differences within society based on class, race, religion, or other factors

flexible, adaptable; capable of flowing or changing shape easily

existing in thought or as an idea but not having a physical or concrete existence

opposite of abstract; something clear and specific you can see, feel or sense

Understanding the poem ‘Us’ by Zaffar Kunial

English

In 'Edexcel Belonging Poetry continued', pupils used a range of reading skills to aid the supported decoding of challenging poems. In 'Unseen Poetry', pupils use these reading skills to decode texts with independence. 

In 'Edexcel Belonging Poetry', pupils compared the language, form and structure of a variety of poems connected by the themes of culture and belonging. In 'Edexcel Belonging Poetry continued', pupils work on making more nuanced comparisons, focusing on the three final poems: *Kumukanda*, *In Wales, wanting to be Italian* and *Us*.

Poetry anthology: continued study

Subjects which particular individuals may be sensitive to, eg, adoption, migration, bereavement or death, divorce.

Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

the boundaries of different countries and regions

when social groups are separated based on things like class and race

things that we all agree upon in society to separate us

the laws and policies in place to keep us safe from each other

existing in thought or as an idea but not in the physical world

something clear and specific you can see, feel or sense 

Match each of these words to the correct definition.

Zaffar Kunial was born to one English parent and one Pakistani parent. This means he is ...

it uses no pronouns at all, creating a sense of universality

it only uses third-person pronouns, distancing the speaker from the subject

it shifts between 'I' and 'we', highlighting personal and collective identity

it poem uses unusual pronouns to challenge traditional grammar rules

What is interesting about the use of pronouns in Zaffar Kunial's poem 'Us'?

it implies it is fluid and always changing

it connects two things which are far away from each other

it suggests individuals share the same fate and experiences

How does the description of football fans in stanza 3 of 'Us' present togetherness?

focus on writing about the whole poem with no specific examples.

think carefully about what you like about the poem and write about that.

analyse a smaller section and apply these ideas to the rest of the poem.

choose any line at random and start by analysing that.

When analysing a particularly abstract poem, it can be useful to ...

feeling a sense of unity and connectedness to others

descriptive language that appeals to the senses

direct comparisons saying one thing is another

you have parents from two different cultural backgrounds

What does it mean if you have dual heritage?

the continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line

Content guidance

Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

Adult supervision recommended

This lesson will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Understanding the poem ‘Us’ by Zaffar Kunial

Lesson outcome

Content guidance

This lesson will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.