Reading and responding to 'First Snow' by John Mole
I can give a personal response to the poem and give some evidence to justify my ideas.
Reading and responding to 'First Snow' by John Mole
I can give a personal response to the poem and give some evidence to justify my ideas.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- ‘First Snow’ describes a changed landscape as a narrator explores their surroundings.
- Rhetorical questions are included in each verse.
- 'First Snow' uses the rhyme scheme: ABBA.
- John Mole uses imagery to create a picture or impression of the scene in the reader or listener’s mind.
Keywords
Rhetorical question - a question asked that does not expect an answer, but rather makes a point or creates emphasis
Rhyme scheme - the pattern of rhyming words or sounds at the end of each line in a poem, often represented using letters to indicate the rhyme pattern (e.g., AABB, ABAB)
Imagery - the use of language to create a mental picture or sensory experience for the reader or listener
Common misconception
Pupils may find it challenging to identify different poetic techniques or examples of figurative language.
Pupils could text mark a physical copy of the poem with their thoughts and ideas. Highlighters could be used to mark rhetorical questions.
To help you plan your year 4 english lesson on: Reading and responding to 'First Snow' by John Mole, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 4 english lesson on: Reading and responding to 'First Snow' by John Mole, 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 inspired by weather unit, dive into the full secondary english curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
You need a copy of the poem ‘First Snow’ which is featured on pages 14 & 15 in the 1994 Puffin edition of ‘Back by Midnight’ written by John Mole, illustrated by Peter Bailey for this lesson.
Licence
Lesson video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
Exit quiz
6 Questions
a question asked that does not expect an answer
the pattern of rhyming words at the end of each line in a poem
the use of language to create a mental picture or sensory experience