New
New
Year 4

Reading and responding to 'When the Wind Blows' by John Foster

I can generate additional ideas about the wind that mirror a poem's structure.

New
New
Year 4

Reading and responding to 'When the Wind Blows' by John Foster

I can generate additional ideas about the wind that mirror a poem's structure.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. ‘When the Wind Blows’ describes the impact of the wind on the environment.
  2. The poem is split into 6 verses, with two lines each; the final verse has three lines.
  3. In the poem, repetition is used at the beginning of every other line.
  4. Poems can create a positive or negative impression of something through the language choices made.
  5. We can be inspired by a poem and create a mirrored version of it.

Common misconception

Pupils may think that every poem has to include rhyme.

Rhyme does not have to be included in each poem. Should pupils wish to include rhyme, a list of rhyming words can be generated with the whole class, in line with the positive imagery.

Keywords

  • Verse - a single line or a group of lines within a poem

  • Atmosphere - the mood created in a section or whole of a text

  • Repetition - the repeated use of sounds, words, phrases or structural elements that are repeated for emphasis or for a particular effect

To widen pupils' awareness and repertoire of poetry, additional poems based on the weather from the collection (such as 'Winds' and 'The Wild Wind') could be shared.
Teacher tip

Equipment

You need a copy of the poem ‘When the Wind Blows’ which is featured on page 138 in the 2007 Oxford University Press edition of ‘The Poetry Chest’ written by John Foster 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.
Select the true statements about poems.
Poems are a type of non-fiction text.
All poems rhyme.
Correct answer: Poems are a type of fiction text, that are often short.
Correct answer: Some poems rhyme.
Q2.
Match the keywords to the correct definitions.
Correct Answer:repetition,the repeated use of sounds, words, phrases or structural elements

the repeated use of sounds, words, phrases or structural elements

Correct Answer:rhetorical question,a question asked that does not expect an answer

a question asked that does not expect an answer

Correct Answer:personification,describing a non-living thing as if it acts or feels like a human

describing a non-living thing as if it acts or feels like a human

Q3.
What are a group of lines in a poem called?
Correct answer: verses
repetition
syllables
Q4.
Which words rhyme with 'blow'?
Correct answer: snow
loud
Correct answer: though
howl
Q5.
Similes, metaphors and personification are all types of what?
poems
adjectives
Correct answer: figurative language
Q6.
Which of the following are examples of personification?
Correct answer: the wind whispered secrets through the trees
the wind blew steadily across the plains
Correct answer: with a mischievous dance, the wind teased the windows
the wind rustled the autumn leaves

6 Questions

Q1.
Match the following keywords to their definitions.
Correct Answer:verse,a single line or a group of lines within a poem

a single line or a group of lines within a poem

Correct Answer:atmosphere,the mood created in a section or whole of a text

the mood created in a section or whole of a text

Correct Answer:repetition,the repeated use of sounds, words, phrases or structural elements

the repeated use of sounds, words, phrases or structural elements

Q2.
Who is the poet of 'When the Wind Blows'?
Correct Answer: John Foster, John foster, john foster
Q3.
John Foster was born in the __________ of England.
Correct answer: North
East
South
West
Q4.
Which of the following words rhyme?
Correct answer: flutter, mutter
Correct answer: scatter, clatter
whisper, shout
rattle, shake
Q5.
What atmosphere is created in the poem 'When the Wind Blows'?
eerie and unnerving
calm and peaceful
quiet and reflective
Correct answer: noisy and powerful
Q6.
True or False? 'When the Wind Blows' is a positive poem.
Correct Answer: False, false