Creating Touch Poems

Overview

Year Group: Year 2
Class Size: 11 students
Duration: 40 minutes
Unit: Senses in Poetry (Lesson 12 of 15)
Focus: Planning a touch poem using vocabulary lists, conveying emotions and experiences linked to touch
National Curriculum Alignment: English – Writing, Composition and Vocabulary Development

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

Writing (National Curriculum, English, Key Stage 1: Writing - Composition):
Compose sentences orally before writing, focusing on vocabulary choice to convey meaning and emotion.
Vocabulary, Grammar and Punctuation (National Curriculum, English, Key Stage 1):
Use expanded noun phrases to describe and specify, particularly relating to sensory experience (touch).
Speaking and Listening (National Curriculum, English, Key Stage 1):
Listen and respond appropriately to others, using relevant vocabulary to discuss poetry ideas.

Vocabulary banks of touch-related descriptive words from previous lessons (e.g., soft, prickly, smooth, rough, warm)
Planning graphic organisers (simple poem planning frames with space for emotions, sensory details, and vocabulary)
Lined paper and pencils
Emotion word cards
A large mirror or tactile objects (optional for inspiration)

Begin with a brief recap of previous lessons: the five senses and focusing in on touch words.
Show a simple tactile object (e.g., a feather or a piece of sandpaper). Ask pupils how it feels. Collect a few descriptive words aloud, reminding them these are from their vocabulary lists.
Explain today they are going to plan their own poem all about touch, thinking carefully about how different touches can make us feel different emotions.

Distribute emotion word cards (happy, calm, scared, excited, etc.) and ask pupils to pick 2-3 words that they feel can relate to a touch sensation.
In pairs, pupils discuss and decide what kind of touch might make someone feel that emotion (e.g., a warm hug might feel happy and calm).
Invite examples, reinforcing vocabulary — “The soft fur is gentle and makes me feel safe.”

Pupils use their vocabulary bank and their chosen emotions to select descriptive words and phrases.
Using the poem planning frame, pupils note:
- Words describing the touch sensation
- The emotions connected to these sensations
- Any ideas for lines or phrases they want to include in their poem
Teacher circulates, prompting richer adjective use and linking words to emotions. Suggest using expanded noun phrases such as "the smooth, cool stone" or "the rough, scratchy fabric".

Invite some pupils to share their vocabulary choices and emotional ideas with the class.
As they share, write a few examples on the board, highlighting vivid language and emotional impact.
Discuss briefly how these choices help the reader “feel” what the writer is touching.

Ask pupils to reflect on their ideas and say one word they’ve chosen that they think will make their poem special.
Remind pupils that next lesson they will write their poems using this plan.
End with a short sensory mindfulness: close eyes and imagine touching the object, then think of all the words they’ve planned to describe it.

Observe paired discussions for understanding and appropriate vocabulary use.
Review planning frames to assess ability to link sensory words with emotions and begin composing simple phrases.
Ask open-ended questions during sharing to assess the depth of understanding of emotional expression through touch vocabulary.

Support: Provide simplified vocabulary lists and sentence starters for pupils who need them.
Challenge: Encourage more able pupils to use similes and metaphors in their planning, e.g., “as soft as a cloud”.
Use visual and tactile stimuli to support EAL and SEND learners.

Writing - Composition: Pupils should be taught to develop positive attitudes towards and stamina for writing by planning and discussing ideas and vocabulary.
Vocabulary, Grammar and Punctuation: Pupils should develop expanded noun phrases for description and specification.
Spoken Language: Pupils should participate actively in conversations and group discussions, expressing their ideas clearly.

Use a “Touch Box” with mystery objects for pupils to explore and then quickly jot down feeling words for a multisensory start.
Record a short audio clip of pupils whispering their chosen words to create a “sound poem” as inspiration next lesson.
Invite pupils to use digital tablets to draw an abstract texture or emotion linked to their touch word as an artistic pre-writing activity.

End of Plan