New
New
Year 5

Exploring themes of belonging and hope in 'Forest' & 'The Colours of My Dreams'

I can read and reflect on poetry about belonging and hope.

New
New
Year 5

Exploring themes of belonging and hope in 'Forest' & 'The Colours of My Dreams'

I can read and reflect on poetry about belonging and hope.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. 'The Forest' and 'The Colours of My Dreams' both have themes of belonging and hope.
  2. ‘Forest’ is a winter poem which focuses on themes of hope and belonging for a group of travellers making a journey.
  3. The poem ‘The Colours of My Dreams’ includes vivid imagery linked to the five senses.
  4. Poetry is open to interpretation; it does not always offer answers.

Common misconception

Pupils may find it more challenging to identify themes of hope and belonging in 'The Colours of My Dreams' due to its more abstract imagery.

Explore how dreams are often seen as symbols of hope. Belonging can link to human experiences and emotional connections.

Keywords

  • Theme - a big idea, topic or message that recurs within a text

  • Imagery - the use of language to create a mental picture or sensory experience for the reader or listener

  • Belonging - feeling a part of something, whether it's the natural world or a shared human experience

  • Hope - a sense of optimism or expectation for something positive in the future

Pupils could have physical copies of the poems to annotate and text mark. Highlighters would be especially helpful when finding the sensory descriptions in 'The Colours of My Dreams'.
Teacher tip

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.

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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6 Questions

Q1.
True or false? Poems only have one message or meaning.
Correct Answer: False, false
Q2.
Imagery in poetry refers to which of the following?
a poetic device that uses words that imitate or suggest the sound they describe
the repeated use of sounds, words, phrases or structural elements
Correct answer: the use of language to create a mental picture or sensory experience
Q3.
Which of the following are senses?
dreams
Correct answer: touch
Correct answer: taste
Correct answer: hearing
ideas
Q4.
Which of the following are examples of personification?
Correct answer: The frost painted delicate patterns on the windowpane.
Silent snow settled on the shimmering surface.
Correct answer: The icy grip of winter refused to release its hold on the land.
Frosty flakes fell softly on the frozen ground
Q5.
What is the definition of an impression?
a suggestion for a text that is suited to a reader's age and interests
Correct answer: initial feelings about a person, place or thing, gained from reading a text
the ability to understand other people’s feelings and points of view
Q6.
Which of the following words are associated with winter?
Correct answer: glacial
Correct answer: blizzard
Correct answer: frost
scorching
searing

6 Questions

Q1.
‘Forest’ and ‘The Colour of My Dreams’ are poems written by .
Correct Answer: Valerie Bloom, valerie Bloom, Valerie bloom, valerie bloom
Q2.
Which season is the poem ‘Forest’ set in?
spring
summer
autumn
Correct answer: winter
Q3.
What is personification?
the similarity of sounds between the ending syllables of words
Correct answer: a way of describing a non-living thing as if it acts or feels like a human
a comparison between two things by stating that one thing is another
Q4.
Match the keywords to the correct definitions.
Correct Answer:imagery,the use of language to create a mental picture or sensory experience

the use of language to create a mental picture or sensory experience

Correct Answer:belonging,feeling a part of something

feeling a part of something

Correct Answer:hope,a sense of optimism for something positive in the future

a sense of optimism for something positive in the future

Q5.
How many verses are there in ‘The Colour of My Dreams’?
four
Correct answer: five
six
ten
Q6.
Which colours are mentioned explicitly in ‘The Colours of My Dreams’?
red
gold
Correct answer: green
Correct answer: silver
blue