Examples of English Questions and Activities
Sheffield Leaflet
 How does the leaflet attempt to correct Orwell’s view of Sheffield?
 Why has the colour green been used I the leaflet?
 How does he leaflet attempt to persuade people to go to Sheffield?
 Write your own leaflet to persuade people to come to Cardiff.
 Produce a video/advertisement/radio advert for Sheffield.
Lord of the Flies
 Create a set of rules designed to help your group survive on a desert
island.
 What problems do you think a group of boys would experience on a
desert island?
 Create a poster for a symbol of your choice to…..
 Devise a series of questions that you would want to ask Ralph.
 Role play an investigation into the events on the island. Why did things
go wrong?
Scorpia
 Create a tension graph for Alex’s escape from ….
 Invent a new gadget for Alex and use it in a story.
 How does the author create the character of….?
 What would be the five most important skills needed by Alex?
 Why did they choose the name ‘Scopia for the organisation’?
Hamlet
 Is Ophelia to be admired as a dutiful obedient daughter or castigated
as weak willed?
 Polanides: crafting buffoon or shrewd politician?
 To what extent is Hamlet mad? What is your reading of the evidence?
 Which revenger do you admire the most? Hamlet, Laerton, Fortiwhras
or Vinella?
 Which is the funnier play: ‘Hamlet’ or ‘The Revenger’s Tragedy’?
A View From the Bridge
 How would you feel if you were Rodolpho?
 Why did Eddie hurt Catherine?
 How did Eddie hurt Catherine?
 Did Eddie want to hurt Catherine? Explain your answer.
 Which event could not have happened if the ‘Italians’ had not arrived?
 How would this alter the play?
 How effective is this play?
 How effective is Edie as a father figure?
 Compare Rodolpho and Eddie.
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Design a questionnaire for Eddie.
Write a biography on Beatrice.
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Conduct a debate on immigration.
As Marco, write a letter to Marco’s wife explaining how you feel.
Design a newspaper article on the events in the play.
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As Rodolpho, compose a song about the events of the play.
Make booklet of Eddie’s rules.
What would happen if Eddie allowed the marriage?
Discuss ‘good parenting’ in relation to the play.
What question would you ask Beatrice?
Poetry
 Write a biography.
 Where is the turning point in the tone of the poem?
 How was this similar to the other poem’s unseen text?
 What was the underlying theme of the poem?
 Defend your position about the subject of the poem.
Macbeth
 Make a flow chart to show critical stages.
 If Macbeth had killed MacDuff, what might the ending have been/
 Why did Macbeth decide to kill Duncan? What stages did he go
through in the reasoning?
 What is the turning point in the story?
 How could you compose a ballad about the story of Macbeth?
Heroes
 Construct a tension graph of events
 Which events could not have happened if Larry not had a first
homecoming?
 What were some of the motives behind Frances’ revenge?
 Defend your position about what a hero is?
 Do you think war is a good or bad thing?
Boy
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Should corporal punishment be brought back?
What were Mrs Pratchett’s motives behind the revenge plot?
How would you feel if you were going to boarding school aged..?
Create a new sweet for the sweet shop.
Of Mice and Men
 Was Lennie’ death justified?
 Do you think George is a hero?
 Who are the outsiders in the novel and why?
 Do you believe that Curley’s wife was destined to die?
 Do you think Lennie could have changed?
An Inspector calls
 Do you think Eva Smith was a victim?
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What were the motives behind Inspector’s visit?
What do you see as other possible outcomes to plays?
What was the turning point for Sheila in the ending?
Jane Eyre
 Defend Rochester‘s incarnation of Berna?
 How is Broculelurst similar/different to St John?
 If Jane’s parents had lived, what might
 What was the turning point in ‘the end’?
 What do you see as one possible outcome to novel’s end if…?
The Color Purple
 Who are the victims in the novel?
 How is Mister similar to his father?
 Defend Celies advice to Harpo.
 What do you se as other possible outcomes to the novel’s end?
 What are some of the problems of a dual narrative?
General KS3 Texts
 Make a tension graph tracking.
 Make a flow chart to show the main stages of character development.
 If you were to change the ending, what would it be?
 Design a book cover for……
 Write a letter persuading school to invest in more interesting texts.
 Make a poster highlight 5 rules of….
 Compose a song to illustrate the rules.
 Create a mnemonic for….
William Blake
 What were the motives behind the poem?
 How can poem be related to current day?
 Compare the moral values presented with that of today?
 Prioritise and rate the poetic techniques used by Blake in his poetry.
 What character created by Blake can you most/least relate to? Explain
why.
Boy
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Analyse a family tree. Create your own.
Design/create a ‘new sweet product’.
Sell the product to a manufacturer.
Make a story board prioritising the main events of….
Defend Rohald Dhal’s involvement in the main plot.
The Hobbit
 How can fantasy sometimes become/fel like reality?
 Create an image of a Hobbit by using the description in the text.
 How effective are fiction novels for a Yr7 student compared to a Yr12
student?
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Devise a list of rules you as a human must remember when entering
into a fictional world.
How would a Hobbit survive in our world? List the difficulties.
Creative Writing – KS3
 Using a story mountain, plan a ‘5 paragraph’ story.
 Consider the test you have read. Construct a different end.
 What criteria would you use to create a memorable character?
 Evaluate and mark the opening paragraphs to these stories.
 What would happen if you placed x characters in a school diner hall.
Describe the scene.
Creative writing – KS5
 Having read Hartese’s arrival (Small Island), imagine you are a
stranger knocking on a door. Write your thoughts.
 With reference to the child liker language in the opening of ‘Portrait of
an artist’, create your own moment in time.
 Evaluate your partner’s work. What changes would you make and
why?
 What are some of the problems with “happy ever after”?
 What are the essential elements to an opening paragraph?
Holes
 How might Stanley’s mother have felt when he was sentenced?
 Prepare arguments to present your views on juvenile detention.
 If you were in CGL, what would your nickname be and why?
 How does Louis Sachar make us feel sympathy for Stanley?
 If the boys had iPods, what would be on their play lists?
In Cold Blood – lesson 1
 What was Capote trying to achieve when he wrote the novel?
 Who is most to blame for the Clutter murders?
 Would you want to visit Holcombe? Why? Why not?
 What were the motives behind the Clutter murders?
 What do you see as the outcomes of the story?
In Cold Blood – lesson 2
 Who do you think is the most upset and why?
 Rate all the people who appear in section 2?
 What factors caused Dick and Perry to murder?
 If you could question Dick, what five questions would you ask?
 If you could question Perry, what five questions would you ask?
In Cold Blood – family relationships
 Make a list of all the people who are important in Perry’s life.
 (Do the same for Dick)
 Who does Perry love the most? Why?
 Who doe Dick love the most? Why?
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If Perry had a wife, what would he want her to be like?
In Cold Blood – Law and Order
 Does Dick deserve to be executed? Why?
 (As above for Perry)
 Has the law achieved justice? Why?
 Write a letter from M Dewey to his wife when he is in the middle of his
interrogations.
 Write Perry’s diary entry on the day he is waiting to be executed.