Exploring connections to ‘I Opened the Door’
I can make comparisons between an 'after' poem and its original influence.
Exploring connections to ‘I Opened the Door’
I can make comparisons between an 'after' poem and its original influence.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- ‘I Opened the Door’ is inspired by another poem.
- When a poem is heavily influenced by another poem, it's acknowledged with the word 'after' and the original poet's name.
- The poem that inspired ‘I Opened the Door’ is called ‘A Poison Tree’, which was written by William Blake.
- We can compare and contrast poems based on many different aspects.
Keywords
'after' poem - a type of poem that is written in response to or inspired by another poem, often continuing its themes, ideas or imagery
Inspiration - the creative spark or source of ideas that motivates a poet to write
Compare - involves identifying similarities between two or more things, ideas, concepts or texts
Contrast - involves identifying differences between two or more things, ideas, concepts or texts
Common misconception
Pupils may find understanding the symbolism in both poems challenging.
Pupils may benefit from additional images to support understanding and help with representation of emotions.
To help you plan your year 5 english lesson on: Exploring connections to ‘I Opened the Door’, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 5 english lesson on: Exploring connections to ‘I Opened the Door’, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 2 english lessons from the Poetry about personal experiences unit, dive into the full secondary english curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
You need a copy of the 2021 Otter Barry edition of ‘Stars with Flaming Tails’ written by Valerie Bloom illustrated by Ken Wilson Max for this lesson.
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
the use of language to create a mental picture or sensory experience
the mood created in a section or whole of a text
describing and comparing something by saying that it is something else
Exit quiz
6 Questions
the creative spark or source of ideas that motivates a poet to write
identifying similarities between two or more things, ideas or texts
identifying differences between two or more things, ideas or texts