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Year 5

Reading and responding to 'The Snow Leopard' by Philip Gross

I can give my personal response to the poem, including some evidence to justify my ideas.

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New
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Year 5

Reading and responding to 'The Snow Leopard' by Philip Gross

I can give my personal response to the poem, including some evidence to justify my ideas.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The poem describes the snow leopard as an elusive and majestic animal that lives in remote regions.
  2. The poem can be described as a fixed verse poem; It consists of thirteen two-line verses and two single line verses.
  3. The poem uses enjambment to affect the pacing of the poem.
  4. Imagery is used in the poem to convey the sights and sensations of the encounter between the snow leopard and the tahr.
  5. We can respond to a poem by writing a personal response to it.

Common misconception

Pupils may expect alliteration to be when words are placed next to one another.

Alliteration also includes words that are placed close together. Pupils could text mark a copy of the poem to identify cases where the poetic device is used in the poem.

Keywords

  • Enjambment - when a line in poetry continues onto the next line without pause or punctuation, creating a sense of flow

  • Alliteration - the repetition of the same sound found at the start of words that come close together

  • Interpretation - the process of understanding and assigning meaning to a poem

  • Personal response - reflections that we make about a poem after reading or listening to it

The poem describes the chase between a snow leopard and tahr. Pupils would benefit from watching a clip, such as BBC Planet Earth, of a snow leopard hunting.
Teacher tip

Equipment

You need a copy of the poem ‘The Snow Leopard’ which is featured on pages 18-20 in the 2018 Otter Barry edition of ‘Dark Sky Park’ written by Philip Gross illustrated by Jesse Hodgson 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).

Video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Who is the author of the poem 'A Bird came down to the Walk'?
John Foster
Laura Mucha
Correct answer: Emily Dickinson
Q2.
True or false? A personal response is the same for every reader or listener.
Correct Answer: False, false
Q3.
Which of these definitions best describes a predator?
an animal that is hunted, killed, and consumed by another animal for food
Correct answer: an animal that hunts, kills, and consumes other animals for food
a creature that feeds directly on plants or plant matter
Q4.
True or false? Enjambment is when a line in poetry continues onto the next line without pause or punctuation.
Correct Answer: True, true
Q5.
Which words best describe this landscape?
An image in a quiz
Correct answer: snow-capped
sweltering
Correct answer: towering
boiling
Q6.
Which of the following definitions best describes alliteration?
a group of lines within a poem that form a distinct group
the feeling or mood created in a section or whole of a text
Correct answer: repetition of the same sound found at the start of words that are close together

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match these keywords to their definitions.
Correct Answer:alliteration,repetition of the same sound at the start of words that are close

repetition of the same sound at the start of words that are close

Correct Answer:interpretation,the process of understanding and assigning meaning to a poem

the process of understanding and assigning meaning to a poem

Correct Answer:personal response,reflections that we make about a poem after reading or listening to it

reflections that we make about a poem after reading or listening to it

Q2.
Which of the following are true about the snow leopard?
Snow leopards are found in tropical rainforests.
Snow leopards are extinct in the wild.
Correct answer: Snow leopards have thick, fur coats to help them stay warm in cold habitats.
Correct answer: Snow leopards are found in mountainous regions of Central and South Asia.
Q3.
True or false? Tahr are a type of wild goat found in the mountainous regions of Asia.
Correct Answer: True, true
Q4.
Match the following words to their definitions.
Correct Answer:poise,balance and grace

balance and grace

Correct Answer:scree,loose rock debris on a steep slope or at the base of a cliff

loose rock debris on a steep slope or at the base of a cliff

Correct Answer:plucky,brave, courageous, or spirited

brave, courageous, or spirited

Q5.
Put the following events found in the poem ‘The Snow Leopard’ in the correct order.
1 - The snow leopard lies still, “crouched”.
2 - The snow leopard targets one of the wild goats (tahr).
3 - The tahr escapes, leaving the leopard “stranded”.
Q6.
What type of question does the poet end the poem on?
Correct answer: rhetorical question (asked for effect or to make a point)
closed question (which is answered with a simple 'yes' or 'no')
leading question (suggests a particular answer)