonnets and iambic pentameter, and then write their own Shakespearean sonnet.
Learning Questions:
What are the origins of Valentine’s Day?
How did Shakespeare write about love using the sonnet form?
How can I write my own sonnet (love poem)?
This works really well as a one-off English lesson to celebrate Valentine’s Day, whilst also keeping students focused on English-specific skills and knowledge.
Lesson Overview:
Do It Now: What would be the worst ever Valentine’s day gift someone could get?
Starter: Brief history of Valentine’s Day followed by think-pair-share and discussion.
Main task 1: Explanation of Shakespearean sonnet followed by students reading out lines of iambic pentameter.
Main task 2: Students look at an example sonnet and then write their own sonnet.
Share and celebrate student sonnets.
Plenary: Students choose five words to summarise what they’ve learned about the origins of Valentine’s Day.
I really hope you and your students enjoy this! Leave a review and choose any other resource, of up to the same value, for free from the LikeAnExpert shop.
Engaging and ready to teach one hour lesson to cover chapter seven of ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ by John Boyne. This lesson helps students to consider the changing identity of Pavel. Students are prompted to think about how Pavel is directly and indirectly characterised and then write a diary entry from Pavel’s perspective. Students will need to synthesise information for this task - adapting what they know from the text to their diary format. This lesson also promotes empathy by supporting students to think from Pavel’s perspective.
Learning Objective: Write a personal response in character as Pavel.
Learning Outcomes:
Bronze: Write a diary entry as Pavel reflecting upon your life before and your life now.
Silver: Explain clearly how your identity has changed.
Gold: Creatively describe details from your life before ‘Out-With’
Lesson Overview:
Do It Now: Students infer what they can work out about the man in the picture? Introduce the idea of appearances being deceptive.
Starter: Read chapter 7 and create a mind-map about Pavel
Activity 1: Think-pair-share discussion about a quote which shows Pavel’s changing identity.
Activity 2: Students write diary entry (example sentence starters given).
Peer assessment
Plenary: Read and discuss diary entries
Freebies:
Two pre-reading lessons to introduce students to the context of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is available for free here.
A lesson on chapter 1 of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is available for free here.
A scheme of work for teaching the entire novel is available for free here.
If you find this lesson useful, please consider purchasing this ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ Bundle or have a look at other resources available in my shop. .
Leave a review and choose any other resource of up to the same value for free from my shop.
An engaging and detailed quiz style Powerpoint containing 40 questions and answers that covers poetic forms and techniques as well as famous poets and lines of poetry. The questions are split into four rounds - each containing 10 questions. This resource would be ideal for use at the beginning or end of a poetry unit for key stage 3 or 4.
This could be used as one whole lesson, or as a detailed starter across multiple lessons.
29 slides in total.
Leave a review and choose any other resource for free from the <a href="/teaching-resources/shop/LikeAnExpert ">LikeAnExpert</a> shop.
Fully resourced and ready-to-teach 1 hour lesson which pushes students to be more creative with writing similes and metaphors.
This lesson is aimed at KS3 and would be suitable for an introduction to poetry unit - but it could easily be adapted to younger or older students. It is best suited to students who already know what similes and metaphors are but need to learn to experiment creatively with them for effect.
This lesson includes:
Full explanantion of similes and metaphors
Differentiated learning outcomes
Practice activities to write exciting similes and metaphors (with modelled examples)
A chance for students to apply their knowledge by analysing the figurative language in ‘Dreams’ by Langston Hughes
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This bundle will take you through the entire play of The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare. This is aimed at high-ability key stage 3, but it could be easily adapted for key stage 4. It contains a range of tasks that have been modelled on GCSE literature tasks.
The bundle contains:
* A detailed knowledge organiser containing key quotes, facts about Shakespeare and a character summary
* Detailed character profiles of the five main characters: Antonio, Bassanio, Shylock, Jessica and Portia.
* Character revision poster/study cards.
* 15 engaging and ready to teach lessons
Lessons:
1) A 40 question Shakespeare quiz
2) A lesson introducing the characters and themes of the play
3) A lesson introducing act 1 scene 1 of the play focusing on the relationship between Antonio and Bassanio.
4) A lesson exploring act 1 scene 2 (Portia's choice)
5) A lesson exploring anti-Semitism and Shylock's portrayal in act 1 scene 3.
6) A lesson exploring Jessica's character in act 2.
7) A lesson exploring the casket test in act 2 scene 7.
8) A lesson exploring to what extent Shakespeare was anti-Semitic focusing on act 2 scene 8
9) A lesson considering how the Prince of Arragon is presented in act 2 scene 9.
10) A lesson considering Shylock's "Hath not a Jew" speech in act 3 scene 1
11) A lesson considering how dramatic irony is used in Act 3 Scene 2 in which Bassanio chooses the lead casket.
12) A lesson to support students in independently interpreting Shakespeare using Act 3 Scenes 3-5
13) A lesson on the courtroom scene in Act 4 whereby students consider to what extent they feel sympathy for Shylock.
14) A lesson on the ending of the play where students reflect on the play as a whole.
15) A 35 question quiz with answers on the entire play.
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Engaging and ready to teach one hour lesson to cover chapter nine of ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ by John Boyne. This lesson helps students to consider how the Nazis used propaganda in education to influence the population - and apply this to the character of Herr Liszt. Students then consider which subject they would add to the curriculum and propose their reasons in detail.
Learning Objective: Analyse how school curriculums were used as propaganda during the Holocaust.
Learning Outcomes:
Bronze: Add a new subject to the curriculum and explain why in detail.
Silver: Use persuasive techniques to convince your classmates.
Gold: Predict the long-term effect of adding your subject to the curriculum.
Lesson Outline:
Do It Now: Look at anti-Semitic propaganda. How would people have reacted to it?
Starter: Introduction to education in Nazi Germany
Activity 1: Read chapter 9 and pay attention to how Herr Liszt is introduced.
Activity 2: Design a new curriculum – students make a poster to propose that a new subject be added to the curriculum and give supporting reasons.
Student carousel and feedback
Plenary: What would the long term effect be of adding your subject to the school curriculum? In 5 years, 20 years, 100 years?
Freebies:
Two pre-reading lessons to introduce students to the context of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is available for free here.
A lesson on chapter 1 of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is available for free here.
A scheme of work for teaching the entire novel is available for free here.
If you find this lesson useful, please consider purchasing this ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ Bundle or have a look at other resources available in my shop. .
Leave a review and choose any other resource of up to the same value for free from my shop.
A detailed knowledge organiser to support students studying ‘The Merchant of Venice’ by William Shakespeare.
It includes the following:
A brief section on William Shakespeare
Key quotes
Overview of all the important characters
Important literary terms for studying the play
Key terminology used
This is suitable for any age group studying the play. It is an excellent resource to be used for setting homework, quizzing in classes or as a support mat.
If you find this helpful, have a look at my other resources for The Merchant of Venice:
1) A BUNDLE of lessons plus extras (knowledge organiser and revision posters) which can be bought for a big saving.
2) A 40 Question Shakespeare Quiz
3) Introduction to Characters and Themes in The Merchant of Venice
4) Act 1 Scene 1 (Antonio and Bassanio)
5) Portia’s Choice in Act 1 Scene 2 (FREE)
6) Shakespeare’s Portrayal of Shylock in Act 1 Scene 3
7) Jessica’s Character in Act 2 Scenes 1-3
8) The Casket Test in Act 2 Scene 7
9) Shylock’s Portrayal in Act 2 Scene 8
10) Prince Arragon in Act 2 Scene 9
11) Interpretations of Shylock in Act 3 Scene 1
12) Dramatic Irony in the Casket Scene in Act 3 Scene 2
13) Independently Interpreting Shakespeare Using Act 3 Scenes 3-5
14) Act 4: The Courtroom Scene
15) Evaluate the Ending of the Play in Act 5
Freebies:
For character revision posters for your classroom, click here.
For an English/Drama lesson based on Portia’s choice in Act 1 Scene 2, click here.
For a Scheme of Work overview for the unit, click here.
Leave a review and choose any other resource for free from the <a href="/teaching-resources/shop/LikeAnExpert ">LikeAnExpert</a> shop.
A fully-resourced one hour lesson to support students in exploring the question of ‘how is Prince Arragon presented in The Merchant of Venice?’ Students will be guided through a class discussion of the scene and then will complete a slow writing PETER paragraph on Prince Arragon.
Learning Objective: Write an analytical paragraph about how the Prince of Arragon is presented in Act 2 Scene 9.
Learning Outcomes:
Students will consider the morphology of the word ‘analysis’.
-Students will unpick the meaning of Act 2 Scene 8 with teacher support.
-Students will be guided through how to write a PETER analytical paragraph.
Students will write predictions about what will come next in the play.
Lesson Outline:
Do it now: Recall questions about the first casket in act 2 scene 7
Starter: Think – pair – share about the meaning of the word ‘analysis’ followed by morphological explanation of the word.
Activity one: Class discussion and reading of Act 2 Scene 9 to support students in unpicking the meaning of the text.
Activity two: Slow writing of PETER paragraph to answer the question of ‘how is the Prince of Arragon portrayed?’
Peer Assessment
Plenary: Based on selected points, students write a prediction for what will happen next in the play.
More Resources for The Merchant of Venice
Click here for a bundle of all the lessons to take you through the play plus a quiz, knowledge organiser and character revision posters.
Freebies:
For character revision posters for your classroom, click here.
For an English/Drama lesson based on Portia’s choice in Act 1 Scene 2, click here.
For a Scheme of Work overview for the unit, click here.
Leave a review and choose any other resource for free from the LikeAnExpert shop.
