Exploring what home means through the poem ‘Filter’

English

Considering the nature of home

Exploring memories of home in the poem ‘Childhood Tracks’

Analysing 'Search for My Tongue'

Analysing the poem 'Island Man' by Grace Nichols

Comparing poems about place and home

Exploring regional pride in the poem ‘Anthem of the North’

Analysing ‘This Poem is Taking Place on Stolen Land’

Exploring the link between place and identity

Planning ideas for a poem about your home

Using punctuation in poetry

Exploring example poems about place and home

Writing our own poetry about home

Performing our poems about place and home

In 'Poetry about Place and Home', pupils create their own poetry to explore their relationship with their home. In 'Single Poet Study: Maya Angelou', pupils analyse the poetry of Angelou, exploring how she uses her work to describe relationships between people and places.

In 'Poetry of Place', pupils explore the language, form and structure of poetry written about place. In 'Poetry of Place and Home', pupils apply these analytical skills to more complex poems and write their own poetry about home.

In this unit, pupils read and respond to poems that explore the links between place and identity. They start by exploring a selection of poems including Grace Nichol's 'Island Man' and Lemn Sissay's 'Anthem of the North'. They then write and perform their own poems about place and home.

Poetry about place and home

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

Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

it will tell you exactly what the poem will be about

it will help you predict the themes and tone of the poem

an analysis of the title can help you consider the form

Why is the title important when reading a poem?

In her poem 'Filter', what does Suma Subramaniam reveal to the reader about her identity through her home?

We are hiding parts of ourselves at home.

If we are able to shed our filter when we are at home, what does it suggest?

What does Suma Subramaniam invite the reader to do in her poem 'Filter'?

What emotion does Suma Subramaniam seem to have towards her authentic self in 'Filter'?

to encourage the reader to be more accepting of different cultures

to encourage the reader to be their true self

Why might Suma Subramaniam have used direct address in 'Filter'?

they may be hiding some of their true feelings

What might it mean if someone has a filter on when interacting with you?

If something is called 'authentic', what does it mean?

when the writer refers to themselves in the first person plural 'we, us, our'

when the writer talks to the reader using second person 'you, your'

to make the reader reflect on how the content relates to them

to make themselves feel more important than the reader

to show the reader a sentence has finished

Exploring what home means through the poem ‘Filter’

Lesson outcome

Content guidance