SHS2 English Language · Semester 2 Week 18: Poetry, Narrative and Drama

Lesson notes

Learning Objectives

Indicator: 2.5.1.LI.1 - Explore common themes in poems.

By the end of the lesson, learners can:

Define “theme” in poetry and distinguish it from the subject or topic of a poem.
Identify and state the central theme of at least three poems read in class, using textual evidence to support their choice.
Compare how a common theme (for example, hard work, love, loss, or patriotism) is presented across two different poems.
Work collaboratively in mixed-ability groups to discuss and justify their interpretation of a poem’s theme, respecting diverse viewpoints.
Present a poem’s theme in another creative form (short story, dialogue, or song) to demonstrate understanding.

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Curriculum details

Strand: Literature (Strand 5)
Sub-strand: Poetry, Narrative and Drama (5.1)
Content standard: 2.5.1.CS.2 - Demonstrate understanding of how various elements of literary genres facilitate the understanding of a text 2.5.1.LO.1 Analyse different types of poems. 2.5.1.LO.2 Analyse common themes that make up poems./Analyse common themes in poems. 2.5.1.LO.3 Apply imagery and figurative language in texts.
Indicator: 2.5.1.LI.1 - Explore common themes in poems.
Suggested placement: Semester 2, Week 18 (Week 38 of the year)
Our suggestion, laid out in curriculum order across three terms of twelve weeks. NaCCA does not fix the week, so follow your school's scheme of learning.
Source document note: The official curriculum document has a fault in this entry, so the curriculum text above is transcribed exactly as printed:

sub strand name - p.160: the three genres are listed in a different order each year - "NARRATIVE, DRAMA, POETRY" on printed p.87, "POETRY, NARRATIVE AND DRAMA" on printed p.156 and "NARRATIVE, POETRY AND DRAMA" on printed p.213 - against "Narrative, Drama, Poetry" in the scope-and-sequence. Transcribed as each page prints it
indicator text - p.160: the code 2.5.1.LI.1 names 2 different indicators in this year. This document restarts learning-indicator numbering at LI.1 under every content standard, so a code identifies an indicator only together with its content standard - here 2.5.1.CS.2
Curriculum reference: NaCCA curriculum document, p. 160

Exemplars (from the NaCCA curriculum)

Using Warm-up Games: Learners sit in a circle and choose a word-everyone must take turns coming up with a rhyme but if they repeat a word or take too long, the game is over. It's just a fun little way to start off the class.
Talk for Learning: Learners in mixed ability groupings compare how a common theme is presented in different poems. Learners need to tolerate one another's views in the discussion.
Build on What Others Say: Learners in pairs, build on what others say to elaborate their points/ideas about the poems they compared without any restrictions.
Experiential Learning: Learners in their convenient groups, select a theme and present in another form (poetry, story etc.) in a collaborative manner.
Think-Pair-Share: Using think-square-pair, have learners present their final ideas in their convenient groups respecting diverse ideas.
Teaching and Learning Resources:
- Level appropriate texts/ passages
- Learner-made texts
- Texts chosen should cover both feminine and masculine gender characters
- Text should be simple for learners to identify imagery and figurative language easily
Assessment (2.5.1.AS.1). The document marks these depth-of-knowledge levels for this indicator: Level 1 Recall; Level 3 Strategic reasoning.