Exploring themes of belonging and hope in 'Forest' & 'The Colours of My Dreams'
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Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can read and reflect on poetry about belonging and hope.
Key learning points
- 'Forest' and 'The Colours of My Dreams' both have themes of belonging and hope.
- ‘Forest’ is a winter poem which focuses on themes of hope and belonging for a group of travellers making a journey.
- The poem ‘The Colours of My Dreams’ includes vivid imagery linked to the five senses.
- Poetry is open to interpretation; it does not always offer answers.
Keywords
Theme - a big idea, topic or message that recurs within a text
Imagery - the use of language to create a mental picture or sensory experience for the reader or listener
Belonging - feeling a part of something, whether it's the natural world or a shared human experience
Hope - a sense of optimism or expectation for something positive in the future
Common misconception
Pupils may find it more challenging to identify themes of hope and belonging in 'The Colours of My Dreams' due to its more abstract imagery.
Explore how dreams are often seen as symbols of hope. Belonging can link to human experiences and emotional connections.
Teacher tip
Pupils could have physical copies of the poems to annotate and text mark. Highlighters would be especially helpful when finding the sensory descriptions in 'The Colours of My Dreams'.
Equipment
You need a copy of the 2021 Otter Barry edition of ‘Stars with Flaming Tails’ written by Valerie Bloom illustrated by Ken Wilson Max for this lesson.
Licence
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