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Year 8 - English

Finding my own voice: performing a poem

Single poet study: Maya Angelou

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils read and discover the work of Maya Angelou. They explore some of Angelou's most famous poems, such as 'Caged Bird' and 'Still I Rise', and practise writing and performing poems inspired by her work. As the unit develops, pupils find their own distinctive poetic voice.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to consider different aspects of performance and apply them to a performance of your own.

Key Notes

  • When performing a poem, you should make informed decisions about the pace, volume and tone of your voice.
  • Your pace, volume and tone could be very different at different moments of a poem.
  • Experimenting with different ways of saying a poem can be a good way to decide on how you ultimately want to perform it.
  • You will also want to consider body language and eye contact when performing a poem.
  • When you don't know a poem by heart, consider how you will maintain a good level of eye contact with your audience.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • ignoble: not honourable, unworthy
  • tone: the attitude of emotion of your voice - written or verbal
  • idle: not doing something, lazy
  • experiment: to try something out

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Performing poetry is just about reading it aloud.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

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

When performing a poem, you should make informed decisions about the pace, volume and tone of your voice. Your pace, volume and tone could be very different at different moments of a poem.

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

not honourable, unworthy.

3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.

Mistake: Performing poetry is just about reading it aloud. Correction: Watching people perform poetry is very popular. The most engaging performers carefully consider how they will say the poem, and how they will engage with their audience.

More Lessons In This Unit

Browse all guides in the Year 8 English guide library.