An introduction to Maya Angelou's distinctive voice: ‘Life Doesn’t Frighten Me’
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explore Maya Angelou's 'Life Doesn’t Frighten Me' with a focus on the speaker's distinctive voice.
Key learning points
- Maya Angelou (1928-2014) was an American poet and civil rights activist.
- Angelou's poems have a distinctive voice.
- Figurative language, repetition and an assertive tone are three ways Angelou creates a distinctive voice in her work.
- Arguably, the speaker in 'Life Doesn’t Frighten Me' is presented as assertive.
- You could argue that the speaker in 'Life Doesn’t Frighten Me' is only pretending to be assertive.
Keywords
Civil rights activist - a person who advocates for social and political equality for those who have been denied equal treatment
Figurative language - non-literal phrases or words which develop a writer's meaning
Methods - the tools a writer uses to create their work; repetition and figurative language are just two examples
Distinctive - something that is appealing and interesting because of its recognisable or special qualities
Assertive - confident, self-assured
Common misconception
'Life Doesn't Frighten Me' is saying that life isn't scary.
The poem lists many scary and frightening things. It presents some of the world's dangers. The speaker, however, is not frightened of life despite these dangers.
Teacher tip
The reading of the poem is at the heart of this lesson. Consider how you will read it with pupils, or support their reading of it in Learning Cycle 1. Consider if watching Angelou herself perform the poem might serve as inspiration.
Equipment
You need access to a copy of 'Life Doesn’t Frighten Me' by Maya Angelou published by Penguin Random House in 1993.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is a stanza? ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou')
Q2.Maya Angelou was born in St Louis, Missouri. Which continent is this in? ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou')
Q3.Match each technique to its definition. ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou')
Q4.Which of these are examples of commands? ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou')
Q5.Which of these is an example of a simile? ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou')
Q6.Which of these are examples of metaphors? ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou')
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match each method to its definition ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou').
Q2.What award did Angelou receive from President Barack Obama in 2011? ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou').
Q3.Maya Angelou was a poet, but she was also a rights activist, advocating for social and political equality.
Q4.One of Maya Angelou's poems is called ' Woman' ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou').
Q5.In Maya Angelou's poem 'Equality', the speaker says that she stands " " before the people who try and oppress her ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou').
Q6.In Maya Angelou's poem 'Phenomenal Woman', the speaker says that she has " " in her eyes ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou').
To help you plan your 8 English lesson on: An introduction to Maya Angelou's distinctive voice: ‘Life Doesn’t Frighten Me’, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 8 English lesson on: An introduction to Maya Angelou's distinctive voice: ‘Life Doesn’t Frighten Me’, 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 Single poet study: Maya Angelou unit, dive into the full secondary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.