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Year 4

Learning about the poet John Lyons

I can recall key information about the poet John Lyons.

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New
New
Year 4

Learning about the poet John Lyons

I can recall key information about the poet John Lyons.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. John Lyons is an English painter, writer and prize-winning poet.
  2. John Lyons was born and brought up in Trinidad and Tobago.
  3. A poet is the name for someone who writes poems.
  4. John Lyons has published eight poetry collections.

Keywords

  • Poet - a writer who uses verse to convey emotions

  • Poem - a piece of writing that uses creative and rhythmic language to express thoughts, feelings or ideas

  • John Lyons - an English poet who has written numerous poems often exploring themes of nature, love and the human experience

Common misconception

There is only one correct interpretation of a poem.

There can be various ways to understand and appreciate a poem, making it a rich and subjective experience.

Have copies of 'Dancing in the Rain' for pupils to read in pairs. You could also watch videos of John Lyons talking about his poems.
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Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
What is a poem?
a factual account of events
a formal report written in a formal, structured manner
Correct answer: a creative use of language, often employing rhythm, imagery and metaphor
Q2.
Which of the following are examples of figurative language?
Correct answer: simile
fronted adverbials
Correct answer: personification
subheadings
Q3.
Which of these are examples of poetic devices?
subheading
Correct answer: repetition
caption
Correct answer: rhyme
Correct answer: alliteration
Q4.
What is the purpose of rhythm in poetry?
to provide a sequence of events
to present facts
Correct answer: to create a musical and flowing quality
to define words
Q5.
Which of these are not a poetic form?
Correct answer: non-chronological report
sonnet
Correct answer: scientific report
Correct answer: traditional tale
Q6.
John Lyons is known for what?
landscape gardening
cooking
mathematical theories
Correct answer: poetry and paintings

6 Questions

Q1.
Which of the following is true of a poet?
Correct answer: They write or perform poetry.
Correct answer: They use language to express themselves in a creative or artistic way.
They are masters of scientific experimentation.
Correct answer: They draw inspiration from the world around them.
Q2.
Which of the following is true of John Lyons?
Correct answer: He is a painter.
He was born in London.
Correct answer: He is a writer.
He has not written any poetry.
Correct answer: He grew up in Trinidad and Tobago.
Q3.
'Dancing in the Rain' is a poetry collection for whom?
John Lyons' mother and father
Correct answer: younger readers
other poets only
himself to read
Q4.
True or false? John Lyons often wrote about his childhood.
Correct Answer: True, true
Q5.
What does John Lyons describe as 'warm' in his poem 'Dancing in the Rain'?
the wind
Correct answer: the rain
the clothes on the line
the yard cocks
Q6.
Match the images with the language Lyons uses to describe them.
Correct Answer:wind,vexed
tick

vexed

Correct Answer:yard cocks,crowing loud
tick

crowing loud

Correct Answer:rain,rattling on tin roofs
tick

rattling on tin roofs

Correct Answer:clouds,charcoal black
tick

charcoal black