Creating Atmosphere

Context

Year Group: Year 5 (9-10 years)
Class Size: 30 students
Duration: 50 minutes
Curriculum Alignment: Northern Ireland Curriculum – Area of Learning (AoL): Language and Literacy
Specific Focus: Using imagery in poetry to create atmosphere and mood

Curriculum Links

Northern Ireland Curriculum – Language and Literacy

Pupils develop competence in receptive and productive language skills through varied reading and writing experiences.
Strands Addressed:
- Talking and Listening: Developing understanding of purposeful language.
- Reading: Responding to a range of texts, identifying purpose, form and language features (including imagery).
- Writing: Planning and creating imaginative texts using language features such as imagery and atmosphere.
Level of Progression: Level 4 (Years 5-7)
Cross-Curricular Skills: Thinking Skills and Personal Capabilities (Reflection, Analysis, Communication)

Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils will be able to:

Identify different types of imagery (sound, light, movement) in two poems: The Rain and Wind.
Analyse how imagery shapes the mood and atmosphere of each poem.
Compare the use of imagery across the two poems and discuss their different effects.
Reflect on how imagery influences readers’ emotions and responses.
Create their own short weather-inspired creative writing piece using vivid imagery.

Success Criteria

Pupils can point out examples of sound, light, and movement imagery in the texts.
Pupils confidently describe the mood or atmosphere created by specific images.
Pupils actively discuss and compare the poems with a partner, using text evidence.
Pupils demonstrate creativity in crafting weather imagery in their own writing.
Pupils respond reflectively to the exit question, connecting imagery with emotional impact.

Resources

Copies of the two poems: The Rain and Wind (printed and projected)
Audio recording of the poems read aloud (teacher or professional recording)
Whiteboard and markers
Imagery Hunt worksheets (table with imagery types and space to note phrases)
Lined paper or notebooks for creative writing
Sentence starter prompts printed or projected
Emotions-weather matching cards for starter activity

Lesson Outline

1. Starter Activity – Weather and Emotions Matching (5 minutes)

Objective: Activate prior knowledge by linking weather with feelings and atmosphere.

Distribute or show cards with different weather phenomena (rain, wind, sunshine, storm) and emotion words (calm, exciting, gloomy, scared, joyful).
In small groups or whole class, pupils match weather with emotions and briefly explain why.
Teacher notes ideas on the whiteboard, highlighting how weather can create mood or atmosphere.

Curriculum Link: Enhances oral language skills and emotional literacy (Talking and Listening).

2. Guided Poem Reading and Listening (8 minutes)

Objective: Engage pupils with the poems by hearing and reading simultaneously to appreciate rhythm and imagery.

Play an audio recording of The Rain, encouraging pupils to follow the printed text.
Repeat the same for Wind.
Teacher pauses briefly for key image phrases and asks instant reactions: “What do you picture?” “What do you feel?”

Curriculum Link: Supports mixed media reading skills and understanding expressive language (Reading).

3. Imagery Hunt Activity (10 minutes)

Objective: Identify imagery types in the poems.

Distribute Imagery Hunt worksheet with columns: Sound, Light, Movement.
In pairs, pupils reread poems and find phrases illustrating each type of imagery.
Teacher circulates to support and prompt deeper thinking.

Curriculum Link: Develops analytical reading and categorisation skills (Reading).

4. Mini Analysis and Partner Discussion (7 minutes)

Objective: Analyse how chosen images create mood/atmosphere and compare between poems.

Teacher models analysing one example from the worksheets aloud:
“The ‘whispering rain’ uses sound imagery that creates a quiet, calm mood.”
Pairs select one example each from The Rain and Wind, discuss:
- What feeling does this image create?
- How is the mood similar or different between the poems?
Some pairs share insights with the class briefly.

Curriculum Link: Strengthens critical thinking and oral articulation (Talking and Listening).

5. Effects of Imagery Reflection (5 minutes)

Objective: Reflect individually on how imagery affects reader’s emotions.

Pupils write a short response to prompt:
“How does the poet’s use of imagery in either poem make you feel? Why do you think these images are effective?”
Share some responses aloud if time permits.

Curriculum Link: Encourages personal response and reflective writing skills (Writing).

6. Creative Writing Task – Weather Imagery (12 minutes)

Objective: Compose an imaginative paragraph using weather-related imagery.

Provide sentence starters to support writing:
- “The wind howled like…”
- “Raindrops danced on the…”
- “The sky darkened as…”
- “A glowing light pierced through…”
Pupils write a short paragraph creating atmosphere in a weather scene of their choice, using at least one example from each imagery type (sound, light, movement).
Teacher encourages creativity and vivid language.

Curriculum Link: Develops writing competence, creativity, and applying knowledge of language features (Writing).

7. Exit Question Assessment (3 minutes)

Objective: Assess understanding of lesson’s key concepts.

Pupils respond silently or share to the exit question:
“Why is imagery important in creating atmosphere in poetry?”
Teacher collects short responses or notes verbal answers for formative assessment.

Curriculum Link: Reflective consolidation and assessment of knowledge and skills (Thinking Skills and Personal Capabilities).

Differentiation

Provide word banks for less confident writers during creative writing.
Challenge more able pupils to consider sensory imagery beyond sound, light, and movement (e.g. tactile or olfactory).
Use paired work so pupils support each other in analysis and writing tasks.

Extension Ideas

Pupils illustrate their weather imagery paragraph to deepen sensory engagement.
Explore how atmosphere in weather poems compares with atmosphere in stories or descriptive texts.
Investigate additional poems with contrasting moods for further comparative study.

Reflection for Teacher

Were pupils able to confidently identify and discuss different types of imagery?
Did the paired discussions enhance understanding of mood differences?
How engaged were pupils in creative writing? Were sentence starters helpful?
What adjustments could be made for timing or scaffolding next time?

This lesson plan integrates oral, reading, writing, and thinking skills as mandated by the Northern Ireland Curriculum for Level 4 English, enabling pupils to deepen their appreciation and use of poetic imagery to evoke atmosphere.

Teaching Instructions