Imagery and Language

Unit: Exploring Global Poetry

Lesson 3 of 10

Duration: 60 minutes
Class size: 30 Year 9 students
Curriculum Link: National Curriculum for England – English Programme of Study (KS3)

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Learning Objectives (WALT)

• WALT: Identify and analyse imagery in poetry.
• Understand figurative language and how poets use imagery to convey emotions.

National Curriculum References

• Reading:
  • Understand and analyse the use of language, including figurative language, and its effect on meaning (NC KS3 English, Reading – Y8-9)
  • Develop skills in analysing texts from different cultures and traditions (NC KS3 English)
• Spoken Language:
  • Participate in discussions and presentations, articulating ideas clearly and with confidence.

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Success Criteria

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• Define and recognise different types of figurative language (simile, metaphor, personification).
• Identify at least two examples of imagery in one global poem.
• Explain how imagery evokes emotion or enhances meaning.
• (Extension) Compose a short poem employing vivid imagery.

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Resources

• Copies of a selected global poem (e.g., "The Lake Isle of Innisfree" by W.B. Yeats or a culturally diverse poem with rich imagery)
• Imagery charts/figurative language handouts for scaffolding
• Whiteboard and markers
• Lined paper and pens
• Projector for displaying poem and key terms
• Example images to stimulate visualisation for imagery (optional)

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Lesson Outline

Starter: Engaging Introduction (10 minutes)

• Activity: Display evocative images (nature scenes, urban landscapes, emotional expressions).
• Question to class: “What feelings or pictures do these images make you think of?”
• Briefly define imagery and figurative language using accessible terms.
• Share WALT and success criteria on the board.

Main Activity 1: Teaching and Identification (15 minutes)

• Introduce key figurative language types with examples (simile, metaphor, personification). Use the imagery chart handout to support all learners, especially EAL and those needing more support.
• Read the chosen poem aloud twice, encouraging students to listen for images and emotions.
• In pairs, students highlight or underline examples of imagery in the text. Teacher models the first example projected on the board.

Main Activity 2: Analysis and Discussion (15 minutes)

• Whole-class discussion: Ask pairs to share their chosen examples. Write these on the board.
• Guide students to explain how these images make them feel and what mood or meaning the poet conveys through them.
• Encourage use of subject-specific vocabulary (e.g., ‘evokes’, ‘conveys’, ‘symbolises’).
• Use targeted questioning to stretch higher ability students to consider why the poet chose certain images.

Differentiation Strategies

• Support with imagery charts and sentence starters for EAL/SEN students.
• Provide bilingual glossaries if required.
• Pairing strategic to balance confidence levels.

Extension Activity (For advanced learners or early finishers)

• Compose a two-stanza poem using at least three different types of imagery.
• Encourage creativity and sharing with the class (brief read-aloud).

Plenary: Reflect and Consolidate (10 minutes)

• Use a quick “exit ticket” activity: On a small card, students write down one new thing they learned about imagery and one example of imagery they found most powerful in the poem.
• Collect to assess understanding and inform the next lesson.

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Assessment & Feedback

• Formative assessment via paired work and class discussion responses.
• Exit tickets collected to check individual understanding.
• Teacher notes on student engagement and analysis ability to tailor upcoming lessons.

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Additional Notes

• This lesson actively develops students’ critical reading skills and emotional literacy through poetry analysis — a key aspect of the KS3 English curriculum.
• Encourages cultural awareness by selecting diverse poetic voices.
• Supports whole-class participation through varied activities, accommodating different learner needs and promoting confidence with literary analysis.

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Next Steps

• Next lesson will focus on exploring tone and mood through language patterns and sound devices in poetry.
• Homework suggestion: Find a poem from their own culture or one they admire and identify imagery within it.

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End of Lesson Plan