Lesson video

Hello everybody.

How are you doing today? I hope you're really good.

My name is Miss Afzal and I'm feeling great today, because we're going to be exploring some poetry and I really, really enjoy poetry.

So what we'll be doing is we're looking at a poem called "The Snow Leopard." It comes from an anthology called "Dark Sky Park: Poems from the Edge of Nature," by the poet Philip Gross.

So pause the video here while you go off and fetch your copy of the poem and I'll wait here for you.

Okay, great.

You're back, you've got your poem.

What else have you got? Hopefully lots of ideas, some enthusiasm, maybe some curiosity and openness to exploring this poem.

Let's begin.

The outcome for today's lesson is I can give my personal response to the poem, including some evidence to justify my ideas.

There are some key words in our lesson today.

Let's go through them.

My turn, your turn.

Enjambment, alliteration, interpretation, personal response.

Great stuff.

I enjoyed hearing those.

Let's find out what each of these keywords means.

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

Alliteration is the repetition of the same sound found at the start of words that come close together.

Interpretation is the process of understanding and assigning meaning to a poem, and personal response reflections that we make about a poem after reading or listening to it.

I'm really looking forward to hearing your personal responses to this poem.

Let's find out what's involved in today's lesson.

Reading and responding to "The Snow Leopard" by Philip Gross.

This lesson has two parts to it.

Exploring "The Snow Leopard" and writing a personal response to a poem.

Let's begin by exploring "The Snow Leopard." "The Snow Leopard" is a poem written by Philip Gross, accompanied by an illustration by Jesse Hodgson.

It's from a collection titled "Dark Sky Park: Poems from the Edge of Nature." Philip is a Welsh poet known for his explorations of nature, identity, and the human experience.

The title, "Dark Sky Park" refers to designated areas where light pollution is minimised to allow for optimal stargazing, reflecting Gross's interest in the natural world and the cosmos, the whole universe.

And we can see an image there of somebody stargazing.

Look at all of those stars above.

Wow.

Gross's work is characterised by its emotional depth and curiosity, inviting readers to explore the mysteries alongside him.

Let's do it.

Let's explore.

Before we explore the poem, it's useful to know a little about "The Snow Leopard" and its prey.

Snow leopards are found in the mountainous regions of Central and South Asia, including countries like Mongolia and Nepal, and we can see a map of Nepal on the screen.

They live in harsh cold environments, often at elevations of 3000 to 4,500 metres above sea level.

Snow leopards are classified as endangered by conservation organisations.

This means they're at risk of becoming extinct, which means they're at risk of no longer existing.

One of the biggest threats to snow leopards is habitat loss due to human activities like deforestation and poaching.

Snow leopards are solitary animals, which means they prefer to live and hunt alone.

They have thick fur coats that help them stay warm.

We can see that very thick fur coat, beautiful fur coat in that image of the snow leopard on our screen.

Check for understanding, which of the following are true about the snow leopard? Snow leopards are found in tropical rainforests.

Snow leopards are found in mountainous regions of Central and South Asia.

Snow leopards have thick, fur coats to help them stay warm in their cold habitats.

Snow leopards are not endangered as their populations are stable.

Pause the video while you decide which of the statements about the snow leopard are true.

Well done if you selected statements B and C, snow leopards are found in the mountainous regions of Central and South Asia.

And snow leopards have thick fur coats to help 'em stay warm in their cold habitats.

"The Snow Leopard" 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.

Smattering, this means a small amount or a scattering of something.

Tahr, it's a type of wild goat found in the mountainous regions of Asia, and we can see some Himalayan tahrs in that image perched on the edge of a rock face.

Poise means balance and grace.

Scree is loose rock debris on a steep slope or at the base of a cliff.

Plucky means brave, courageous, or spirited.

And comedy is a series of events or actions that have a humorous or lighthearted quality.

Perhaps you enjoy watching a programme on TV that has an element of comedy to it.

I know I quite enjoy comedy.

And now it's time to read the poem.

I'd like you to refer to pages 18 to 20.

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

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

So pause the video while you refer to pages 18 to 20 and read the poem twice, once silently, and next out loud.

So what were your first impressions of the poem? What did you like about it? Pause the video, and share with someone nearby.

Okay, I hope you enjoyed sharing.

Let's hear from June.

I liked how the poem told a story of the hunt between a snow leopard and its prey.

The poem flowed from one line into another.

I noticed a rhyming pattern forming when the verses were grouped in twos.

Good spot June.

I wonder if you noticed that or maybe something else.

"The Snow Leopard" can be described as a fixed verse poem.

It consists of 13 two-line verses or also known as stanzas and two single-line verses.

The end of every second line ends with a word that rhymes with snow.

And now I'd like you to refer to the poem.

Why do you think the poet uses enjambment in the poem? What effect do you think it has? And enjambment is one of our keywords and it's when a line of poetry continues onto the next line without any pause or punctuation.

And it can help create a sense of flow.

So pause video while you refer to the poem and share your answers to these questions with someone nearby.

Here's Izzy.

I think Philip Gross uses enjambment to make it seem as though the hunt is continuous.

The lines make the events flow into one another.

Like the chase scene in a wildlife documentary, the poem's pace seems to speed up and slow down.

Really great observation there, Izzy.

Thanks for sharing how you felt that enjambment was making it seem as though this hunt was continuous.

A wildlife documentary in poetry.

Check for understanding.

Order the following events found in the poem, "The Snow Leopard," refer to the poem for support.

The snow leopard targets one of the wild goats, tahr.

The snow leopard lies still, crouched.

The tahr escapes, leaving the leopard stranded.

Pause the video while you put those events into the order, which they occurred in the poem "The Snow Leopard." Okay, so first up we had the snow leopard, lying still, crouched.

Next it targets one of the wild goats.

And finally the tahr escapes leaving the leopard stranded.

Well done if you place the events into this order.

The poem uses alliteration, which is when the same sound is found at the start of words that are placed closely together.

I like you to refer to the poem and identify some examples of alliteration.

Which is your favourite and why? Pause the video while you refer to the poem, identify some alliteration and share which is your favourite and why with someone nearby.

Here's Andeep.

I liked how the poet describes the prey using alliteration; it makes the tahr sound defenceless.

It adds atmosphere and tension to the hunt.

Thanks for sharing your favourite example and your reasons why you chose that one Andeep.

I hope you enjoyed sharing your favourite example of alliteration.

Imagery is vividly used in "The Snow Leopard" to convey the sights and sensations of the mountainous landscape and the encounter between the snow leopard and the tahr.

I'd like you to refer to the poem, which is your favourite example of imagery and why is it effective? Pause the video while you share with someone nearby.

Here is Aisha.

I really liked how Philip Gross described the snow leopard's coat pattern as melting.

It really made me imagine the creature camouflaging itself melting into the landscape.

Yeah, you can see that especially when you see those two images, the snow leopard, and then when you can see that landscape of the mountain, the snow covered mountain beneath, you can really see how the snow leopard would simply melt into that.

Great choice of imagery there Aisha.

Hope you enjoyed sharing your favourite example of imagery.

Philip Gross ends the poem with a question split across three verses.

Why do you think the poet decided to include a question at the end of the poem? Pause the video while you share with someone nearby.

Here's Sophia.

I think the poet wanted the reader or listener to reflect on why we enjoy watching or reading about animal's survival.

It makes me think about themes of life and death.

Yeah, thanks a lot for that, Sophia.

It's a lot.

It's a big question, isn't it? A big question we have there from that poet and it can make us think about some really big themes.

Essential themes.

Perhaps you might like to discuss the question posed in the poem in more detail following the lesson.

It's a lot to discuss there.

Check for understanding true or false.

The question at the end of the poem is answered by the poet.

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

Well done if you selected false.

And now I'd like you to justify your answer.

Choose one of these statements.

The question posed is an example of a rhetorical question.

It does not expect an answer.

The question asks readers and listeners to consider the beauty of the chase and why we are fascinated by animals' survival.

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

Both statements are true, but it's the first statement that really more directly speaks to your earlier answer.

Well done if you selected this one.

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

I'd like you to refer to the poem on pages 18 to 20.

And remember to use the following tips when reading aloud.

Expressive voice, vary volume, emphasis on keywords to show meaning, facial expressions and gestures.

So pause the video here while you have a go at taking on all these reading aloud tips and have a go at reading the poem out loud.

Okay.

It's great to be back with you.

So how did you get on with rereading the poem aloud? Let's check that you used the reading aloud tips.

Did you use an expressive voice? Did you vary your volume? Did you emphasise any key words for meaning? Did you use facial expressions and gestures? And did you enjoy reading the poem aloud? I really hope so.

We'll now write a personal response to the poem.

Now we are onto the next part of our lesson, writing a personal response to a poem.

We can respond to a poem by writing a personal response to it.

Personal responses, is one of our keywords, are reflections that we make about a poem after reading or listening to it.

To effectively convey our thoughts and feelings about a poem, we can focus on the following, your personal reflection, how the poem made you feel and the atmosphere it created.

Aspects of the poem you liked, a particular line or phrase or a poetic device used.

Your interpretation, a key theme in the poem or your takeaway idea.

These are just some ways you can respond to a poem.

There are many more.

So I'm going to personally reflect on the poem.

The poem made me feel a sense of awe and admiration for these wonderful creatures.

The description of the chase between the snow leopard and the tahr felt like a primal dance between predator and prey.

And now it's over to you.

How did the poem make you feel? What atmosphere did you feel it created? Pause the video here while you share with someone nearby.

How did the poem make you feel? And what atmosphere did you feel it created? Okay, thanks for sharing.

I wonder, did you include how the poem made you feel and the atmosphere it created? And now I'm going to describe an aspect of the poem that I liked.

I really liked how the illustration by Jesse Hodgson complemented the words.

It brought to life the prowling nature of the snow leopard.

I can imagine it moving across the page.

And how about you? Which aspect of the poem did you like? Did you have a favourite line or example of a poetic device? Pause the video and tell someone nearby.

Okay, thank you for sharing.

Did you include a favourite line? Did you notice any poetic devices in particular? Hope you enjoyed sharing those.

And now I'm going to give my interpretation and remember, interpretation means understanding and assigning meaning to a poem, one of our keywords.

The poem made me reflect on the wonders of the natural world and how I need to learn more about species under threat.

And what about you? What's your interpretation of the poem? Pause the video and tell someone nearby.

Thanks for sharing your ideas.

And I'm just wondering what themes did you notice? And did you have a takeaway idea? I hope you enjoyed sharing those.

We can structure our written personal response in the following way.

First of all, introduce the poem.

Begin by providing some context about the poem, such as its title and poet.

Then, summarise the content of the poem briefly.

Next, personal reflection.

How did the poem make you feel? Describe its atmosphere.

After that, share about an aspect of the poem.

Was there a particular line or poetic device that you liked? And then your interpretation.

What themes and takeaway ideas did you discover from reading the poem? Finally, summary.

End with a final reflection or insight.

This is how we structure a written personal response.

Let's look at an example from Aisha.

"The Snow Leopard" by Philip Gross is a poem that explores the encounter between a snow leopard and a tahr in the mountainous regions of the Himalayas.

I felt a mixture of excitement and nervousness as I followed the creature's movements.

The question that the poet poses to the reader or listener made me consider how creatures can be both fascinating and dangerous.

The poem made me think of the themes of life and death and the harsh realities of life in the wild, where creatures have to survive.

"The Snow Leopard" serves as a reminder of humans' fascination with the natural world.

Thank you so much for that Aisha.

I love how you included everything that we want in a personal response to a poem.

Check for understanding, sequence the following parts of a personal response to a poem.

Introduce the poem and poet, personal reflection, aspect of the poem you liked.

Summary, final reflection, interpretation, themes, takeaway ideas.

Pause the video while you put these parts of a personal response to a poem in the correct sequence.

Well done if you started with introduce the poem and poet.

Next, personal reflection, after that aspect of the poem you liked.

And ultimately, interpretation.

Themes, takeaway ideas.

And finally, the summary, final reflection.

Well done if you put the parts of a personal response in this sequence, and now it's time for your task.

You guessed it, you're going to write your own personal response to the poem.

And I'd like you to use this below structure to support you.

First of all, introduce the poem.

Begin by providing some context about the poem, such as its title and poet.

Then, summarise the content of the poem briefly.

Next, show your personal reflection.

How did the poem make you feel? Describe its atmosphere.

After that, aspect of the poem.

Was there a particular line or a poetic device that you liked? Next, your interpretation.

What themes and takeaway ideas did you discover from reading the poem? And finish with your summary.

End with a final reflection or insight.

So here you go.

Here's your structure.

So here you have it.

Here's your structure to support you writing your own personal response to the poem.

Pause video here while you have a go at writing your personal response.

I'll see you when you're finished.

Great to be back with you.

How did you get on? Let's just check.

Did you introduce the poem and the poet? Did you include a personal reflection? Did you comment on a particular aspect of the poem you liked? Did you mention any themes or takeaway ideas? And did you end with a final reflection or insight? I really hope so.

And if you haven't already, perhaps you could share your personal response with someone nearby.

It'd be interesting to find out what your takeaway ideas are.

Are you taking away something similar or different? In our lesson reading and responding to "The Snow Leopard" by Philip Gross, we have covered the following.

"The Snow Leopard" can be described as a fixed verse poem.

It consists of 13 two-line verses and two single-line verses.

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

Imagery is vividly used in a snow leopard to convey the sights and sensations of the mountainous landscape and the encounter between the snow leopard and the tahr.

A poem can have multiple meanings and interpretations.

Each person's response can be different and unique to them.

We can respond to a poem by writing a personal response to it.

Personal responses are reflections that we make about a poem after reading or listening to it.

Well, my personal response to you is thank you and well done.

It was great to be with you in this lesson, exploring this amazing poem, "The Snow Leopard," and I hope you enjoyed it too.

I'll see you at the next lesson.

Bye for now.