Session
1
Skills/Subject
Literacy
1. Offer reasons and
evidence for their
views, considering
alternative opinions.
7. Explain how
writers use
figurative and
expressive language
to create images and
atmosphere.
8. Interrogate texts
to deepen and clarify
understanding and
response.
L. I &
Success
Criteria
LI – compare and
contrast poems
SC
- read through
- pick your
favourite. Why?
- What do you
like about it?
- What language
do you like?
- Rhythms and
rhymes?
- content?
Focus Groups
White House Primary School
Spring Term 4
Whole School Theme: Literacy – Mountain Poetry
Year Topaz
Main Teaching
Show poem The Wind (1st 2 pages). Discuss poem – who wrote it? (Christina Rossetti) Show
2nd poem: Storm Wind (pp 3-4). Point out that this is on same theme, written by same poet.
Read 3rd poem: Whistling Wind (p5), also same theme/poet. Discuss poems’ content: first
poem is about the wind’s invisibility, second is about the wind’s effect, third is about the
wind never-ending. Explain that over the next 2 days, we shall compare these poems,
looking carefully at each one & analysing the use of language which will help them to
eventually write their own poems about mountains. Read through each poem again. Point out
how words and rhythms are simple but effective.
Discuss each poem. Who
thought this one was their
favourite? Why? Chn to
give their feedback.
Look on last page at words ‘wandering’ & ‘whistling’. Ask chn if they know what the words
mean? Give chn 2/3 mins to work in pairs & write a definition of either word. Click on face
icon on p5. Chn then compare their definition with the one given. Point out that even though
we know what the words mean, they are hard to define! Look again at the poem & show how
each word chosen is exactly the right word for the context! They are powerful verbs.
Differentiation
SEND – Chn to list the similarities between the three poems. Chn to then pick their
favourite, and to begin to analyse what they like about it, making notes and giving reasons
as to why- IW
LA - Chn to list the similarities between the three poems. They then work individually to
pick their favourite, and to begin to analyse what they like about it, making notes – BP
MA/HA- Chn to work in pairs to list similarities between the 3 poems. They then pick a
preferred poem & start to analyse why it is their favourite, looking at (i) the words used;
(ii) rhythms and rhymes; (iii) content. They make notes of their ideas under each of these
headings.
Assessment
Plenary/Next Steps
Key Questions
Resources
Highlighter pens
Copies of poems
Session
2
Assessment
Skills/Subject
Literacy
6. Know and apply
common spelling
rules.
7. Explain how
writers use
figurative and
expressive language
to create images and
atmosphere.
8. Interrogate texts
to deepen/clarify
understanding and
response.
L. I &
Success
Criteria
LI SC
Focus Groups
Main Teaching
Plenary/Next Steps
Turn to the 2nd poem: Storm Wind. Read it through again. Write the word ‘apple’ on the
f/c. Discuss what the word evokes – something familiar, safe, homey (as opposed to the
‘danger’ of the ships out at sea). Why has the poet used this word? (For contrast.)
Differentiation
SEND – Chn discuss and annotate the key features of newspaper texts - IW
LA – Children should annotate the key features of newspaper texts.
A – Children should read through the various articles and find features of
language.
HA - Via reading the newspapers, children should identify key features of
language and organisation and find good VCOP to steal for working wall - BP
Key Questions
Resources
Session
3
Skills/Subject
Literacy
7. Explain how
writers use
figurative and
expressive language
to create images and
atmosphere.
9. Choose and
combine words,
images and other
features for
particular effects.
L. I &
Success
Criteria
LI – create
similes
SC
- use your senses
to describe
- colours
- sounds
- smells
- textures
- tastes
Focus Groups
Main Teaching
Read In the Bleak Mid-Winter – do chn recognise this poem? What scene does it
describe? What would the weather be like in Bethlehem in December? Snow is rare in
Israel. Does the poem create a picture in chn’s minds?
Make a class collection of
similes that might be useful
in chn’s own writing.
Write Earth stood hard as iron, Water like a stone. What do we call phrases like this? Can
chn suggest other egs of similes, eg as black as night, as white as snow. Can chn find other
similes in the poems? Discuss use of as … as … or … like … Discuss how similes can help the
poet build a vivid word picture.
Differentiation
SEND – Chn write a list of similes to describe a particular scene, eg a garden, a motorway,
a beach or a playground. A garden might include colours of flowers, textures of paths &
earth, smells of summer, etc. Then draw it.
LA – as above – BP ensuring use of senses to describe.
A – as above but ensure they use all the senses.
HA – as above
Assessment
Plenary/Next Steps
Key Questions
Resources
Session
4
Skills/Subject
Literacy: 6. Know
and apply common
spelling rules. 6.
Distinguish the
spelling and meaning
of common
homonyms. 9. Choose
and combine words,
images and other
features for
particular effects.
L. I &
Success
Criteria
LI – rhyme
SC
-
Main Teaching
Plenary/Next Steps
Look at short poems. What do you notice about them? Is the rhyme scheme/pattern always
the same, ie ABAB or AABB, etc? Analyse some of the poems to find the rhyme
scheme/pattern. Does the rhyme scheme/pattern remain constant throughout the poem?
Not in all cases, eg in Hurt no Living Thing it is: ABABCDDC. Do chn like rhyming poetry?
Why/why not? Do rhyming words always have the same letter string? Look at examples in
the poems, eg leap & creep, die & fly, away & grey, birth & earth, etc.
Discuss rules for rhyming
and place on working wall.
Write ‘The wind nearly blew the washing away.’ And ‘He had to wind up the grandfather
clock.’ What do the chn notice about the two underlined words? Do both words mean the
same? They are called homonyms (homographs) – spelt the same but with a different
meaning.
Focus Groups
Differentiation
Work in pairs to find words that rhyme with words that have common letter strings to help
with writing their own poetry. Choose own word linked to wind to fill the final column. Check
that words do rhyme with wind (1) and not with wind (2) and note that wind (1) is tricky to
find rhymes for.
SEND – rhyming words.
LA – with BP. Discuss letter strings and sounds of word endings.
A/HA - IND
Assessment
Key Questions
Resources
Session
Skills/Subject
L. I &
Success
Criteria
5
Literacy: 7. Explain
how writers use
figurative and
expressive language
to create images and
atmosphere.
9. Choose and
combine words, and
other features for
particular effects.
LI – recognise
and use
alliteration
Assessment
SC
- think of an
adjective to
describe the noun
- change your
adjective to start
with the same
sound as the noun
- can you use
more than one?
- Can you include
any powerful
verbs and
adverbs?
Focus Groups
Main Teaching
Plenary/Next Steps
Reread Hurt no Living Thing together. What do chn notice about lines 4 and 5?
Underline ‘cricket chirping cheerily’ and ‘light of leap’. What do we call this?
Discuss alliteration. The words start with the same phoneme for effect. Can we
find any other examples of this technique in the poems?
Write a list of mountain words on the IWB, eg rock, mountain, snow, glacier, As a
class find an alliterative verb, adjective and/or adverb to describe one. Model
and discuss.
Share some of the
alliterative adjectives and
adverbs and powerful
verbs that describe their
noun.
Differentiation
SEND – adjectives to describe mountain words. Info books to support imagination
- IW
LA – To find an alliterative adjective to describe the given nouns – BP to support.
A - use a powerful verb and adjective for each noun.
HA - use adverbs as well as adjective and powerful verbs.
Key Questions
Resources
Session
Skills/Subject
6
Literacy: 8.
Interrogate texts
to deepen and
clarify
understanding and
response.
9. Choose and
combine words,
and other features
for particular
effects.
Assessment
L. I &
Success
Criteria
Main Teaching
LI – explore
syllabic rhythms
in poems.
Start by saying Miss Page and clapping amount of syllables. Why? What do we call
the words or parts of words that we clap as the beat? Syllables. Chn to go around
the class and say their name, clapping gently as they say it.
SC
- read the poem
- tap out number
of syllables in
each word/line as
you read
- what effect are
the syllables
causing?
- perform your
poem creating
sound effects
along to the
syllabic rhythm.
Focus Groups
Model looking at the rhythm of a poem and writing syllables next to line. Chn to
then do the same in pairs. Clap out rhythm as read poem as a class. Do all the lines
have the same number of syllables or beats? Does each verse have the same
structure? Write number of syllables at the end of each line.
Plenary/Next Steps
Groups to share their
prepared poem with the
rest of the class in turn.
Discuss syllables and how
they affect the poem.
Chn to look at a poem in pairs, before analysing them as a class. Do poems have to
have all lines of the same length (number of syllables)? Why/why not? What
effect does it have if a line is shorter or longer than those around it?
Discuss activities.
Differentiation – Mixed ability
Chn work in groups to prepare and perform one of the ‘wind’ poems. They will
recite it and can add sound effects to help create appropriate atmosphere. Chn to
use percussion instruments or their own voices to create the sounds in time to the
rhythm. Point out how the rhythm of the poems helps to create different effects.
BP and IW to support as necessary. Ensure SEND chn are joining in and
understand concept of syllables.
Key Questions
Resources
Percussion instruments
Wind poems
Session
7
Skills/Subject
Literacy
9. Show imagination
through the language
used to create
atmosphere or
suspense.
9. Choose and combine
words, and other
features for
particular effects.
L. I &
Success
Criteria
LI – write
descriptive
sentences.
SC
- powerful verbs
- similes
- alliteration
- descriptive
language
Focus Groups
Main Teaching
Discuss/list some of the powerful verbs associated with mountains. Discuss how poets use
powerful verbs and why they are important.
Explain that today and tomorrow we shall write our own poem about mountains.
Brainstorm powerful words and useful images to include in poems.
Discuss the diff contexts chn might use as settings for their poem – mountain climate,
description of mountain etc…
Differentiation
SEND - Chn work in gp and write descriptive sentences mountains. Info books to support.
They should try to use powerful verbs, similes (comparisons). Encourage them to write 2 or
3 really good sentences. TTLids to say sentences. IW to scribe on pieces of card.
LA - Chn work in pairs and write descriptive sentences mountains. Info books to support.
They should try to use powerful verbs, similes (comparisons). Encourage them to write 2 or
3 really good sentences. BP
A - Chn brainstorm in pairs and write several descriptive sentences about mountains. They
should try to use similes (comparisons), and also powerful verbs. Stress that today they are
thinking about descriptive lang & the images they create – they don’t worry about rhythm
or rhyme today!
HA – as above.
Assessment
Plenary/Next Steps
Discuss some of the
descriptive sentences
about mountains. Peer
assess.
Key Questions
Resources
Session
Skills/Subject
8
9. Develop and refine
ideas in writing using
planning and
problem-solving
strategies.
9. Show imagination
through the language
used to create
atmosphere or
suspense. 9. Choose
and combine words,
and other features
for particular
effects.
Assessment
L. I &
Success
Criteria
LI – create a
mountain poem
SC
- similes
- alliteration
- imagery
- powerful verbs
- adverbs
- syllabic rhythm
- rhyme
Focus Groups
Main Teaching
Discuss the work chn did yesterday on powerful verbs and the use of descriptive
imagery. Write ‘The wind whistled & ‘the wind whistled violently’ and discuss the
difference. Replace ‘violently’ with ‘gently’. Explain that both words are adverbs.
Try out some other phrases with/without adverbs: ‘The wind echoed (noisily)
round the chamber’. Note the difference.
Plenary/Next Steps
In pairs give feedback to
each other based on list
of suggested features.
Chn will redraft tomorrow.
Peer assessment.
Look at the work the chn did yesterday – visualiser. Discuss how, using imagery,
descriptive phrases, powerful verbs and carefully chosen adverbs they can make
their poems as descriptive as possible. Remind chn of features expected in their
poems: Use similes, alliteration, powerful verbs, adverbs, rhythm and rhyme.
Discuss syllabic pattern and rhyme – not completed yesterday.
Differentiation
SEND – as a gp, encourage use of SC and language. IW
LA – BP focus on descriptive language and visualisation.
Chn write their mountain poem, based on the work they did yesterday. Think
about adding adverbs to improve their poem. Also think about rhythm and rhyme.
Write as a first draft. Check own work – spelling, punctuation and layout.
Key Questions
Resources
Session
9
Skills/Subject
L. I &
Success
Criteria
LI – edit and
improve our work.
SC
- read through
carefully
- mark against
the SC
- talk to your
partner abut
suggested
improvements
Focus Groups
Assessment
Main Teaching
Discuss syllabic pattern and rhyme. Remind chn of previous learning. Show some
good examples of when this has been used in poetry. Create a class poem
together using the SC.
Plenary/Next Steps
Chn to read aloud their
poems. Peer assessment.
Using the visualiser. Show chn a couple of the chn’s poems so far. Look at the SC
together and mark the poem based on the SC. What does this child need to work
on today to improve their work? Discuss and provide feedback.
Chn to discuss their poems with a talk partner. Provide feedback for each other
and identify areas that need developing or improving.
Differentiation
SEND – IW – as below.
LA – BP focus on area of SC that has been missed
AHA – rhythm and rhyme.
Key Questions
Resources
Session
10
Skills/Subject
L. I &
Success
Criteria
LI – present our
poems.
Main Teaching
Do chn need to do any final improvements to their poems? Look at SC again. Have
all of these things been included?
Plenary/Next Steps
Display poems in a poetry
book.
Chn to write their poems up as best.
Focus Groups
Differentiation
Key Questions
Resources
Assessment
Session
Skills/Subject
11
8. Interrogate
texts to deepen
and clarify
understanding and
response.
9. Show
imagination
through the
language used to
create
atmosphere.
9. Choose and
combine words for
particular effects.
Assessment
L. I &
Success
Criteria
LI – explore
Haiku poems
Focus Groups
Main Teaching
Plenary/Next Steps
Explain that we will be exploring the form of syllabic poems in more detail. The
first thing we need to be sure of is that everyone understands what a syllable is.
Challenge chn to discover who has the greatest number of syllables in their name –
first name and surname. Write this traditional haiku by J W Hackett
‘A bitter morning:
sparrows sitting together
without any necks.’
Discuss meaning (cold weather & the birds huddling together for warmth with
their feathers fluffed out to trap air thus hiding their necks) and then count
syllables. How many in each line? 5, 7, 5. There are 17 syllables altogether. There
are always 3 lines. This is a traditional Japanese form of poetry.
Differentiation
SEND - Use haiku scaffold to re-write the poem for a sunny morning, count the
syllables – clap them out if necessary.
LA – Write a haiku replacing the words ‘bitter morning’ with ‘rainy evening’
MA – as above IND
HA – Write a haiku about sparrows on A ______
morning or evening.
Read Facing the Truth –
with Haikus by (p23, The
Works 5).
Key Questions
Resources
Session
12
Skills/Subject
Literacy.
7. Explain how
writers use
figurative and
expressive language
to create images and
atmosphere.
6. Know and apply
common spelling
rules
9. Choose and
combine words,
images and other
features for
particular effects.
L. I &
Success
Criteria
LI –
SC
-
Main Teaching
Plenary/Next Steps
Explain Haikus are often written with an illustration and traditionally the subject
is usually the seasons. A Haiku tries to take a snapshot of a moment of beauty – a
verbal snapshot or a word-picture. What picture did chn have in their minds
yesterday when they were writing their haikus? Read a series of haikus describing
the seasons (from The Works pp206-207, p97 ) – ask chn to describe the pictures
they saw with their mind’s eye as they listened. Look at the way the poets use
different types of words to start the lines of the haiku, eg John Foster used
powerful verbs to begin 3 of his lines – swaying, heralding & shimmers, others
start with nouns or adjectives. Poets are describing scenes they have seen. Collect
some ideas/word snapshots about mountain climates.
Return to text. How is the
Iron Man feeling at the
end of chapter 3? Did
Hogarth make a good
choice? Why? Do you
think the Iron Man is
happy here? Explain that
this could be the ending
of the book, but it is not.
What do you think will
happen next? Make
predictions.
Write Hackett’s haiku:
‘A bitter morning:
sparrows sitting together
without any necks.’
Underline bitter – word has a double consonant in the middle. Write biter. What is
the difference between the two words? Listen to length of vowel. Long vowel
followed by one consonant, short vowel by double consonant. List a few more
words: diner/dinner, super/supper, hoping/hopping. Can chn suggest any other
words that have double consonant, eg sparrow (from haiku), tennis, shopping,
daddy?
Focus Groups
Differentiation –
Key Questions
1: Challenge chn to discover which consonants are not used as a pair in the middle of words
– hh, jj, kk, qq, vv, ww, xx (cc is used in some imported words, eg broccoli, cappuccino). Can
MA/HA - find an example for all other consonants?
Resources
2: Give chn a picture of a mountain image. Chn to collect some words/ phrases about the
image to annotate it. This will be their snapshot for writing a haiku tomorrow.
SEND – as a group IW.
LA – BP
A/HA - IND
Assessment
Session
13
Skills/Subject
Literacy
L. I &
Success
Criteria
Main Teaching
Plenary/Next Steps
LI – to develop our
characters.
Clear the room of tables. Chn in role as a character of their choice from the village walking
around the room interacting. There might be a café, shops, people on the beach etc. Then the
people become aware of a large star in the sky that becomes bigger and bigger. Read the
opening paragraphs of chapter 4 to the chn as acting. The appearance of the star starts to
effect the conversations of the townspeople and their talk becomes dominated by the
speculation about what is happening in the sky. A village meeting is called and all the villagers
Read the rest of Chapter
4 with the children
following along.
Discuss how they think
the Iron Man could help
the world get free of the
monster. Should he help
them? Why/why not
SC
- use powerful
adjectives
- give your
character human
characteristics
Focus Groups
Assessment
attend to re-tell what happened to them in the village when the huge star was spotted .
At the village meeting the class discusses: What had happened? What was
happening? What was going to happen next? What do you think this star could be?
Martha reveals that she herself is an astronomer and breaks the bad news that it
was not just a star – in fact in was a space-bat-angel-dragon and it is heading right
for earth in fact it is about to land in 5 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 1 – NOW! CRASH. Read chapter
4 describing the size of the huge space-bat-angel-dragon. Explain that to help the
residents understand what it looks like; we will try to create a version of the spacebat-angel-dragon in the classroom.
Differentiation
5 chn to try to represent the dragon. Then find methods of emphasizing its size and
movement. Use identified successful ideas to create the dragon using every child in
the whole class. To then take a picture of the dragon. This needs great group cooperation and is a good challenge which will emphasize the enormity of the animal.
Experiment with movement showing the dragon’s flight and landing. Children should
then return to their places. Re-establish the meeting of the residents of the town
with Martha in charge. What do they think should happen? Group discussion – note
taking ideas
Key Questions
Resources
Session
14
Skills/Subject
Literacy
L. I &
Success
Criteria
LI –discuss how
the Iron Man can
help save the
world.
SC
- - visualise the
plan in your head.
- speak clearly
- listen carefully
- what will happen
first? Second?
Etc…
Focus Groups
Main Teaching
Plenary/Next Steps
Ask for 5 volunteers to come to the front of the class and create the space-batangel-dragon. Remind chn of end of Chapter 4 when Hogarth goes to TIM and he
has the most stupendous idea! Discuss in pairs how they think the Iron Man could
help the world get free of the monster.
Discuss some of the ideas as a class.
Explain chn to now go into their gps and further outline the plan for TIM.
Presentation of each
groups ideas. The
audience should evaluate
their idea presentation
using 2 stars and a wish
focusing on S and L
Differentiation
Key Questions
SEND – discuss how they think the Iron Man could help save the world from the
space-bat-angel-dragon.
LA – discuss how they think the Iron Man could help save the world from the
space-bat-angel-dragon. IW support with explanation of ideas.
A – To work in pairs, to come up with a plan of how the Iron Man can save the
world. Once they have thought of a plan, they should join with another pair and
share their plans. They may choose to combine their ideas to come up with the
best plan. Once they have come up with their idea, they should get ready to
present their idea to the class. They must explain why their idea is the best
HA – as above
Assessment
Resources
Session
16
Skills/Subject
L. I &
Success
Criteria
LI – to persuade
SC
- use persuasive
language
Focus Groups
Assessment
Main Teaching
Plenary/Next Steps
How do the villagers feel about the Iron Man going to Australia to face the
dragon? Discuss as characters of Maine. Split the class in two and conduct a
Conscience Alley for and against his going. Discuss the term conscience.
Should he help them? Why/why not? Note up the main points – for and against the
Iron Man helping save the earth.
Discuss who convinced
most successfully. Should
the Iron Man help save
the world from the
Space-bat-angel-dragon?
Recap main points for and
against.
Differentiation – mixed ability groups
Explain what will happen in the conscience alley. Give chn time to think of what
they will say to the Iron Man while he is walking down the alley to persuade him to
either go to confront the dragon or not. They may want to write down what they
will say to remind them. Discuss powerful persuasive phrases. Be convincing. Ask
pupils to form two rows facing each other (one row convincing the Iron Man to go
to help, the other to not). 1 chd to be TIM and walk slowly through the alley. Who
has persuaded the more successfully?
Key Questions
Resources