Comparing liminality, physicality and voice in AQA Worlds and Lives poetry
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain and compare how Mundair, Berry, and Femi express concepts of liminality, physicality and voice.
Key learning points
- Both Mundair and Berry place their speakers in a liminal space.
- Arguably, through this liminality, their intention could be to show the connection between place and identity.
- Both Mundair and Femi present the uncomfortable physical experience of discrimination.
- Both Femi and Berry consider ideas of voice and agency to comment on the experience of minorities.
Keywords
Liminal - occupying a position at, or on both sides of, a boundary or threshold
Threshold - the place or point of entering or beginning
Physicality - involvement of bodily contact or activity
Agency - the ability to act autonomously and freely
Transition - the process or a period of changing from one state or condition to another
Common misconception
The content of the poem matters more than who is speaking in the poem.
The voice we hear in a poem is incredibly important for the meaning as it could show us who the poet deems as important or perhaps they are making a comment on who has agency in society.
Teacher tip
You might like to look at extended quotations from the poems to support the learning in this lesson.
Equipment
You will need access to a copy of the AQA World and Lives anthology for this lesson.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is physicality related to?
Q2.Which of the following is an accurate summary of Mundair's 'Name Journeys'?
Q3.Which of the following is an accurate summary of Berry's 'On an Afternoon Train from Purley to Victoria, 1955'?
Q4.Arguably, what is the intention in Femi's 'Thirteen'?
Q5.What do the words "cornered" and "dislodged" have in common?
Q6.The process or a period of changing from one state or condition to another is called a...
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.The words "dislodged" and "alongside" from Mundair's 'Name Journeys' and Berry's 'On an Afternoon Train from Purley to Victoria, 1955' suggest the speakers feel...
Q2.The words "stumble" and "cornered" from Mundair's 'Name Journeys' and Femi's 'Thirteen' imply...
Q3.The place or point of entering or beginning is called the...
Q4.In Femi's 'Thirteen', the officer "told" the primary school children that they were "stars" - what does this suggest in the poem?
Q5.The ability to act autonomously and freely is called having...
Q6.Occupying a position at, or on both sides of, a boundary or threshold is known as...
To help you plan your 10 English lesson on: Comparing liminality, physicality and voice in AQA Worlds and Lives poetry, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 English lesson on: Comparing liminality, physicality and voice in AQA Worlds and Lives poetry, 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' unit, dive into the full secondary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.