Stratford School Academy
Schemes of Learning
Year 10 Poetry
Grades: A,B, C
Number of weeks (between 6&8)
Content of the unit
Assumed prior learning (tested at the beginning of the unit)
A 6 week unit of work
Students learn how to make informed personal
responses to a range of poems, explaining and
analysing how writers use language for effect. This
unit prepares students for Section B and C of the
English Literature 8702/2 examination. In Section
B, students have to compare 2 poems (written
between 1789 and the present day) that they have
studied from the ‘Love and Relationships’ cluster in
the AQA poetry Anthology ‘Poems past and
present’. Section C asks students to compare 2
unseen poems that are linked by theme. They
should spend 45 mins on each section.
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A range of poetry terminology
PEE structure
Comparing poems
Analysing model comparisons
Approaches to Unseen poems
Assessment points and tasks
Written feedback points
Learning Outcomes (tested at the end and related to subject competences)
Mid-unit Assessment:
Formal teacher feedback provided in lessons 9 and
18
Understanding
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 Compare the ways poets present attitudes to
love in ‘Before You Were Mine’ and in
‘Sonnet 29’?
(Lesson 9)
End of Unit Assessment:
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Lesson 18 - Mock Section C (Unseen Poems)
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a) In ‘To a Daughter Leaving Home’, how does
the poet present the speaker’s feelings
about her daughter?
Language Analysis
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b) In both ‘Poem for My Sister’ and ‘To a
Daughter Leaving Home’ the speakers
describe feelings about watching someone
they love grow up. What are the similarities
and/or differences between the ways the
poets present those feelings?
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Lesson 20 – Mock Section B
 Compare how poets present attitudes
towards a parent in ‘Follower’ and in one
other poem from ‘Love and relationships’?
I make show a sophisticated understanding of a range of ideas and themes in a text
I can comment on how specific details of the text are influenced by its genre
I can summarise the main points in a passage by grouping similar ideas together to avoid
repetition
I can make consistent inferences about the thoughts and feelings expressed in a text
I can identify and explain the effect of factual details used by relating them to the overall
meaning
I can identify and explain the effect of opinions an bias expressed in the text by relating it to the
overall meaning
I can identify the images used in a text
I can identify and explain the effect of the figurative language used in a text
I can identify and explain the effect of the images used in a text
I can explain the use of the main verb in a sentence by relating it to the overall meaning
I can explain the use of the verb tense in a sentence by relating it to the overall meaning
I can explain the use of the adjectives in a sentence by relating them to the overall meaning
I can explain the use of the concrete nouns in a sentence by relating them to the overall
meaning
I can explain the use of adverbs in a sentence by relating them to the overall meaning
Analysis of Structure and Form
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Page 1 of 14
I can compare specific aspects of the presentational features used in different texts
I can identify and explain the effect of structural features used in a text
Stratford School Academy
Schemes of Learning
Year 10 Poetry
Grades: A,B, C
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AO1 Read, understand and respond to texts. Students
should be able to:
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Maintain a critical style and develop an informed
personal response
 Use textual references, including quotations, to
support and illustrate interpretations
(35–40%)
AO2 Analyse the language, form and structure used
by a writer to create meanings and effects, using
relevant subject terminology where appropriate
(40–45%)
AO3 Show understanding of the relationship between
texts and the contexts in which they were written
(15–20%)
I can identify and explain the effect of poetic features used in a text by relating them to the
overall meaning
I can explain the use of minor sentences in a text by relating them to the overall meaning
I can explain the use of complex sentences in a text by relating them to the overall meaning
Comparison and Links
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I can comment on how specific details of a text are influence by biographical context
I can evaluate the effectiveness of specific aspects of language through systematic comparison
I can evaluate the thoughts and feelings expressed in different texts through comparison
I can evaluate the language and methods used in different texts through comparison
I can evaluate the meanings presented in different texts through comparison
I can evaluate the validity of alternative interpretations of aspects of texts, or whole texts
Spelling
 I can use spelling strategies to aid my spelling
 I can understand the meaning and spelling of common prefixes and suffixes
 I can spell high frequency 'open class' words correctly e.g. look, man, think
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Punctuation
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I can use colons to introduce lists of items
I can use ellipsis to omit details or create suspense in creative writing
I can use two commas to add a subordinate clause in the middle of a sentence
I can use brackets for short, related information
I can use semicolons to link short, related sentences
Grammar
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I can write complex sentences with the subordinate clause in the middle of the sentence
I can write sentences with an adverb at the beginning
I can write sentences with the adverbial element in different sentence slot positions
Stratford School Academy
Schemes of Learning
Year 10 Poetry
Grades: A,B, C
Lesson
1.
Clear learning
intentions
Clear success criteria
Hook
KQ: What is
poetry?
All
Will be able to provide
a definition of poetry.
Students are shown
an abstract,
ambiguous picture
and asked to
describe what they
see to a partner.
Most will be able to
provide a definition that
refers to an existing
one.
Some will be able to
evaluate existing
definitions and provide
their own sophisticated
definition.
How does this relate
to poetry?
Students write their
own definition of
poetry.
Presentation of content
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Different definitions of poetry are pinned
up around the room. In groups of 5-6,
students move around the room discussing
and responding to each definition. One
member records comments in their team’s
colour. (AO1).
Questions to consider during this activity:
What do you think it means?
Do you agree or disagree with it?
Why?
Teacher models one quotation.
Students then disband and stand by the
quotation they agree with most. Ask for
justifications.
Guided practice
Independent practice
(homework)
Closure
Students then return to
their original definition:
Select the quotation that is
the weakest, the one you
disagree with and explain
why.
Stand everyone up and ask
them to think of a word
associated with today’s
lesson. 2 higher ability
students come to the front
and call out words. When a
student’s is guessed
accurately, they sit down!
Don’t allow ‘poetry’!
Finish your leaflet for
GCSE students, advising
them what to do in the
‘Modern Texts and Poetry’
exam.
Students find a different
partner on the other side of
the room and quick fire quiz
questions about the exam to
one another. The first to get
one wrong must sit down and
the ‘winners’ get to leave first.
Has it changed?
Can you extend it?
Students redraft in
green pen, including:
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What is poetry?
What is the
importance of
poetry: create your
own quotation.
Why do you think it
is important to
study poetry?
Encourage higher
ability to clearly refer to
original quotations.
2.
KQ: What do I
need to do in
the ‘Modern
Texts and
Poetry’ Exam?
All
will know what is
required for sections B
and C.
Most will know what is
required and
assessment objectives.
Some will know
content, AOs and offer
relevant advice to
GCSE students.
In pairs, students
investigate a mock
Literature paper
(8702/2) to answer
quiz questions
against the clock.
Fun timer alarm
goes off after 5
minutes.
Pairs swap and answer one another’s
questions as teacher delivers the answers.
Students have to translate AO1, 2 and 3 into
their own words before feeding back as a
class.
Person A highlights key words in Section B
mark scheme whilst Person B highlights key
words in Section C mark scheme.
(Students provided
with post-it notes) to
note down any
questions or queries
that they can ‘park’
at any time).
Page 3 of 14
Teacher models
opening paragraph for
a leaflet advising GCSE
students what to do in
the exam before
discussing how it
appeals to its audience.
Students continue,
adapting style
according to audience
and purpose
Do this on paper to swap
with partner next time.
Stratford School Academy
Schemes of Learning
Year 10 Poetry
Grades: A,B, C
3.
KQ: Can I
identify and
analyse poetic
devices?
All
Will be able to list a
range of poetic devices.
Most will be able to
identify these in an
unseen poem.
Some will be able to
provide sophisticated
analysis of these
devices.
4.
KQ: How does
Byron
communicate
the narrator’s
state of mind in
‘When we two
parted’?
All
will have a basic
understanding of the
poem’s message
Most
will be able to identify
poetic devices in the
poem.
Some
will be able to comment
on the effect of these
devices in the poem.
Students complete
‘Find Someone Who’
Bingo sheets for
poetry devices,
travelling around the
room. They must
move on to a new
person for each
question. The one
who finishes first
shouts ‘Bingo’!
Card sort matching poetic devices with their
correct definition and example.
Extension:
To provide a different example of the device.
Students are provided with an accessible
poem that they identify the devices in and
highlight. They then complete a grid detailing
the quotation and effects on the reader.
Teacher models a PEE
paragraph analysing
one quotation from the
poem. Class
deconstructs this to
create a success
criteria.
Students choose a
different quotation to write
an analytical paragraph
on, applying EBIs from
their self-assessment.
Students self-assess their
PEE paragraph against the
success criteria.
Teacher models how to
interrogate stanza 1
using pertinent
annotated questions.
Peer assesses your
partner’s HW piece from
previous lesson (leaflet for
GCSE students advising
them about the ‘Modern
Texts and Poetry’ exam).
Students swap questions and
answer.
After teacher demonstration, students write
their own PEE analysis on a key quotation.
Play a video of
‘When we two
parted’ by Lord
Byron. Ask students
to write a list of
adjectives for how
the narrator feels,
based on delivery
and language.
Pass A3 copies of stanzas 1, 2, 3 and 4
around, with each table adding note responses
in a different colour to the following questions:
Stanza 1. Choose four or five words from the
poem that provide clues about the poet’s state
of mind.
Stanza 2: what does the poet feel ‘now’?
Stanza 3: what might the poet not be able to
‘tell’?
Stanza 4: what does the poet seem to be most
upset about?
Tables nominate a speaker to feedback.
Provide students with the whole poem and ask
them to annotate with questions that the poem
raises (teacher models for stanza 1). They
then look back through the poem and
speculate about the kind of events that might
have occurred to give rise to the feelings that
the poet expresses, considering: a) What might
have happened to make the poet remember
and re-live his emotions and recollections of
the first parting? b) Who might ‘They’ be –
mentioned twice in stanza 3? c) Why might the
poet decide to continue to ‘grieve’ in silence?
d) What seems to upset the writer most about
what has happened? exploring the detail.
Page 4 of 14
Stratford School Academy
Schemes of Learning
Year 10 Poetry
Grades: A,B, C
5.
How can we
read ‘When we
two parted’
aloud to best
convey the
range of
emotions that
the poem
expresses?
All
Will experiment with
different performances
of a poem.
Most
Will make informed
judgements about their
performance choices.
Some
Will be able to
sophisticatedly justify
their performance
choices, providing
supportive evidence.
Have students take
it in turns to read a
line aloud from
‘When we two
parted’,
experimenting with
which words to
stress. For example,
in the opening lines
of stanza 1, you
could read it by
stressing the
following words
(shown in bold):
When we two parted
In silence and tears,
half broken hearted
To sever for years,
Emphasis that the
stresses often fall
on words that build
up a picture of the
poet’s feelings
towards his long lost
love.
1. Students list these stressed words or
highlight them on a copy of the poem.
2. Find all the examples of words that
convey cold or lack of life or colour. What
do these suggest to you about the kind of
feelings that the poet has?
3. The poem hinges on reflections about
‘then’ and now’. Find three examples from
the poem where ‘then’ and ‘now’ are set in
direct contrast to each other.
4. Consider the following examples of
repetition. For each, explain its effect on
the reader:
 cold/colder (Stanza 1)
 fame/name/shame/name (Stanzas 2
and 3)
 knew thee/knew thee too well (Stanza
3)
 Long, long (Stanza 3, and a third repeat
of ‘long’ in the final verse)
 In secret we met – /In silence I grieve
(Stanza 4)
 Silence and tears (Stanzas 1 and 4).
5.
Students read the poem aloud again in
two different ways:
a) In a tone of sadness and sorrow that their
love has grown cold towards them and is
involved with another person.
b) In a tone of increasing bitterness and
anger about the ending of the affair and
what the previous lover is now up to.
Page 5 of 14
Teacher models how to
perform a poem with
flair. Class identifies
WWW as well as EBIs
for improvement.
Homework:
Pupil demonstration:
Which ‘reading’ do you
now consider to best
convey the range of
emotions that the poem
expresses?
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Discuss which words were
stressed, how they were
said and why this is an
appropriate performance
choice.
Selected pairs perform
their favoured delivery
and verbally justify their
choices.
Stratford School Academy
Schemes of Learning
Year 10 Poetry
Grades: A,B, C
6.
KQ: How does
Carol Ann
Duffy use
imagery, tone,
structure and
language in
‘Before You
Were Mine’?
All
Will have a basic
understanding of the
poem’s message.
Most
Will be able to identify
poetic devices in the
poem.
Some
Will be able to
comment on the effect
of these devices in the
poem.
In pairs, students
discuss what a
typical teenager’s
perfect weekend
would be – what
activities would it
involve and what
adjectives would you
use to describe the
teenager?
Take feedback
before then asking:
‘How might this
weekend change if
that teenager had a
baby?
In table groups, students are given mixed up
stanzas of the poem and asked to order them.
Teacher models
analysis of stanza 1
HW: Find a photo of one
of your parents from
before you were born and
use it to inspire your own
version of ‘Before you
were Mine’
Vote with your feet: Ask
students to stand next to the
idea that they think the poem
puts across the strongest.
The poet romanticizes her
mother and the glamorous
life she used to lead.
The poet longs to see her
mother as she once was,
before she was tied down
with motherhood.
The poet recognizes that all
mothers have mothers - her
mother's mother used to
'stand at the close with a
hiding for the late one',
perhaps as the poet's mother
now watches out for her...
The poet is re-examining her
own feelings as a daughter.
Teacher models an
answer to the first
question posed,
emphasising how to
embed quotations.
HW - Re-read the final
three lines closely. The
poet starts with ‘Because’
as she intends to convey a
complex, elusive idea
about why she no longer
wants to think of her love.
Write a paragraph to show
your understanding of
what she attempts to
express.
Have students write two of
the following phrases that
they think best describe the
kind of love that is expressed
in the poem:
Take feedback justifying these choices.
Students watch video of ‘Before You were
Mine’ by Carol Ann Duffy. They then label each
stanza with the correct content description.
After teacher model, conduct a silent debate,
asking students to travel around the room
annotating A3 versions of the poem. Stick
these on the wall for reference later. Select 4
more able students to feedback to group.
What would this
person now have to
consider?
What adjectives
might you now use
to describe them?
7.
KQ: Can I
justify which
type of love
E.B. Browning
is expressing
in ‘Sonnet 29’?
All
Will be able to select
important quotations.
Most
Will be able to identify
what these quotations
are technically.
Some
Will be able to
comment on the effect
of these devices in the
poem.
Dictionary Race:
Project the archaic
words from sonnet
29 and ask students
in teams to race
through the
dictionaries to find
correct definition of
the words and come
up to write them on
the board.
Provide a definition
of ‘sonnet’
Have students read the poem twice, the
second time slowly, pausing after the fourth,
eighth and last lines, before writing down their
immediate impressions of who:
-the speaking voice is
-the poem is addressed to
On a copy of the poem, highlight every
instance of the word ‘thee’.
-What does this tell us about the nature of the
poet’s thought processes?
- What is the effect of the continual use
throughout the poem of words that rhyme with
‘thee’?
- How might the structure of the poem ‘mirror’
or ‘act out’ what it is that the poet wants to
happen?
Page 6 of 14
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unfulfilled love
romantic love
sisterly love
passionate love
one-way love
unhappy love
broken love
distant love
Take feedback from selected
students, asking for a phrase
or line from the poem to
justify their choice.
Stratford School Academy
Schemes of Learning
Year 10 Poetry
Grades: A,B, C
8.
KQ: How does
E.B. Browning
use extended
metaphor in
‘Sonnet 29’?
All
Will develop ideas and
feelings through
sustained speaking
turns.
Most
Will speak in extended
turns to express
straightforward ideas
and feelings.
Some
Will express and
explain relevant ideas
and feelings, with some
elaboration to make
meaning explicit.
9.
KQ: How do I
structure a
poetry
comparison
essay?
All
Will know the
suggested structure of
a comparison essay.
Most
Will be able to explain
the suggested structure
of a comparison essay.
Some
Will be able to evaluate
the effectiveness of this
structure.
Show students a
picture of a tree
covered in vine
leaves.
Ask them to
describe:
- what they see
- qualities of the tree
and vine
-How this could be
related to a
relationship
On a copy of the poem, students highlight in
different colours all of the words and phrases
that relate to:
-wild vines
- trees
Teacher models a
verbal exploration of
the tree metaphor
before asking students
to verbally explore the
metaphors themselves.
HW – Students write their
discussion up into a formal
analytical paragraph.
Show levelled success
criteria for speaking and
listening/presentation skills.
Have students self-assess
their contribution, giving a
WWW/EBI to go with their
decided level.
Teacher models how to
create a mind-map or
comparison grid in
preparation for an
essay response.
HW - Compare the ways
poets present attitudes to
love in ‘Before You were
Mine’ and in ‘Sonnet 29’.
Ask students to draw the
burger essay diagram on
whiteboards and hold them
up at the end.
(Students must only spend
45 mins on this).
Interrogate understanding
through questioning.
Discuss on tables what each image might
represent?
For each ’section’ of the sonnet, ask students
to summarise the main ideas that the poet
expresses, and select two quotations that
convey this clearly.
After modelling, return to the two extended
metaphors of a vine and a tree. In table
groups, students verbally respond to this:
‘Explore possible interpretations of what these
metaphors reveal about the nature of romantic
love between a woman and a man, as seen by
the poet.’
Show a detailed
picture on the board
for when students
arrive, ask them to
memorise it.
Then show a slightly
different image and
ask them to ‘spot the
difference’
Afterwards show
both images side by
side to emphasise
how much easier it
is to compare when
you cross-reference
Brainstorm synonyms for ‘comparing’,
‘contrasting’, ‘adding’, resulting’, ‘emphasising
Analyse a model answer, highlighting the
compare/contrast words
Deliver a ‘curve ball’ question but emphasise
that all questions are essentially asking you to
do the same thing and you can stick to this
structure:
- Introduction (outlining different types of love
and context of writer).
- Structure of both
- Language used in both
- Attitudes and feelings conveyed in both
- Conclusion (referring back to question and
differing contexts).
Page 7 of 14
Stratford School Academy
Schemes of Learning
Year 10 Poetry
Grades: A,B, C
10.
KQ: How is the
idea of love
presented in
‘Love’s
Philosophy by
Percy Bysshe
Shelley?
All
Will have a basic
understanding of the
poem’s message.
Most
Will be able to identify
poetic devices in the
poem.
Key vocabulary
match-up, e.g.:
Philosophy
Fountains
Disdain
Personification
Assertion.
Class reading of the poem colour-coded into
assertions and questions. Ask students to
exaggerate the assertive or questioning tone.
Teacher models how to
write first analytical
paragraph.
HW – To complete written
response to key question.
Students peer-assess one
another’s written response so
far, offering WWW/EBI.
Teacher models how to
highlight key sections
and how to annotate a
poem effectively.
HW – Summarise the
events of ‘Porphyria’s
Lover.’
Students invent a new title for
the poem that conveys their
initial idea of its main theme
Show these on miniwhiteboards.
Split class into groups and ask them to
annotate A3 copies of the poem, focusing on
different areas:
1) References to features of the natural world
using personification.
2) Repeated words and phrases
3) Differences in the rhythm of words and
phrases – the metrical pattern of each line – to
emphasise an idea.
4) The use of punctuation at the end of lines
Some
Will be able to
comment on the effect
of these devices in the
poem.
Groups feedback verbally and stick their
annotated copies up on the wall for reference
later
Students start to answer the KQ in their books
11.
KQ: What are
my first
impressions of
‘Porphyria’s
Lover’ by
Robert
Browning?
All
Will understand what
happens in the poem.
Most
Will be able to support
these events with
relevant evidence from
the text.
Some
Will begin to explore
this textual evidence for
meaning.
Show students the
painting of
Porphyria’s Lover by
Dante Gabriel
Rossetti.
Ask them to
describe what they
see and provide
adjectives for the
character.
Ask students to think about the phrase
‘dramatic monologue’. What do the two words
suggest to them?
Label the poem with significant events.
Read the poem through again as far as the
line: ‘Murmuring how she loved me –’ Make
brief notes that record the:
Setting
characters
mood or atmosphere – and any changes
noticed.
Students dramatise the scene in pairs, using
own words for Porphyria’s Lover and thought
tracking for Porphyria
.
Watch 2 afterwards.
Page 8 of 14
Stratford School Academy
Schemes of Learning
Year 10 Poetry
Grades: A,B, C
12.
KQ: Can I use
evidence to
prove
Porphyria’s
Lover’s guilt?
All
Will select appropriate
textual detail.
Most
Will analyse these
quotations for meaning.
Watch the animated
video of ‘Porphyria’s
Lover’ before
labelling the poem
with different events.
KQ: How is the
social and
historical
context
reflected in
‘The Farmer’s
Bride’ by
Charlotte
Mew?
Students discuss:
All
Will provide
social/historical detail in
their response.
-
Most
Will relate this
contextual knowledge
to the language of the
poem.
Some
Will compare the
different responses
from readers of the
1900s and of the
modern day.
Students complete a grid containing key
quotations, identifying the devices and effects.
In pairs, students talk through their
‘prosecuting statement’ before writing up
individually.
Some
Will present their
evidence in an
emphatic, persuasive
way.
13.
As a class, construct the success criteria for a
‘successful prosecution.’
What is your
view on
marriage?
What is your
view on an
arranged
marriage?
Students make notes on – if a poem is written
in a certain season... What would that suggest
about the poem?
Watch a video of ‘The Farmer’s Bride’ before
considering the history of the institution of
marriage (especially in more rural
communities).
Students return to the poem
1. Highlight all the words and phrases in
the poem that tell us something about
the farmer.
2. In a different colour, highlight all the
words and phrases that tell us about his
wife.
3. Now link statements about the farmer’s
bride provided to the relevant parts of
the poem.
Students choose one quotation to link to the
social/historical context of the poem.
Page 9 of 14
Teacher models
opening paragraph of
the ‘prosecuting
statement’ before
students continue,
emphasising focus on
textual evidence.
HW – Students finish
writing up their prosecuting
statement.
Teacher models
paragraph that links
language analysis to
the social/historical
context. Interrogate this
as a class to produce
success criteria.
HW – Research changing
attitudes to marriage in the
early 20th Century.
Find the Fib:
-Porphyria is upset that she
hasn’t been willing to give
herself to PL fully.
-PL sees Porphyria as a
person to be owned or
possessed.
-Porphyria doesn’t care for
PL at all.
-PL thinks he is doing the
right thing in taking her life
and feels no guilt.
2 more able students come to
the front and call out words
related to the lesson. Other
students think of a word
relating to the lesson. When
their word is called they can
stand up.
Stratford School Academy
Schemes of Learning
Year 10 Poetry
Grades: A,B, C
14.
KQ: How does
the poet
present the
relationship
between the
father and son
in ‘Follower’ by
Seamus
Heaney?
All
Will have a basic
understanding of the
poem’s message.
Most
Will be able to identify
poetic devices in the
poem.
Some
Will be able to
comment on the effect
of these devices in the
poem.
15.
KQ: How does
Simon
Armitage use
extended
metaphor in
‘Mother, any
distance’?
All
Will provide basic
points about the poem.
Most
Will be able support
these points with
textual evidence?
Some
Will be explore these
quotations for further
meaning.
Ask students to think
about the
connotations of the
word, ‘follower’.
Consider:
- When you might
use the word
‘follower’
- The opposite of
following
- When following
can be a
positive thing
and when it can
be negative
- If following is
sometimes
necessary
Ask students to
discuss what a kite
and an anchor might
be metaphors for
If a kite and an
anchor could
symbolise a
relationship – what
type of relationship
might that be?
Watch a video version of the poem
In pairs – students respond to questions on
either stanzas1-3 or 4-6 before swapping ideas
with another pair.
Teacher models one
PEE paragraph that
analyses one quotation,
picking out its
strengths.
HW – Write a response to
the KQ.
Write 3 top tips for
completing the HW task.
Teacher models a PEE
paragraph that
analyses one quotation.
HW – Redraft PEE
paragraph, applying EBIs.
Students write their favourite
key quotation from the text on
their mini-whiteboard. Pick
students randomly to
compose the ‘point’ that
would introduce this
‘evidence’.
Provide each table with a point/topic sentence
and assign roles. As a table, they have to
identify the corresponding quotation and
provide analysis.
Tables feedback and students use this to
complete their analysis grid.
Read the poem as a class without revealing
the title. Ask students to name the poem
Remind students what metaphor and extended
metaphor are before asking them to highlight
these in the poem
Students pick out one of the metaphors which
they think is particularly effective before
writing a paragraph answering the following
question:
‘In Mother Any Distance, in what way does
Simon Armitage’s use of metaphors add to the
overall meaning of the poem?’
Students peer-assess each other’s PEE
paragraphs.
Page 10 of 14
Stratford School Academy
Schemes of Learning
Year 10 Poetry
Grades: A,B, C
16.
KQ: How is
Singh’s wife
presented in
‘Singh Song’?
All
Will produce a visual
representation of
Singh’s wife.
Most
Will produce a visual
representation of
Singh’s wife that is
accurate and detailed.
Some
Will produce a an
accurate and detailed
visual representation of
Singh’s wife that is
accurately labelled.
Starter discussion
points in pairs:
How do you think
you would write in
an Indian accent?
Write the following
sentence
phonetically, in an
Indian accent:
“When will you go to
the shop?”
Think about the
features of an Indian
accent in terms of
letter sounds,
rhythm and
grammar.
Group discussion points:
When immigrants first come to a new country,
they naturally try to work hard in order to
provide for their family and make a new life.
However, how might their children act? Why?
What is the Indian tradition for marriage?
Watch a video version of the poem before
asking students to perform it aloud to one
another.
Students draw a picture of Singh’s wife using
the details from stanzas five, six and seven.
As students to surround their picture with
quotations that support their interpretation.
Students write answers to:
- What does Singh’s wife do and how may
that differ from the traditional Indian
marriages?
- Considering what you may know about the
Indian culture, what do you think the Indian
community’s reaction to her might be?
Page 11 of 14
Teacher models how to
deliver the poem
phonetically.
HW – Write a diary entry
for Singh’s wife, describing
her life and how she feels
about her husband.
Gallery walk:
Students travel around the
room, voting for the best
drawings of Singh’s wife,
using post-its.
Stratford School Academy
Schemes of Learning
Year 10 Poetry
Grades: A,B, C
17.
KQ: How does
Daljit Nagra
use language
to explore the
theme of
marriage in
‘Singh Song’?
All
Will have a basic
understanding of the
poem’s message.
Most
Will be able to identify
poetic devices in the
poem.
Some
Will be able to
comment on the effect
of these devices in the
poem.
Show students the
following quotation
which summarises
the philosophy
behind Sikh
matrimony and ask
them what they think
it means:
They are not said
to be husband and
wife, who merely
sit together. Rather
they alone are
called husband
and wife, who have
one soul in two
bodies.”
- Guru Amar Das.
Provide each table with one stanza from the
poem, along with questions interrogating it.
Students annotate this for techniques and
analyse for effect before feeding back.
Students annotate poem during feedback.
Students write a PEE response to the key
question, exploring two quotations for effect.
Students swap with face partners and peerassess.
EXT: Which two
lines represent this
philosophy? Which
poetic technique has
Nagra used to
establish it, and
what is its effect?
Page 12 of 14
Teacher models PEE
paragraph on one
quotation.
HW – To redraft PEE
paragraph, applying EBIs.
Which poem would you
compare ‘Singh Song’ with in
the exam?
Have students write this
suggestion on a miniwhiteboard and select
students to justify the
connection.
Stratford School Academy
Schemes of Learning
Year 10 Poetry
Grades: A,B, C
18.
KQ: How
should I
approach an
unseen poem?
All
Will be able to recall
two new strategies for
approaching unseen
poems.
Most
Will be able to recall
most of the strategies
and apply them to an
unseen stanza.
Some
Will confidently apply a
range of strategies and
be able to justify their
function.
Activity 1
Students are to
match the key words
(‘Unseen’, ‘attitudes’
& ‘theme) to their
meanings.
Ask students to
make a fake ‘cheat
sheet’ for their pencil
which they will
record approaches
onto throughout the
lesson.
Ask students if they can make meaning out of three
pictures displayed on the board. (E.g. a huntsman, a tiger
and pile of cash). Take feedback.
Then ask students if they can make meaning out of three
words displayed on the board (e.g. ’rise’, ‘hope’ and ‘trod’).
Ask students what the starter might represents
(I.e. constructing meaning from limited knowledge, like we
have to when approaching an unseen poem).
Activity 2
Give tables a stanza each from ‘Still I Rise’ by Maya
Angelou and get them to highlight emotions/feelings. Then
complete additional A3 sheet, identifying the stanzas
emotions and how they know.
Activity 3
After teacher modelling, show an image of an iceberg,
asking students to link the 2 things.
Page 13 of 14
Teacher
models
interrogation of
the following
line:
Choose 2 unseen poems from
the internet. Write an analysis of
one, using the approaches
we’ve learned today.
(To be teacher marked).
But still, like
air,
I’ll rise
The second poem will be used
by your partner next lesson.
before
showing an
image of an
iceberg, asking
students to link
the 2 things.
Students write 5
bullet points,
summarising what
they have learned
today about
approaching an
unseen poem.
If time allows – play
‘You say, we pay’ to
refresh knowledge of
poetry devices.
Stratford School Academy
Schemes of Learning
Year 10 Poetry
Grades: A,B, C
19.
KQ: Can I
approach an
unseen poem
successfully?
All
Will be able to
demonstrate basic
understanding of an
unseen poem.
Most
Will support their ideas
with relevant quotation.
Some
Will confidently explore
the effects of devices
used.
Display
Explain that ‘A HIT POEM’ stands for:
‘A HIT POEM’
 About
on the board, along
with the definition of
‘Mnemonic.’
 Historical/Social Context
 Imagery
 Techniques
Ask students to think
about what ‘A HIT
POEM’ might mean
or might stand for?




Teacher
shows a model
essay and
deconstructs
its success.
Personal response
Organisation
Emotions
Message
HW – Mock Section C (Unseen
Poems)
c) In ‘To a Daughter
Leaving Home’, how
does the poet present
the speaker’s feelings
about her daughter?
Peer assessment of
written answers
against level
descriptors.
Select students to
offer targets to rest
of class.
d) In both ‘Poem for My
Sister’ and ‘To a
Daughter Leaving Home’
the speakers describe
feelings about watching
someone they love grow
up. What are the
similarities and/or
differences between the
ways the poets present
those feelings?
Students have been asked to bring in a poem of their
choice and now swap it with someone from another table;
thus every student now has a new ‘unseen’ poem to
respond to
In shoulder pairs, students construct a plan for one
another’s poem
Independent writing:
Students apply ‘A HIT POEM’ to their poem
20.
KQ: How do the
poets present
attitudes
towards a
parent in
‘Follower’ and in
one other poem
from ‘Love and
relationships’?
All
Will demonstrate clear
understanding of the
poems selected.
Most
Will demonstrate
thoughtful, developed
consideration of the
poems selected.
Some
Will demonstrate
convincing, critical
analysis and
exploration of the
poems selected.
Quiz on what you
need to do in
Section B of the
‘Modern Texts and
Poetry’ paper.
Allow 5 minutes for students to re-read the poems and
draft an essay plan.
Independent Writing:
Students answer the end of unit assessment question in
exam conditions.
Display the Key
Question (which
students will be
answering today
along with the
mnemonic ‘A HIT
POEM’ and the
‘Burger diagram’ for
structuring a
comparison essay.
Page 14 of 14
Teacher
reminds
students about
strategies for
comparing
poems before
starting.
HW – Identify your 5 main
strength and 5 main areas of
improvement for poetry analysis.
Once the
assessments have
been collected, ask
students which
poem they chose to
compare ‘Follower’
with and why?