Taylor Swift’s 2020 albums – ‘folklore’ and ‘evermore’ – are like water. In the surface of them, we see ourselves, as vague and actual as we really are. Undern... Read More...
So many A-Level Literature texts deal with what it means to lose out in love. If you look closely at Taylor Swift's 'Exile', you'll realise our favourite pop ... Read More...
Lil Peep knew how it felt to get his heart broken. And because it's definitely way easier to relate to the rapper's romantic issues than it is to those of Ernest Dowson, we thought this lesson would be especially useful. Because Ernest's yearning fo... Read More...
Hello, GORGEOUS people. It's time to study our list of 2021's BEST albums and EPs. Once you've done that, crank the playlist up loud and get ready to take your... Read More...
From number 50 to number 1, here are the songs we loved most this year.
50. While She Sleeps, Nervous
49. Doll Skin, Control Freak
48. Creeper, Midnig... Read More...
Being a teenager is hard! But one thing we know for sure - listening to Taylor Swift makes us feel way less alone!
Here's 'Fifteen'...
https://youtu.be/Pb-K2tXWK4w
Now read through Taylor's lyrics and answer the questions: download here.
... Read More...
CLASS FOCUS:
Understanding how context impacts on the significance of key vocabularyIdentifying key themes/messages within course textsCollecting quotes tha... Read More...
Let's be clear: you want your analysis of a writer's alliteration to SPARKLE! Okay, so it's fair to say that a writer often uses the technique to draw our att... Read More...
CLASS FOCUS:
Making clear pointsEstablishing three points per essay Collecting quotes that evidence the family theme
When Avicii died in 2018, we lost an artist capable of brightening the darkest day. We're so grateful for the music he left be... Read More...
CLASS FOCUS:
Identifying key themes within course textsIdentifying vocabulary used for effectExploring use of language techniques in relation to theme
Sl... Read More...
As you read through the below, you'll find our model ideas in orange and green. There are tasks for you to complete in purple.
We always love the summer te... Read More...
We've heard so much amaaaaazing music in 2021 already! Here are the songs we've enjoyed most. Each mini-review includes a word that you can try to use in your own analytical writing!
Okay, let's run through our top 50 songs of 2021 so far! You ca... Read More...
So, you KNOW we love it when our favourite artists offer us a way into the texts we’re studying in class. We especially love it when that artist is TAYLOR ... Read More...
Finding the words to describe that feeling our favourite music gives us is never easy. And so we repeat ourselves in the hope that someone will get what we're ... Read More...
A story isn't just a story. It's a message. From the writer to US. But what exactly is the message? Well, let's find out...
Watch: Video
Watch: Video
Watch: Video
Once you've created your own sign, send it to ... Read More...
Iago gets to Othello because the eponymous 'hero' has got a head full of voices. The men in charge of Gilead are absolutely ruled by the chattering that only t... Read More...
It's time for us to YELL about our favourite songs of recent times. Have a read of the four reviews below, and remember: it's not always about using BIG words ... Read More...
Your voice is EVERYTHING. But how to say all the things you need to? Well, it's so funny that you should ask! Enter Shikari's impassioned frontman Rou Reynolds is here to help you answer that very question...
And, yes, we've located this class wi... Read More...
Because work and play can be exactly the same thing, here are 3 more reviews that will introduce you to the best music of recent times AND improve your confide... Read More...
The music we listen to keeps us afloat and fills us with good and lovely feelings. It helps us to remember that WE ARE NOT ALONE. Here are our reviews of some ... Read More...
Listening to the music of the world's greatest pop star, Kim Petras, might be our absolutely favourite thing to do. And now that we know we can improve our essay skills while we listen - well, we're just too excited for words x
Here's a video int... Read More...
You know how easily you remember the lyrics to your favourite songs? Let's make sure you can recall all the 'Romeo & Juliet' quotes with the same amount of... Read More...
Watch: Video
Secret Love Story Part 2 by Little Mix:
We keep behind closed doorsEvery time I see you, I die a little moreStolen moments that we s... Read More...
This is the second part of a lesson which started here. Last time, we looked at approaching unseen poetry questions and we concentrated on that idea of taking three bunny hops (just like the Love-Not-Money Bunny) between key words and really analysi... Read More...
womenrcool. YOU do not need telling. If only there'd been someone with your good sense running Gilead.
Thankfully, the future IS in your hands - and the... Read More...
Okay, it's unlikely you'll be asked to analyse the awesome Against The Current's lyrics in your exam! The skills you'll use to investigate 'Gravity', though, a... Read More...
When I started designing this lesson, I was thinking it would be most useful to my A-Level students. But actually these activities will prove just as purposeful if you're studying for GCSE assessments. I'm not saying you ALWAYS have to dig into EVER... Read More...
In our first live lesson with real students in an actual classroom, we talked in more detail about redemption and Against The Current! It was SO much fun. If y... Read More...
I asked my Sound of Pen students to let me know which songs they were loving right at this moment. I then started to create a series of classes in which we tre... Read More...
We LOVED so much of the music released in 2020. Here are our top 50 songs. Each mini-review includes a word that you should be using when writing your A-Level Lit essays. You'll find a link to a document listing all the words in one place at the bot... Read More...
MUSIC FOCUS: Against The Current.ACTIVITY FOCUS: Explore ATC's ideas about redemption, then apply those same ideas to 'The Handmaid's Tale'. Read our analysis ... Read More...
Listen to YUNGBLUD's god save me, but don't drown me out, Bring Me The Horizon's One Day The Only Butterflies Left Will Be In Your Chest... or Against The Curr... Read More...
Some people think listening to the unstoppable Kim Petras isn't the answer to EVERYTHING. Which is obviously ridiculous.
All you need to do to improve your chances of Paper 1 success is watch the video below or listen to our Petras playlist as y... Read More...
MUSIC FOCUS: Bring Me The Horizon.ACTIVITY FOCUS: Link BMTH lyrics to quote from 'The Handmaid's Tale' - then create a bookmark to help you remember Atwood's k... Read More...
MUSIC FOCUS: Maggie Lindemann!ACTIVITY FOCUS: Examine techniques used in Maggie Lindemann's 'Pretty Girl' and then see how Shakespeare uses those very same tec... Read More...
Sharpen your ability to deal with unseen poetry, develop your understanding of 'Sonnet 116' and learn to write about love!
MUSIC FOCUS: YUNGBLUD.ACTIVITY FOCUS: Write an essay comparing YUNGBLUD and Shakespeare.
YUNGBLUD really is the Shakespe... Read More...
Punk dramatists, Creeper, explore themes of loss, struggle, friendship, class, hopelessness, anxiety and free will. Explore how they do it in order to deepen y... Read More...
It's helpful to look at so many of the texts you're studying through a feminist lens. To do that, you need to really understand what feminism is. Kate Nash wil... Read More...
Favourite artists: Against The Current, Holding Absence, Dua Lipa, Trophy Eyes, YUNGBLUD, Kim Petras
Favourite album: Blind Melon: Blind Melon
Favourite song: The Used: Taste of Ink
Best gig: Coldplay @ Glastonbury Festival
Lyric worth remembering: Live right now, just be yourself; it doesn't matter if it's good enough for someone else
Most likely to feel: Inspired and determined
Favourite month and why: June – the start of festival season
