Lesson video

Hello everyone, how are you today?

I hope you're feeling really good.

My name is Miss Afzal and I'll be your teacher for this lesson.

I'm feeling really good about that, because we've got such an interesting topic today.

We're looking at poetry.

We're looking at the verse poetry of John Lyons.

Our lesson is called, "Publishing and Performing a Free Verse Poem in the Style of John Lyons".

And our lesson comes from the unit of work, "John Lyons' Poetry Reading".

So if you're ready to get into the poetry of John Lyons, if you're ready to publish and perform your own poetry, if you have some energy, focus and enthusiasm, we'll begin our lesson now.

The outcome for today's lesson is, I can publish and perform a free verse poem using the illustrations and performances of John Lyons as inspiration.

I hope this sounds interesting to you.

We have some keywords in our lesson.

I'd like us to go through them one at a time saying them out loud, my turn, your turn.

Publishing.

Illustrations.

Performance.

Good to hear those keywords out loud.

Now, I'd like you to turn someone nearby and tell them, have you heard of any of these words before?

Do you know what they mean?

Pause here and share.

Thanks for sharing.

Let's find out the meanings of these keywords.

Publishing is the process of producing written content to become available for an audience.

Illustrations are visual elements such as drawings, paintings or images that accompany a text.

Performance is the presentation of a poem in front of an audience using voice, gestures and expressions.

These are our keywords, publishing, illustrations and performance.

Let's look out for them, let's listen out for them.

Let's be thinking carefully about them.

They'll be coming up in our lesson today.

Our lesson is called, "Publishing and Performing a Free Verse Poem in the Style of John Lyons", and it has three learning cycles.

Illustrating a free verse poem, publishing a free verse poem and performing a free verse poem.

Let's begin with illustrating a free verse poem.

John Lyons is a painter, writer and prize-winning poet.

There we can see him reading some of his poetry.

Much of John Lyons' work draws on themes linked with Caribbean folklore and mythology.

As a painter and poet, John Lyons feels an intuitive link between painting and poetry.

John Lyons' poetry collection, "Dancing in the Rain" is all of these.

A collection of poems for younger readers, written and illustrated by John Lyons, shortlisted for the 2016 Center for Literacy and Primary Poetry Award.

Well done, John Lyons.

Draws inspiration from Lyons' childhood in Trinidad and Tobago, in particular the traditions of carnival and calypso.

Ah, what fun.

Let's review the features of a free verse poem.

A free verse poem contains these elements.

Turn to the person next to you and share with them, what are some of the elements of a free verse poem?

Thanks for sharing.

Here are some elements of a free verse poem.

No rhythm pattern, no rhyme scheme, varied line length, an emphasis on imagery and emotion, a focus on theme, a unique structure.

It provides poets with the freedom to experiment with form, style and content.

Well done if you came up with some of these elements of a free verse poem.

This is a free verse poem inspired by one of John Lyons' poems, "Carib Nightfall".

We watch the fiery orb of fire scorch relentlessly in the Caribbean sky.

Oppressive, suffocating heat.

Down, down, down the sun drops beyond the edge of the world.

Sky streaked with orange, red and purple hues like a painting.

All of a sudden, darkness engulfs.

Pause here and share with someone your impressions of this poem inspired by one of John Lyons' poems.

Were there any words that you liked in particular, any images?

Thanks for sharing.

I really like the fiery orb of fire.

Artists use different materials to create their pictures, like paint, pencils or ink.

We call these materials media.

With a partner, look at some of John Lyons' illustrations that appear next to his poems in "Dancing in the Rain".

And I'd like you to discuss, what do you notice about the style of these illustrations?

What media has Lyons used to create them?

Pause here while you take a look at those illustrations and have this discussion.

I wonder if you said something like this.

Some of his illustrations, such as for "Happy Hummingbird Food", use watercolor.

In other poems such as "Granny's Sugarcake", Lyons creates his illustrations using pencil and ink.

Well done if you noticed these things.

Let's have a check for understanding.

Which two media does John Lyons mainly use to create his illustrations from "Dancing in the Rain"?

Select from the following.

A, watercolors, B, wood, C, pencil and ink, D, clay.

Pause here while you decide.

Well done if you selected A, watercolors and C, pencil and ink.

These are the two media which John Lyons mainly uses to create his illustrations from "Dancing in the Rain".

Let's learn to illustrate a free verse poem.

You'll need these materials.

A copy of a selected free verse poem, plain paper or drawing paper, pencils, erasers, art mediums such as watercolors, oil pastels or colored pencils.

Choose your media based on the effect you want to achieve.

So pause here while you get everything you need to illustrate a free verse poem.

It's good to be back with you.

So now you have your media, let's illustrate a free verse poem using the success criteria.

So let's read through our poem one more time.

We watch the fiery orb of fire scorch relentlessly in the Caribbean sky.

Oppressive, suffocating, heat.

Down, down, down the sun drop beyond the edge of the world.

Sky streaked with orange, red and purple hues like a painting.

All of a sudden, darkness engulfs.

So there's our poem and here's our success criteria.

I've chosen a free verse poem to illustrate, tick.

We've got our poem there.

I've underlined the words in the poem to connect with the themes and tone.

So we've underlined here, fiery orb of fire, scorch relentlessly, oppressive, suffocating heat, sun drops and then those colors, orange, red, purple hues.

I've selected the medium based on the effect I want to achieve and I've reflected on my artwork.

So now we have our poem and we have our success criteria, let's move into illustrating our poem.

And this is what we'll do for our first task.

So number one, choose a free verse poem to illustrate.

You could use the poem that I've shared with you or a different poem.

Two, get plain paper and art materials.

You should have those ready.

And three, use the success criteria that we just talked through to support with the illustration.

Here's our success criteria once again.

I've chosen a free verse poem to illustrate.

I've underlined the words in the poem to connect with the themes and tone.

I have selected the medium based on the effect I want to achieve.

I've reflected on my artwork.

So pause here while you have a go at this task of illustrating a free verse poem and make sure to use the success criteria to support with the illustration.

Enjoy your task and I'll see you when you're finished.

It is good to be back with you.

How did you get on with that task of choosing a free verse poem to illustrate, getting your plain paper and art materials and then using your success criteria to support with the illustration?

Hopefully you have four ticks.

One for I've chosen a free verse poem to illustrate, one for I've underlined the words in the poem to connect with the themes and tone, one for I have selected the medium based on the effect I want to achieve and one for I've reflected on my artwork.

Well done, everyone for having a go at this task of illustrating a free verse poem.

And now we're on to our next learning cycle, publishing a free verse poem.

To publish a piece of writing means to produce a final, best version that becomes available to others.

Published poetry can be found in magazines, online platforms and literary journals.

Illustrations can enhance the understanding and emotional impact of a poem.

Illustrations can be in the form of drawings, paintings and collage.

I'd like you to have a discussion.

Look at John Lyons' illustrations for "Happy Hummingbird Food" and "Granny's Sugarcake".

How do these illustrations enhance our understanding of the poem?

So pause here while you look at those illustrations and have this discussion.

I'll see you when you're finished.

Thanks for having that discussion.

There is no specific or structured way to lay out a poem when publishing.

Illustrations and text may be placed anywhere the poet chooses.

It's important to use neat, joined handwriting when publishing so that it is visually appealing to the reader.

Let's have a check for understanding.

Which of the following is true about publishing a free verse poem?

Select from the following.

A, there must not be an illustration to accompany the poem, B, the illustration must be placed before the poem, C, the illustration must be placed after the poem, D, the poet can choose how to lay out the illustration and poem.

So pause here while you decide which of these is true about publishing a free verse poem.

Well done if you selected D.

Indeed, the poet can choose how to lay out the illustration and poem.

Design the layout of your free verse poem on a piece of plain paper.

Start with the title at the top of the paper.

Place the illustration on the plain paper to plan where the poem will go.

You could place your illustration in the middle of the page or at the top of the page or indeed, somewhere else on the page.

And then you can plan where your poem will go.

Beside the illustration, above or beneath it.

And let's take a look at the success criteria for publishing your free verse poem.

I have created an illustration to enhance my poem.

I've designed the layout of my poem.

I've used neat, joined handwriting to publish my poem.

I've checked the spelling of ambitious vocabulary.

That's important.

So let's publish the beginning of a free verse poem using the success criteria.

Here's a reminder of that success criteria.

I've created an illustration to enhance my poem.

I've designed the layout of my poem.

I've used neat, joined handwriting to publish my poem and I've checked the spelling of ambitious vocabulary.

So now we have our success criteria ready, let's move into publishing.

So here's your task to publish your free verse poem.

So number one, get some lined and plain paper.

Two, choose a free verse poem, create an illustration and use the success criteria to publish.

Here's our success criteria again.

I've created an illustration to enhance my poem.

I've designed the layout of my poem.

I've used neat, joined handwriting to publish my poem.

I have checked the spelling of ambitious vocabulary.

So pause here while you have a go at this task of publishing a free verse poem.

Enjoy your task and I'll see you when you're finished.

It's good to be back with you.

How did you get on with that task of publishing a free verse poem?

Did you get your line and plain paper?

Did you choose your free verse poem, create an illustration and then used this success criteria to publish?

And hopefully you've been able to tick off everything on your success criteria.

Well done for having a go at this task and publishing your free verse poem.

And now we're on to our final learning cycle, performing a free verse poem.

Let's practice using our voices.

We need to think about all of these things when we use our voice.

Volume, pitch and speed.

I will read a free verse poem, focusing on my voice's volume, pitch and speed.

We watch the fiery orb of fire scorch relentlessly in the Caribbean sky.

Oppressive, suffocating heat.

Down, down, down the sun drops beyond the edge of the world.

Sky streaked with orange, red and purple hues like a painting.

All of a sudden, darkness engulfs.

Now it's your turn.

I would like you to read a free verse poem, focusing on your voice's volume, pitch and speed.

Pause here while you have a go at this.

Enjoy reading your free verse poem.

I hope you enjoyed reading your free verse poem.

Let's practice different facial expressions.

We need to think about this range of human emotions.

Happiness, show me a happy face.

Sadness, show me a sad face.

Shock.

Show me a shocked face.

Fear, show me a fearful face.

Thanks for showing me those different facial expressions.

And now I will read another free verse poem, focusing on my facial expressions.

An inky blanket tucking in the sky for bedtime.

Sparkling stars like diamonds dotted across the sky pierce the black, winking at the moon.

Blinking, blinking, blinking.

Then a tired yawn.

Now it's your turn.

Read another free verse poem, focusing on your facial expressions.

Pause here while you do this.

Well done for reading that free verse poem, focusing on your facial expressions.

Let's warm up our bodies for some movement.

Pause here while you do a few stretches, stretching the arms, stretching out your body to get ready for some movement.

Rolling your shoulders.

Fantastic, we are ready for some movement.

I will read another free verse poem, focusing on my body movements.

Drifting, drifting, gracefully like a ballet dancer, twirling and swirling.

Filling the sky like a soft blanket wrapping its arms in a warm embrace.

Wispy, wispy, floating gently.

And now it's your turn.

I'd like you to read another free verse poem, focusing on your body movements.

Pause here while you do this.

Well done for reading that free verse poem, focusing on your body movements.

And now it's time for your task.

I would like you to choose a free verse poem to rehearse and perform.

Here's your success criteria.

I have considered the tone and meaning of the poem.

I've used my voice appropriately to match the tone and meaning of the poem.

I've used facial expressions to match the tone and meaning of the poem.

I've used appropriate body movements to enhance my performance.

So pause here while you have a go now at choosing your free verse poem and rehearsing and performing it, making sure you've taken account of the success criteria.

Enjoy your task and I'll see you post performance.

It is great to be back with you.

So how was your performance?

How did you get on with that task choosing a free verse poem and then rehearsing and performing it?

Let's go through the success criteria.

Did you consider your tone and the meaning of the poem?

Well done if you did.

Did you use your voice appropriately to match the tone and meaning of the poem?

Well done if you did.

Did you use facial expressions to match the tone and meaning of the poem?

Fantastic if you did that.

And did you use appropriate body movements to enhance your performance?

Well done if you did.

Well done, everyone for having a go at this task.

You are now performance poets.

In our lesson, "Publishing and Performing a Free Verse Poem in the Style of John Lyons", we've covered the following.

Poems can be published with illustrations or artwork to help the reader engage with the poetry further.

Performance of poetry requires the performer to use their voice, facial expressions and body movements.

Well done, everyone for joining in with this lesson.

It was so great to get into publishing, performing, illustrating a free verse poem in the style of John Lyons.

I really hope you enjoyed all the different elements of our lesson today and I hope you can go forth and share your poetry performance with others.

I really enjoyed teaching you and I hope you enjoyed this lesson too.

I look forward to seeing you at another lesson soon.

Bye for now.