Lesson video

Hello everyone.

My name's Mrs. Tweedie and I'm here to teach you today's poetry lesson.

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

If you are ready, I'm ready.

Let's get started.

The learning outcome for today is I can read a poem aloud with confidence and expression.

Here are keywords.

Let's do my turn, your turn.

Enjambment.

Well done.

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

Alliteration.

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

Interpretation.

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

Here's our lesson outline.

We're going to read and perform 'The Snow Leopard' by Philip Gross and we'll start by exploring 'The Snow Leopard' poem.

'The Snow Leopard' is a poem written by Philip Gross, accompanied by an illustration by Jesse Hodgson.

The poem is from a collection titled 'Dark Sky Park: Poems from the Edge of Nature,' and you can see an image here of Dark Sky Park.

Philip Gross is a Welsh poet known for his explorations of nature, identity, and the human experience.

The title of this poetry collection, 'Dark Sky Park,' refers to special areas where light pollution is minimised, is made smaller, so that people can stargaze.

Gross has a big interest in the natural world and the cosmos.

I wonder if any of you have ever stargazed before or perhaps looked out at the nighttime sky and thought, "Oh, I wonder what's up there." Well, Philip Gross does exactly that, too.

Gross' work has emotional depth and curiosity, inviting readers to explore the mysteries through it.

Now, before we explore the poem, it's useful to know a little about the snow leopard and its prey.

Here you can see a photograph of the head of a snow leopard.

Wow.

Aren't they beautiful? Snow leopards are found in the mountainous regions of Central and South Asia, including countries like Mongolia and Nepal.

And you can see a map of Nepal on the right-hand side of the screen, just south of China and just north of India.

Snow leopards live in harsh, cold environments, often at elevations of 3,000 to 4,500 metres above sea level.

Wow.

So, they are right up high In the very cold environments.

Snow leopards are classified as endangered by conservation organisations.

This means they are at risk of becoming extinct.

So, if an animal is endangered, it is not yet extinct, but it is at risk of becoming extinct.

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

These are terms you may have heard of before in your geography lessons or your wider knowledge.

Snow leopards are solitary animals, which means they prefer to live and hunt not in a pack, but alone, by themselves.

They have thick fur coats that help them stay warm.

Wow.

Lots of information there.

Let's check your understanding.

Which of the following are true about the snow leopard? A, snow leopards are found in tropical rainforests, B, snow leopards are found in mountainous regions of Central and South Asia, C, snow leopards have thick far coats to help them stay warm in their cold habitats, D, snow leopards are not endangered as their populations are stable? Pause the video as you decide which of these are true.

Welcome back.

How did you get on? If you chose B and C, you were correct.

Snow leopards are found in the mountainous regions of Central and South Asia, and they have thick fur coats to help them stay warm in their cold habitats.

'The Snow Leopard' poem contains some language that may be unfamiliar to us, so it's a good idea to have a look at these definitions before we encounter the words in the poem.

Smattering.

Your turn.

Well done.

A smattering is a small amount or scattering of something.

You might say a smattering of snow across the ground to show that a small amount of snow has fallen.

Tahr.

Well done.

And you can see a photo of two tahrs here.

They are a type of wild goat found in the mountainous regions of Asia.

Poise.

This is a word that means balance and grace.

If you think about a ballet dancer, they might be full of poise, which means balance and grace.

Scree.

Well done.

This is loose rock debris on a steep slope or at the base of a cliff, little bits of loose rock that have fallen off the cliff face.

Plucky.

This is a lovely adjective, which means brave, courageous, or spirited.

Comedy.

This is a series of events or actions that have a humorous, that means funny, or lighthearted quality.

Well done.

Now, some of this language in isolation might sound really tricky, but when we see it in Philip Gross' poem, it will come to life and come into context and you'll be able to understand it.

Now, I will read the poem to you.

You can follow along from the poem in the additional materials if you would like to.

'The Snow Leopard' by Philip Gross.

"Not white like the snow.

More moon-panther or silvery cloud-cat with her ripple-patterns melting as, oh, but she's beautiful, you stare while valley mist whirls up and blows between the boulders, or the sun breaks through and all the edges are a smattering of shadows, a glint on wet rock.

Now, she's still, crouched.

Now, sprung.

There she goes ledge to ledge, bound by bound, as stones go rattling to the scree below and wild goats scatter.

She has one marked.

That one.

Play the chase scene slow as films do, as if this might be for ever, these last moments the poor prey will know.

But it's off, the scraggly old big-bottomed tahr, stumbling, you'd think, falling.

No, think again, as with rubbery fantastic poise, it leaps, there is a half mile drop below, and catches itself, teeters like a tightrope clown, leaps, snatching inch-wide footholds with clattery hooves, down, leaving leopard stranded, panting, stumped.

Why are we so in love with beauty, with its claws and teeth, as though this is its story, not our own, and the goat's, that plucky comedy played out through centuries between the sheer drop and the killing snow?" I hope you enjoyed that.

Now, it's your turn to read the poem.

You can refer to the additional materials.

To begin, read the poem silently in your head and once you've done that, you read out loud.

You might like to read it with a partner, with one person reading the first three lines and then alternating reading two lines each, or you might take the whole poem at once and your partner takes the whole poem at once.

It's up to you.

Pause the video now as you read first in your head and second aloud, and enjoy.

Welcome back.

Did you enjoy that? Did you enjoy feeling the words of Philip Gross in your mouth? Wasn't it a joy to read? Now, it's time for another discussion.

What were your first impressions of the poem? What did you like about it? Pause the video now as you discuss with the screen or someone near you.

Welcome back.

Jun says, "I liked how the poem told a story of the hunt between a snow leopard and its prey, the tahr.

The poem flowed from one line into another.

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

Thank you, Jun.

He has noticed so many things, and you might remember that the key word from our lesson, which means flowing from one line into another without any punctuation, is enjambment.

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

It consists of 13 two-line verses, also known as stanzas, and two single-line verses, that first and last line.

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

I wonder if any of you noticed that? Well done if you did.

Now, discuss.

Referring to the poem, why do you think the poet, Philip Gross, used enjambment, the flowing of one line into the next with no punctuation, in his poem? What effect do you think it has? Pause the video now as you discuss to the screen or somebody near you.

Welcome back.

This child says, "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." I totally agree with this child.

It does sound so flowing when you read the poem aloud.

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

Yeah, absolutely.

I agree with that.

I naturally sped up my voice and slowed it down just because of the words that Philip Grace chose.

Check your understanding now.

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

Which one goes first, which one goes second, and which one goes third out of these? A, the snow leopard targets one of the wild goats, the tahr, B, the snow leopard lies still, crouched, C, the tahr escapes, leaving the leopard stranded.

Pause the video now as you order these three.

Welcome back.

First, the snow leopard lies still, crouched.

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

And finally, the tahr escapes, leaving the leopard stranded.

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

Let's discuss again.

Refer to the poem.

Identify examples of alliteration.

Which is your favourite and why? Pause the video now as you discuss.

Welcome back.

I hope you had fun looking for examples of alliteration.

Andeep says, "I liked how the poet describes the prey using alliteration.

It makes the tahr sound defenceless.

It adds atmosphere and tension to the hunt." And there you can see a photo of two snow leopards hunting across the snow with attack in their eyes, ready to pounce and win their prey.

But does that happen in this poem? No, it doesn't.

The tahr gets away, leaving the snow leopards stranded.

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

Now, refer to the poem again.

Which is your favourite example of imagery, this is where Philip Gross is painting an image in your mind, and why is that example effective? Pause the video now as you decide.

Welcome back.

How did you get on? Which was your favourite bit of imagery? This child says, "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.

Yes, I absolutely agree, and here you can see the snow leopard's coat and you can see the mountainous landscape in which it lives, and you can absolutely see how this coat could camouflage against the mountainous backdrop.

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

Again, with reference to the poem, discuss why do you think the poet decided to include a question at the end of the poem? Pause the video now as you either speak to the screen or to somebody near you.

Welcome back.

This child says, "I think the poet wanted the reader or listener to reflect on why we enjoy watching or reading about animals' survival.

It makes me think about themes of life and death." Yes, I agree, and poets often have an overarching impression that they want you, the reader, to take away with them.

This might be it for Philip Gross.

Let's check your understanding.

True or false, the question at the end of the poem is answered by the poet.

Pause the video as you decide.

Welcome back.

It was false, well done.

Now, I'd like you to justify your answer.

Why is it false that the question at the end of the poem is answered by the poet? Is it A, the question posed is an example of a rhetorical question, it does not expect an answer, or B, the question asks readers and listeners to consider the beauty of the chase and why we are fascinated by animals' survival? Pause the video now.

Welcome back.

The correct justification was A, this is an example of a rhetorical question.

Philip Gross does not expect an answer from us and he does not answer the question himself.

Now, an interpretation of a poem is our own personal reflection and key takeaway ideas that a poem makes us have.

Time to discuss.

What was your interpretation or key takeaway idea of 'The Snow Leopard?' Pause the video now as you discuss with somebody near you.

Welcome back.

This child says, "For me, the poem was about the wonders of the natural world." Yes, I definitely agree with this child.

"It made me feel small compared to the snow leopard and it reminded me to learn more about species under threat." That's an interesting idea.

In the poem, we learn about the snow leopard's hunting style and this might go and inspire us to learn more about the species and find out that they are endangered, and then find out about how we can do more to protect them.

All of our interpretations will be unique to us, and that's okay.

Now, time to check your understanding.

Use these lines from the poem to discuss your interpretation of 'The Snow Leopard.

' You can use these words in any way that you want to try and explain a little bit more about what your initial interpretation or takeaway ideas of the poem are.

Pause the video now.

Welcome back.

This child says, "My main takeaway idea or interpretation is of how majestic and awe-inspiring nature is.

We must protect animals and plants for the generations to come." Perhaps you had a similar interpretation.

Perhaps yours was different.

Whichever way, that's just okay.

They are unique to you.

It's time for task A.

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

You are going to refer to the poem in the additional materials to read.

You're going to use the following tips when reading aloud.

An expressive voice, a variation in your volume, so, changing your volume from loud to soft, an emphasis on key words to show meaning, facial expressions and gestures or movements.

Pause the video now as you enjoy task A.

Welcome back.

How did you get on? Check that you used the reading aloud tips.

Did you use an expressive voice? Did you vary or change your volume? Did you emphasise any key words for meaning? Did you use facial expressions and gestures? If you did all of those, brilliant.

If not, you could go back and repeat task A and do them even better.

Now, it's time for section two of our lesson, performing 'The Snow Leopard.

' We are going to prepare to perform the poem, 'The Snow Leopard.

' In task A, you read it aloud and now we're going to perform.

We have explored some of the language and imagery used in the poem and thought about the interpretation of the poem that we have.

Thinking about the meaning of the language in the poem will help bring the meaning across when we perform.

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

To be ready to perform, we must explore all of these.

The rhythm and flow of the poem, our use of voice, which gestures will be appropriate, how we will include movement.

All of these skills can be learned, practised, and developed over time.

And this is so important.

If you are someone who feels shy and unconfident and thinks, "Oh, I'm no good at performing," I promise you, you can learn, practise, and develop key performance skills throughout your life to get better and better and more and more confident.

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

We must enunciate.

That means speak clearly so that the audience can understand us.

I have taught so many children who sometimes mumble the words because they're focusing so carefully on reading them aloud.

But now we've had a practise of reading aloud.

We need to work on enunciating our words so clearly so that our audience can us.

We can also vary or change our pace.

That means how fast or slow we speak.

And our volume, that means how loud or how soft our voice is, to create different effects.

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

Reread the poem, this time by yourself.

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

Pause the video now as you do that.

Welcome back.

And why did you make those choices? Just take a moment to reflect and pause the video now on your choices.

Well done for self-reflecting.

Now, I'm going to read aloud from line nine of the poem using the following voice choices.

I'm going to read with an excited tone and volume and with a fast pace because I think that these lines deserve excitement, volume, and a fast pace.

"Now, sprung.

There she goes, ledge to ledge, bound by bound, as stones go rattling to the scree below and wild goat scatter.

She has one marked.

That one." Your turn.

Try reading the same lines in the same ways, with an excited tone and volume and with a fast pace.

Pause the video and enjoy.

Welcome back.

Will you use these techniques in your final performance? Maybe you will.

Now, our facial expressions and our body language can help to convey meaning, as well.

We can show fear, excitement, or suspense with our facial expressions, body movements, and gestures.

Reread the poem again.

Are there any moments in the poem that you think would benefit from a particular gesture? Pause the video now as you decide.

Welcome back.

Now, I'm going to show you some gestures that could be used from line 16.

"But it's off, the scraggy old big-bottomed tahr, stumbling, you'd think, falling.

No, think again, as with rubbery, fantastic poise, it leaps, there is a half mile drop below, and catches itself, teeters like a tightrope clown, leaps, snatching inch-wide footholds with clattery hooves, down, leaving leopard stranded, panting, stumped." I was using my voice and expression, as well, of course, but hopefully there you saw me modelling how to use some gestures.

Now, it's your turn.

Try reading the same lines with your own gestures.

Pause the video now.

Welcome back.

Wasn't that fun? Will you use these gestures in your final performance? Think again about your interpretation of the poem in the first section of our lesson.

Mine was, "The poem made me reflect on the wonders of the natural world and how I need to learn more about species under threat." Now, reread the poem looking for particular words or phrases that could convey your interpretation to an audience.

Are there any specific words or phrases that convey the wonders of the natural world that you could highlight in your voice or facial expressions? And which words or phrases might show that this species is under threat? Pause the video now as you find those examples of language.

Welcome back.

Did you find some words and phrases that show the wonders of the natural world, or perhaps that the snow leopard is a species under threat? Well done if you did.

Now, practise by yourself reading aloud 'The Snow Leopard.

' Remember, all of these skills can be practised and developed and got better and better.

Your use of voice, which gestures you will include, how you will include movement, and how you will convey your own interpretation of the poem.

This is your last chance to practise by yourself, so, use the time well and enjoy.

Pause the video now.

Well done.

Now, it's time for task B.

You're going to present your final performance of the poem.

You could perform the poem individually, in a pair, or in a group, and you can perform to your class, or to an assembly, or to somebody at home, wherever you are.

Think about all of these.

Rhythm and flow of the poem, use of your voice, gestures and movement, and showing expression and emotion to convey your interpretation.

Enjoy your performance.

Be proud and confident, and I know you can do it.

Pause the video now.

Welcome back.

How did it go? Were you nervous or shy or excited? Did you feel a bit anxious or did you love being on the stage? I hope you loved it.

Did you vary the rhythm and flow of the poem? Did you speak clearly and vary your volume and pace? Did you use facial expressions or body movements? And did you manage to convey your own interpretation of the poem? I hope you did all of these things.

If you didn't, you might like to have another chance at performance at another time.

Let's summarise our learning today.

'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 'The 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 several meanings and interpretations.

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

We can perform confidently and expressively using a range of performance techniques that can be rehearsed and developed over time.

I have loved delving into 'The Snow Leopard' by Philip Gross with you today, and I hope you've loved this poetry lesson, too.

Keep reading masses and masses of poetry.

It is so important for our love of language.

Hope to see you again soon.

Bye-bye!.