How Simon Armitage writes about life in 'About his person' and 'Poem'
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can listen and respond to Simon Armitage talking about ‘About his person’ and ‘Poem’.
Key learning points
- Armitage was inspired to write ‘About his person’ by reading news reports of people who were found dead.
- He liked the idea that you could build a picture of someone’s character from the objects they had on them.
- Armitage was inspired to write ‘Poem’ from reading different biographies and autobiographies.
- He suggests that reading different biographies can give us a completely different impression of the same person.
Keywords
Biography - the life story of a person written by someone else
Impression - an idea or opinion of what something or someone is like
Authentic - the quality of being real or true
Common misconception
A biography offers an authentic impression of that person.
We all might have different perspectives on the same person, so different biographies are likely to portray the same person in different ways.
Teacher tip
The tasks in this lesson are very personal responses and pupils should not be asked to share their responses if they feel uncomfortable.
Equipment
There are copies of Armitage's 'About his person' and 'Poem' in the additional materials.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.'The life story of a person written by someone else' is the definition of which of the following?
Q2.'The act of doing or saying something again' is the definition of which word beginning with 'r'?
Q3.Which of the following pairs of words rhyme?
purse
sight
thrive
Q4.Something that is authentic is which of the following?
Q5.'An idea or opinion of what something or someone is like' is the definition of which of the following?
Q6.The definition of a keepsake is which of the following?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Armitage's 'About his person' was inspired by which of the following?
Q2.Which of the following objects were found on the person in Armitage's 'About his person'?
Q3.Armitage's 'Poem' was inspired by which of the following?
Q4.Is the following statement true or false: 'Armitage suggests that you could read different books about the same person and come away with completely different views about them.'
Q5.Which of the following items does Armitage say is the most important item found on the person in 'About his person'?
Q6.Is the following statement true or false: 'Armitage suggests that you can build an impression of someone's identity based on the objects they carry with them.'
To help you plan your 9 English lesson on: How Simon Armitage writes about life in 'About his person' and 'Poem', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 9 English lesson on: How Simon Armitage writes about life in 'About his person' and 'Poem', 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 3 English lessons from the Simon Armitage: writing your world unit, dive into the full secondary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.