Exploring Mood Imagery

Year Level

Year 6

Duration

119 minutes

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Curriculum Links

This lesson plan closely aligns with the Western Australian Curriculum for English, specifically addressing:

• AC9E6LA08: Identify authors’ use of vivid, emotive vocabulary, such as metaphors, similes, personification, idioms, imagery and hyperbole .
• AC9E5LE04: Examine the effects of imagery, including simile, metaphor and personification, and sound devices in narratives, poetry and songs .

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Learning Objectives (WALT)

• We Are Learning To (WALT):
  • Understand and identify mood and imagery in poetry.
  • Analyse how poets use literary devices like similes, metaphors, and personification to create mood.
  • Express our interpretations and create mood through writing our own poetry.

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Success Criteria

Students will know they are successful when they:

• Identify mood and imagery in a range of poems.
• Explain how specific words or images create mood.
• Use vivid and emotive vocabulary and figurative language in their own poetry.
• Respectfully share and discuss their interpretations and creative work.

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Differentiation Strategies

• For diverse learners:
  • Provide dyslexia-friendly reading options such as large font printouts of poems on tinted paper.
  • Use audiobooks or recorded readings of poems to support auditory learners.
  • Use visual supports: images or mood boards to represent feelings and imagery before reading poems.
  • Break activities into small steps with clear, concise instructions.
  • Allow oral responses or drawing responses alongside writing.
• For advanced learners:
  • Challenge them to identify and explain multiple layers of mood in a poem.
  • Encourage them to use complex figurative language and experiment with tone and rhythm in their writing.

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Resources

• Selection of age-appropriate poems that illustrate strong mood and vivid imagery (both classical and contemporary Australian poetry, including First Nations voices).
• Graphic organisers: Mood Map and Imagery Chart.
• Paper, coloured pencils, and word banks of figurative language.
• Dyslexia-friendly printed text with highlighted key vocabulary.
• Audio recordings of selected poems.
• Projector or screen for shared reading and discussion.

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Lesson Activities Breakdown

1. Introduction to Mood and Imagery (20 minutes)

• Activity: Begin with a short interactive discussion:
  • "What is mood in a story or poem? How do images help create a mood?"
  • Show example images (e.g., stormy sky vs. sunny day) and discuss feelings/mood each image might evoke.
• Teacher models mood identification with a short poem, reading it aloud and drawing students’ attention to specific words that create mood.
• WALT introduced and shared with student.

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2. Guided Poetry Reading and Analysis (30 minutes)

• Activity: Read aloud a chosen poem twice (audio version accompanied by printed text).
• Use the Mood Map graphic organiser: students write down words/phrases that create mood; annotate imagery used by the poet.
• Discuss as a class how the poet’s choice of words supports the mood.
• Highlight figurative language such as metaphor, simile, and personification.
• Dyslexia-friendly strategies: reading breakouts in small sections, using coloured overlays for easier reading, paired reading for peer support.

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3. Creative Exploration — Imagery and Mood (30 minutes)

• Activity: Students use imagery prompts (pictures or word banks) to brainstorm mood words and vivid images.
• Write a short poem or a few descriptive lines evoking a particular mood using figurative language.
• Teacher circulates, offering support and prompting deeper thinking (“How can your word choice change the feeling?”).
• Option: Students create a mood collage by drawing or using magazine cutouts to visually represent their poem's mood.

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4. Sharing and Reflecting (25 minutes)

• Students share their poems or mood collages in small groups or with the class.
• Peers give positive, specific feedback based on the success criteria.
• Reflective prompt: “How did using imagery help you create the mood in your poem?”

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5. Consolidation and Assessment (14 minutes)

• Quick written exit ticket:
  • Write down one way poets create mood using imagery.
  • Identify one example of figurative language from today’s lesson.
• Informal assessment through observation during activities and discussions.
• Provide individual encouragement and note areas for follow-up or extension.

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Additional Notes for Teachers

• Use Australian poets familiar to students, such as writers who reflect Australian landscapes or experiences to engage their cultural context.
• If possible, include poetry from First Nations Australian authors to enhance cultural understanding.
• Consider integrating multimodal texts (visual, audio) to cater to different learning styles and enhance accessibility.
• Encourage students to explore personal connections to mood and imagery to build empathy and deeper comprehension.

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This lesson plan seeks to inspire creativity, deepen literary understanding, and empower year 6 students to appreciate and craft mood through poetic imagery, aligned expressly with the Western Australian Curriculum standards and respectful of diverse learning needs.