Year 8 - English
Performing your chosen Gothic poem
Gothic poetry
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit, pupils read and explore two nineteenth-century gothic poems by Edgar Allen Poe. They first read and analyse 'The Raven' and 'The Haunted Palace' in isolation, before comparing them to each other and developing a personal response. Finally, they practise performing one of the poems.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to effectively deliver a Gothic poem using a range of performance techniques.
Key Notes
- Performing a poem means bringing out the drama of the poem.
- It is important to vary the pace and tone in your performance.
- It's best to learn the poem so you can perform the poem and not just say it.
- You should make eye contact with the audience when performing a poem.
- Peer-assessment is a useful tool to help each other make a range of improvements.
Vocabulary To Learn
- Performance: a performance is a way of entertaining an audience with speech, acting or music
- Tone: how speakers use their voice to convey their feelings is known as tone
- pace: to change your speaking pace is to change how quickly or slowly you speak
- Fluent: we call performers fluent if they speak without hesitation or mistakes
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Students might try to read the poem rather than recite.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.
Performing a poem means bringing out the drama of the poem. It is important to vary the pace and tone in your performance.
2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'Performance'
a performance is a way of entertaining an audience with speech, acting or music.
3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.
Mistake: Students might try to read the poem rather than recite. Correction: Encourage students to learn as much of the poem as possible.
More Lessons In This Unit
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