Secondary Catalogue

The Romantic movement grew out of the Age of Enlightenment, nurturing the idea of the importance of the imagination — and then letting it run wild. This video explains the historical context behind the poetry of Romantics including Blake, Coleridge, Wordsworth, Shelley, Keats and Byron, discussing historical events, recurring themes and how the movement was received during its time. It provides a valuable accompaniment for senior secondary English students. Show Less

The Victorian era can appear starched, overly refined and repressed, but it was also a time when turbulent reforms were sweeping across Europe. This video explains the historical context behind the poetry of Victorian including Tennyson, Arnold, Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett Browning, discussing historical events, recurring themes and how the movement was received during its time. It provides a valuable accompaniment for senior secondary English students. Show Less

The early 20th century was one of the most volatile periods of history and poetry exposed the true nature of World War I. This video explains the historical context behind the poetry of war poets including Pope, McCrae, Brooke, Owen and Sassoon, discussing historical events, recurring themes and how the movement was received during its time. It provides a valuable accompaniment for senior secondary English students. Show Less

This video examines common ways of creating fake news, such as maintaining a website that hosts misleading articles and using social media accounts and chatbots to increase traffic. It also explores the common reasons Fake News is generated and demonstrates how deliberate design and language choices can be used to trick and confuse people. An essential resource for boosting secondary students’ digital literacy skills. Show Less

The way in which news is delivered and consumed has changed rapidly over time and continues to evolve today. This video examines some of the issues that have arisen from this, defining fake news and explaining and providing examples of hoaxes, scams, clickbait, jokes, advertising, spin, propaganda, satire and sensationalism. An essential resource for boosting secondary students’ digital literacy skills. Show Less

This engaging video tests what students have learned from the ‘Fake News’ series by checking their ability to distinguish real news from fake news. It includes ‘news’ such as clickbait from ELLE magazine, Russia releasing lions into the streets and the use of misleading images by news outlets. An essential resource for consolidating the knowledge about digital literacy that secondary students have gained from the rest of the series. Show Less

People frequently make important decisions about their health, families and political issues based on news, without knowing whether it is fake or true. This video shows how making, consuming and sharing fake news about events that never took place or conspiracy theories about prominent people and provocative topics can have extremely serious consequences. An essential resource for boosting secondary students’ digital literacy skills. Show Less

This video equips students with strategic skills to analyse and easily spot fake news. It explores how to perform a visual check of an app or website, conduct reverse image searches and look for unusual domain extensions or misspelled words and poor grammar to verify whether news is real of fake. An essential resource for boosting secondary students’ digital literacy skills. Show Less

This video explores the factors that make fake news easy to believe. Case studies, including the story of Pope Francis endorsing Donald Trump for president and dolphins in Venice during the COVID-19 pandemic, illustrate how modern busy lifestyles mean we are prone to falling for fake news, making it an extremely powerful communication tool for governments, organisations and individuals. An essential resource for boosting secondary students’ digital literacy skills. Show Less

The period following World War I was an era of widespread prosperity in the United States. Long Island, New York, became the playground of the privileged, exemplifying the excesses of the Jazz Age. This video investigates how the concept of the American Dream inspired and influenced F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel ‘The Great Gatsby’. It provides a valuable accompaniment to students studying this text. Show Less

By the mid-20th century, New Orleans had gone from a city modernised by the Jazz Age to a hub of poverty and crime. While middle-class Americans thrived, poor and marginalised segments of the population continued to struggle. This video explores how the idea of the American Dream inspired and influenced Tennessee Williams’ play ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’. It provides a valuable accompaniment to students studying this text. Show Less

The economic prosperity that swept the United States post-World War II changed lifestyles and attitudes greatly. The tragic murder of the Clutters, the epitome of the ideal American family, showed how the American Dream could go terribly wrong. This video delves into how the notion of the American Dream influenced Truman Capote’s ‘In Cold Blood’. It provides a valuable accompaniment to students studying this film. Show Less

By the 1940s, the travelling salesman had become a familiar part of American life and Americans were relishing their newfound economic prosperity. But beneath the country’s mask of economic contentment, many fears and anxieties continued to fester. This video looks at how the idea of the American Dream inspired and influenced Arthur Miller’s play ‘Death of a Salesman’. It provides a valuable accompaniment to students studying this film. Show Less

Like all works of literature, ‘Macbeth’ is a reflection of the time in which it was written. This video discusses the historical context of the play, including the ascension of James I, the Globe Theatre and how audiences would have responded to the opening scenes. Valuable insights from experts at the Shakespeare Schools Foundation make this essential viewing for secondary English and Drama students studying the play. Show Less

A central component of the ‘Scottish Play’ is the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. This video explores the shifting nature of their relationship across four key scenes: Act 1, Scene 5; Act 2, Scene 2; Act 2, Scene 3 and Act 3, Scene 2. Valuable insights from experts at the Shakespeare Schools Foundation make this essential viewing for secondary English and Drama students studying the play. Show Less

Students will discover what a simile is and the impacts of this figurative language device on poetry using the poem ‘My Golden Butterfly’ by Year 6 student Bella. They will also learn why the device is used in poetry and be invited to experiment with the device themselves using an object. Show Less

A central component of the ‘Scottish Play’ is the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. This video explores the nature and deterioration of their relationship in two key scenes: Act 3, Scene 4 and Act 5, Scene 5. Valuable insights from experts at the Shakespeare Schools Foundation make this essential viewing for secondary English and Drama students studying the play. Show Less

Students will discover what personification is and the impacts of this figurative language device on poetry using the poem ‘Moon’ by Year 8 student Izzy. They will also learn why the device is used in poetry and be invited to experiment with the device themselves using an object. Show Less

Students will discover what onomatopoeia is and the impacts of this figurative language device on poetry using the poem ‘The Longings of a Timeworn Guitar’ by Year 9 student Gabrielle. They will also learn why the device is used in poetry and be invited to experiment with the device themselves using an object. Show Less

Students will discover what a metaphor is and the impacts of this figurative language device on poetry using the poem ‘Adrift In Space’ by Year 7 student Saniru. They will also learn why the device is used in poetry and be invited to experiment with the device themselves using an object. Show Less

Students will discover what imagery is and the impacts of this figurative language device on poetry using the poem ‘My Tree’ by Year 6 student Jack. They will also learn why the device is used in poetry and be invited to experiment with the device themselves using an object. Show Less

Students will discover what alliteration is and the impacts of this figurative language device on poetry using the poem ‘Wise Wahoo’ by teacher Jon. They will also learn why the device is used in poetry and be invited to experiment with the device themselves using an object. Show Less

At the heart of the ‘Scottish Play’ are the characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth and their relationship. This video discusses one of their key scenes - Act 1, Scene 7 – explaining the meaning of the scene and discussing the language used within. Valuable insights from experts at the Shakespeare Schools Foundation make this essential viewing for secondary English and Drama students studying the play. Show Less

Over 400 years after Shakespeare’s death, his plays continue to be studied, discussed and performed around the world. This video delves into the literary devices used in ‘Macbeth’ and its major themes, explaining how they contribute to the timeless nature of the play. Valuable insights from experts at the Shakespeare Schools Foundation make this essential viewing for secondary English and Drama students studying the play. Show Less

The 1930s and ‘40s saw a wave of European film directors emigrate to the US. In the same period, anti-communist hysteria due to Cold War tensions swept across the US and paranoia became commonplace. This video delves into the historical context behind the surveillance and suspicion seen in Alfred Hitchcock’s film ‘Rear Window’. It provides a valuable accompaniment to students studying this film. Show Less