Spotlight on GCSE English

Language
Classroom resources – P1, Q4
Created in conjunction with Jonny Kay
Starter activity notes

• The starter activity can either be completed in student books, or by using the worksheet in this presentation.
Additionally, it can be completed individually, in pairs or in groups, dependent on student need.

• The resource can also be edited to remove/adapt the extension activity (eg Question 2 could become the
extension activity).

Copyright © 2023 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.

Starter activity

Extension: In what
other role/job would
you need these skills
and/or characteristics?
Why? (Answer below)

Shutterstock 1137288866 Shutterstock 1891124623

Question Answer

1. What do these people have in common?

2. What skills and/or characteristics do they need to

do an effective job?

Copyright © 2023 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.

Planning resource notes

• There are several possible planning templates over the coming slides.

• Each adheres to the principal of ‘What’, ‘How’ and ‘Why’. This approach can also be adapted/amended as per the
needs of students or existing college approaches.

• It’s beneficial to keep these plans as exemplars and guides for future planning.

Copyright © 2023 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.

Making comparisons
Evaluation – how can you answer this
question?
Stage Detail
What’s your answer? What do you think? What’s
What?
your opinion?
What evidence can you find? What proves what
you think? What methods does the writer use to
How?
make you think this? What in the text backs up
what you have said/ what you think?
Why does your evidence support what you have
said? Why did the writer use these specific
Why? methods? What impact does this have on the
reader (what does it make them think/ feel)? Why
does it make us think/feel this way?
The above can be printed and given to students as a guide for future questions (there are two
copies on this slide, to save on printing).
Copyright © 2023 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.
Evaluation – how can you answer this
question?
Stage Detail
What’s your answer? What do you think? What’s
What?
your opinion?
What evidence can you find? What proves what
you think? What methods does the writer use to
How?
make you think this? What in the text backs up
what you have said/ what you think?
Why does your evidence support what you have
said? Why did the writer use these specific
Why? methods? What impact does this have on the
reader (what does it make them think/ feel)? Why
does it make us think/feel this way?
A student said: ‘This part of the story, where the men encounter the Tyrannosaurus Rex, shows Eckels is
right to panic. The Monster is terrifying!’

Stage Detail

What (opinion/answer)? Agree – Eckels right to panic; monster is terrifying

How (evidence, writer’s methods and what it is saying)?

Defence against the T-Rex; ‘rifle in his hands seemed like a toy gun’
You don’t have to copy the quote! Just underline/highlight
it!

Why (why does this prove your answer)?

Copyright © 2023 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.

A student said: ‘This part of the story, where the men encounter the Tyrannosaurus Rex, shows Eckels is
right to panic. The Monster is terrifying!’

Stage Detail

What (opinion/answer)? Agree – Eckels right to panic; monster is terrifying

How (evidence, writer’s methods and what it is saying)?

You don’t have to copy the quote! Just underline/highlight

it!

Why (why does this prove your answer)?

Copyright © 2023 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.

A student said: ‘This part of the story, where the men encounter the Tyrannosaurus Rex, shows Eckels is
right to panic. The Monster is terrifying!’

Stage Detail

What (opinion/answer)?

How (evidence, writer’s methods and what it is saying)?

You don’t have to copy the quote! Just underline/highlight

it!

Why (why does this prove your answer)?

Copyright © 2023 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.

A student said: ‘This part of the story, where the men encounter the Tyrannosaurus Rex, shows Eckels is
right to panic. The Monster is terrifying!’

Why? (Why does this prove your answer?)

How? (Quote and it proves your answer) How: Defence against the T-Rex; ‘rifle in his
hands seemed like a toy gun’ - gun is
useless
A student said: ‘This
part of the story,
where the men
encounter the
What? (Opinion/answer) Tyrannosaurus Rex,
shows Eckles is
right to panic. The
Monster is
terrifying!’
Copyright © 2023 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.
A student said: ‘This part of the story, where the men encounter the Tyrannosaurus Rex, shows Eckels is
right to panic. The Monster is terrifying!’

Why? (Why does this prove your answer?)

How? (Quote and it proves your answer)

A student said: ‘This

part of the story,
where the men
encounter the
What: Agree – Eckels right to
What? (Opinion/answer) Tyrannosaurus Rex, panic; monster is terrifying
shows Eckles is
right to panic. The
Monster is
terrifying!’
Copyright © 2023 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.
A student said: ‘This part of the story, where the men encounter the Tyrannosaurus Rex, shows Eckels is
right to panic. The Monster is terrifying!’

Why? (Why does this prove your answer?)

How? (Quote and it proves your answer)

A student said: ‘This

part of the story,
where the men
encounter the
What? (Opinion/answer) Tyrannosaurus Rex,
shows Eckles is
right to panic. The
Monster is
terrifying!’
Copyright © 2023 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.
Writing frames/prompt notes

• There are several writing frames/prompts in this pack to support and challenge students.

• Prompts on pages 1 and 2 are intended as sentence openings only, and students shouldn’t complete their
responses on these pages. The prompts on page 3, however, can be completed on the document.

• Prompts should be amended/edited as best supports students. It’s best to keep the prompts as generic as
possible so they can be kept and used for future responses.

Copyright © 2023 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.