Developing understanding of 'Swallow's Kiss' through rich discussions
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can discuss the main ideas of ‘Swallow’s Kiss’.
Key learning points
- 'Swallow's Kiss' is written in free verse.
- Free verse is any form of poetry that does not rely on consistent patterns of rhyme and meter.
- It is told from the perspective of Blessing, a young girl whose mother travelled across roads and seas to seek refuge.
- Blessing's close relationship with her family is mirrored in the members of the community that are supporting them.
Keywords
Verse novel - A verse novel is a narrative told through poetry, blending prose and poetic elements.
Form - Form is the way that a text can be presented.
Free verse - Free verse is poetry without strict rhyme or metre; it emphasises natural speech rhythms.
Theme - A theme is a big idea, topic or message that recurs within a story.
Migration - To migrate means to move from one place to another.
Common misconception
Pupils may think that all forms of poetry must have to rhyme.
Before the lesson, you might share examples of a range of poems in both fixed verse and free verse.
Teacher tip
Pupils must have read the text in advance of this lesson. It would be useful for the class to be aware of migration, a key theme. This can be discussed through non-fiction texts or celebration of pupils' own cultures / backgrounds.
Equipment
You need a copy of the 2021 Pop Up Projects edition of ‘Swallow’s Kiss’, written by Sita Brahmachari with illustrations by Jane Ray, for this lesson.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is a poem?
Q2.What is the job of a poet?
Q3.Which of these are themes you might find in a poetry collection?
Q4.Which of the following are verbs?
Q5.Which is the most suitable definition for describing a wish?
Q6.Order the following parts of a story.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the following keywords with their definitions.
a big idea, topic or message that recurs within a story
a story told through poetry, blending prose and poetic elements
poetry without strict rhyme; it emphasises natural speech rhythms
Q2.What does the word migration mean?
Q3.Match the following information.
'Swallow's Kiss'
Sita Brahmachari
Jane Ray
Pop Up Projects
Q4.True or False? Blessing finds the bag of wish bird feathers under a table.
Q5.Order the following events in the order that they occur in the text.
Q6.'Swallow's Kiss' is written in __________?
To help you plan your 3 English lesson on: Developing understanding of 'Swallow's Kiss' through rich discussions, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 3 English lesson on: Developing understanding of 'Swallow's Kiss' through rich discussions, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 2 English lessons from the 'Swallow's Kiss': book club unit, dive into the full primary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.