In Flanders Fields

Overview

This 60-minute lesson consolidates Year 6 pupils’ understanding of the poem In Flanders Fields by John McCrae. It aligns with the National Curriculum for English (Years 5-6, England) focusing on comprehension, interpretation, and the exploration of poetic language and themes. The lesson also supports SATs preparation through targeted questions and includes strategies to engage diverse learners, including dyslexia-friendly approaches and extension tasks for higher attainment pupils.

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National Curriculum Links

Reading: Comprehension (Year 6)

• Retrieve, record and present information from fiction, poetry, and non-fiction texts.
• Discuss and evaluate how authors use language, including figurative language, considering the impact on the reader.
• Maintain positive attitudes to reading and understanding of what they read by continuing to read and discuss an increasingly wide range of poetry.

Spoken Language

• Articulate and justify answers, arguments and opinions.
• Participate in discussions, presentations, performances, role play, improvisations, and debates.

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Learning Objectives (WALT)

• WALT: Understand and analyse the poem In Flanders Fields.
• WALT: Identify poetic devices used and their effects.
• WALT: Answer SATs-style questions to consolidate comprehension and inference skills.
• WALT: Express personal responses to themes of remembrance and sacrifice.

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Success Criteria

• I can read and explain the meaning of verses from In Flanders Fields.
• I can identify and describe the use of similes, metaphors, and rhyme in the poem.
• I can answer inference and retrieval questions with evidence from the text.
• I can discuss the poem’s impact and relate it to historical context.

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Resources

• Printed poem copies using dyslexia-friendly font (e.g., OpenDyslexic) on cream or pastel paper.
• Whiteboard and visualiser or projector for teacher modelling.
• Highlighter pens and sticky notes.
• SATs-style question worksheet (differentiated).

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Lesson Structure

1. Starter (10 minutes) – Context and Engagement

• Brief introduction to WWI and the significance of remembrance. Use images or a short story to set the scene.
• Read the first stanza of In Flanders Fields aloud twice (teacher and choral read). Dyslexia-friendly printout available.
• Discuss initial thoughts: What pictures or feelings does the stanza create?
• Highlight key vocabulary: poppies, crosses, lagging, fading. Use a vocabulary board or synonym banks.

2. Main Teaching (25 minutes) – Poetic Analysis and Understanding

Activity 1: Whole-class annotation (10 mins)

• Project short excerpts (start with 2 stanzas). Model how to annotate for poetic devices e.g., rhyme scheme (AABB), metaphors (“larks, still bravely singing”), and emotive language (“we are the Dead”).
• Pupils highlight and annotate their own copies using highlighters and sticky notes.

Activity 2: Paired questions – SATs style (15 mins)

• Pairs work on differentiated SATs-style questions focusing on:
  • Retrieval: “Where are the poppies growing?”
  • Inference: “Why do the soldiers ‘hear the guns’?”
  • Language: “What is the effect of the phrase ‘to you from failing hands we throw the torch’?”
• Discuss answers as a class with evidence from the poem to justify responses.

3. Plenary (15 minutes) – Reflection and Extension

• Group discussion: How does the poem make us feel about war and sacrifice?
• Extension task for advanced learners: Write a short verse inspired by In Flanders Fields using similar imagery and rhyme patterns.
• Dyslexia-friendly exit ticket: Pupils write or dictate one sentence about what they learned, using sentence starters provided on the board (e.g., “The poem makes me feel... because...”).

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Differentiation Strategies

Learner Group	Strategy
SEN/Dyslexic pupils	Dyslexia-friendly fonts on printed poem; short, chunked extracts; clear vocabulary support; colour-coded highlighting; paired reading; verbal explanations.
EAL learners	Pre-teach key words and phrases; use picture prompts; bilingual glossary available; sentence stems for responses.
Lower-attainers	Simplified questions focusing mainly on retrieval and literal meaning; scaffolded annotations with exemplars; one-to-one adult support where possible.
Higher-attainers	Extension writing activity; analysis of additional poetic devices like symbolism and tone; researching the poem’s historical background in more depth.

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Assessment: SATs-style Questions (Sample)

1. Retrieve: Where does the poem say the poppies grow?
2. Infer: Why do the soldiers ask readers to “take up our quarrel with the foe”?
3. Language: Identify one simile or metaphor in the poem and explain its effect.
4. Comprehension: What message do you think the poem is trying to convey about war?

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Dyslexia-Friendly Reading Options

• Provide poem copies in OpenDyslexic font on cream-coloured paper to reduce visual stress.
• Use audio recording of the poem for listening support before/after reading.
• Chunk the poem in smaller stanzas, read aloud by teacher and pupils in turns.
• Highlight key words and phrases with different colours to aid memory and understanding.
• Include visual symbols (poppy icons, crosses) next to key lines to provide context cues.

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WOW Ideas for Teachers

• Use a “Poetry Postcard” activity: pupils design a digital or paper postcard featuring their favourite line(s) from the poem plus a personal response or question inspired by the poem—great for sharing in displays or home learning.
• Incorporate mindfulness by playing soft instrumental music and inviting pupils to listen to the poem silently, then draw or write how it made them feel.
• Use drama: Pupils role-play “voices” of the soldiers, responding to the poem’s call—boosts empathy and spoken language skills.

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Summary

This comprehensive lesson consolidates pupils' knowledge of In Flanders Fields, embedding key Year 6 National Curriculum reading standards and SATs skills. Through scaffolded analysis and creative response, all learners can engage deeply with McCrae’s poem, gaining both literary understanding and historical appreciation.