Hello, and welcome to today's lesson.

My name is Ms. Watson, and I'm delighted that you have decided to join me today.

We are going to be reading the poem "Island Man." So you will need your copy of the "Edexcel Belonging Anthology." And as soon as you have that, we can get started.

So the outcome of today's lesson is that you will be able to explain how Nichols presents the memories of home.

So let's look at the keywords, the five keywords that are going to be really useful when it comes to unlocking your learning today.

The first word is migrant, and that is a person who moves from one place to another, predominantly to find work or better living conditions.

And the verb to heave.

If you heave something, you lift or haul something heavy, and it involves great effort.

And alienation, that refers to the feeling that you have no connection with the people around you or that you are not part of a group.

You might see that the word alien is part of that word.

So it is the idea that you are a stranger.

And belonging.

We've seen that word before.

It's that feeling of being happy or comfortable as part of a particular group.

And lastly, we have the word womb.

It's the organ in the body of a woman or other female mammal in which a baby develops before birth.

If you would like a bit of time to familiarise yourself with the key words, please feel free to pause the video and return to the lesson when you are ready.

This is the outline of today's lesson.

We are going to start by understanding the poem.

And then, we are going to consider the context of the poem.

So let's get started.

So today's lesson.

We are going to be considering Grace Nichols' "Island Man." And the first thing I want you to do is to discuss what do you think the poem will be about based on the title? Pause the video while you have a discussion, or if you are working by yourself, pause the video and make a few notes.

Welcome back.

That was a great discussion.

You know, I think this is my favourite title in this anthology.

There's something about the word island that I found really evocative and makes me think of so many different things, far away places and special places.

But let me share with you what the Oak pupils said.

Laura thought that "Perhaps the poem is about someone who's lonely because they feel like an island?" Which is a really very credible interpretation because they are separate from the mainland like an island.

And Sofia thought, "Perhaps it's about someone whose identity is tied to their home since they are called 'Island Man?'" Yes, very good, as if he belongs to the island.

Really good thinking there from the Oak pupils.

Let's move on.

So now it's time for our first reading of Nichols' "Island Man." You will find a copy of the poem in the "Edexcel Belonging Anthology." Read the poem.

My advice is to read it more than once.

I like to start with a fast read and then I slow down.

On my second read, I pay more attention to how the words are making me feel.

My first read is to get the gist of it.

Pause the video while you read, and then return for us to have some discussions about what the poem is about and your first impressions of the poem.

Off you go.

So welcome back.

Didn't you just love that poem? Now, let's look at what is happening in the poem.

The man in the poem is waking up from a dream.

Have a discussion.

Which of those two images do you think he was dreaming about? Pause the video while you have a discussion, or if you're working by yourself, just pause the video and make a few notes.

Yes, he's dreaming of the island.

The city in the other picture is mentioned, but the dream is of the island.

Well done.

Let's move on.

Now, I want you to have a discussion about this question.

Do you think the man is dreaming of a place he has been to before? Is he familiar with this place? And if you think that, why do you think that? And if you don't think that, why do you not think that? And at that point you will be looking for evidence from the text to support your point of view.

So what I would like you to do now is to pause the video and have that discussion, or once again, if you are working by yourself to pause the video and make a few notes.

Off you go.

Well done, and welcome back.

And I would just like to say that it was really good, the way that you focused on the poem and pointed out the words that made you think what you think.

So let me share with you what Izzy said.

She said, "The idea that he can hear the sound of the place as well as the possessive pronoun his makes me think that he has been there before and that it's a place he's very familiar with." That is a very interesting response because she has used two small words and linked them together to build her support for the point of view that the speaker is familiar with this island.

So let's move on.

Now, we are going to have a check for understanding.

Is it true or false to say that, arguably, it seems as if the man is familiar with the island and has been there before.

Have a think.

Make your choice.

Did you say true? Because that's right, you could definitely argue that.

But why is it true? I want you to justify that point of view.

So again, have a think and decide why it's true.

Well, you might have said something like this, that a sense of familiarity with the island and a hint of ownership is implied by the use of possessive pronouns such as his.

Very well done.

Let's move on.

Now, I'd like us to consider the depiction of the dream island.

How it is portrayed to us.

And in this grid I have put three words from the poem, wombing, surf, that's the white on the waves, and emerald.

And I would like you to discuss what the connotations are of those words.

Can you pause the video while you have that discussion? Or just pause the video and make a few notes.

Off you go.

Again, a great discussion.

Let me share with you some of the things that you might have said.

You might have said that the word womb suggest somewhere safe and somewhere nurturing and a place to grow.

And that surf really draws on sea imagery, and it suggests freedom and movement.

And the word emerald.

Well, emerald is greens.

So it suggests healthy, natural.

It is also the word for a precious stone, which might indicate a sense of value.

So it has the connotations of being valuable.

Let's move on.

And we are going to do the same activity, but with the depiction of London.

So again, three words, dull, metallic, and wheels.

And I would like you to pause the video and discuss what are the connotations of those words.

So once again, let me share with you some possibilities.

You might have said that the word dull has connotations of monotony, of being boring, everything being all the same.

And you might have said that the word metallic suggests grey and it's inorganic, unlike the green of the island.

And that wheels suggest movement, and transport, and noise.

Well done.

Let's move on.

So let's return to the title "Island Man." You've discussed the connotations of six words from the poem, and I would like you to use what you understand of those connotations to discuss this.

Which island do you think the title is referring to? Is it referring to one in the Caribbean or is it referring to the island that is United Kingdom? And why do you think that matters? So pause the video and have a discussion.

Okay, well done.

What an interesting discussion that was.

Let me share with you what Izzy said.

She thought that the island in the title refers to an island in the Caribbean, and that was really significant because calling it "Island Man" suggests that it is part of his identity.

And she goes on to say that she thinks that it feels as if his heart is more with the Caribbean than London.

Did you have similar ideas to Izzy? Let's move on.

Let's have a check for understanding.

Which of the following words implies the man feels a sense of safety and security towards his dream island? Is it A, womb, B, emerald, or C surf? Have a think.

Make your choice.

It's womb.

It's where a baby grows, where a baby is looked after until it can survive by itself.

So it has a really warm, nurturing feel.

Excellent.

Let's move on.

Now, I want you to imagine that you have to choose one word from the poem to best describe how the man in "Island Man" feels about the dream island and one word from the island to best describe how the man feels about London.

So which two words from the poem would you choose? And when you chosen those two words, I would like you to answer the following questions.

One, what does the word tell you about the dream island and London? And two, what makes that word the most evocative, the one that creates the strongest images and impressions? Pause the video while you do that, and I'm really looking forward to hearing which words you chose and why.

Off you go.

Welcome back.

What I most liked about the task was that you picked such a range of words.

I'd like to share with you what Izzy chose and why, and I'd like to invite you to consider how well they align with your choices.

So Izzy chose emerald for the dream island and metallic for London.

And this is how she answered the questions.

So for question one, what does the word tell you about the dream island and London, she said, "The word emerald tells me that the dream island is colourful and precious to the speaker because emerald is a synonym for green as well as being a precious stone." And "I can infer from metallic that there is a hardness and artificial sense to London." And for question two, what makes that word the most evocative, Izzy wrote, "I think the word emerald is the most evocative because there are a lot of layers to its meaning.

The green colouring makes me think of something natural and healthy while also suggesting ideas of something valuable." And for London, "I think metallic is the most evocative because, again, it allows me to analyse the imagery as well as implying something inorganic to contrast with the vibrant and healthy connotations of the dream island." Really good understanding of the poem.

Let's look at the context of the poem in the next part of the lesson.

So really good understanding of the poem.

Let's move on.

So we've read and understood the poem, and now we are going to consider the context of the poem.

And we're gonna start with the personal context of the poet.

Now, Grace Nichols was born in Guyana, and she moved to Britain in 1977.

And her poetry, well, it's often influenced by Guyanese folklore, and it offers social commentary, particularly with regard to women's issues and immigration.

And it often addresses the sadness and alienation of being separated from one's home culture.

There's a poem called "A Portable Paradise," which is about bringing your paradise with you, carrying it around with you.

And this is what I would like you to discuss.

Does knowing this personal context change your reading of the poem? Pause the video while you have that discussion, or pause the video and make a few notes.

Off you go.

Let's have a check for understanding.

Which of the following statements about Nichols' poetry are true? Is it A, Nichols idealises British culture and often writes about British traditions and folklore, B, Nichols often addresses the sense of alienation that can come from being separated from one's home culture, or C, Nichols offers a social commentary, particularly in regard to immigration? Have a think.

Make your choice.

Did you say B and C? Those are the right answers.

Very well done.

Let's move on.

And now what I would like you to do is to combine your understanding of the poem with your understanding of how the context of the poem is relevant.

And you're gonna answer this question.

To what extent do you think we can read Nichols' "Island Man" as a commentary on migrant fears around not belonging? And I would like you to write a few sentences to explain your reasoning.

And you might consider these three points.

The juxtaposition of emerald and grey within the poem, the use of heaves to describe the man's movement, and what the man dreams of.

Pause the video while you write your sentences.

Off you go.

Welcome back.

What I'd like you to do now is to consider Sofia's answer, and think about this question.

How could we extend it by adding in an analysis of the word heaves? So this is what she writes.

"I think we can read 'Island Man' as a commentary on migrant fears around identity and alienation.

The notion of the man dreaming of the Caribbean implies that he still feels connected to his home.

Furthermore, the juxtaposing colour imagery of emerald and grey implies that he feels more alive when dreaming of the Caribbean." That's a really good answer.

Let's think about how could we extend it by adding in an analysis of the word heaves? That's right.

We could say something like this.

Rather than feeling alive in London, the man has to heave himself out of bed, which implies it takes a great deal of effort to force himself to exist in London and signifies that he feels as if he doesn't belong there.

Now, if there's anything you would like to take from Sofia's answer to add to yours, please do that now.

Pause the video while you do that, and then rejoin me for the end of the lesson.

Before we say goodbye, I would like to summarise what you have been learning today.

You have been learning that Grace Nichols was born in Guyana before immigrating to the UK as an adult.

Nichols' poetry is often characterised by Caribbean rhythms and culture and influenced by Guyanese folklore.

The poem's Title, "Island Man" could reflect both the idyllic Caribbean island of his birth and Great Britain.

And the poem explores the life of a Caribbean born man living in London.

And each night Island Man dreams of his idyllic island home.

Once again, I would like to thank you for coming to the lesson, for your hard work and focus.

I wish you a brilliant rest of the day, and I look forward to seeing you in another lesson about the poetry of belonging.

Bye for now.