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Year 4 - English

Introduction to the poet Joseph Coelho

Poet focus: 'Overheard in a Tower Block' by Jospeh Coelho

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils read, explore and peform a selection of poems from Joseph Coelho's collection, 'Overheard in a Tower Block'. They are first introduced to the poet, before exploring the poems and getting tips from Joseph on how to perform the poems.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to share your initial response to the poem and read it aloud.

Key Notes

  • A poet uses language to express ideas, thoughts and feelings in a creative way.
  • Joseph Coelho is a British poet and children's author, who was appointed Children's Laureate in 2022.
  • Joseph Coelho is known for using engaging and emotive themes in his poetry, such as identity, family and friendship.
  • The poem 'Story Builders' reflects on the process of building a story.
  • When reading a poem, we can use our voice and tone to create an impression on the reader.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • poem: a piece of writing that uses creative and rhythmic language to express thoughts, feelings or ideas
  • poet: the name for someone who writes poems
  • impression: initial feelings about a person, place or thing, gained from reading a text

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Pupils may think that all writers start writing and are successful from a young age.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

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

A poet uses language to express ideas, thoughts and feelings in a creative way. Joseph Coelho is a British poet and children's author, who was appointed Children's Laureate in 2022.

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

a piece of writing that uses creative and rhythmic language to express thoughts, feelings or ideas.

3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.

Mistake: Pupils may think that all writers start writing and are successful from a young age. Correction: Teach pupils that Coelho wrote poems for a long time before he became successful.

More Lessons In This Unit

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