Year group: 7
Title
Reading For Meaning
Tier Level 3 - 8
Length
6 weeks
Unit description: Understanding and responding to print, electronic and multi-modal texts
● extract the main points and relevant information from a text or source using a range of strategies such as skimming and
scanning.
● use inference and deduction to recognise implicit meanings at sentence and text level.
● make relevant notes when gathering ideas from texts.
● identify and understand the main ideas, viewpoints, themes and purposes in a text.
● make a personal response to a text and provide some textual reference in support.
● Explore the range of different ways writers use layout, form and presentation in a variety of texts.
● Explore the variety and range of ways the content of texts can be organised, structured and combined.
Learning objectives
Reading assessment focus 3 and 5 (RAF)
3: Deduce, infer or interpret information, events or ideas from texts.
5: Explain and comment on writer’s use of language
Level or Grade
Learning outcomes
Phase 1: Understand the skills being taught and their importance
Phase 2: Development of skills.
Phase 3: Using skills specifically for ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’.
Phase 4: Analysis of characters in the play.
Phase 5: Reflect on previous phase, set targets, redraft.
Phase 6: Reading comprehension on inference and deduction.
3-8
Prior knowledge
National Framework for Secondary Education
Unit on writing media texts: should have some prior knowledge relating to organisation
of texts, and effect on reader. Previous reading assessments may have introduced
them to quotations, writer’s intention and effect on reader.
See above
What comes next – connections to other topics and units
Reading and analysing any text.
Title of Unit/Year Group
Speaking and Listening:
BLP
(Resilience, creative thinking, reflecting,
working collaboratively)
Creative thinking, reflecting, working collaboratively, resilience.
Social, Moral, Spiritual and Cultural
Development
Social and cultural context of Shakespeare. Consequences of actions of lovers and the
impact of their behaviour on one another – do they behave in a morally correct way?
Applied Learning Opportunities
(Role play, case study, discussion,
assimilation, group work, modelling,
problem solving)
ICT
Role play, discussion, group work, modelling.
Powerpoints, YouTube, independent research.
Literacy key words
Structure, linguistic techniques, simile, metaphor, onomatopoeia, senses, personification,
alliteration, analyse, quote, select, retrieve, understand, skills, assessment foci, themes,
characters
Cross-curricular links
Citizenship- media/non-fiction
History- social and historical context
Geography- travel writing
LRC- information retrieval, P2l- bibliography
International Dimension
Use of text/media from a range of culturally diverse writers.
Misconceptions
Work is at its best standard after one attempt. Not needing to plan and adjust work.
Assessment Tasks
En1: Speaking and Listening assessment
● Students are to present a group presentation on the analysis of a poem (S and L AF 2).
En2: Reading assessment
● Formative –
● Summative - Reading comprehension-Why and how does Grace Nichols use imagery in ‘Hurricane
Hits England’? (AF3/5)
En3: Writing assessment
● En3 – Create a descriptive writing piece on what it would be like to be the parrot inside the cage. (AF7/8)
Phase 1 – Week 1 (Introducing the skills) – year 7, spring 1
Overview of this
phase
Introduce 4
skills. Pupils
learn through
looking at a
range of
extracts.
P2L: Make
your own fairy
kingdom (hint
for boys
classes, the
kingdom can be
a dangerous,
scary place!).
How will the pupils learn?
e.g. tasks/activities, starters, plenaries …
How will the learning
emerge?
e.g. key questions,
assessment points …
Introduction:
Introduce unit. Explain that we will be looking at how to find meaning
in texts, both fiction and non-fiction. We will be looking to develop at
least 4 broad skills, looking at different extracts and a variety of texts
to practice those skills. Make explicit what those skills are, linking to
levels for progress. (this can be done over phase 1 or in the first
lesson).
Q: What skills will you
be assessed on?
What is the difference
between fiction and nonfiction?
Lesson 1: What is a poem?
Show the class a series of poem/lyrics/slogans and get them to
decide if they are poems and why. This is to get them to think about
what poetry is and what it means to them.
Get class to feedback their answers to the questions.Answer
plenary questions in books: What makes a poem a poem? Do
poems have conventions?
Lesson 2: Similes
What is a simile?
Discuss with the class what a simile is and what the most effective
one is.
Students have 2 minutes to write down as many similes as possible.
What one do they think is most effective and why?
Show class November Night show class an effective simile and
discuss why it is effective. Get them to analyse by writing a
PEEEWE paragraph.
Using the poem Quieter than Snow students identify different
similes.
Allow the class to create their own simile poem using the scaffold on
the slide. Plenary: Why do you think similes are used?
Lesson 3: Metaphors
Turn a selection of similes into metaphors
Show the class an example of a poem made up of metaphors and
get them to choose their favourite and discuss why.
As a class go through and see what you can add and do to improve
the sea poem. Students are then to have a go at making up their
What is your favourite
poem from the ones that
we have looked at?
Why?
What line stands out to
you? Why?
What do you think the
writer was trying to
make you think and
feel? Was there a
message in the poem?
How will this be adjusted?
e.g. support/extension …
Resources
Use differentiated
resources, for lower and
middle/higher.
A series of
poems on
slides some are
accompanied
by YouTube
clips.
What is a
poem?
Support and extension:
working in pairs/groups, for
instance matching high
with lower ability. Group
analysis allows for more
independence. Higher
ability can be introduced to
PEE paragraphs. Use
models of higher levels
than the class is currently
working at (see APP
exemplar work or use your
own examples).
November
Night
Quieter than
Snow
Why is it effective?
What does it make you
think of?
Why do you think the
poet chose the words
that he used?
The Sea Dog
What is the effect of this
simile/metaphor?
Why do we think
metaphors are important
own poem using the slides for a guide/inspiration
Plenary: Ask class questions to check understanding of metaphors.
in poetry?
What do metaphors add
to poetry?
How do metaphors
make a poem’s meaning
clearer?
Are metaphors more
powerful than similes?
Phase 2 – year 7, spring 1
Overview of this
phase
Development of
skills/consolidation of
Afs 2, 4, 5, 6.
Also an opportunity to
cover strands not
covered by the AFs i.e.
note taking, skimming
and scanning.
How will the pupils learn?
e.g. tasks/activities, starters, plenaries …
Lesson 1: Personification
Show the class an example of a personification poem with gaps. Let the
students guess what the poem is describing. Do they think that the poem
describes it well enough?
Read the poem: Snow and Snow together as a class. Discuss the
different types of snow.
Show a model of an analysis of the snow. Write an analysis together and
get the students to have a go themselves. Peer mark (plenary)
Extension: Get students to create their own poem.
Lesson 2: Alliteration and Rhyme
Show class the Sea Shell poem get the class to have a go at the tongue
twister.
Look at the poem The Tyger and discuss repetition and rhyme why is it
effective Why did the poet choose to use that device?
Choose an animal to describe using alliteration and rhyme.
In pairs the students need to sort out and organise the poem Winter.
How do you know what order the poem went in? What about the rhyme?
Can you improve your earlier poem by using rhyming couplets?
How will the learning
emerge?
e.g. key questions,
assessment points …
How will this be
adjusted?
e.g. support/extension
…
Resources
What impression is given of
the snow?
What is being said about the
snow? What type of snow?
What point will I make?
What words do you want to
look at in detail?
What words can I ‘zoom-in’ on
to explore the poet’s ideas?
What is being suggested by
the words chosen by the poet?
Can I think of different ideas
about what the poet might
have meant (alternative
meanings)?
Get students to create their
own poem. Using
personification.
Snow and Snow poem
What device has the poet
used? Is it effective? Why?
The Tyger
Disorganised poem of
Winter
Show video of how to create
your own Haiku
Lesson 3: Haiku
Show video and explain what a haiku is. Show examples and get
students to correct the haikus if the rule isn’t shown. Show students a
slide to give them and idea on how and what to create a haiku of their
own. Peer mark. Plenary what do you think about poems with set forms?
Are they easy to create?
Lesson 4: Sonnets
Explain what a sonnet is and how it works. Show sonnet 130 ask
students what they think of it and the key words that are underlined
Show Sonnet 130 using Dr Who and Lauren Cooper (video)
Show and discuss the meaning of sonnet 130
Show ideas of symbolism and imagery and structure. Get students to
create their own sonnet. Peer assessment: Have they written a rebel
sonnet?
What is a rebel sonnet?
What imagery does the
language create?
Is it real love?
Pick out your favourite line.
Why do you like it?
Video of Lauren Cooper and
David Tennent
Sonnet 130
Phase 3 – year 7, spring 1
Overview of this phase
EN1 task and EN3 Writing
task.
How will the pupils learn?
e.g. tasks/activities, starters,
plenaries …
Lesson 1: Writing to describe
Revise what an adjective is get the
class to write 5 or more
Do the same for: adverb, simile,
metaphor and personification. Go
through sense.
Creative thinking: Do the sweet
game. Get the students to imagine
a chocolate sweet- go through the
sense with them. You can do this
with a real sweet. Show pictures of
a market place and get students to
describe scene.
Lesson 2: Writing assessment
planning/preparation
Go through context of Grace
Nichols
Show video of the trailer of Rio
Give students the planning sheet
to help scaffold and plan ideas for
assessment.
Show the class how they can turn
ideas into skills and techniques.
With differentiated levels so they
can aspire for higher levels.
Show developed ideas and
sentences under the visualizer.
Class discuss improvements
together. In readiness for
assessment next lesson.
Lesson 3:
Writing Assessment (En3):
Create a descriptive writing piece
on what it would be like to be the
parrot inside the cage. (AF7/8)
.
How will the learning emerge?
e.g. key questions, assessment
points …
How will this be adjusted?
e.g. support/extension …

Use a VCOP triangle to
support writing
EN1 ASSESSMENT.
Have they included all of the
senses?
Adjective and adverbs carefully
chosen for effect?
Similes and metaphors?
What do you like about it?
What phrase do you find most
descriptive?
Resources
A model will be shown
Video of Rio trailer
Youtube video
I am a parrot poem
What do we learn about Grace
Nichols?
What can we infer about parrots being
free?
What do we already know about
parrots?
What do they look like?
What do they sound like?
Where do they live?
What do they like to eat?
Marking sheet in folder with
lesson PowerPoint
Phase 4 – year 7, spring 1
Overview of this
phase
How will the pupils learn?
e.g. tasks/activities, starters/plenaries …
Lesson 1: Introduction to Hurricane Hits England
Show images associated with ideas from the poem.
Show video of the news being broadcast in 1987 of the
hurricane in England to give students the context.
Explore the meaning of the title. Lesson is based a lot
around the questions in order to promote discussion.
Go through further context and the reading of the poem:
Hurricane Hits England
Get students to annotate the poem and identify devices
used. Plenary Write a small paragraph in the form of
PEE to show your understanding.
Lesson 2: Formative reading assessment: En 2
Reading comprehension-Why and how does
Grace Nichols use imagery in ‘Hurricane Hits
England’? (AF3/5) To be peer marked teacher
to take in book to add extra feed back if
necessary.
Preparation of analysing both language and
structure
Lesson 3: Summative assessment. Same as
formative but improvements used and using
planning sheet given this can be done over two
lessons.
How will the learning emerge?
e.g. key questions, assessment
points …
Discussion
What is a hurricane?
Can you think of any recent natural
disasters that have happened in the
world?
Can you think of any natural disaster to
take place in England during your
lifetime?
From what we have learnt so far, why
do you think the poet has written her
poem title in a newspaper headline
style?
You experience a hurricane: what
emotions would you feel?
How will this be
adjusted?
e.g.
support/extension …
Videos and visuals
Res
Phase 5 – year 7, spring 1
Overview of
this phase
En1 Speaking
and listening:
group
presentation on
poem
How will the pupils learn?
e.g. tasks/activities, starters,
plenaries …
See speaking and listening activities.
Students are to pick a poem to
present.
How will the learning emerge?
e.g. key questions, assessment
points …
How will this be adjusted?
e.g. support/extension …
Resources