Exploring Poetry

Overview

Unit: Writing Our Own Poems (Lesson 1 of 5)
Duration: 30 minutes
Class: Year 1 (Ages 5–6)
Class size: 25 students
Curriculum alignment: National Curriculum for England, English Programme of Study – Writing and Reading: Poetry

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Learning Objectives

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

• Understand key features of poetry including rhyme, rhythm, and imagery.
  (English Programme of Study, Key Stage 1 – Writing: "Pupils should begin to write poetry, and learn how to create rhythm and rhyme.")
• Listen to and discuss a variety of simple poems, recognising rhyme patterns.
  (English Programme of Study, Key Stage 1 – Reading: "Listen to and discuss poems, linking ideas to their own experiences.")
• Use new vocabulary and ideas from texts to begin expressing their own creative ideas about poetry.

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National Curriculum Links

• Writing: English KS1 – Writing (Year 1) – Write sentences by saying out loud, composing a sentence orally before writing it.
• Reading: English KS1 – Reading – Become very familiar with key stories, poems, and traditional tales, retelling them and considering their particular characteristics.
• Spoken Language: Participate in discussions, expressing views clearly and building on others' ideas.

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Resources Needed

• Selection of age-appropriate poems with clear rhyme, rhythm, and imagery (e.g., simple nursery rhymes, poems by Michael Rosen or Julia Donaldson).
• Large colourful chart paper or whiteboard.
• Sticky notes or cards with rhyming words.
• Audio recording or performance of one poem (optional: video clip of a child reading a poem).
• Printed copies of one short poem for each child (optional extension).

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Lesson Structure

1. Introduction (5 minutes)

• Greet class and announce the exciting new unit: "We are going to be poets!"
• Explain that today’s focus is to explore what makes a poem special.
• Briefly describe — “Poems can rhyme, have a special beat like music, and use words that paint pictures in our minds.”
• Activate prior knowledge: Ask, “Who knows a poem or a nursery rhyme?” Invite 2-3 children to share their favourites. Write key words on board: rhyme, rhythm, pictures (imagery).

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2. Exploring Examples of Poetry (10 minutes)

• Read aloud 3 short poems aloud, varying styles with obvious rhyme and rhythm: for example, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, The Wheels on the Bus, plus a short original poem rich with imagery: e.g., “The soft breeze whispers through the trees.”
• After each poem, ask focused questions:
  • Do you hear words that sound the same? (Explore rhyming words like star/car.)
  • Can you tap your hands or clap along with the beat? (Explore rhythm.)
  • What pictures did the poem make in your mind? (Explore imagery.)
• Use colourful sticky notes to highlight rhyming words and demonstrate clapping rhythm in small groups (pupils clap on the beat).

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3. Guided Group Activity: Identify Poem Features (10 minutes)

• Display one simple poem on chart paper (e.g., a four-line poem with a clear rhyme scheme).
• Invite pupils to come up and place sticky notes next to the rhyming words and clap out the rhythm together.
• Discuss what words helped them imagine pictures. Ask questions such as: “What does the poem make you think or feel?”
• Use simple drawings or symbols on the poem to visually represent rhyme (e.g., matching colours for rhyming words) and images (e.g., a sun symbol for sunny imagery).

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4. Plenary: Reflection and Expression (5 minutes)

• Ask pupils to share verbally or with a partner one new thing they learned about poems.
• Ask: “What do you think your own poems might be about?” - Encourage them to think about things that make pictures in their minds or special sounds.
• Praise all contributions enthusiastically. Emphasise that poetry is like painting pictures with words and music with sounds.

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Assessment

• Formative observation: Teacher circulates, listening for ability to identify rhyme and rhythm during clapping and sticky note activities.
• Oral responses: Assess understanding through participation in discussions and plenary sharing.
• Written contribution (optional): Collect a quick “One thing I learned about poems is…” sentence if able.

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Differentiation

• Support: Provide sentence starters during discussions. Use visuals and gestures to reinforce concepts.
• Challenge: Challenge some pupils to identify more complex rhyme pairs or invent their own rhyming couplet orally.
• EAL/SEN: Use multisensory strategies — tapping rhythm, drawing images — for deeper understanding.

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Extension Idea (Optional)

• Assign pupils to bring in or draw a picture of something they like to write a simple rhyming pair about in the next lesson. This primes their imagination for poem writing.

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Reflection (for Teacher)

• Note which pupils showed clear understanding of rhyme and rhythm.
• Consider adjusting pacing if pupils struggle or excel with concepts.
• Plan for next lesson to formally introduce writing their own poems based on today’s exploration.

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This lesson aims to fascinate Year 1 learners with the magic of poetry while keeping to the National Curriculum requirements, setting a joyful tone for the rest of the poetry unit.