Exploring and responding to the Eduqas poetry anthology
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explore and respond to the poems in the Eduqas anthology.
Key learning points
- An anthology is a collection of artistic works that have a similar form or subject.
- Exploring titles and first words are a useful way of thinking about the mood and theme of poems.
- Exploring those themes can help you to make connections between the individual poems.
- Our personal response to a poem is important.
Keywords
Anthology - a collection of artistic works that have a similar form or subject
Theme - a universal idea, lesson, or message explored throughout a work of literature
Represent - something (such as a picture or symbol) that stands for something else
Connections - something that joins or connects two or more things
Response - a reaction to something
Common misconception
Our personal response to a poem isn't a valid form of analysis.
Poems are outpourings of emotion and therefore our personal response is incredibly important as it allows us to work towards understanding the emotion behind the poem.
Teacher tip
You could ask the students to make a list of initial questions they have about each poem.
Equipment
You will need a copy of the 2025 Eduqas Poetry anthology for this lesson.
Licence
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Something that joins two or more things is a __________.
Q2.The emotions that a text evokes in the reader is called which of the following?
Q3.Which of the following is the definition of the 'theme' of a text?
Q4.Which verb beginning with 'r' means 'to stand for something else, such as through a picture or symbol'?
Q5.Which of these words suggests a sense of isolation?
Q6.Which of the following is the definition of nostalgia?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is an anthology?
Q2.Looking at themes within an anthology can help you form between poems.
Q3.How many poems in the Eduqas anthology begin with the word "I"?
Q4.The title 'The Schoolboy' suggests which of the following themes?
Q5.The words "outcast", "alone", and "lost" have connotations of __________.
Q6.Which of the following themes might we connect with the title 'Kamikaze'?
To help you plan your 10 English lesson on: Exploring and responding to the Eduqas poetry anthology, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 English lesson on: Exploring and responding to the Eduqas poetry anthology, 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 Poetry anthology (Assessment from summer 2027) unit, dive into the full secondary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.