Exploring and performing 'Doing Nothing' and 'Travel by Book' by Laura Mucha
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Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explore the layout and rhythm of two poems before performing for an audience.
Key learning points
- ‘Doing Nothing’ is a poem found in the poetry collection, ‘Dear Ugly Sisters’ by Laura Mucha.
- The poem is about the practice of mindfulness and the rhythm varies in the poem to reflect the atmosphere.
- ‘Travel by Book’ is is a fixed verse poem, which follows the AAAB rhyme scheme.
- The poem has a clear, steady rhythm, which gives the poem a flowing and musical quality.
- Doing deep breaths before performing can help us to feel calm and reduce nerves.
Keywords
Mindfulness - the practice of being aware of your body, mind and feelings in the present moment, which is thought to create a feeling of calm
Line break - the point where one line of verse ends and the next begins, often used to create rhythm, emphasise words or control the poem's pace
Rhythm - the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables, creating a musical and rhythmic flow in the poem
Common misconception
Pupils may try to use too many gestures throughout their performance.
Gestures used in poetry performance should add depth and visual interest rather than overshadowing the spoken words of the poem.
Teacher tip
If possible, allow pupils to try out a range of different strategies for preparing for a performance - this might include taking it home and getting it ready for performance the next day.
Equipment
You need a copy of the poems ‘Doing Nothing’ and 'Travel by Book', which are featured in the 2020 Otter-Barry books edition of ‘Dear Ugly Sisters’ written by Laura Mucha for this lesson.
Licence
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