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Year 6 - English

Reading and responding to 'No. 115 Dreams' by Jackie Kay

Poetry of place

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils read, respond to and perform classic and contemporary poetry about a range of settings. They explore imagery and form, whilst developing personal responses and comparing poems. Finally, pupils write their own poem about a place of significance.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to give your personal response to the poem, including some evidence to justify your ideas.

Key Notes

  • 'No. 115 Dreams' is a free verse poem; it contains five verses and a repeated refrain.
  • 'No. 115 Dreams' contains several examples of personification.
  • Rooms and objects are describing family members or events that occurred in the house.
  • A poem can have multiple meanings and interpretations; each person's response can be different and unique to them.
  • We can respond to a poem by writing a personal response to it.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • imagery: the use of vivid and sensory language that appeals to the reader's senses, creating vivid mental pictures and enhancing the emotional impact of the poem
  • personification: a way of describing a non-living thing as if it acts or feels like a human
  • interpretation: the process of understanding and assigning meaning to a poem
  • personal response: reflections that we make about a poem after reading or listening to it

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Pupils might find identifying individual aspects of the personal response challenging.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

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

'No. 115 Dreams' is a free verse poem; it contains five verses and a repeated refrain. 'No. 115 Dreams' contains several examples of personification.

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

the use of vivid and sensory language that appeals to the reader's senses, creating vivid mental pictures and enhancing the emotional impact of the poem.

3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.

Mistake: Pupils might find identifying individual aspects of the personal response challenging. Correction: Encourage pupils who may need greater scaffolding to discuss similar quotes or moments to the examples given.

More Lessons In This Unit

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