Much Ado About Nothing: KS3 to GCSE Transition Pack

Introducing the Text and Preparing for GCSE

Give your KS3 students a head start with this ready-to-use pack of informative handouts and activities. Student-friendly content provides an ideal stepping stone from KS3 to GCSE – a perfect lead-in for the 2015 specifications or for those teaching a three-year GCSE course.

I enjoyed this resource a lot - reminds me what positive learning can be achieved from carefully thought out tasks and worksheets!

English Teacher & Peer Reviewer
  • Scene summaries and concise notes ensure a well-rounded understanding of the play as a whole
  • Engage all learning styles with varied and differentiated tasks for each act and the whole play
  • GCSE-style essay questions and a focus on key quotations pave the way for exam success
  • The act-by-act tasks are simply ready to go – a real time saver for the busy teacher!

    R Goulds, HoD & Peer Reviewer
  • Develop those all-important writing skills with essay-writing tips and an annotated model answer
  • Accompanying notes from an experienced teacher include ideas for differentiation and answers to cut your preparation time

What do teachers say about this resource? (6309)

Well designed, with a full range of activities to suit a range of ages and, more importantly, a range of abilities. This is one of its real strengths - too many resources are targeted only at the top end. I'm grateful for a resource I can use from Set 1 to Set 4, Higher and Foundation... I particularly liked the differentiated tasks – the worksheets are well suited to both strong and less-academic pupils. The plot summaries (whole play, Act by Act, scene by scene) would allow the teacher to support all pupils as they studied the text... It provides Reading, Writing and Speaking/Listening tasks, which cover skills in English Literature, English Language and Drama GCSE. It incorporates tasks which are directly relevant to the Literacy and Numeracy Framework (select detail and inference tasks). Pupils are given opportunities to write or talk about character, plot, language and structure. PEE tasks and PEE grids are very useful. Detailed information about how to structure an essay response is of particular use. The annotated, but incomplete, essay answer is a great idea - guiding the pupils, but requiring them to show they have understood how to produce their own work. It's all there - makes the teaching of the text very easy!... I liked the images of old productions or paintings of the characters very much - colourful and useful to give as clues for pupils... Worksheets were all clear and easy to use... The tasks do a very good job of introducing text, language, character, essay structure... I enjoyed this resource a lot – reminds me what positive learning can be achieved from carefully thought out tasks and worksheets!

English Teacher & Peer Reviewer

Very teacher focused... I also liked the student notes which are clearly broken down to support the learning... I liked the student friendly approach... The writer has spent time breaking down key terms and explaining them in an informative but friendly manner for the students... group activities that will help to foster a real love of Shakespeare through excitement and fun for the class... The layout is strong – the student-focused elements are clearly labelled and visually attractive... The act-by-act tasks are simply ready to go – a real time saver for the busy teacher!... modelled responses that will work very effectively and the questions / writing frames... are a good model for teachers to follow.

R Goulds, HoD & Peer Reviewer

Well structured. I thought the key quotations were useful for the new specifications, where students will be expected to be familiar with key quotations.

A Davenport, HiD and Peer Reviewer

I like that it brings modern and familiar aspects together... to allow students a chance at appreciating the genius of Shakespeare. For example, the Big Brother diary room activity.

A Baiden, Teacher & Peer Reviewer

Overall, this is a very informative resource which offers lots of teaching and ideas and information about the play.

C Harvey, Teacher and Peer Reviewer