Starter quiz
- Which poet wrote 'The Snow Leopard'?
- John Foster
- Emily Dickinson
- Philip Gross ✓
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- Which of these is the best definition of a theme?
- a group of lines within a poem that form a distinct group
- a big idea, topic or message that recurs within a text ✓
- the loudness or softness of the voice when speaking or reading a poem
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- What is the best description of a metaphor?
- the feeling or mood created in a section or whole of a text
- the overall feeling or impact that a poem leaves on the reader
- a way of describing and comparing something by saying that it is something else ✓
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- Which of these words best describe freedom?
- imprisoned
- liberated ✓
- independent ✓
- restricted
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- Which of these are members of the whale family?
- blue ✓
- orange
- meerkat
- armadillo
- humpback ✓
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- Which of these animals are members of the cat family?
- elephant
- tiger ✓
- cheetah ✓
- lion ✓
- kangaroo
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Exit quiz
- Match the keywords to their definitions.
- theme⇔a big idea, topic or message that recurs within a text ✓
- compare⇔involves identifying similarities between two or more things ✓
- contrast⇔involves identifying differences between two or more things ✓
- Kit Wright was born in which year?
- 1854
- 1944 ✓
- 2004
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- True or false? Whales face a number of threats due to humans.
- True ✓
- False
- Match these words from 'The Song of the Whale' to their definitions.
- "grieving"⇔feeling deep sadness or sorrow ✓
- "tumbling"⇔falling or rolling in an uncontrolled manner ✓
- "heaving"⇔moving or rising with great force ✓
- True or false? 'The Panther' is based on a real-life experience.
- True ✓
- False
- Who was the translator of the poem 'The Panther' which we read?
- 'Stephen Mitchell' ✓
Worksheet
Presentation
Video
Lesson Details
Key learning points
- ‘The Song of the Whale’ was written by Kit Wright in 1982.
- Whales face a multitude of threats from humans, which include hunting, pollution and captivity in zoos and water parks.
- ‘The Panther’ was written by Rainer Maria Rilke between 1902 and 1903; it describes a captive panther behind bars.
- Themes of captivity and freedom can be found in both poems.
- We can compare and contrast poems with similar themes or messages, noticing the impact that they have on us as readers.
Common misconception
Pupils may not recognise that a poem's structure can also convey meaning to a poem.
Highlight how the poem's lines in 'The Panther' form bars, similar to the ones imprisoning the panther in the poem. Pupils could read additional poems (such as concrete/shape poetry) to explore this feature further.
Keywords
Theme - a big idea, topic or message that recurs within a text
Captivity - being confined or imprisoned
Freedom - being unrestrained, independent, or liberated
Compare - involves identifying similarities between two or more things, ideas, themes or texts
Contrast - involves identifying differences between two or more things, ideas, themes or texts
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