New
New
Year 5

Exploring themes of identity in 'Back to Me' and 'Find Me'

I can read and reflect on poetry about identity.

New
New
Year 5

Exploring themes of identity in 'Back to Me' and 'Find Me'

I can read and reflect on poetry about identity.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. ‘Back to Me’ can be considered a list poem; it contains 15 lines, with between 1-4 words in each.
  2. Readers might connect to their thoughts, feelings and sense of identity in similar or different ways.
  3. ‘Find Me’ is a fixed verse poem, split into 12 two-line verses.
  4. A technique that poets can use to draw attention to specific lines is by changing the rhythm of the poem.
  5. Poetry about personal experiences can help us to reflect on our own identity when reading or listening.

Common misconception

Pupils may not notice the patterns that can be associated with each poem when reading aloud.

Remind pupils to think about rhythm and rhyme when considering how to interpret a poem to be read aloud. Do they notice a particular rhythm when they read?

Keywords

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

  • List poem - a form of poetry that consists of a list or inventory of things

  • Identity - understanding who you are and your place within the world

  • Rhythm - the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables, creating a musical and rhythmic flow in the poem

Pupils could have physical copies of the poems and text-mark syllables/beats. Both poems contain examples of when lines stray from their original pattern.
Teacher tip

Equipment

You need a copy of the 2021 Otter Barry edition of ‘Being Me’ written by Liz Brownlee, Matt Goodfellow and Laura Mucha, illustrated by Victoria Jane Wheeler 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.
A poet is responsible for ...
illustrating a poetry collection.
Correct answer: the words within a poem.
publishing the poetry collection.
Q2.
Which of the following are forms of poetry?
Correct answer: haiku
Correct answer: free verse
metaphor
Correct answer: ode
personification
Q3.
Which of the following lines use alliteration?
Correct answer: Whispers of wisdom weave within my thoughts.
Correct answer: Searching for self, I stumble upon silent shadows.
A lone bird soared gracefully through the vast, open sky.
The ancient oak tree stood tall and proud in the meadow.
Q4.
Which of these is the most suitable definition of a syllable?
a group of lines within a poem that form a distinct group
Correct answer: a single sound or beat in a word that contains a vowel sound
the similarity of sounds between the ending syllables of words
Q5.
True or false? All poems must have a steady rhythm or beat.
Correct Answer: False, false
Q6.
True or false? Verses in poetry do not have to have the same number of syllables or lines.
Correct Answer: True, true

6 Questions

Q1.
Match these keywords to their definitions.
Correct Answer:theme,a big idea, topic or message that recurs within a text

a big idea, topic or message that recurs within a text

Correct Answer:identity,understanding who you are and your place within the world

understanding who you are and your place within the world

Correct Answer:rhythm,the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables, creating flow

the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables, creating flow

Q2.
Who are the authors (poets) of the collection ‘Being Me: Poems about Thoughts, Worries and Feelings’?
Correct answer: Laura Mucha
Otter Barry
Correct answer: Liz Brownlee
Correct answer: Matt Goodfellow
Victoria Jane Wheeler
Q3.
Who is the illustrator of the text 'Being Me'?
Correct Answer: Victoria Jane Wheeler, victoria jane wheeler, Victoria jane wheeler
Q4.
True or false? A list poem is a form of poetry.
Correct Answer: True, true
Q5.
True or false? The speaker in the poem 'Back to Me' gets to enjoy lots of time to themselves.
Correct Answer: False, false
Q6.
Refer to the poem ‘Find Me’. Which of the following are true?
Correct answer: ‘Find Me’ has a repeated line that changes the rhythm of the poem.
‘Find Me’ has a steady rhythm throughout the poem.
The speaker’s classmates know how they are feeling.
Correct answer: The speaker’s classmates do not know how they are feeling.