English teacher for upper schools with a passion for literature. My resources eschew flashy, clip-art-infested layouts for clean, focused, and advanced worksheets and activities for students and teachers.
English teacher for upper schools with a passion for literature. My resources eschew flashy, clip-art-infested layouts for clean, focused, and advanced worksheets and activities for students and teachers.
This comprehensive bundle includes ready-to-teach NO PREP worksheets, teaching activities, revision guides, and sample exam questions for all 15 poems that need to be taught and included in the preparation for the CIE IGCSE English Literature Exams in 2025-2027. Specifically:
From Songs of Ourselves Volume 2, Part 3, the following 15 poems:
Nancy Fotheringham Cato, ‘The Road’
Sarah Jackson, ‘The Instant of My Death’
Arun Kolatkar, ‘The Bus’
Julius Chingono, ‘At the Bus Station’
Imtiaz Dharker, ‘These are the Times We Live in’
Elizabeth Jennings, ‘The Enemies’
Sampurna Chattarji, ‘Boxes’
W H Auden, ‘The Capital’
Arthur Yap, ‘an afternoon nap’
Elizabeth Smither, ‘Plaits’
Elizabeth Daryush, ‘Children of Wealth’
Thomas Love Peacock, ‘Rich and Poor or, Saint and Sinner’
Musaemura Zimunya, ‘A Long Journey’
Stevie Smith, ‘Touch and Go’
George Szirtes, ‘Song’
Each unit includes the following:
Biography and introduction to the poet
Context of Composition, including contextual information, or explanation of additional, relevant terminology, literary concepts, movements, philosophies, etc., where necessary or appropriate.
Pre-reading activity and after-reading activities to introduce the poem and unit, and/or to review key poetic devices and figurative language relevant to the poem.
The poem text with, line numbers and explanatory notes to facilitate a close-reading, and to explain unusual or difficult vocabulary and concepts. Illustrations and images further help clarify the use of terminology and phrases in the specific context of the poem.
Comprehension, Close-Reading and Analysis Questions that allow your students to analyse the poem more closely and dig deeper.
Additional essay questions (often from past IGCSE papers) and writing tasks to facilitate exam preparation. These questions can also be used for mock exams.
Teacher’s Guide and Answers for all activities.
Perfect for Distance Learning & Independent Study: As a stand-alone, comprehensive teaching unit with answers and a teaching guide, this is also perfect for distance learning, homeschool or independent study and revision!
Happy teaching and revising! Please leave feedback!
This no-prep unit of work is designed to enable an in-depth teaching and preparation of the poem “Song: Love Armed” by Aphra Behn. The poem is also on the IGCSE English Literature curriculum for exams in 2025-2027.
The unit includes:
1) Short biography and introduction to the poet
2) The poem text with line numbers to facilitate a close-reading, including historical context and explanatory notes where necessary.
3) Pre-Reading Activities and Post-Reading Activities (to facilitate teaching the poem & exam prep in class). I’ve focused on Behn’s use of extended metaphor and personification, particularly relevant to “Love Armed”.
**4) Comprehension, Close-reading & Analysis **questions, with a particular focus on poetic devices and the IGCSE English Literature exam criteria.
5) Essay questions to facilitate IGCSE exam practice, modeled after the IGCSE English Literature Assessment Criteria (AO1-AO4)
6) In-depth, detailed model answers for all activities, questions, as well as model answers for the practice exam questions, again based on IGCSE Exam Rubric (A01-AO4).
**Happy reading, teaching, studying, and revising!
Please leave feedback!**
This comprehensive bundle includes ready-to-teach NO PREP worksheets, teaching activities, revision guides, and sample exam questions for all 15 poems that need to be taught and included in the preparation for the CIE IGCSE English Literature Exams in 2026-2028. Specifically:
From Songs of Ourselves Volume 1, the following 15 poems:
Aphra Behn, ‘Song: Love Armed’
Sujata Bhatt, ‘A Different History’
William Blake, ‘The Chimney-Sweeper’
Elizabeth Brewster, ‘Where I Come From’
Boey Kim Cheng, ‘Report to Wordsworth’
Gillian Clarke, ‘Lament’
Kevin Halligan, ‘The Cockroach’
Seamus Heaney, ‘Follower’
Liz Lochhead, ‘Storyteller’
Charles Mungoshi, ‘Before the Sun’
Katherine Philips, ‘A Married State’
Alexander Pope, From ‘An Essay on Man’
Carol Rumens, ‘Carpet-weavers, Morocco’
William Shakespeare, ‘Sonnet 18’
Judith Wright, ‘Hunting Snake’
Each unit includes the following:
1) Biography and introduction to the poet
2) Context of Composition, including contextual information, or explanation of additional, relevant terminology, literary concepts, movements, philosophies, etc., where necessary or appropriate.
3) Pre-Reading activity and After-Reading activities to introduce the poem and unit, and/or to review key poetic devices and figurative language relevant to the poem. There is a range of activities to choose from that you can mix and match based on your students’ needs or your planning.
4) The poem text with, line numbers and explanatory notes to facilitate a close-reading, and to explain unusual or difficult vocabulary and concepts. Illustrations and images further help clarify the use of terminology and phrases in the specific context of the poem.
***5) Close-Reading and Analysis Question***s that allow your students to analyse the poem more closely and dig deeper.
6) Additional essay questions (often from past IGCSE papers) and writing tasks to facilitate exam preparation. These questions can also be used for mock exams.
7) Teacher’s Guide and Answers for all activities.
8) Perfect for Distance Learning & Independent Study: As a stand-alone, comprehensive teaching unit with answers and a teaching guide, this is also perfect for distance learning, homeschool or independent study and revision!
BONUS! This bundle also includes the following materials designed to complement teaching and revising for the IGCSE English Literature Exams in 2026-2028:
*Roadmap and Scheme of Work for IGCSE Vol. 2, Part 3 Poetry for Exams in 2025-2027
Figurative Language Flashcards
Creative Writing Activity: Free Verse
Creative Writing Activity: Sonnet
Comparative Analysis Activity
Analysing Poetry - SIFT Method Activity
Shakespeare’s Language - An Extensive Introduction
Poetry Appreciation Week - A Selection of Favourites*
Happy teaching and revising! Please leave feedback!
This bundle contains a complete set of IGCSE mock exam questions and model answers for all 15 poems of the IGCSE English Literature syllabus 2025-2027. Specifically, there is a mock exam for each of the following poems:
From Songs of Ourselves Volume 2, Part 3, the following 15 poems:
Nancy Fotheringham Cato, ‘The Road’
Sarah Jackson, ‘The Instant of My Death’
Arun Kolatkar, ‘The Bus’
Julius Chingono, ‘At the Bus Station’
Imtiaz Dharker, ‘These are the Times We Live in’
Elizabeth Jennings, ‘The Enemies’
Sampurna Chattarji, ‘Boxes’
W H Auden, ‘The Capital’
Arthur Yap, ‘an afternoon nap’
Elizabeth Smither, ‘Plaits’
Elizabeth Daryush, ‘Children of Wealth’
Thomas Love Peacock, ‘Rich and Poor or, Saint and Sinner’
Musaemura Zimunya, ‘A Long Journey’
Stevie Smith, ‘Touch and Go’
George Szirtes, ‘Song’
For each poem I’ve included:
1. Exam Quesion Paper (modelled after IGCSE English Literature Paper 1 exam. Where possible, I’ve used past paper questions!)
2. Essay Model Answer (as a teacher’s guide and as a guide for marking student responses in a mock exam (or other) setting.
I’ve taken great care to include high quality, authentic model answers that can be used as a way to revise and prepare for the exam independently, too!
***Happy teaching, marking, and revising!
Please leave feedback!*
This no-prep unit of work is designed to enable an in-depth teaching and preparation of the poem “Touch and Go” by Stevie Smith. The poem is also on the IGCSE English Literature curriculum for exams in 2025-2027.
The unit includes:
1) Short biography and introduction to the poet
2) The poem text with line numbers to facilitate a close-reading, and explanatory notes where necessary.
3) Pre-Reading Activities (to facilitate teaching the poem & exam prep in class). I’ve focused on allegory in literature and poetry as this concept is central to understanding “Touch and Go” by Stevie Smith.
4) Comprehension, Close-reading & Analysis questions, with a particular focus on poetic devices and the IGCSE English Literature exam criteria.
5) Essay questions to facilitate IGCSE exam practice, modeled after the IGCSE English Literature Assessment Criteria (AO1-AO4). I’ve also included an essay question for comparative analysis.
6) In-depth, detailed model answers for all activities, questions, as well as model answers for the practice exam questions, again based on IGCSE Exam Rubric (A01-AO4).
**Happy reading, teaching, studying, and revising!
Please leave feedback!**
This unit of work focuses on Chapter 1 of Chinua Achebe’s iconic novel Things Fall Apart.
As a comprehensive unit for Chapter 1, it includes the following:
1. Comprehension, Close Reading & Discussion Questions for Chapter 1 of the novel.
2. Identify the Quote Quiz - this activity provides an alternative, quicker, and potentially more fun way to check reading and comprehension of Chapter 1 of the novel - with quotes that students have to recognize and contextualize.
3. Analyzing Character: Unoka vs. Okonkwo - This activity provides a scaffolded, guided opportunity to compare and contrast Unoka and Okonkwo as presented in Chapter 1. The activity also introduces the concept of foil characters in literature.
4. English or Igbo? - The Languages of Things Fall Apart - this activity provides insight and discussion prompts to look at Achebe’s language and style choices for the novel. The provided discussion questions facilitate a closer look at the purpose and effect of Achebe’s simple syntax, short sentences, and infusion of the novel with Igbo proverbs and vocabulary. This is activity is certainly the most advanced of the range of activities provided.
5. Teacher’s Guide + Answer Key - this provides a detailed answer key for all the activities as well as a teacher’s guide for Chapter 1 of the novel - including a character analysis of Unoka and a summary and analysis of Chapter 1. This is designed for teachers who are new to the novel, or veterans who wish to gain fresh insights, as well as for students working independently in a home-schooling setting or in a distance learning environment.
I hope you find everything you were looking for here.
Feedback is greatly appreciated!
This no-prep bundle of activities is designed to enable the in-depth teaching and preparation of the poem “Carpet-weavers, Morocco” by Carol Rumens. The poem is also on the IGCSE English Literature curriculum for exams in 2026-2028.
The unit includes:
1) Short biography and introduction to the poet
2) The poem text with line numbers to facilitate a close-reading, including historical context and explanatory notes where necessary.
3) Pre-Teaching Activities & Follow-Up Activities to facilitate teaching the poem & exam prep in class. I’ve focused on different stanzaic forms as well as visualising the poem, activities that are particularly relevant to Rumens’ poem.
4) Close-reading & Analysis Questions, with a particular focus on poetic devices and the IGCSE English Literature exam criteria.
5) Essay questions to facilitate IGCSE exam practice, modeled after the IGCSE English Literature Assessment Criteria (AO1-AO4). These can be used as a mock exam with your students.
6) In-depth, detailed model answers for all activities, questions, as well as model answers for the practice exam questions, again based on IGCSE Exam Rubric (A01-AO4).
**Happy reading, teaching, studying, and revising!
Please leave feedback!**
This no-prep unit of work is designed to enable an in-depth teaching and preparation of the poem "The Cockroach. The poem is also on the IGCSE English Literature curriculum for exams in 2026-2028.
The unit includes:
1) Short biography and introduction to the poet
2) The poem text with line numbers to facilitate a close-reading, including historical context and explanatory notes where necessary.
3) Pre-Reading Activities to facilitate teaching the poem & exam prep in class. I’ve focused on animal symbolism in literature and poetry.
4) Comprehension, Close-reading & Analysis questions, with a particular focus on poetic devices and the IGCSE English Literature exam criteria.
5) Essay questions to facilitate IGCSE exam practice, modeled after the IGCSE English Literature Assessment Criteria (AO1-AO4)
6) In-depth, detailed model answers for all activities, questions, as well as model answers for the practice exam questions, again based on IGCSE Exam Rubric (A01-AO4).
**Happy reading, teaching, studying, and revising!
Please leave feedback!**
This comprehensive bundle includes all my worksheets, activities and teaching resources for the play “A Doll’s House” by Henrik Ibsen.
The bundle includes the following range of activities (and more!):
1. Comprehension Check & Quick Quiz: Various quick quiz activities offer an engaging, scaffolded comprehension check of key scenes or parts of the play (Act 1-3). The activities are also designed to segway into the main learning objectives of each follow-up activity or the main focus of the unit.
2. Close Reading and Analysis Activities: The bundle includes a range of close reading & analysis activities that cover various important aspects of the play including:
symbolism
motifs
themes
characterisation
language & style
feminist criticism and gender*
3. Making Connections / Historical Context: Included is a range of informative texts, activities, etc. that allow students to engage with the context(s) of the play as well as to make connections to key issues and aspects of Ibsen’s life and times.
4. Exam Preparation & Revision Activities: With the requirements of the IGCSE / IB and also the A-Level exams in mind, these activities are specifically designed to teach and allow students to practice key skills required to succeed in said exams. Included is a range of suitable assessments and mock-exam-style questions, also suitable for independent study and revision.
5. Teacher’s Guide + ANSWER KEY: I’ve included detailed model answers and responses to all of the activities as well as a teacher’s guide with learning objectives and recommendations for teaching each unit.
6. BUNDLE BONUS: Roadmap for Teaching / Scheme of Work: As a bundle-only bonus, I’ve included a scheme of work or roadmap for teaching the play using the resources included. The roadmap provides a chronology for reading the play in class as well as the learning objectives and the suitable assessment activities along the way.
This comprehensive bundle aims to include everything needed to teach this challenging but rewarding literary classic.
***Feedback is always welcome!
Happy teaching!***
This no-prep bundle of activities is designed to enable the in-depth teaching and preparation of the poem “Hunting Snake” by Judith Wright. The poem is also on the IGCSE English Literature curriculum for exams in 2026-2028.
The unit includes:
1) Short biography and introduction to the poet
2) The poem text with line numbers to facilitate a close-reading, including historical context and explanatory notes where necessary.
3) Pre-Teaching Activities: to facilitate teaching the poem & exam prep in class. I’ve focused on introductory activities of figurative and poetic devices.
4) After Reading Activities: a range of activities ideal as follow-up to reading the poem in class. Topics covered include: sensory imagery in the poem, visualisation and comprehension of the poem.
5) Close-reading & Analysis Questions, with a particular focus on poetic devices and the IGCSE English Literature exam criteria.
6) Exam Practice Questions, modeled after the IGCSE English Literature Assessment Criteria (AO1-AO4). These can be used as a mock exam with your students.
7) In-depth, detailed model answers for all activities, questions, as well as model answers for the practice exam questions, again based on IGCSE Exam Rubric (A01-AO4).
*Happy reading, teaching, studying, and revising!
Please leave feedback!***
This no-prep bundle of activities is designed to enable the in-depth teaching and preparation of the poem From “An Essay on Man” by Alexander Pope. The poem is also on the IGCSE English Literature curriculum for exams in 2026-2028.
The unit includes:
1) Short biography and introduction to the poet
2) The poem text with line numbers to facilitate a close-reading, including historical context and explanatory notes where necessary.
3) Pre-Teaching Activities & Follow-Up Activities to facilitate teaching the poem & exam prep in class. I’ve focused on Alexander Pope’s aphorisms and on his use of antithesis and oxymoron in the poem.
4) Close-reading & Analysis Questions, with a particular focus on poetic devices and the IGCSE English Literature exam criteria.
5) Exam Practice Questions, modeled after the IGCSE English Literature Assessment Criteria (AO1-AO4). These can be used as a mock exam with your students.
6) In-depth, detailed model answers for all activities, questions, as well as model answers for the practice exam questions, again based on IGCSE Exam Rubric (A01-AO4).
**Happy reading, teaching, studying, and revising!
Please leave feedback!**
This no-prep unit of work is designed to enable an in-depth teaching and preparation of the poem “Storyteller” by Liz Lochhead. The poem is also on the IGCSE English Literature curriculum for exams in 2026-2028.
The unit includes:
1) Short biography and introduction to the poet
2) The poem text with line numbers to facilitate a close-reading, including historical context and explanatory notes where necessary.
3) Pre-Reading Activities to facilitate teaching the poem & exam prep in class. I’ve focused on the tradition of oral storytelling and poetry.
4) Comprehension, Close-reading & Analysis questions, with a particular focus on poetic devices and the IGCSE English Literature exam criteria.
5) Essay questions to facilitate IGCSE exam practice, modeled after the IGCSE English Literature Assessment Criteria (AO1-AO4)
6) In-depth, detailed model answers for all activities, questions, as well as model answers for the practice exam questions, again based on IGCSE Exam Rubric (A01-AO4).
**Happy reading, teaching, studying, and revising!
Please leave feedback!**
The FREE BUNDLE includes the following selection of materials that will complement teaching and revising for the IGCSE English Literature Exams in 2026-2028, with a particular focus on poetry from Vol. 1:
Roadmap and Scheme of Work for IGCSE Vol. 2, Part 3 Poetry for Exams in 2025-2027
Figurative Language Flashcards
Creative Writing Activity: Free Verse
Creative Writing Activity: Sonnet
Comparative Analysis Activity
Analysing Poetry - SIFT Method Activity
Shakespeare’s Language - An Extensive Introduction
Poetry Appreciation Week - A Selection of Favourites
The activities and the scheme of work are designed to complement my IGCSE Poetry 2026-2028: Vol. 1 TEACH + EXAM PREP + ANSWERS Bundle
***Happy teaching and revising! Please leave feedback!
This no-prep unit of work is designed to enable an in-depth teaching and preparation of the poem “The Bus” by Arun Kolatkar. The poem is also on the IGCSE English Literature curriculum for exams in 2025-2027.
The unit includes:
1) Short biography and introduction to the poet
2) The poem text with line numbers to facilitate a close-reading, and explanatory notes where necessary.
3) Pre-reading activities (to facilitate teaching the poem & exam prep in class). I’ve focused on setting and symbolism, as these aspects are particularly relevant to the poem.
4) Close-reading & analysis questions, with a particular focus on poetic devices and the IGCSE English Literature exam criteria.
5) Essay questions to facilitate IGCSE exam practice, modeled after the IGCSE English Literature Assessment Criteria (AO1-AO4)
6) In-depth, detailed model answers for all activities, questions, as well as model answers for the practice exam questions, again based on IGCSE Exam Rubric (A01-AO4).
**Happy reading, teaching, studying, and revising!
Please leave feedback!**
This no-prep unit of work is designed to enable an in-depth teaching and preparation of the poem “The Capital” by W. H. Auden. The poem is also on the IGCSE English Literature curriculum for exams in 2025-2027.
The unit includes:
1) Short biography and introduction to the poet
2) The poem text with line numbers to facilitate a close-reading, and explanatory notes where necessary.
3) Pre-Reading Activities (to facilitate teaching the poem & exam prep in class). I’ve focused on a review of figurative language, ideal for the follow-up analysis activities of the poem.
4) Comprehension, Close-reading & Analysis questions, with a particular focus on poetic devices and the IGCSE English Literature exam criteria.
5) Essay questions to facilitate IGCSE exam practice, modeled after the IGCSE English Literature Assessment Criteria (AO1-AO4)
6) In-depth, detailed model answers for all activities, questions, as well as model answers for the practice exam questions, again based on IGCSE Exam Rubric (A01-AO4).
**Happy reading, teaching, studying, and revising!
Please leave feedback!**
This no-prep unit of work is designed to enable an in-depth teaching and preparation of the poem “an afternoon nap” by Arthur Yap. The poem is also on the IGCSE English Literature curriculum for exams in 2025-2027.
The unit includes:
1) Short biography and introduction to the poet
2) The poem text with line numbers to facilitate a close-reading, and explanatory notes where necessary.
3) Pre-Reading Activities (to facilitate teaching the poem & exam prep in class). I’ve focused on the phenomenon of tiger parenting, as this is a central issue in the poem.
4) Comprehension, Close-reading & Analysis questions, with a particular focus on poetic devices and the IGCSE English Literature exam criteria.
5) Essay questions to facilitate IGCSE exam practice, modeled after the IGCSE English Literature Assessment Criteria (AO1-AO4)
6) In-depth, detailed model answers for all activities, questions, as well as model answers for the practice exam questions, again based on IGCSE Exam Rubric (A01-AO4).
**Happy reading, teaching, studying, and revising!
Please leave feedback!**
This print-and-use, ready to teach unit contains all my activities, worksheets, printables, handouts, answers and teacher’s guide resources for Chapter 2 of Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck.
One of my favorite novels to teach, I’ve revisited and revised my Of Mice and Men resources and included a range of activities for each of the six parts of the novel.
This unit, for Chapter 2 of Of Mice and Men, contains the following:
Comprehension & Close Reading Questions for Chapter 2 of Of Mice and Men
Let’s Get Quizzical! - Quote Hunt Quiz for Chapter 2 of the novel.
Analyzing Characters - Curley’s Wife & Slim - this guided, scaffolded character analysis activity facilitates a close reading & analysis of the initial descriptions of Curley’s wife and Slim, using key passages and accompanying questions etc.
Let’s Get Creative! - Draw Your Own Caricatures - this creative activity, designed to cater to visual learners and to present a different, more personal approach to characterization, introduces students to caricatures and guides them through drawing and creating a caricature of one of the characters presented in Chapter 2. A great alternative way to assess understanding of direct and indirect characterization.
Creative Writing Task - A Diary Entry - George’s Point of View - this creative writing task allows students to step into the shoes of George, our primary protagonist, and to reflect upon everything that has happened in this Chapter and in Chapter 1 through a personal diary entry. This activity provides a guided writing prompt and incorporates Steinbeck’s eye dialect as well, to make the diary entry more authentic.
Teacher’s Guide (Model Answers + Commentary + Analysis) - This is a comprehensive teacher’s guide for Chapter 2 of the novel, and it includes model answers for all the activities as well as a detailed plot summary and analysis of Chapter 2 designed for teachers who are new to the novel, or veterans who wish to gain fresh insights, as well as for students working independently in a home-schooling setting or in a distance learning environment.
Hoping you find everything you were looking for, please leave feedback!
This no-prep unit of work is designed to enable an in-depth teaching and preparation of the poem “Boxes” by Sampurna Chattarji. The poem is also on the IGCSE English Literature curriculum for exams in 2025-2027.
The unit includes:
1) Short biography and introduction to the poet
2) The poem text with line numbers to facilitate a close-reading, and explanatory notes where necessary.
3) Pre-reading & After-Reading Activities (to facilitate teaching the poem & exam prep in class). I’ve focused on Chattarji use of sensory imagery, a particularly relevant aspect to fully understanding the poem.
4) Comprehension, close-reading & analysis questions, with a particular focus on poetic devices and the IGCSE English Literature exam criteria.
5) Essay questions to facilitate IGCSE exam practice, modeled after the IGCSE English Literature Assessment Criteria (AO1-AO4)
6) In-depth, detailed model answers for all activities, questions, as well as model answers for the practice exam questions, again based on IGCSE Exam Rubric (A01-AO4).
**Happy reading, teaching, studying, and revising!
Please leave feedback!
**
This FREE advanced unit of work focuses on Book 1, Chapters 6-7 of George Orwell’s 1984 or Nineteen-Eighty-Four, with a specific focus on aiding your study of the novel for IGCSE English Literature (1984 is a set text for the IGCSE English Literature Exams in 2020 and 2021).
Although this unit of work, as indeed all of my 1984 handouts and activities are specifically designed to be read at IGCSE level or in preparation for the IGCSE English Literature exams. But they can be used independent of these exams and the IGCSE curriculum, too, of course!
The level is certainly also high enough to be used if you have made 1984 one of the set texts for your IB English A: Literature or English A: Language & Literature course.
The unit of work includes:
1. Comprehension questions for Book 1, Chapters 6-7 of 1984
2. Exam Practice: This activity uses an important passage from Book 1, Chapter 7, and emulates the IGCSE English Literature exam by offering both a passage-based and an essay question to choose from. Can be used to facilitate close reading and exam practice.
3. TEACHER’S GUIDE + ANSWER KEY: A detailed teacher’s guide with summary & analysis of Book 1, Chapter 6-7, as well as an MODEL ANSWERS for the comprehension questions & the Exam Practice Question.
Enjoy, and please leave feedback!
This FREE advanced ready-to-teach worksheet & handout is designed as a pre-reading activity for George Orwell’s monumental dystopian classic, 1984. It includes:
Thought-provoking information text that asks the question What is Literature and Why Should we Read Literature? Although the text begins in general terms, the concepts and issues raised should facilitate a critical discussion about the purpose of reading any literary text as well as 1984.
Follow-up discussion and critical thinking questions that can be applied to all literary texts (but which may find more food for thought & application in 1984 especially).
Enjoy, and please leave feedback!