Understanding ideas of inheritance and identity in Nichols' 'Like an Heiress'
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain how Nichols presents ideas of climate change, inheritance and identity in 'Like an Heiress'.
Key learning points
- Comparing the speaker to an “heiress” could imply that they are set to inherit the value of the natural world.
- However, imagery associated with the natural world is that of destruction which could show the damage humanity has done.
- Comparison to “tourist” could connect to how humanity exploits the natural world.
- On the other hand, “tourist” could link to how the speaker feels disconnected from their home and heritage.
Keywords
Heiress - a woman who inherits considerable wealth
Inherit - to receive money, property, or possessions from someone after the person has died
'small-days' - a Guyanese folk song
Tourist - a person who is travelling or visiting a place for pleasure
Common misconception
That a poem has only one meaning.
A poem can have many different meanings woven together because we are all made up of different ideas and our views on the world are rarely singular.
Teacher tip
You could explore some of the criticisms of tourism when considering the ideas of a 'tourist'.
Equipment
You will need access to a copy of the AQA World and Lives anthology for this lesson.
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.Words such as “lone” and “undisturbed” suggest ...
Q2.A tourist is someone who ...
Q3.Long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns is called ...
Q4.Saying that something is ‘like’ something else is a ....
Q5.To receive money, property or possessions from someone after the person has died is to from them.
Q6.Using the pronoun ‘our’ implies ...
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.A woman who inherits considerable wealth is called an ...
Q2.The first two lines of Nichols’ ‘Like an Heiress’ suggest ...
Q3.‘Small-days’ is a Guyanese folk song. This is significant to the poem 'Like an Heiress' because ...
Q4.The speaker stays in a in the poem 'Like an Heiress'.
Q5.In 'Like an Heiress', the use of “lone” is significant because ...
Q6.Nichols’ personal context connects to the idea of a ‘tourist’ in 'Like an Heiress' and hints at ...
To help you plan your 11 English lesson on: Understanding ideas of inheritance and identity in Nichols' 'Like an Heiress', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 English lesson on: Understanding ideas of inheritance and identity in Nichols' 'Like an Heiress', 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 4 English lessons from the World and lives poetry continued unit, dive into the full secondary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.