Lesson video

Hello, everyone, my name's Mrs. Tweedy.

I'm here to teach today's poetry lesson.

You'll need a quiet space to work, someone or the screen to talk to, and lots of fresh ideas.

Let's get started.

For this lesson, you will need a copy of the poem, "Hawk Roosting," which is featured on page 41 in the 2019 Faber & Faber edition of "The Thought Fox: Collected Animal Poems, Volume 4," written by Ted Hughes.

The outcome for today's lesson is I can read two poems aloud with confidence and expression.

Our keywords are here, my turn, your turn.

Enjambment.

This is when a line in poetry continues onto the next line without pause or punctuation, creating a sense of flow.

Perspective.

This is the point of view from which the poet writes, influencing the way events or ideas are portrayed and understood.

Interpretation.

This is the process of understanding and assigning meaning to a poem.

Cinquain.

This is a form of poetry consisting of five lines, typically with a specific syllable count or pattern.

Our learning outline looks like this.

We're going to start by exploring and performing the first poem, 'Blackbird.

' Here are two examples of cinquains.

They are a type of poem.

Silent.

Falling gently.

Whispers of memories.

Winter halting the march of time.

The snow.

Serene.

Blanket of white.

Softens the cold, harsh world.

Nature's quiet beauty soothing the soul.

Hmm, what did you spot in the two cinquains? Well, a cinquain has all of these, five lines that follow a specific structure, vivid imagery, pictures painted in our head, descriptive language and sensory details.

Most cinquains follow the same syllable pattern.

Line one has two syllables, silent in my first line.

Line two has four syllables, falling gently, like in my second line of my example.

Line three has six syllables, whispers of memories.

Line four has eight syllables, winter halting the march of time.

Line five has two syllables again, the snow.

Now a useful strategy to help you count the syllables in each word is to clap each beat.

Remember, a syllable can be thought of as a beat of a word, and it is the part of the word that holds the vowel sound.

Let's clap the syllables in my cinquain together.

Off we go.

Silent.

Falling gently.

Whispers of memories.

Winter halting the march of time.

The snow.

Did you hear the two, four, six, eight, two syllable pattern across the five lines? Me too, well done.

Let's look at a cinquain by the poet, John Foster, called, 'Blackbird.

' Blackbird.

Hops, stops, hops, stops, Across the lawn.

Listens.

It's head cocked for sounds of a worm.

Then strikes, oh, did you enjoy John Foster's cinquain? I did.

It was fun to read too.

This cinquain is about a blackbird in a garden.

Here is a photograph of a blackbird and you can see it has just struck a worm.

It follows the same pattern, two, then four, then six, then eight, then two syllables on each of the five lines.

Let's discuss your first impression of the cinquain Blackbird.

What did you like about it and how did it make you feel? I would like you to pause the video as you discuss these key questions with somebody near you or to the screen.

Welcome back.

Thank you for your discussion.

This child says, I liked imagining the blackbird hopping and stopping until it found a worm to eat.

It reminded me of watching a blackbird in the park before.

I wonder if any of you have seen a blackbird in the park before or your garden or on your balcony or in any other green space.

This child says, by using a specific number of syllables in each line, John Foster made his cinquain have a unique rhythm and pace.

Ah, yes, it did have a unique rhythm and pace.

Thank you, Gern.

Let's check your understanding.

True or false, cinquains are five line poems that follow a specific syllable structure.

Pause the video as you decide if that is true or false.

Welcome back and it was true.

Well done.

Now justify your answer, which outta these two statements best justifies why your answer was true.

Cinquain have two syllables in the first line, four in the second line, six in the third line, eight in the fourth line, and two in the fifth line.

Or, cinquains can be written like a riddle with the final line revealing the subject of the poem.

Which is the best justification, A or B? Pause the video now.

Welcome back and you are right, it was A.

We know that cinquains have two, then four, then six, then eight, then two syllables in each of their five lines.

It's time for task A.

Now that we've read the poem together, you are going to reread the poem aloud.

The poem is in the additional materials to this lesson.

Remember to use the following tips when you are reading "Blackbird" aloud using expressive voice.

Vary or change your volume.

Sometimes you might have it nice and loud and sometimes you might have it much quieter.

Place emphasis on keywords to show meaning, so you might think that hops and stops are keywords that you want to emphasise or you might want to emphasise the word worm or strike, you decide.

And finally, use facial expressions and gestures to really bring your reading aloud to life.

Most importantly, enjoy the process of reading "Blackbird" aloud in your best, most expressive voice.

Pause the video now as you complete task A.

Welcome back.

How did you get on? I hope you enjoyed rereading the poem aloud.

Maybe you were a bit shy and nervous at first, and hopefully you grew in confidence as you read again and again "Blackbird" by John Foster.

Time for a reflection.

Did you use the following, reading aloud tips? Did you use that expressive voice? Did you vary or change your volume? Did you emphasise key words for meaning and did you use facial expressions and gestures to bring your performance to life? If you feel you did, well done.

If you feel you didn't and you could do even better, you could have a go at repeating task A with a bit more confidence and gumption.

Otherwise, let's move on with part two of our lesson, exploring and performing "Hawk Roosting" poem.

"Hawk Roosting" was written by Ted Hughes in 1960 and is found in the collection, "The Thought Fox: Collected Animal Poems Volume 4." Ted Hughes was a British poet who wrote many poems, children's books and plays.

Hughes was born in a small village in Yorkshire, England in 1930, and you can see Yorkshire pinpointed here on the map of Great Britain.

He grew up in a rural environment which later influenced much of his poetry.

Rural means amongst the countryside, not inner city.

Ted Hughes often used animals and nature as symbols in his work.

In addition to poetry, Ted Hughes wrote several acclaimed children's books, that means very much celebrated and famous, including "The Iron Man." I wonder if any of you have read "The Iron Man" or know the story? This was later adapted into a popular animated film called "The Iron Giant," and again, I wonder if any of you have seen "The Iron Giant," and if you have, did you enjoy it? Ted Hughes was a very famous British writer.

Specifically for our lesson, we're going to focus on one of his poems. Now, before we read the poem, what does the title "Hawk Roosting" make you think of? Are there any words or images that come into your mind just by thinking about those two words? Hawk Roosting.

Pause the video now as you discuss these questions with somebody near you or to the screen.

Welcome back.

Well, roosting is a verb, a doing word, which means to settle for rest or sleep, and here is a photo of a hawk.

You might have known from your wider knowledge that hawks are a type of bird.

This child says, the title of the poem makes me think of a bird of prey.

Ah, yes, a hawk is a bird of prey.

It's a predatory bird resting on a branch.

I know most hawks have good eyesight, so I imagine the poem might describe what the hawk notices before resting, because we now know that roosting is that verb that means to settle for rest or sleep.

Well, before we explore the poem in more detail, it's very useful to know a little about hawks.

Here, you can see two types of hawk.

On the top, a sparrow hawk, and on the bottom a common buzzard.

These are both types of hawk.

Do you know there are around 270 species of hawk worldwide? Wow, I did not know that.

These species of hawk vary widely in size, habitat and behaviour.

Hawks have strong curved beaks and sharp talons coupled with keen eyesight and agile flying skills.

Agile means they can move very freely and quickly with no limits to what their body can do.

All of this, their beaks, their talons, their eyesight, and their flying skills, makes them amazing hunters.

And remember, they are birds of prey, so they love hunting for smaller animals.

Hawks native to the UK include the common buzzard, the one you can see here at the bottom of the two photographs, the sparrow hawk at the top of the two photographs, the red kite, the hen harrier and the merlin.

These are all hawks that can be found right here in the UK.

Let's check your understanding.

Which of the following are true about hawks? A, hawks have strong curved beaks.

B, hawks cannot see very far.

C, a common buzzard is a type of hawk.

D, hawks can only catch their food in the air.

Pause the video as you decide which of these statements are true.

Welcome back.

A and C were correct.

Hawks have strong curved beaks and a common buzzard is a type of hawk.

Hawks absolutely can see very far.

Remember, one of their key physical attributes is their excellent eyesight.

And it is not true that hawks can only catch their food in the air.

They can catch it elsewhere too.

"Hawk Roosting," the poem, contains some language which may be unfamiliar to us.

Let's have a look at the definitions before we encounter these words in the poem.

My turn, your turn.

Inaction.

Let's do that one again.

Inaction.

Well done.

This is meaning being inactive or not taking action.

Falsifying.

Let's do that one again.

Falsifying.

Well done.

This means to make false or deceive.

Buoyancy.

Buoyancy.

That's quite a nice word, isn't it? It sounds quite bouncy in my mouth when I say it.

It's the ability to float or rise in a fluid.

So if something is buoyant, it floats in a fluid or a liquid.

Sophistry.

Sophistry.

Wow, such a tricky word.

This is the use of clever, but false arguments.

So someone who's quite deceptive or manipulative might use soft sophistry to make us believe their clever, but false argument.

Allotment.

Allotment.

Well done.

This is the allocation or distribution of something, the giving out of something.

You might know the word allotment in another context, which is a small patch of land that you can grow vegetables and fruits and trees on that is in an elsewhere public space.

So much language there.

Now it's time to read the poem.

Refer to page 41 of the accompanying text to this lesson.

To begin, read the poem silently in your head.

Then read the poem out loud.

That language that we've practised is tricky, so you will need to read this again and again to get your tongue around all the words.

You might like to read it with a partner with one person reading the first two lines, then alternating reading the next two lines.

Or, you might like to read it straight all the way through once yourself, and then your partner reads it all the way through.

Enjoy reading firstly in your head and then secondly out loud.

And read it again and again until it becomes more and more fluid.

Pause the video now as you read the poem for the first time.

Welcome back.

What did you think? Was it quite tricky to read at first and then got easier and easier? Well done.

Let's have another discussion.

An interpretation is a key takeaway idea of a poem, so I might have an interpretation about the poem "Hawk roosting" that's the main idea I take away.

I want you to think about what your first interpretation of the poem was.

What did you take away the most of everything that you think Ted Hughes might have been trying to send you a message about through his words in the poem? But pause the video now as you decide what your first key takeaway idea or interpretation was.

Welcome back.

Well, this child says, my interpretation is that the hawk definitely has power and authority over its habitat.

Yes, I agree with this child.

Let's see why.

Ted Hughes makes the hawk sound like it is very powerful and proud of itself.

I agree.

Ted Hughes uses so much powerful, controlling, authoritative, serious, and formal language to describe the hawk.

He definitely sounds like he is the main character in this poem with power and authority.

Let's see a brief summary of each verse and to help you picture the hawk, here's a photo of a red-tailed hawk, roosting, or resting on that branch.

You can refer to each verse as you read.

Verse one describes the hawk resting on a perch high up in the wood.

Verse two describes the hawk's appreciation of the air and sunlight.

It likes the air and sunlight.

It sees the earth from its high position.

It's almost like it's looking over the rest of the earth.

Verse three describes the hawk reflecting on its physical attributes.

That's its physical parts of the body that you would be able to touch.

The hawk asserts its power and control over the world below it.

Verse four describes the hawk's right to kill wherever it pleases.

Let's carry on reading and you'll see the photo has changed to a red kite flying now on the screen to help you picture that haw flying.

Verse five describes the Hawke's ability to fly straight at a target and kill it.

It does not feel it needs to make any excuses.

It is its right to kill and it's in its instinct to kill.

Verse six describes the hawk, noticing the unchanging nature of its surroundings, since it began its reign.

So the hawk notices that nothing around it has changed since it has been raining over or towering over or having power over its habitat.

It does not want this life of power and authority to change.

Let's check your understanding.

Put the following events found in the poem "Hawk Roosting" in order.

You can refer to the poem for support, of course.

Which one comes first, second, and third? The hawk rests on a perch with a view over the woodland.

The hawk does not want its situation to change.

The hawk describes how it is a very accomplished killer, a very good killer.

Put these three in order from one to two to three.

Pause the video now.

Welcome back.

The first was the hawk resting on the perch with a view over the woodland.

The second was the hawk describing how it is a very accomplished or successful killer.

And finally, the hawk does not want its situation to change.

Hawk Roosting" can be described as a fixed verse poem.

It consists of six verses, which we've summarised now, each with four lines.

It is written in the first person perspective.

Again, refer to the poem.

What effect does reading from the perspective, the point of view of the hawk have on the reader or listener? Pause the video as you discuss this key question.

This child says, being able to experience the world through the Hawk's eyes made me develop empathy with it.

It made me feel powerful and in control, reflecting on the role of a predator in the natural world.

Yes, I absolutely agree.

We can empathise or step into the shoes of the hawk very easily when the hawk is speaking from the first person perspective.

The poem uses enjambment, which is when a line in poetry continues onto the next line without pause or punctuation.

Time for another discussion.

Referring back to the poem, why do you think the poet used enjambment in the poem? What effect do you think it has? You might use the word flow in your discussion.

Pause the video as you talk to somebody near you or to the screen.

Welcome back.

Joann says, the poem flows from one situation to the next.

Like the Hawk's focus, the poem does not pause or get interrupted.

Thank you, Joann and he used flow in his answer.

And this child says, it is like the poem does not want the reader or listener to have a break and to consider a different perspective.

Nice idea, Izzy.

Let's check your understanding.

Hawk roosting is written from which perspective? A, first person, B, second person C, third person.

Pause the video as you decide.

Welcome back, well done.

It was A.

The repetition of my and I gives the reader an insight into what the hawk thinks about itself.

It's time for task B.

Now that we've explored the poem, we are going to reread the poem aloud.

Refer to the poem on page 41 of the accompanying text to this lesson.

Remember to use the following tips when reading aloud, an expressive voice, a variation or change in your volume, how loud and how soft, an emphasis on keywords to show meaning, and facial expressions and gestures to help bring your performance to life.

These were the same tips from task A when you read "Blackbird." So use them again and go even better with all your expression and your gesturing and your emphasising, as you begin to read aloud "Hawk Roosting." Enjoy feeling those words in your mouth and enjoy the performance.

Pause the video now.

Welcome back.

How did you get on? That was probably quite a different experience reading "Hawk Roosting" than reading "Blackbird." But I hope you used all the reading aloud tips to help you.

Time to check.

Did you use the following tips, an expressive voice, a variation in volume, an emphasis on keywords for meaning, and facial expressions and gestures.

Let's summarise our learning today.

"Blackbird" is a cinquain by John Foster with five lines.

"Hawk Roosting" can be described as a fixed verse poem.

It consists of six verses each with four lines.

The poem is written in first person perspective.

The poem uses enjambment to affect the pacing of the poem.

We can explore poems in depth, gaining different interpretations of them by reading them aloud and performing them.

I have loved teaching you these two poems today, and I hope you enjoy continuing your poetry journey.

See you again soon.

Bye-bye.