Lesson video

Hello everyone.

How are you? I hope you're feeling good.

My name's Ms. Afzal.

I'm feeling good as well today because we're gonna be exploring some poetry and I love poetry.

We'll explore poems written by a few different poets and they're all on the theme of identity.

I'm really looking forward to this.

I hope you are too.

Let's begin.

The outcome for today's lesson is I can read and reflect on poetry about identity.

We have some keywords in our lesson today.

Let's go through them.

My turn, your turn.

Theme.

List poem.

Identity.

Rhythm.

Let's find out what these words mean.

Theme, is a big idea, topic or message that recurs within a text.

A list poem is a form of poetry that consists of a list or inventory of things.

Identity is understanding who you are and your place within the world.

Rhythm is the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables, creating a musical and rhythmic flow in the poem.

Let's look out for these words.

Let's listen out for them.

They will be coming up in our lesson today.

Our lesson, exploring themes of identity in 'Back to Me,' 'Find Me,' 'Friend' and 'Everyone' has four parts to it.

There's exploring 'Back to Me', exploring, 'Find Me' and exploring 'Friend' and 'Everyone'.

Let's begin by exploring 'Back to Me'.

'Back to Me' and 'Find Me' are two poems found in the poetry collection 'Being Me'.

Poems about thoughts, worries, and feelings.

The collection contains poems written by Liz Brownlee, Matt Goodfellow, and Laura Mucha.

Illustrations are made by Victoria Jane Wheeler.

'Being me', features a diverse range of poems that explore various aspects of what it means to be ourselves, including topics like individuality, friendship, family, and personal growth.

Through the poems in "Being Me", readers are encouraged to celebrate their differences, embrace their strengths and weaknesses, and navigate the challenges of growing up.

Sounds so helpful to me.

Before we discuss the first poem, what does the title 'Back to Me' make you think of? What words or images come to mind? Pause a video here and share with someone nearby.

Here's Jacob.

"'Back to Me', makes me think of something being returned." Interesting.

Here's Sam.

"Perhaps the poem focuses on a person who hasn't been feeling like they normally do.

They might want to go back to what they were like before." Thank you, Sam.

Were these similar or different to your responses I wonder.

And were your responses positive or negative? Pause the video while you reflect on this.

And now I'll read the poem 'Back to Me' by Matt Goodfellow to you.

"Back to Me." "After Breakfast club, assembly, lessons, lunch, bell at three, care club, swimming bus back home I need a little time alone to just chill out before my tea and settle back to being me." Now let's hear Matt Goodfellow read the poem.

<v ->This is a poem called 'Back to Me'</v> and I wrote this because, like when I was young and I used to get in from school and also when I used to be a teacher, I needed a little bit of time of decompression 'cause like it's chaos isn't it? "Back to Me." "After breakfast club, assembly lessons, lunch, bell at three, care club, swimming, bus back home, I need a little time alone to just chill out before my tea and settle back to being me." <v ->Great to hear from Matt.

</v> And now it's your turn.

The poem is available in the additional materials.

To begin, read the poem silently in your head, and then read out loud.

You might like to read it with a partner taking turns to read every three lines.

Pause the video while you do this.

I wonder, did the poem match your expectations from thinking about its title? Why or why not? Pause the video and share with someone nearby? Here's Sam.

"The poem connected to my idea of a character not feeling their usual self.

I think the speaker in the poem is asking for some time and space for themselves in a busy day where they move from one thing to another." Yeah, I hear you Sam.

I can relate to that too.

I wonder if you can.

'Back to Me', can be considered a list poem.

It contains 15 lines.

Each line has between one and four words.

The poem contains rhyme.

It has an interesting pattern and rhythm when read aloud.

Let's explore one possible way to read it, where we'll read three lines at a time and then later on, two lines at a time.

"After breakfast club, assembly, lessons, lunch, bell at three, care club, swimming, bus back home.

I need a little time alone to just chill out before my tea and settle back to being me." And I just wondering, did you read it this way when you were first reading? Perhaps or perhaps not.

And now I would like you to reread the poem following this structure.

Three lines, three lines, three lines.

And then two lines, two lines, two lines.

Pause the video while you do this.

Okay, so did you notice any differences or new meanings when you read the poem in this way? Pause the video, share with someone nearby.

The poem presents a snapshot of the speaker's daily routine, both in school and afterwards.

It has a strong sense of movement in terms of time and space.

I would like you to refer to the poem.

Which lines indicate that time has passed? Which lines indicate that the speaker has moved from one place to another? Pause the video while you have this discussion.

Here's Alex.

"The poem lists specific moments that occur in a school day, one after the other in quick succession.

After the end-of-day bell, the speaker goes swimming, before catching the bus to their home.

The short lines make it feel like time is passing quickly." Yes.

Good observation, Alex.

Amidst the hustle and bustle of the day, the speaker expresses a need for some time and space for themselves.

Refer to the poem.

How do you think speaker in the poem might be feeling and why? Pause the video while you discuss this.

Here's Jun.

"I think that the speaker might be frustrated.

Their day is so busy they don't have a chance to relax and reflect.

The speaker requests some time on their own before their tea so they can collect their emotions." Yeah, great that you picked up on that Jun.

I think a lot of us might feel like that at time.

I know I feel like that sometimes as well.

True or false? The speaker gets to enjoy lots of time to themself.

Pause the video while you decide if this is true or false.

Well done if you selected false, and now I'd let you to justify your answer.

Choose from one of the following two statements.

The speaker goes swimming after school.

The speaker requests time when they're home to relax and reconnect.

Pause video while you decide which of these statements best justifies your earlier answer.

Well done if you selected statement B.

Both of these statements are true, but it's the second one that more directly refers to your earlier answer.

And now it's time for your task.

The title of the poem could suggest that the time the speaker has to themselves, helps 'em connect to their thoughts, feelings, and sense of identity.

What do you enjoy doing to connect to your thoughts, feelings, and sense of identity? You might consider the following.

Mindfulness, meditation.

That's my favourite.

Writing in a journal or diary, reading a text.

Creative expression, music, art.

Some sports, exercise.

Disconnecting from technology.

Spending time in nature.

Ooh, love that one too.

These are just some ways, there are many more.

So, pause here and reflect on what do you enjoy doing to connect to your thoughts, feelings, and sense of identity and share with someone nearby.

Great to be back with you.

I'm so curious.

What do you do to connect your thoughts, feelings, sense of identity.

Let's hear from Laura.

Yay.

Laura's the same as me.

"I enjoy using mindfulness strategies to help quiet my mind after a busy day.

This helps me recognise my thoughts and emotions better." Same Laura.

Here's Lucas.

"I like sport, it reduces stress and improves my mood." Oh, yeah, good one.

Good one there Lucas.

And here's Izzy.

"I like disconnecting from my console and exploring my local park.

Being near nature calms me and makes me feel more connected to the world." Oh, wow, I love all of these ideas.

I hope you enjoyed sharing yours as well.

And were these responses similar or different to your own? I wonder.

And now let's begin exploring "Find Me." Another poem that explores the theme of identity is "Find Me." It's written by Liz Brownlee.

First I'll read the poem, 'Find Me' to you.

"What makes me me is on my mind.

A place to fit is hard to find.

Am I unique? One of a kind.

I'm not the same as them.

They know they are just what they think.

Identity is quite distinct.

My puzzle piece does not have links.

I'm not the same as them.

They don't know I feel this way.

I think of it sometimes all day.

I wonder if it's safe to say I'm not the same as them." So, what are your first impressions of the poem? What do you like about the poem? Pause the video show of someone nearby.

I here Aisha.

"I like that the poem included short verses and it has a strong sense of rhythm when read aloud.

Lots of the lines have a steady beat." 'Find Me' is a fixed verse poem, split into 12 two-line verses also known as stanzas.

I'd like you to refer to the poem and its illustration by Victoria Jane Wheeler.

How do you think the speaker might be feeling and how do you know? Pause the video while you share someone nearby.

Here's Jacob.

"I think the speaker might be feeling different to others in their class.

Not being the same seems to leave them feeling quite isolated as they say their puzzle piece does not have links.

The illustration shows two figures looking quite disconnected from each other thinking." Thanks for sharing.

One technique that poets can use to draw attention to specific lines is by changing the rhythm of the poem.

'Find Me' has an interesting pattern.

Most of the lines have a clear four syllable beat.

Read the first eight lines together, clapping out the rhythm.

"What makes me me is on my mind.

A place to fit is hard to find.

Am I unique? One of a kind.

I'm not the same as them." And now I'd like you to reread the poem focusing on points at which the rhythm changes.

What did you notice? Pause video while you discuss this.

Here's Aisha.

"The rhythm changes at the repeated line where the speaker describes not feeling like everyone else.

This repetition seems to break up the poem into three sections." Why do you think the poet wanted to emphasise the repeated lines? What effect does it have on you, the reader? Pause the video share someone nearby.

And now I'd like you to refer to the poem 'Find Me,' which of the following is true? 'Find me' has the same rhythm throughout the poem.

'Find me' has a repeated line that changes the rhythm of the poem.

The speaker's, classmates know how they're feeling.

The speaker's, classmates do not know how they're feeling.

Pause the video and decide which of the following are true.

Well done if you selected statements B and D.

'Find me' does have a repeated line that changes the rhythm of the poem, and the speakers classmates do not know how they're feeling.

'Find me' explores the theme of identity.

I'd like you now to refer to the poem and answer the following question.

Do you think the speaker in 'Find Me' is happy about being different? Yes, no or maybe? Pause a video while you decide.

Now explain your answer using evidence from the poem.

And you may also wish to refer to the illustrations in your explanation too.

Pause a video while you explain your answer, using evidence from the poem.

So, do you think the speaker in 'Find Me' is happy about being different? Perhaps maybe.

Let's see how Izzy explains her answer.

"I think that the speaker in 'Find Me' feels a mixture of emotions about being different.

In the poem, they question whether they are unique.

Perhaps the speaker is worried that they might stand out too much.

At the end of the poem, they describe thinking about whether it's okay to say they're not the same as everybody else." Thank you for your answer Izzy.

Poetry is open to interpretation.

It does not always offer exact answers.

And now for the next part of your task, I'd like you to refer to both poems. From reading both poems, what overall message do you take away about the theme of identity? And you can begin your answer like this.

The overall message I take away with me after reading the poems is, or both poems made me think about.

So, enjoy reflecting on what you are taking away, the overall message about the theme of identity that you're taking away from these poems. Pause the video here.

Okay.

So, what overall message are you taking away about the theme of identity from these poems? Here is Andeep.

"The overall message I take away after reading the poems is that lots of people may struggle at times to think about who they are.

'Find Me', made me think about what makes me unique.

Whereas 'Back to Me' got me to think about how I give myself time to reflect and connect with my own feelings and emotions." I love hearing that.

Thank you Andeep.

I hope you enjoyed sharing what you are taking away.

Poetry about personal experiences can get us to reflect on our own identity when reading or listening.

And now onto exploring 'Friend' and 'Everyone'.

Another poet that writes poems about people and lots of different themes is Laura Mucha.

Now I will read the poem 'Friend' by Laura Mucha to you.

"When I am empty but full of echoes, you find me, uncrumple me and cloak me in kindness.

Thank you." Now let's hear Laura Mucha introduce and read the poem.

<v ->I spend a lot of my time writing books for adults</v> and working with leading academics who are basically researchers, to try to explore what is important in relationships.

And a lot of what scientists and academics agree on is that what every human needs in an ideal world is someone that is there for them when times are difficult.

So, I don't just mean like physically there.

'Cause you can have someone that's physically there when you're crying, who's not giving you a hug and doesn't care.

I mean someone that when you are sad or scared or worried, is available emotionally and can comfort you and protect you.

And it's sort of sensitive to what you need.

And I do a lot of work around this and I wanted to try and write this in a poem, which is quite hard because it's quite a complicated idea and poem's quite short.

So, I wrote this poem in the book "Being Me", and I did it in the shape of a heart here to try to communicate that what I'm talking about is love, healthy love.

"When I'm empty, but full of echoes, you find me, uncrumple me and cloak me in kindness.

Thank you." <v ->Now it's your turn.

</v> The poem is available in the additional materials.

To begin, read the poem silently in your head, then read out loud.

You might like to read it with a partner, taking turns to read every three lines.

Pause the video while you do this.

I'm curious, what is your reaction to the poem, 'Friend'? What did you like about it? What surprised you about it? Pause the video share with someone nearby.

Here's Aisha.

"I found the poem 'Friend' very moving.

It made me feel and think deeply about the people in my life who are important to me and for whom I'm grateful." Here's Laura.

"I loved how the poem was written in a heart shape.

I think that makes its meaning about being grateful and loving towards others, even clearer." Here, here.

I love how both Aisha and Laura used that word grateful in their responses.

And now let's read and explore another poem by Laura Mucha called "Everyone." Now I'll read the poem 'Everyone' by Laura Mucha to you.

"Everyone here is a winner at sport, scoring goals amid whoops of delight.

Everyone here has expensive new shoes that are polished and never too tight.

Everyone here has a house full of books and reads one in bed every night.

Everyone here has adventurous trips to places that I've never seen.

Everyone here has gazillions of friends and brothers who've never been mean.

Everyone here is clever and thin and their uniform's ironed and clean.

Everyone here has a whopping great house with chocolates and sweets guaranteed.

Everyone here lives a life without sad and a life full of trips to the sea.

Everyone here has a mom and a dad.

Everyone here, except me." Now let's hear Laura Mucha, introduce and read the poem.

<v ->For the book "Being Me,"</v> we worked with the person that ran the programme in a master's of Science of Child and Adolescent Mental Health at Edinburgh University.

Basically this means that Dr.

Karen Goodall, who is the expert, knows a lot about the mental health and wellbeing of young people.

So, we sat down and we said, okay, what do we need to include in this book? And she said, we need a poem about comparison because everyone but especially young people compare themselves to others.

And it isn't very good for our mental wellbeing, especially when we compare ourselves to people that we think are having a better time or have more, or are doing better than we are.

So, that is why I wrote this poem.

"Everyone here is a winner at sport scoring goals amid whoops of delight.

Everyone here has expensive new shoes that are polished and never too tight.

Everyone here has a house full of books and reads, one in bed every night.

Everyone here has adventurous trips to places that I've never been.

Everyone here has gazillions of friends and brothers who's never been mean.

Everyone here is clever and thin and their uniform's ironed and clean.

Everyone here has a whopping great house with chocolates and sweets guaranteed.

Everyone here lives a life without sad, a life full of trips to the sea.

Everyone here has a mom and a dad.

Everyone here, except me." <v Afzal>And now it's your turn.

</v> The poem is available in the additional materials.

To begin, read the poem silently in your head, then read out loud.

You might like to read it with a partner, taking turns to read every three lines.

Pause video while you do this.

So, what's your reaction to the poem, 'Everyone'? What did you like about it? What surprised you about it? Who's the video while you share with someone nearby? Here's Andeep.

"'Everyone' made me remember times in my life when I've compared myself to someone else.

Laura Mucha's poem is so relatable, it makes me feel better about myself." Here's Aisha, "I like the rhythmic beat to the poem.

It made it feel like the list of things the speaker was comparing themselves against kept going on and on." Now you've read and watched two of Laura Mucha's poems. I'd like you to discuss with your partner and answer the following question.

From reading and watching Laura Mucha's poems, are there any themes that you think she particularly likes writing about? Pause the video while you have this discussion.

So, what did you discuss? I wonder.

What themes do you think Laura Mucha particularly likes writing poetry about? Here's Jun? "I think that Laura Mucha likes writing about people.

She said in the second video that she worked with special academics who understand how people think.

I can tell her poems made me think hard and deeply about myself and others." And I wonder was this response similar or different to your own? In our lesson exploring themes of identity in 'Back to Me', 'Find Me' 'Friend' and 'Everyone' we've covered the following.

'Back to Me' can be considered a list poem.

It contains 15 lines with between one to four words in each.

The title of the poem could suggest that the time that speaker has to themselves helps them connect to their thoughts, feelings, and sense of identity.

Readers might connect to their thoughts, feelings, and sense of identity in similar or different ways.

'Find Me' is a fixed verse poem, split into 12 two-line verses.

The technique that poets can use to draw attention to specific lines is by changing the rhythm of the poem.

'Friend' and 'Everyone' are poems by Laura Mucha, all of these poems are featured in the poetry collection "Being Me." Thank you so much everyone for joining in with this lesson where we've been exploring themes of identity.

Hope you can keep exploring these themes and having a sense of pride in your identity.

Make sure you keep giving yourself some time so you can get back to yourself and give yourself some time and space.

Perhaps being grateful for whatever it is we have in our lives.

Perhaps even this moment.

Being grateful for this moment of exploring this poetry together.

Wishing you all well.

See you again soon.