Year 8 Poetry SOW Marlborough

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
MEDIUM TERM PLAN
YEAR 8 / Poetry Unit – Growing Pains
Aims:

This scheme of work aims to develop students' knowledge, understanding and enjoyment of poetry and to meet National Curriculum and Key Stage 3 Framework requirements.
It is designed to make students enthusiastic about reading pre-1914, post-1914 and contemporary poems, to analyse them, and then recreate the effects in their own writing.
The scheme not only requires students to write their own poetry, but also aims to build the skills required for analytical writing about poems required at GCSE and beyond.
The medium term planning format allows teachers the freedom to choose resources and plan individual lessons, including starter activities. However, in order to ensure equality of provision and progression for all pupils, teachers will adhere to the stated objectives and outcomes for each week.

Duration: 4 weeks
Resources:
‘Timothy Winters’ by Charles Causley
‘Tich Miller’ by Wendy Cope
‘Your Dad Did What?’ By Sophie Hannah
‘Chippenham’ by Fleur Adcock
‘My Parents Kept Me’ by Stephen Spender
‘Friends’ by Elizabeth Jennings *
‘Dumb Insolence’ by Adrian Mitchell
‘Gust Becos I Cud Not Spel’ by Brian Patten
‘Super Sunburn’ by John Hegley
‘Parents’ Sayings’ by Michael Rosen
‘The Haunted Lift’ by James Kirkup
‘A Case of Murder’ by Vernon Scanell
‘The Wise Old Timer’ by Benjamin Zephaniah
‘The Seven Ages of Man’ by William Shakespeare **
‘Run the Film Backwards’ by Sydney Carter

National Curriculum Coverage:

** Specified major poet pre-1914 (4 to be studied KS3-4)
* Example of major poet post-1914 (4 to be studied KS3-4)
Recent and contemporary poetry
Poetry from other cultures and traditions
Most students will: read poems both as shared text and within groups. They will write poetry showing understanding of both the poetic techniques used by the poets studied, and the themes within their work. They will produce pieces of analytical writing and also engage in speaking and listening activities.
Some student will not have progressed so far and will: read the poems and enjoy and engage with most of the material and related activities. They will write about, and in response to, the poems and will write their own poems. These pupils may need a variety of scaffolds to support reading and writing.
Some students will have progressed further and will: respond to the poems as pieces of well crafted writing and then attempt to replicate these devices in their own work. They will read and discuss poems independently. Analytical writing will show control of language and some evidence of independent study.

KEY TEACHING AND LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Pupils should be taught to:

WORD LEVEL

Understand and explain exactly what words mean in particular contexts (Wd7c)
Understand and use key terms that help to describe and analyse language (Wd8)
Appreciate the impact of figurative language in texts (Wd11)

SENTENCE LEVEL

TEXT LEVEL – READING

Trace the development of themes, values or ideas in texts (R5)
Analyse the overall structure of a text to identify how key ideas are developed, e.g. through the organisation of the content and the patterns of language used (R10)
Recognise the conventions of some literary forms e.g. sonnet, and genres, e.g. Gothic horror, and explore how a particular text adheres to or deviates from established conventions (R14)
Recognise how texts refer to and reflect the culture in which they were produced, e.g. in their evocation of place and values (R16)

TEXT LEVEL – WRITING

Experiment with different approaches to planning, drafting, proof-reading and presenting writing, taking account of the time available (Wr1)
Experiment with figurative language, in conveying a sense of character and setting (Wr6)
Experiment with presenting similar material in different forms and styles of poetry (Wr9)
Integrate evidence into a text, to support analysis or conclusions. E.g. data, quotation (Wr17)

TEXT LEVEL – SPEAKING AND LISTENING

Listen for a specific purpose, paying sustained attention and selecting for comment or question that which is relevant to the agreed focus (S/L7)
POSSIBLE TEACHING SEQUENCE
Week 1: Sad Stories
OBJECTIVES:
Understand and explain exactly what words mean in particular contexts (Wd7c)
Appreciate the impact of figurative language in texts (Wd11)
Trace the development of themes, values or ideas in texts (R5)
Analyse the overall structure of a text to identify how key ideas are developed, e.g. through the organisation of the content and the patterns of language used (R10)
RESOURCES:
What is Poetry? activity
‘Timothy Winters’ by Charles Causley
Cloze of ‘Timothy Winters’
‘Tich Miller’ by Wendy Cope
‘The Haunted Lift’ by James Kirkup
Question sheet on ‘The Haunted Lift’
‘A Case of Murder’ by Vernon Scanell
Sequencing exercise on ‘A Case of Murder’
IDEAS FOR TEACHING:
The poems pair up well, two focussing on individuals and two with a supernatural theme. All feature elements of cruelty and suffering. You may wish to teach one pair of poems, or both.
Could begin with activity – What is Poetry?
Cloze of rhyme words in ‘Timothy Winters’ allows close analysis of figurative language, rhyme and discussion of the period in which the poem is set.
Non-fiction writing task - Follow up with list of aspects of Timothy’s life for a welfare or NSPCC report (recount text).
‘Tich Miller’ offers the opportunity to discuss form, particularly triplets and the last single line.
Sequencing exercise for ‘A Case of Murder’ encourages pupils to read closely and focus on the structure of the poem.
Follow up with close analysis of imagery and language used to describe cat and what it comes to symbolise for the boy.
Non-fiction writing task – RSPCA report based on events in poem.
‘The Haunted Lift’ lends itself to performance poetry, particularly group narration. Pupils complete worksheet and discuss whether or not there is a thirteenth floor and if not, does the ghost even exist?
OUTCOME:
Non-fiction writing – NSPCC/welfare report for Timothy Winters or RSPCA report for ‘A Case of Murder’
NOTES:
Week 2: Relationships
OBJECTIVES:
Trace the development of themes, values or ideas in texts (R5)
Analyse the overall structure of a text to identify how key ideas are developed, e.g. through the organisation of the content and the patterns of language used (R10)
Recognise the conventions of some literary forms e.g. sonnet, and genres, e.g. Gothic horror, and explore how a particular text adheres to or deviates from established conventions (R14)
Listen for a specific purpose, paying sustained attention and selecting for comment or question that which is relevant to the agreed focus (S/L7)
RESOURCES:
‘Parents’ Sayings’ by Michael Rosen
‘Super Sunburn’ by John Hegley
‘My Parents Kept Me’ by Stephen Spender
Cloze and worksheet on ‘My Parents’
‘Friends’ by Elizabeth Jennings *
Worksheet on ‘Friends’
IDEAS FOR TEACHING:
Teach one pair or both pairs of poems.
‘Parents’ Sayings’ and ‘Super Sunburn’ should be taught together under the theme of parental discipline. Both allow for the discussion of, and writing of free verse.
Introduce ‘Parents’ Sayings’ by getting pupils to brainstorm things their parents often say to them.
Follow up – pairs write their own version using teachers’ sayings.
‘Super Sunburn’ needs to be read by the teacher. Ask pupils to draw images and symbols as they listen and then turn these into a mini-summary of the poem.
Examine word play and the blend of the humorous and sinister.
‘My Parent’ and ‘Friends’ explore themes of friendship and bullying.
Cloze of ‘My Parents’ requires pupils to focus on similes and verbs used to describe the ‘rough’ children – lead on to discussion/analysis of poem in worksheet.
Ask pupils to write on post-its their definition of friendship. Stick on board before reading ‘Friends’. Worksheet of questions raises issue: is this kind of friendship possible or is it unrealistic?
OUTCOME:
Performance in groups of three or four. Groups choose one of four poems and use techniques such as freeze-frame and choric speaking. Give rules for speaking and listening and share assessment criteria with class.
NOTES:
Week 3: Generations
OBJECTIVES:
Recognise the conventions of some literary forms e.g. sonnet, and genres, e.g. Gothic horror, and explore how a particular text adheres to or deviates from established conventions (R14)
Recognise how texts refer to and reflect the culture in which they were produced, e.g. in their evocation of place and values (R16)
Experiment with figurative language, in conveying a sense of character and setting (Wr6)
Experiment with presenting similar material in different forms and styles of poetry (Wr9)
RESOURCES:
‘The Wise Old Timer’ by Benjamin Zephaniah
‘The Seven Ages of Man’ by William Shakespeare **
‘Run the Film Backwards’ by Sydney Carter
IDEAS FOR TEACHING:
Starter brainstorm – what are the different stages in life? List them.
Timeline of ‘Run the Film’
Collage of ‘The Seven Ages’ using extracts from poem and images cut from magazines and newspapers.
Make a table comparing life of children then and now in ‘The Wise Old Timer’.
Own poetry. Model how to go about planning and drafting. Emphasise the importance of language choice and discourage use of rhyme.
Allow pupils to ‘borrow’ from poems studied and encourage use of techniques used by poets.
OUTCOME:
Own poetry. Choose from:
- a modern/futuristic version of ‘The Seven Ages of Man’ e.g. ‘The Seven Ages of Woman’.
- own version of ‘Run the Film Backwards’, imagining the course of their own lives.
- Write a version of ‘The Old Timer’ set in the future when they are old, describing the lifestyle of ‘Kids’ in the future.
NOTES:
Week 4: Authority
OBJECTIVES:
Understand and use key terms that help to describe and analyse language (Wd8)
Analyse the overall structure of a text to identify how key ideas are developed, e.g. through the organisation of the content and the patterns of language used (R10)
Experiment with different approaches to planning, drafting, proof-reading and presenting writing, taking account of the time available (Wr1)
Integrate evidence into a text, to support analysis or conclusions. E.g. data, quotation (Wr17)
RESOURCES:
‘Your Dad Did What?’ By Sophie Hannah
‘Gust Becos I Cud Not Spel’ by Brian Patten
Sequencing of ‘Gust Becos’
‘Chippenham’ by Fleur Adcock
‘Dumb Insolence’ by Adrian Mitchell
Sheet: Writing about Poems
IDEAS FOR TEACHING:
The first pair of poems is linked by the themes of spelling and teachers. Both are shocking in different ways and use first-person speakers to question the emphasis placed on correct spelling in schools. They are written in rhyming quatrains.
Reveal ‘Your Dad Did What’ stanza by stanza. What kind of teacher is this? What grade is he given and why is the E important? How do you think the teacher felt at the end? How do you think the boy felt being set this task? Why are lots of short sentences used in this poem?
Sequencing activity for pairs of lines in ‘Gust Becos’. What evidence is there that the boy wasn’t daft? How does he get revenge? What punishment does his teacher get? Could this really happen? What point is the poet trying to make?
The second pair also uses first person speakers and explore issues of communication and isolation.
‘Dumb Insolence’ uses a blend of colloquial and standard English. Ask pupils to highlight examples of each.
What is dumb insolence?
‘Chippenham’ is a more complex poem that may suit higher ability pupils. NB. It is about Adcock’s experiences when evacuated in 1944. She stayed in a primitive home, where the toddler called her Jean and the woman encouraged her to stay at home for company. Pupils consider: Why is the speaker called Jean and Fleur? Why is she not in uniform? Why does she feel betrayed? Why is she away from school so much? What happens on the bus? Who is Mrs Johnson?
OUTCOME:
Analytical writing on one of the four poems. ‘Write about the poem xxx. What is the poet trying to say and how does he/she get across his/her ideas?’
Needs to include consideration of: Form, rhythm and rhyme, structure, language, imagery, characterisation.
Use sheet ‘Writing about Poems’ for sentence starters and vocabulary of analysis.
Follow teaching sequence: show exemplar, model how to plan and begin, provide scaffolds etc.
NOTES: