Reading and responding to poems from 'The Final Year'
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Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can read and respond to a range of poems in a verse novel.
Key learning points
- The layout of a poem refers to the way the poem is organised on the page.
- Poets can use different layouts and line breaks to convey the plot, characters and emotions of the story.
- Goodfellow mixes up the visual arrangements of the poems, which helps the reader understand the characters' emotions.
- Characterisation is the way authors & illustrators describe & develop the personalities & traits of the characters.
Keywords
Layout - the way the poem is organised on the page
Line break - the point where one line of verse ends & the next begins, often used to create rhythm, emphasise words or control pace
Characterisation - the way an author describes and develops the personalities and traits of the characters in a story
Character traits - the special qualities that make a character in a story unique and interesting
Common misconception
Pupils may find it challenging to identify why a poem may be laid out in a certain way.
Present the poems on a class board or visualiser so that the children can clearly see how the poems have been presented on the page. Ask pupils what they notice and text mark the pages together.
Teacher tip
In this section, there is reference to Bob Marley’s song Three Little Birds. Explore the lyrics with the children and take time to consider why Matt Goodfellow may have chosen to reference this track and the links between the lyrics and concepts in the text.
Equipment
You need a copy of the 2023 Otter-Barry Books edition of ‘The Final Year’ written by Matt Goodfellow, illustrated by Joe Todd Stanton, for this lesson.
Licence
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