Lesson video

Hello there.

My name is Mr. Brown and I'm your English teacher for this lesson.

Today we are going to be preparing.

We're going to be preparing to write a free verse poem about big objects.

So lots of preparation today to be able to put us in an excellent position when it comes to writing in the future.

So let's get started.

The outcome for today's lesson is I can prepare to write a poem about a big object.

The keywords we'll use are inspiring, synonym, colossal, gargantuan.

Let's say those together.

My turn and then your turn.

Inspiring.

Synonym.

Colossal.

Gargantuan.

Perfect.

So something or someone that is inspiring is exciting and makes you feel strongly interested and enthusiastic.

A synonym is a word that has the same or similar meaning to another word.

Colossal is an adjective, which means massive or gigantic, like a huge statue that makes you feel tiny in comparison.

Gargantuan is an adjective which means huge or enormous, like a giant who towers above you in the air.

Okay, the lesson today, we'll start by looking at reading poetry about big objects.

Then we'll move on to generating vocabulary, and finally deciding a poem's subject and generating ideas.

So reading poetry about big objects.

We are going to be writing poems about big objects.

In this lesson, we need to prepare to do this.

An excellent way to prepare to write poetry is to read and enjoy poems yourself.

Reading inspiring poems by other poets can give you ideas and make you feel interested and enthusiastic to write your own.

We will read and discuss some poems written about big objects, starting with a haiku, which is something we've looked at in previous lessons.

Now a haiku is a short poem of just three lines.

It follows a strict syllable structure of, can you remember? Five syllables for the first line, seven for the second, and five for the third.

Haikus originate from Japan and are traditionally written about nature.

Let's read this haiku written about a big object.

"Majestic mountain, reaching for the sky above, silent guardian." Okay, so that is a haiku.

Let's discuss the poem, shall we? My first question to you is what is the haiku about? And it'd be great if you could explain how you know, how you have come to that conclusion.

The next question I have for you is what did you enjoy about the poem? So what was it that you liked about the poem? You might want to pull out particular examples, phrases that we used, certain lines.

So it's over to you.

Have a chat with the person next to you and discuss what the haiku was about and what you enjoyed about the poem.

Pause the video and have a go at this task now.

Welcome back.

Okay, let's have a look at some answers.

So the haiku is about a mountain.

Absolutely.

The haiku is about a mountain.

It says in the first line, "Majestic mountain, reaching for the sky above." Yep, that is something a mountain would do.

"Silent guardian." What a lovely way to describe it.

I enjoyed the way the poet describes the mountain as reaching for the sky like it's a person.

So we're using some personification there, describing the mountain as reaching up for the sky.

Okay, now let's move on to read a kenning poem written about a big object.

Now kenning poems are just like riddles and they hint at the subject of a poem rather than telling the reader.

They consist of a list of kennings.

Kennings are two words, often joined together with a hyphen, that take the place of a noun.

For example, instead of using the noun "river", we could use a kenning such as "water wanderer" instead.

Let's read a kenning poem written about a big object.

Can you guess what the object is? Here's the poem.

"Sky-ruler, cloud-piercer, light-stealer, glass-observer, dream-blocker." What do you think that kenning poem is written about? I'll read it to you one more time.

"Sky-ruler, cloud-piercer, light-stealer, glass-observer, dream-blocker." Have a think.

Let's discuss it.

So have a think with the person next to you and discuss what is the kenning poem about? Why do you think it is the object that you think it is? And how did the poem make you feel? What atmosphere did the poet create? Is it a positive or a negative atmosphere? And why? So pause the video and haven't got this task now.

Welcome back.

Okay, let's see how you got on.

Let's look at some example answers.

I think the kenning is about a skyscraper.

Interesting.

Yeah, of course.

Sky-ruler, it rules the sky because it's so tall.

Cloud-piercer, it's piercing into the clouds.

Light-stealer, well of course it blocks the light, doesn't it? Glass-observer, it's made of glass and it observes the city because it's above it all.

And then dream-blocker, that's an interesting one.

So it blocks people's dreams. Maybe it's something that seems to get in the way rather than being something freeing and something that is positive.

It seems to be this kenning poem is creating a bit of a negative feeling and that's what comes up in the answer here.

The poem made me feel a bit scared of the huge building and the way it blocks out the sun.

So it steals the light and maybe dream-blocker is referring to the way it blocks the sunshine.

Interesting.

Okay, now let's move on to a free verse poem written about a big object.

Free verse poems do not follow poetic rules such as rhyme or structure, and instead tend to follow the rhythm of natural speech.

They allow poets to be creative.

Although no rules are required to be followed, poets may still use poetic techniques such as repetition to create their desired effect.

They may even use rhyming words, but without any set structure.

So you may in a free verse poem, still see things like repetition or rhyming words, alliteration, but the poet will not have been forced to follow a set structure in the way they use them.

Okay, let's read a free verse poem written about an oak tree.

"In the field, a proud oak stands tall.

Its branches reaching out like welcoming arms. Birds fly home to its leafy embrace.

Squirrels scamper up and down its trunk.

Underneath its leaves, a peaceful haven awaits, where nature's harmony sings in quiet whispers." Okay, let's move on to a task.

I would like you to read this free verse poem out loud, and I want to focus on using your voice and expression to reinforce the positive feeling the poet is trying to make the reader feel.

You may wish to read your poem to an audience and ask for feedback.

So it's the same poem that I've just read to you.

Your job is to read the poem out loud.

Focus on using your voice and expression to reinforce the positive feeling the poet is trying to make the reader feel.

You may wish to read your poem to an audience and ask for feedback too.

Okay, it's over to you.

Pause the video and have a go at reading this free verse poem out loud now.

Welcome back.

Okay, let's see how you got on.

Did you use your voice to make the reader feel happy and peaceful? Take a moment to reflect on that now.

Did you use any facial expressions or physical gestures? You may wish to ask a partner or someone who watched you read the poem out loud if you did use your voice to make the reader feel happy and peaceful.

Did you use any facial expressions or physical gestures? These are good things to ask to get feedback on.

You may even wish to take that feedback and then have another go.

Okay, let's move on to generating vocabulary.

When we are writing poems about big objects, we will use lots of vocabulary to emphasise the size of the objects to the reader.

To achieve this, we want to ensure we know a large bank of words that can be used so our writing does not become repetitive.

If we're using the same word over and over again, it is going to feel repetitive and be less interesting for the reader.

We need to know a lot of synonyms for important words, such as big.

A synonym is a word that has the same or similar meaning to another word.

So you will need to know lots of words that mean big so you don't have to keep using the word big.

Let's check our understanding.

What is the name for a word that has the same or similar meaning to another word? Is it A, a synonym, B, an opposite, or C, a rhyme? A, B, or C? Pause the video and decide now.

Welcome back.

Let's see if you managed to find the right answer.

So the name for a word that has the same or similar meaning to another word is a synonym.

Well done if you said A.

An opposite and a rhyme are not the correct answers.

A rhyme is a word that has the same ending sound, like cats and hats, and an opposite is a word that is completely different to that word.

So a synonym was the correct answer.

Let's generate vocabulary we can use in our poems to emphasise to the reader about the size of the object we're writing about.

We are going to generate synonyms for the word big.

Okay, let's start with large.

A synonym for big is large.

Large means the same as big.

Huge, giant, massive, enormous, gigantic, these are all synonyms for big.

Which of these words is a synonym for big? Is it A, delicate, B, heavy, or C, gigantic? Pause the video and decide now.

Welcome back.

Let's see if you found the right answer.

So gigantic is the correct answer.

That is a synonym for big.

If something is heavy, it means it weighs a lot.

If something is delicate, it means it's very fragile, but they do not mean big.

So well done if you said C.

We now have our foundation of six synonyms for big that we can use generally.

To extend our vocabulary, let's generate some more precise symptoms that may suit the particular object that you will be writing about.

Objects that are big can still be quite different.

For example, a desert is big because it's wide, but a skyscraper is big because it is tall.

So we can see that a desert is big in a different way to the way that a skyscraper is big.

Let's look as an example.

The word colossal is an adjective and it means massive or gigantic, like a huge statue that makes you feel very tiny in comparison.

Colossal.

Then we have gargantuan, and it's an adjective that means huge or enormous, like a giant who towers above you in the air.

We are going to generate some more synonyms that may suit the particular object that you will be writing about to help your writing be more precise.

So the object that you are writing about might be big and wide, big and tall, or big and wide and tall.

For example, vast and expansive are two adjectives that are symptoms for big, and they mean something is very wide.

Vast, expansive.

Towering and lofty means something is very big, but it's very tall.

Towering, lofty.

And colossal and immense is when something is very big and tall and wide.

So it's a huge object, colossal, immense.

The word towering is most used appropriately when describing objects that are tall, wide, or tall and wide.

Towering.

Pause the video and decide now.

Welcome back.

Is it A, tall, B, wide, or C, tall and wide? Well done if you said A, tall.

Towering is when something is very tall and it has the root word tower.

So that helps us to remember like a tower is very tall.

Okay, time for a task.

Complete the table by generating more detailed synonyms for big.

Some words have been added for you, so I've already put enormous in our big generally column.

Expansive is in the big and wide column.

Lofty is in the big, tall column, and immense is in the big, wide and tall column.

Your job is to try and find as many synonyms for big and put them in the correct column.

Pause the video and have a go with this task now.

Welcome back.

Okay, let's have a look.

Well done if you said enormous, large, huge, giant, massive, and gigantic for the words that mean big just generally.

Big and wide was expansive and vast and broad and bulky.

Lofty goes in the big and tall column.

Towering and immense goes in the big and the wide and tall column.

And colossal and gargantuan.

Let's move on to deciding a poem subject and generating ideas.

To begin planning for writing a poem about big objects, we need to first decide which big object we use as our subject.

The subject of the poem is what the poem is about.

We want the subject to be something that interests us and that we have some knowledge of, something that others will know and can picture in their minds, and something that inspires poetry.

Let me just check your understanding.

What is the name for what a poem is about? Is it A, subject, B, style, or C, length? What is the name for what a poem is about? Pause the video and decide now.

Welcome back.

Okay, so the name for what a poem is about is A, subject.

The subject is what you're writing the poem about.

Well done if you said A.

How do we decide which big objects are inspiring to write poetry about and which are not? One way is to choose an object that will provoke certain emotions, either positive or negative.

For example, I feel scared when I see a towering never-ending escalator.

So Aisha has a fear, it looks like, of escalators.

She finds them a bit scary.

So therefore, this would be an excellent subject for poetry, not because it has a very positive feeling, but because it has a very negative feeling.

It could be a great subject because she could write a poem about how imposing and terrifying escalators are to her.

And then we have an example from Andeep.

"I feel happy when I think about my granddad's huge shed and all the time he spent showing me the interesting tools." So this, Andeep, would be an excellent subject for poetry because it means something very personal and positive to you, and I can see that from your answer.

So really good idea to use that for poetry.

Objects that have a sensory appeal are great subject for poetry too, because they engage the reader's senses.

Again, this can be in a positive or negative way.

The object will stimulate the reader's senses by describing something very visual, such as a sunset or a flower, something that has a sound associated to it, such as a wave and the crashing noise it makes.

Something that has a smell associated to it, such as car fumes.

Something that has a taste associated to it, such as hot curry.

Do you think these big objects make a good subject for a poem and why? Discuss with a partner.

So let's look at some objects and decide whether we think they would be good subjects for a poem or not.

A castle, the beach, or the sea, a factory, a car park, a rainbow.

Do you think these would be good subjects for a poem? And why? Pause the video and have a discussion with your partner now.

And welcome back.

I am so interested to hear what you thought.

Let's have a look at what Jacob thinks.

He says, "I think a castle is a good subject for a poem because it makes me feel brave like a knight." Interesting.

Yeah, that's certainly something he seems to be interested in and passionate about.

June thinks a factory is a great subject for a poem.

This is an interesting answer because it will stimulate a negative sensory response.

Absolutely.

Factories make me feel like I'm choking on pollution, and this is something that June seems to be tapping into.

It's a negative feeling.

Poems don't always have to be about things that make us feel happy and loving and excited.

They can be about negative things too.

Then we have Izzy and she thinks a rainbow is an excellent subject for a poem because it provokes a strong, positive emotional response, very contrasting to the factory.

A rainbow is going to make us feel a very positive way.

When we see a rainbow, it feels almost magical and exciting because it's quite rare to see one.

Great answers.

Now I'm going to choose my big object to be the subject of my poem.

It is something that makes me feel happy and excited and has a sensory appeal too.

Something personal to me.

I'm interested in this.

I'm excited to write about this.

It's a theatre.

A theatre is the big object that I'm going to write my poem about.

Have you ever been to a theatre before? I will now generate ideas about my object that I wish to expand and include in my poem.

These ideas can be anything that comes to mind when I think of a theatre.

So when I say the word theatre to you, what do you think of? Well, I think of bright lights and smoke effects, the feel of the soft seats, lofty, velvet curtains, a huge stage, an enormous audience, and the sound of the vast orchestra.

So these are the things that come to mind, the ideas I have when I think of a theatre.

So it's over to you now.

I would like you to decide what the subject of your poem about a big object will be.

Remember to try and choose an object that provokes emotions, either in you or in the reader, or engages our senses.

Once you've chosen your object, generate ideas about your object so that you can expand them and include them in your poem.

Okay, choose your object, generate ideas about that object.

It's over to you.

Pause the video and have a go at this task now.

Welcome back.

Okay, let's see how you got on.

What did you choose and why? Well, June chose an oak tree because they are so beautiful and make me feel calm and linked to nature.

That's a really nice answer and something I can tell straight away that he feels passionate to write about.

And here is an example of June's ideas.

So an oak tree leaves changing colours.

That's something that I would definitely want to include in a poem about an oak tree.

Colossal, tall trunk.

Lovely to see colossal.

One of our star words there.

We have expansive roots stretching out, rustling sounds.

Of course, if you close your eyes and imagine what a tree sounds like, it's that rustling of the leaves.

Animals living within, really nice, and bare branches in winter.

So we can talk about the changing of the tree.

Lovely.

Okay, let's summarise the learning that we've done today.

A synonym is a word that has the same or similar meaning to another word.

Synonyms for big include huge, colossal, and gargantuan.

The subject of a poem is what the poem is about.

Poems can provoke emotions and engage our senses.

Excellent work today preparing to write a poem about big objects.

I will see you soon so that we can write that poem.