Overview

Unit: Rhythms of Storytelling (Lesson 1 of 10)
Duration: 45 minutes
Class Size: 25 students
Year Group: Year 5 (ages 9-10)
Subject: English
Curriculum Alignment: iE Curriculum, English Language – Poetry Strand, Narrative Writing

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Learning Objectives

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

• iE Curriculum Standard EN5.PO.1.1: Identify and describe key features of narrative poetry (e.g., characters, setting, plot).
• iE Curriculum Standard EN5.PO.1.2: Recognise the structure of narrative poetry, including rhythm and rhyme.
• iE Curriculum Competency EN5.CM.1.1: Listen actively and respond to spoken poetry, identifying tone and mood.
• iE Curriculum Competency EN5.CM.1.2: Use language patterns to explore how poets create rhythm and emphasis.

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Success Criteria

Students can:

• Explain what makes narrative poetry different from other types of poetry.
• Describe the rhythm and tone used in ‘The Highwayman’.
• Identify narrative elements within a poem (characters, plot, setting).
• Participate actively in listening and discussion activities.

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Resources Needed

• Audio recording of The Highwayman by Alfred Noyes (age-appropriate excerpt ~3-4 minutes)
• Printed copies of a simplified text excerpt from The Highwayman
• Interactive whiteboard or projector
• Story element graphic organisers (characters, setting, plot)
• Headphones for individual listening (if available)
• Rhythm clapping cards or percussion instruments (optional)

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Lesson Structure

1. Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Objective: Activate prior knowledge about poetry and storytelling.

• Begin with a quick Think-Pair-Share activity. Pose the question: “What is a story poem? How might it be different from a story or a poem?”
• Display simple examples of narrative poetry lines on board (e.g., “The wind was a torrent of darkness...” from The Highwayman).
• Students discuss with a partner, then share ideas with the class.

2. Introduction to Narrative Poetry (10 minutes)

Objective: Understand key characteristics and structure of narrative poetry.

• Define narrative poetry: a poem that tells a story, including characters, setting, and plot. Write these key terms on the board with simple definitions and examples.
• Explain rhythm, rhyme, and tone in poetry—demonstrate with short, rhythmic lines.
• Use a short narrated example (2-3 lines) and ask students to tap the rhythm or ‘beat’ with their hands.
• Introduce the graphic organiser for narrative elements which students will use later.

3. Listening Activity (15 minutes)

Objective: Familiarise students with rhythm and tone in The Highwayman.

• Distribute simplified printed excerpts of The Highwayman.
• Play the audio recording for the whole class once. Students follow along silently with their text.
• Play again; this time, students tap the rhythm on their desks or clap along to the meter.
• After listening, hold a brief guided discussion:
  • What is the mood or feeling created by the poem? (e.g., suspenseful, mysterious)
  • Can they identify the main characters and setting from the excerpt?
  • How does the rhythm help to tell the story?

4. Group Activity (10 minutes)

Objective: Identify narrative elements in the poem excerpt.

• Divide the class into 5 groups of 5 students.
• Each group receives a large copy of the graphic organiser.
• Task: Find and write down examples of characters, setting, and basic plot points from the excerpt.
• Groups share their findings briefly with the class.

5. Reflection and Assessment (5 minutes)

Objective: Review lesson learning and consolidate understanding.

• Ask students to write 1-2 sentences answering:
  “What is one thing you learned about narrative poetry today?”
• Collect responses for teacher assessment.
• End with a teaser question for next lesson:
  “How do poets use rhythm and rhyme to make stories exciting?”

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Differentiation

• Support: Provide sentence starters on the graphic organiser for students who need help identifying narrative elements.
• Extension: Challenge more able students to discuss how tone is created through word choice and rhythm, using examples from The Highwayman.

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Teacher Reflection Notes

• Monitor student engagement during the listening activity to ensure comprehension and attention to rhythm.
• Use collected reflection sentences to tailor upcoming lessons, especially lesson 2’s focus on rhyme schemes and rhythm patterns.
• The use of audio and kinaesthetic tapping aims to cater for diverse learning styles and make abstract concepts concrete.

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Summary

This lesson introduces Year 5 students to narrative poetry through active listening, discussion, and analysis of The Highwayman. It exemplifies the iE Curriculum’s holistic approach combining comprehension, analysis, and oral communication, whilst fostering an appreciation of rhythm and storytelling in poetry.