Teaching notes and ideas EAL Nexus
Name of resource: Comparing two poems
Age group(s) Subject(s)
12 to 14, 15 to 16 English
Topic Language Level
Poetry Beginner/Intermediate/Advanced
Description of resource
A lesson comparing two poems: ‘Checking Out Me History’ by John Agard and ‘Singh Song!’ by Daljit Nagra. Comparing two poems PowerPoint presentation Learner handout – using comparative connectives Group work handout – comparing different aspects of the poems
Preparation needed
You will need: interactive white board or projector to use the PowerPoint electronically copies of both poems (from AQA anthology or other source – not included here for copyright reasons) – one of each for every learner highlighter pens dictionaries (English, bilingual as appropriate for learners).
You will need to: print learner handout – one for each learner print group work handout – whole document with one slide per page, one page (one aspect of the poem) for each small group.
Curriculum objectives
To reflect on, understand and analyse the content of both poems, individually and comparatively, with reference to structure, meaning, images, language, emotion To respond to the poems from a personal point of view
Language/Literacy objectives
This project and its actions were made possible due to co-financing by the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals © British Council 2015 EAL Nexus
Functions Structures
Comparing Comparative connectives: however, but, whereas, on the other hand, although, unlike, in the same way, likewise, similarly, both … and …
Justifying How do you know? I know this because ...
Inferring What does this tell you? This tells me that ...
Vocabulary
character, voice, culture, identity, history, structure, meaning, images, language, emotion, response, repetition, rhyme, narrator (1st or 3rd person), metaphor, alliteration, enjambment, annotate, non-standard English, creole, accent
This resource could be used: whole class as differentiation within class one to one or small group
Ideas for using the resource This resource is intended to be used in conjunction with two other EAL Nexus resources – ‘Checking Out Me History’ and ‘Singh Song!’. The intention is to look at ‘Checking Out Me History’ first, then ‘Singh Song!’ and finally ‘Comparing two poems’ which looks at common themes in the two poems.
What to do Work through the lesson, as detailed in the PowerPoint presentation, using the supplementary resources as suggested at each relevant point. On the presentations, key points and questions are written in black. Instructions for learners to carry out specific tasks are in blue, so that they can easily be referred back to. Key words are in green. Where not otherwise stated, key questions are to be discussed as a whole class; the teacher should model and encourage learners to annotate their own copies of the poem with the key points that arise from these discussions. Slide 5: Elicit connectives before revealing to the learners. Slide 6: Use prepared worksheet. Learners work individually.
This project and its actions were made possible due to co-financing by the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals © British Council 2015 EAL Nexus
Slides 8 and 9: Group work – use prepared sheets from supplementary PowerPoint document. Elicit/explain the use of a Venn diagram. You may choose to copy each group’s work for the others to keep as a future revision aid – tell learners this before they start so that they take more pride in their work. Slide 10: Learners should have come across the PEE structure in previous English lessons, so draw on their previous experience of using this. Slide 11: Model writing a paragraph, taking ideas from the learners, perhaps using a particularly well-completed Venn diagram from the previous activity. Make very clear the different stages of PEE by underlining and annotating on the board.
Other ideas for making the best use of this resource Throughout the lesson, EAL learners may use bilingual dictionaries or translation software and the teacher should encourage use of the learners’ first language ability, particularly as they discuss their own experience as well as the meaning of the poems.
Possible extension activities As well as annotating their copies of the poems with responses to the key questions covered in the lessons, learners could summarise at the end or at key points in the lesson what they have discovered about different aspects of the poems.
This project and its actions were made possible due to co-financing by the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals © British Council 2015