Exploring memories of home in the poem ‘Childhood Tracks’

English

In 'Poetry about Place and Home', pupils create their own poetry to explore their relationship with their home. In 'Single Poet Study: Maya Angelou', pupils analyse the poetry of Angelou, exploring how she uses her work to describe relationships between people and places.

In 'Poetry of Place', pupils explore the language, form and structure of poetry written about place. In 'Poetry of Place and Home', pupils apply these analytical skills to more complex poems and write their own poetry about home.

Poetry about place and home

Subjects which particular individuals may be sensitive to, eg, adoption, migration, bereavement or death, divorce.

Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

In 'Childhood Tracks' what does James Berry write about?

Which technique does Berry use throughout 'Childhood Tracks'?

Each stanza is set around a different stage of Berry's life.

The poem is written in the style of a letter.

Each stanza describes a different sensory experience.

What is structurally interesting about 'Childhood Tracks' by James Berry?

Seeing tired faces nestled into shoulders on the Piccadilly line train.

Eating strawberries with sugar in a summer garden.

Smelling the sweet fuschia outside my grandmother's porch.

seeing the shades of pink, orange and blue mix in the sky

listening to the melodic twinkle of the bells on the hillside

smelling the cosy, comforting aroma of baked bread.

The aroma of fresh bread wafted through the kitchen.

The sweet juice of the apple seeped onto her tongue.

She swept her fingers over the soft silk.

The orange and pink hues of the sunset were mesmerising.

Match the sense to the sentence describing it.

a word that signals the location, direction, time of something else

I admired the flowers in the palace garden.

The flowers were delicate, beautiful and vibrant.

Which sentence contains a prepositional phrase?

each section of a poem separated by a line break

What is one possible meaning of the word 'tracks'?

Content guidance

Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

Adult supervision recommended

This lesson will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Exploring memories of home in the poem ‘Childhood Tracks’

Lesson outcome

Content guidance

This lesson will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.