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Year 2 - English

Exploring and performing 'Animals' by Joseph Coelho

Performance poetry

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils read, respond to and perform a variety of poems by different poets. They will watch the poets perform their own poems and learn from them about what makes an effective performance. Finally, pupils will practise different skills to perform each poem effectively to an audience.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to perform a poem about animals.

Key Notes

  • 'Animals' is a collection of short poems that explore different animals.
  • Each poem describes an animal, using different imagery and poetic devices.
  • We can vary our voice to show how each animal might speak.
  • Using facial expressions and gestures can help to add meaning to our performances.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • kenning: phrases of two words that replace a noun and are often used in poetry
  • imagery: the use of language to create a mental picture or sensory experience for the reader or listener
  • metaphor: a way of describing and comparing something by saying that it is something else
  • personification: a way of describing a non-living thing as if it is a human
  • onomatopoeia: a type of word that sounds like what it describes

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • In Task A, pupils might focus on trying to look like each animal with their gestures and facial expressions and not focus enough on the sound each animal would make.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.

'Animals' is a collection of short poems that explore different animals. Each poem describes an animal, using different imagery and poetic devices.

2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'kenning'

phrases of two words that replace a noun and are often used in poetry.

3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.

Mistake: In Task A, pupils might focus on trying to look like each animal with their gestures and facial expressions and not focus enough on the sound each animal would make. Correction: To encourage pupils to think about the voice to use for each animal, you could ask them to close their eyes and listen to your voice to guess what animal you are.

More Lessons In This Unit

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