Year Group: 6 Genre Focus: Narrative Poetry
Text: ‘The Listeners’ Walter de la Mare/
‘The House’ Anon
Marc Bowen
Raglan Primary School
,
EAS English and literacy team
1
Skills
Learning Objective
Whole Class
Differentiated Activity
AFL
Reading - read
closely, annotating
for specific purposes
To define unfamiliar
and archaic
language
(To create a hook for this lesson, the classroom
could be darkened, ghostly music could be
played beforehand etc to create a spooky
atmosphere. Alternatively, the lesson could be
introduced using a variety of artefacts i.e. horse
shoe, heavy door knocker, trailing ivy for the
class to examine prior to the introduction of the
poem)
Introduce the class to the poem ‘The Listeners’ by
Walter de la Mare. The teacher should initially read
the poem to the children, using appropriate
expression, without the text being seen. Discuss
their initial response to the poem – what type of
poem is this? What is the story of the narrative
poem? Are there any unfamiliar words etc. Allow the
children a chance to listen to the poem again, but
this time use a recording such as Fred Proud’s
reading
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0QGHT8s9pw
This time the children should have a copy of the
poem to follow along with.
After this second reading, discuss any further details
that have emerged related to the ‘story’ of the poem.
Discuss why this poem might be difficult for younger
children to understand – focus on unfamiliar and
archaic language.
The teacher should then model the use of the Collins
Co-Build Online learners dictionary (provides child
friendly definitions) to source a definition of a less
familiar word i.e. perplexed. Following this, the
teacher could then model how to use a Reading
Response Tweet-sheet tool, requiring a Lower KS2
definition to be written within 145
characters.http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionar
y/english-cobuild-learners/smote
The children will be
asked to scan through
the poem, underlining
unfamiliar words or
language that might be
tricky for younger
children. They will then
define these words in the
form of a tweet.
HA – Children to use the
co-build online dictionary
independently
AA – Children to work in
pairs to source words
using the co-build online
dictionary but then write
individual tweet definition
LA – Children to work
with an adult to scan
through the poem as a
group to identify the
(limited) words to be
defined, prior to more
independent use of the
co-build online dictionary
– adult support available
throughout
Children could
be asked to
provide verbal
feedback on
their defined
words to be
added to the
working wall –
providing
opportunity for
teacher
questioning to
address any
differences
between
definitions or
multiple
meanings etc.
Reading - use a
range of strategies
for finding
information, e.g.
skimming for gist,
scanning for detail
Reading - consider
what they
read/view,
responding orally
and in writing to
the ideas,
language, tone,
style and
presentation/organ
isation; select
evidence to
support their views
Reading - identify
ideas and
information that
interest them to
develop further
understanding
EAS English and literacy team
Alternatively, the
children could
contribute a
selection of their
tweet definitions
to a padlet wall
– with the
requirement that
repetition of the
same definition
is avoided.
2
Writing - use varied
sentence structures
for emphasis and
effect
To vary sentence
structure and
punctuation.
Writing - use the full
range of punctuation
accurately to clarify
meaning
Writing - use
language
appropriate to
writing, including
standard forms of
English
Start the session by revisiting and recapping the
narrative plot of the poem – HA children could be
asked to read the poem through again for the class
to continue to build familiarity with the plot and
language.
Move on to watch an animated version of the poem,
to assist children in visualising the events described
in the poem.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAmpKUHwGR
U
Following this, the teacher should model write a
DADWAVERS* poem from the point of view of the
traveller mentioned in the poem and based on the
plot of ‘The Listeners’ (example provided). The
DADWAVERS structure (Description, Action,
Dialogue, Where, Adverb, Verb, Estimation of
time, Rhetorical Question, Simile or Metaphor or
Personification, ! Exclamation or onomatopoeia)
provides the teacher the opportunity to revisit
different narrative sentence structures, as well as
time to linger on common sentence punctuation in
response to the needs of the children i.e. use of
parenthetic commas, insertion of semi-colons etc.
*A strategy developed by Rob Smith (The Literacy
Shed)
http://www.literacyshedblog.com/dadwaversblog/dadwavers
EAS English and literacy team
The children will be
asked to write their own
DADWAVERS poem.
HA – Children could be
challenged to write their
DADWAVERS poem
from the point of view of
the unseen Listeners – in
response to the arrival of
the traveller
AA – Children to write
their DADWAVERS
poem from point of view
of the traveller
LA – Children to write
their DADWAVERS
poem from the point of
view of the traveller.
(Optional - use selected
Noun, Verb, Adjective
and Adverb wordbanks
taken from the ‘Moving
Closer to a Destination’
section of
‘Descriptosaurus Action
and Adventure’ teacher
resource (ISBN 978-1138-85869-5) )
Peer evaluation
of finished
DADWAVERS
poems with
children
identifying ‘dwy
seren a
dymuniad’ for
their partners.
Time should
also be allowed
for selected
children to read
their poems to
the class – with
the completed
peer evaluation
then being
shared with the
class and
discussed.
Explore different
opinions/
evaluations.
Detailed teacher
marking should
follow focused
on the learners’
use of
punctuation and
a variety of
sentence
structures.
3.
Writing - use a range
of strategies to plan
writing, e.g. notes,
diagrams, flowcharts
To collect ideas as a
plan for writing
Provide time at the start of the session for the
children to reflect upon the detailed teacher marking
of the DADWAVERS poem and then to respond to
any targets that have been set.
After this, move on to ask the children to consider
the back story of traveller, alluded to by the lines;
‘Tell them I came, and no one answered,
That I kept my word,’ he said.
Provide the children with a ‘Saying, Thinking,
Feeling’ sheet depicting an image of the traveller
standing outside the darkened house. The teacher
should initially model the use of this resource,
recording ideas in note form.
To vary sentence
structure and
punctuation.
Following on from yesterday’s lesson, the teacher
should revisit their own completed ‘Saying, Thinking,
Feeling’ resource, based on the Traveller.
Introduce the children to the task of writing a 5
sentence narrative which gives some indication of
what had previously happened to the traveller before
the events of the poem.
The teacher should model write the 5 sentence
story, using the DADWAVERS sentence
starters/types that the children have previously used
for the short poetry task earlier in the unit. It is
important for the teacher to verbalise their authorial
choices during the modelled write and could also
incorporate elements of shared writing to encourage
the children to focus on appropriate sentence
structure and punctuation.
Oracy - express
issues and ideas
clearly, using
specialist vocabulary
and examples
4
Writing - use varied
sentence structures
for emphasis and
effect
Writing - use the full
range of punctuation
accurately to clarify
meaning
Writing - use
language
appropriate to
writing, including
standard forms of
English
EAS English and literacy team
Children to complete
their own ‘Saying,
Thinking, Feeling’
resource from the point
of view of the traveller.
HA - Children to work
independently
AA – Children to work
independently, with adult
intervention to support
children in differentiating
between thinking and
feeling, as appropriate
LA – Children to work
with a partner, with adult
support as appropriate.
Children will write their
own 5 sentence story,
with the focus on why the
traveller has come to the
house in the poem.
HA – Teacher to select
which
5
of
the
DADWAVERS sentence
types the children should
use
to
ensure
an
appropriate
level
of
challenge.
AA – Children to write
their 5 sentence story
independently
LA – Children to be
allowed to magpie one
sentence
from
the
teacher’s
modelled
example – adult support
throughout the writing
task, with focus on
Pupils to
feedback their
ideas in
response to the
activity.
Upon
completion of
their 5 sentence
story, the
children should
highlight or
underline their 5
sentences to
identify which
DADWAVERS
they have used
(with an
associated key)
whilst also
editing to ensure
they have done
so successfully.
Opportunity for
detailed teacher
marking.
5
Writing - use varied
sentence structures
for emphasis and
effect
To vary sentence
structure and
punctuation.
This session will be used for the children to polish
and publish their 5 sentence story, with the end goal
of handwriting their final draft for classroom display.
Children should be directed to refer back to recent
teacher feedback/target setting to ensure that the
children are proactively engaged with AfL. This may
need to be modelled for the class, depending on
their level of confidence with editing/proof-reading
their own writing.
To compare two
poems with a similar
theme/atmosphere.
Introduce the children to ‘The House’ a poem by an
unknown poet. Initially, the poem should simply be
read to the children without any copies of the text to
be viewed. After the first reading discuss the
children’s’ individual responses and guide discussion
towards any similarities or differences between this
and ’The Listeners’.
Explain to the children that over the next few lessons
they will be preparing a performance of one of the
two poems and to do so effectively we need to
consider the atmosphere, themes, characterisation
Writing - use the full
range of punctuation
accurately to clarify
meaning
Writing - use
language
appropriate to
writing, including
standard forms of
English
sentence structure and
appropriate punctuation
– sentence limit of 5 to
be relaxed as necessary.
The remainder of the
session will be used for
the children to edit and
publish their final draft of
the 5 sentence stories.
Adult support will be
available, throughout the
lesson, as appropriate
for the needs of the
children identified
through teacher
marking/assessment.
Writing - produce
fluent and legible
handwriting.
6
Reading - read
closely, annotating
for specific purposes
Reading - identify
ideas and
information that
interest them to
develop further
understanding
EAS English and literacy team
Children to complete
their own Venn diagrams
to compare ‘The House’
and ‘The Listeners’
HA – Children to also
consider the similarities
and differences in
sentence types across
both poems – in addition
to theme, character and
setting.
There should be
time available at
the end of/after
the lesson to
celebrate the
finished
narrative writing
– highlighting
the most
effective/
successful
sentences that
the children
generated and
sharing this
good practice
with the class.
Example
sentences could
be extracted
and added to
the class
working wall.
Whole class
discussion of
the findings from
the Venn
diagram activity.
The session
should end with
children
expressing a
preference for
one of the two
Reading - infer ideas
which are not
explicitly stated, e.g.
writers’ viewpoints or
attitudes
Oracy - express
opinions clearly
about topics and
written texts and
include supporting
reasons
7
Oracy - contribute
purposefully to
group discussion to
achieve agreed
outcomes
To prepare a
performance of a
poem, to engage
and entertain an
audience of peers.
Oracy - speak
clearly, using formal
language, varying
expression, tone and
volume, to keep
listeners interested
8
Oracy - contribute
To prepare a
purposefully to
performance of a
EAS English and literacy team
within each, so that we can pick the one we feel will
give the best performance for an audience of our
peers.
The teacher should model a use of a Venn diagram,
whereby the children use different colours to
represent the aspects of theme, character and
setting which are similar and different across the two
poems.
AA – Children to
complete Venn diagram
independently
LA – Children to discuss
Venn diagrams with a
partner as a scaffold but
complete own versions,
with adult support as
appropriate.
Start the session, by introducing the task of the
children working in teams to prepare a performance
of either ‘The House’ or ‘The Listeners’.
Initially watch the shadow puppet version of ‘The
Listeners’ at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmE2I20XYkk
After the children have viewed the video, focus the
discussion on the use of self-generated sounds
effects within the video i.e. owl screech, finger
clicking to represent rain. Explore different ways in
which adding these kinds of sound effects and
varying expression, volume etc can turn a simple
reading of a poem into a more engaging
performance.
Model how to annotate a copy of one of the poems
with notes which would plan out the different vocal,
gestural or additional sound effects which will be
used whilst the poem is recited.
The children will be
arranged into mixed
ability groups.
The groups should agree
the poem they wish to
work on and then
annotate a single copy of
the poem with their
performance notes.
This session will be used for the children to rehearse
their performance poem, based on yesterday’s
Children to rehearse
their performance in
Adult support and
intervention available
throughout the session,
as appropriate.
poems with
some
justification of
their choice –
this could be
completed
verbally or
recorded
beneath the
venn diagram
using a Point,
Explain,
Example
structure.
During the
group activity,
there will be
opportunities for
adults to assess
individual
learner engaged
with group
discussion tasks
through
observation of
the annotation
of the poem.
Throughout, the
teacher should
9/
10
group discussion to
achieve agreed
outcomes
speak clearly, using
formal language,
varying expression,
tone and volume, to
keep listeners
interested
poem, to engage
and entertain an
audience of peers.
annotations and discussions.
mixed ability groups, with
adult intervention/support
as appropriate.
Oracy - contribute
purposefully to
group discussion to
achieve agreed
outcomes
To perform a poem
to engage and
entertain an
audience of peers.
The final 2 sessions of this unit of work should be
used for the children to present their group
performances and take feedback from the audience
of their peers.
The teacher should model the use of an adapted
‘Finding Features’ reading response resource which
will focus on the techniques used by the group
during the performance and the impact on the
audience. These sheets will be completed by
individual members of the audience and then
collated as a overall evaluating of each group’s
performance
The children will present
their performance poems
and evaluate the
performances of other
groups.
Oracy - speak
clearly, using formal
language, varying
expression, tone and
volume, to keep
listeners interested
EAS English and literacy team
intersperse the
session with
brief pauses to
be used for
groups to
perform
particular
sections of the
poem or
effective
techniques, as
identified by
adults, to share
good practice.
The two days of
performance
poetry should be
recorded by the
teacher to
capture
evidence of
pupil oracy
skills.
Performances
can also be
used as a
summative
assessment of
oracy skills,
using the EAS
oracy
assessment
placemats.
Y6_NarrativePoetryU
Oracy
nit_Resources_MarcBowen.pptx
placemats.docx
EAS English and literacy team