Lesson video

Hello everybody, how are you? I hope you're doing really well today.

My name is Ms. Afzal and I'm doing pretty well because we're going to be exploring some poetry today and I love poetry.

We're going to be looking at some poetry from the book entitled "Being Me: Poems about Thoughts, Worries and Feelings".

So I'm gonna pause here for a moment while you go and collect your copy of the text.

All right, it's great to see you again.

You've got your copy of the text, you've got some poetry, you've got hopefully lots of ideas, lots of enthusiasm and openness to learn and discover and share.

Let's get started.

The outcome for today's lesson is, "I can read and respond to a poem before performing it." We have some keywords in our lesson today.

Let's go through them one at a time.

My turn, your turn.

Anaphora, atmosphere, imagery, gesture, pace.

Great to hear those words.

Let's find out what these keywords mean.

Anaphora: when a word or phrase is repeated at the beginning of multiple lines in a poem or speech.

Atmosphere : the mood created in a section or whole of a text.

Imagery: the use of language to create a mental picture or sensory experience for the reader or listener.

Gesture: movement that helps express an idea or meaning.

And pace: speed or rhythm at which a poem is read or performed.

Let's be on the lookout for these keywords.

Let's listen for them.

Let's think carefully about them.

They will be coming up in our lesson today.

Our lesson reading, responding to and performing "In the Heart of a Book" has two parts to it; Exploring "In the Heart of a Book" and performing "In the Heart of a Book".

Let's begin by exploring the poem.

"In the Heart of a Book" is a poem 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 like a very important collection of poems to me.

Before we read the poem, what do you predict it might be about based on the title, "In the Heart of a Book"? So pause the video here, turn to someone nearby and share with them what do you predict this poem "In the Heart of a Book" might be about based on the title.

Okay, let's hear from Izzy.

"I predict that the poem will be about the power of storytelling and how you can sometimes get lost in a book." Oh wow, Izzy, love that prediction and oh my goodness, do I love getting lost in a book? Wonder if you do too.

Here's Alex.

"I think that the poem will explore emotions such as love, compassion, empathy, and kindness because hearts are symbolic of these emotions and feelings." Interesting idea there, Alex.

Thinking about the heart as a symbol for emotions and what incredible emotions, love, compassion, empathy, and kindness are.

Love hearing those words.

Now I'm wondering were your responses similar or different to these responses and were your responses positive or negative? Pause the video here while you reflect on your answers to these two questions and share them with someone nearby.

Thanks for sharing about that.

The poem we're looking at today uses Anaphora.

Anaphora, one of our key words is the repetition of a word or words at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses or lines.

That's phrases or clauses or lines that follow each other.

It is a poetic device.

Anaphora is used in poetry to emphasise key ideas or themes.

It can also create a rhythmic pattern in a poem contributing to its overall structure and flow.

Let's have a look at an example of anaphora.

"Hope is the light that guides us through darkness." "Hope is the beacon that leaves us home." "Hope is the strength that lifts us higher." By emphasising the words "hope is" at the beginning of each line, anaphora can draw attention to the concept of hope while maintaining the poem's pace and momentum and pace is one of our keywords and it means the speed or rhythm at which a poem is read or performed.

Check for understanding, true or false? Anaphora and alliteration are the same.

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

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

Anaphora is linked to the repetition of word or words at the beginning of a line.

Alliteration is linked to repetition of the same sound.

Anaphora can create a rhythmic pattern in a poem contributing to its overall structure and flow.

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

Well done if you selected the first statement.

Both statements are true, but it's the first one that provides a justification for your earlier answer.

And now it's time to read the poem "In the Heart of a Book" written by Liz Brownlee.

I'd like you to refer to pages 64 and 65 to find a poem.

And first of all, read the poem silently in your head.

Next, read it out loud.

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

So pause the video here while you refer to pages 64 and 65 and read the poem twice.

Once silently and the second time out loud.

Enjoy your reading.

Okay, I hope you enjoyed reading that poem.

Now I'm wondering, did the poem match your predictions from thinking about its title? Why or why not? Pause the video while you share whether the poem matched your predictions and why and why not with someone nearby? Pause the video here.

Let's hear from Izzy.

"The poem was about the power of books.

I liked how it connected to a wide range of feelings and emotions.

I know books can be happy, sad, scary, surprising, and everything in between." Thanks for sharing that, Izzy.

Yes, absolutely books can be full of so many emotions and this poem really gives us the wide range of those.

"In the Heart of a Book" is a 20 line poem split into 10-two-line verses.

These two line verses can be described as couplets, so we can find the word couple and couplets, which means two.

So we can see how these are two line verses.

The final eight lines include rhyme.

Now I'd like you to refer to the poem.

What is the repeated word or phrase and what effect does the anaphora have on the poem's atmosphere? And the atmosphere is another one of our keywords and it means the mood that is created in the text or on a section of the text.

So pause the video and one, you refer to the poem, what is the repeated word or phrase and what effect does the anaphora have on the poem's atmosphere? Share your answers with someone nearby.

Let's hear from Jacob.

"The repeated words focus on the different aspects of yourself you can find in books.

The use of anaphora gave the poem a sense of wonder.

using "I" made me think of texts that I have read that made me feel the different emotions Liz Brownlee describes." Thanks for sharing that, Jacob.

Yes, I felt that too, that sense of wonder.

And also interesting how using "I" made you think of text you've read.

I think it can make it feel really personal when we have that word "I" in there can help us relate to it more.

Each of the verses present a new discovery or experience found within the world of books.

I'd like you now to refer to the poem, which was your favourite verse? What impression does it give you about books? Pause a video and share your answers to these questions with someone nearby.

Let's hear from Aisha.

"I like the description of the book as a gentle, warm hug.

It made me think back to books that have comforted me." Yes, absolutely.

I feel that too, Aisha.

It's so wonderful to have some books that particularly comfort us.

I have a little stack of books on my bookshelf that are ones that particularly comfort me.

I wonder if you have some books like that as well.

Liz Brownlee uses imagery to convey the poem's atmosphere.

Imagery is one of our keywords.

It's the use of language to create a mental picture or essential experience for the reader or listener.

I'd like you to refer to the poem.

What atmosphere do you feel is conveyed in the poem? How does the poem convey this? Pause the video while you refer to the poem and answer these questions, share your answers with someone nearby.

Let's hear from Sofia.

"I think Liz Brownlee creates an atmosphere of awe and wonder.

She describes books as allowing readers to discover worlds different to their own.

The poem ends by the reader taking flight." How wonderful that books can do that that can allow us to enter into worlds that we don't know? Can give us that experience and new experience, widen our worlds.

Check for understanding.

Which of the following words would best describe the poem's atmosphere? Imaginative and comforting, sadness and despair, boring and routine.

Pause the video while you decide which of these words would best describe the poem's atmosphere.

Well done if you selected imaginative and comforting.

Although text can describe and make us feel negative feelings and emotions, the poem's tone is optimistic and celebrates the power of books.

The poem has the potential to connect with readers of all ages and it captures the universal experience of finding comfort, inspiration and self-discovery through books, something we can all experience.

It's universal.

Describe text that you had an emotional connection with which something that really made you feel.

What was the text? How did it make you feel and why do you still remember it? And you may like to start some of your answers like this, "The text me feel.

." and "I still remember the text because." So pause the video while you describe a text that you had an emotional connection with.

Share with someone nearby.

Let's hear from Sofia.

"The text 'Finn Jones was Here' by Simon James Green made me feel both sad, comforted and happy.

It was memorable in how it explored themes of grief and still makes me think about making the most of every situation that I have." Wow, that's wonderful and really inspiring to hear, Sofia.

Thanks for sharing that.

I hope you enjoyed sharing about the text that you had a real emotional connection with.

One of my texts I've had a really strong emotional connection with is "The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane" by Kate DiCamillo.

I felt very moved by that text, very joyful, really heartbroken in tears at points.

Yeah, really everything in-between.

And I really remember the ending.

I hope you enjoyed sharing about the text that you had an emotional connection with.

Did you remember to; mention the text title, author and illustrator? Did you describe the emotions that the text made you feel? and say why the text is so important or memorable to you? As we all connect to texts in different ways, our responses will be unique too.

And now let's move on to performing "In the Heart of a Book".

Reflecting on the structure and atmosphere in the poem will help communicate the meaning when we perform.

There are several other elements to consider and practise when getting ready to perform.

This includes exploring the rhythm and flow of the poem and our use of voice, gestures and movements.

Gesture is one of our keywords.

A gesture is a movement that helps convey an idea or meaning.

Rhythm and flow refer to the natural musicality of the poem's language.

Some poems have a strict regular form and this can affect the flow of how we read it aloud.

The poem "In the Heart of a Book" is a fixed verse poem.

It has two lines in each verse and includes anaphora at the beginning of each verse.

We need to find the right pace and timing when reading aloud to create a smooth and engaging performance.

And the pace is the speed at which a poem is read or performed.

Check for understanding.

Which of the following is true about the poem? "In the Heart of a Book" has no rhyming words.

The final eight lines of "In the Heart of a Book" include rhyme.

"In the Heart of a Book" is written in free verse.

Pause the video while you decide which of these statements is true.

Well done if you selected statement B.

Indeed, the final eight lines of "In the Heart of a Book" include rhyme.

Now I'd like you to re-read the poem aloud and focus on rhythm and flow.

Pay attention to any patterns including anaphora.

Think about where the words flow and where you will pause.

The line endings and punctuation can help you.

And here's a great reminder from June.

"Often we need to read a poem more slowly and clearly than we think, as the audience might be hearing it for the first time." So pause the video while you re-read the poem aloud and focus on rhythm and flow.

Okay, I hope you enjoyed re-reading the poem.

Our use of voice can really affect the performance of the poem.

We must enunciate clearly so that the audience can understand us.

So, and to enunciate means to pronounce words or parts of words clearly.

We can also vary our tone and our volume to create different effects.

A loud volume could show excitement or intensity, while a softer volume could show mystery.

I'd like you to re-read the poem.

Look out for sections that you think could be louder or quieter.

Pause the video while you have a go at re-reading the poem, really taking account of your, the use of your voice, enunciating your tone and your volume.

Okay, thanks for having another go at reading the poem.

"Why did you make the choices you made?" I wonder.

Pause the video and share with someone nearby.

Why did you choose to make your voice louder or quieter at different points in the poem? Thanks for sharing.

Okay, let's move into some my turn, your turn.

First of all, I will read aloud using the following tones of voice; optimistic and uplifting, thoughtful and reflective.

Now you try reading "In the Heart of a Book" using the following tones of voice.

I'd like you to read in an optimistic and uplifting voice, and then in a thoughtful and reflective voice.

Pause video while you have a go at this.

Well done for having a go.

And "Does each verse have a pattern that you could follow with the tone of your voice?" I wonder.

Our facial expressions.

So the expression on our face, and our body language, how we are moving our body as we're communicating, can help to convey meaning as we perform.

We can show surprise, wonder, or mystery with our expressions or with body movements, actions, and gestures.

I'd like you to re-read the poem.

This time, are there any moments in the poem that you think would benefit from a particular action or gesture? Pause video while you re-read the poem.

Bringing in movement, gesture, facial expressions and body language.

Okay, I hope you enjoyed that re-reading of the poem.

Let's have a go at some more of my turn, your turn.

I will show you some gestures that could be used for the following imagery, and then it will be your turn.

Opening or closing a book.

Reflective or deep thought and flight.

Now it's your turn.

Could you show me a gesture that you'd use for the following imagery: an embrace or hug.

Pause the video while you show me this.

Lovely, oh, I feel very warm and fuzzy seeing those hugs.

Can you show me a gesture for a path or a journey? Pause the video while you do this.

Hmm, very curious where are you going on this journey? Thank you.

And can you show me a gesture for dreaming? Very dreamy, thank you for sharing those.

And "Will you use any of these in your final performance?" I wonder.

Performing with expression and emotion means showing the feelings and atmosphere of the poem through your performance.

It's about bringing the poem to life and connecting with the audience on an emotional level.

You can use all the techniques we have practised to help you; pace and flow, tone and volume, facial expressions and body language, gestures.

And now read "In the Heart of a Book" with expression and emotion.

Pause the video while you do this.

Here's Lucas.

"I emphasised the word 'found' and use the syllable beats to help me ensure my reading flowed smoothly and had a clear rhythm.

I included some gestures but did not want to use too many.

I wanted my audience to focus on the words most of all." I love how you were very deliberate there about choosing how much you were going to bring in gestures and how much you were going to focus on the words.

And now it is time for your final task.

You have guessed it.

It's time to practise and then present your final performance of the poem.

You could perform the poem individually, in a pair or in a group.

Think about: rhythm and flow, use of your voice, gestures and movement, showing expression and emotion.

So off you go, perform your poem and enjoy every gesture.

Enjoy every word.

I'll see you when you're finished.

It's great to be back with you.

How did you get on at presenting the final performance of your poem? I'd like you to pause and reflect.

Did you vary the rhythm and flow of the poem? Did you speak clearly and vary your volume? Did you use facial expressions or body movements? Did you enjoy performing? And that's what really, really matters.

Poems can be interpreted in many different ways.

Therefore, each performance can convey different feelings and emotions to the audience.

Well done for your fantastic performance.

In a lesson reading, responding to and performing "In the Heart of a Book", we have covered the following.

"In the Heart of a Book" is a 20-line poem written by Liz Brownlee.

The poem is split into 10-two-line verses.

The poem includes repetition through the use of anaphora.

Anaphora can draw attention to what books can provide readers with emotionally while maintaining the poem's pace and momentum.

The poet uses imagery to convey the poem's atmosphere.

Understanding a poem, its language, imagery and the impression it creates will help us to create an impactful performance.

We can improve our performances by considering the rhythm and flow of the poem, our own use of voice, gestures and movement, and by showing expression and emotion.

Well, something I would like to express to you is my gratitude for the way you've joined in with this lesson.

Thank you so much for all of that emotion and gesture and rhythm and flow and everything that you put into your performance, I loved it.

I hope you enjoyed performing your poem and I'll see you in the next lesson.

Bye for now.