New
New
Year 3

Developing understanding of 'Swallow's Kiss' through rich discussions

I can discuss the main ideas of ‘Swallow’s Kiss’.

New
New
Year 3

Developing understanding of 'Swallow's Kiss' through rich discussions

I can discuss the main ideas of ‘Swallow’s Kiss’.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. 'Swallow's Kiss' is written in free verse.
  2. Free verse is any form of poetry that does not rely on consistent patterns of rhyme and meter.
  3. It is told from the perspective of Blessing, a young girl whose mother travelled across roads and seas to seek refuge.
  4. Blessing's close relationship with her family is mirrored in the members of the community that are supporting them.

Common misconception

Pupils may think that all forms of poetry must have to rhyme.

Before the lesson, you might share examples of a range of poems in both fixed verse and free verse.

Keywords

  • Verse novel - A verse novel is a narrative told through poetry, blending prose and poetic elements.

  • Form - Form is the way that a text can be presented.

  • Free verse - Free verse is poetry without strict rhyme or metre; it emphasises natural speech rhythms.

  • Theme - A theme is a big idea, topic or message that recurs within a story.

  • Migration - To migrate means to move from one place to another.

Pupils must have read the text in advance of this lesson. It would be useful for the class to be aware of migration, a key theme. This can be discussed through non-fiction texts or celebration of pupils' own cultures / backgrounds.
Teacher tip

Equipment

You need a copy of the 2021 Pop Up Projects edition of ‘Swallow’s Kiss’, written by Sita Brahmachari with illustrations by Jane Ray, 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.
What is a poem?
an important moment that significantly alters the course of the story
Correct answer: a short piece of writing expressing emotions or ideas with rhythm and language
a question that you have about a text - it does not always have to be answered
Q2.
What is the job of a poet?
someone who converts text from one language to another
a writer who writes about someone's life story
Correct answer: a writer who uses verse to convey emotions
Q3.
Based on their front covers, which of the following are likely to be poetry collections?
Correct answer: Poems Aloud
Correct answer: Belonging Street
Hilda and the Troll
Grimwood
Q4.
Which of the following are verbs?
Correct answer: floating
lullaby
Correct answer: twirling
Correct answer: dipping
balcony
Q5.
Which is the most suitable definition for describing a wish?
a vision during sleep
a discussion involving opposing viewpoints to persuade or inform
Correct answer: a desire or hope for something to happen
Q6.
Order the following parts of a story.
1 - opening
2 - build up
3 - climax
4 - resolution
Q3 image 1 Poems Aloud, Joseph Coelho, Daniel Gray-Barnett, Wide Eyed Editions Q3 image 2 Belonging Street: Poems, Mandy Coe, Otter-Barry Books Q3 image 3 Hilda, Luke Pearson, Flying Eye Books Q3 image 4 Grimwood, Nadia Shireen, Simon & Schuster

6 Questions

Q1.
Match the following keywords with their definitions.
Correct Answer:theme,a big idea, topic or message that recurs within a story

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

Correct Answer:verse novel,a story told through poetry, blending prose and poetic elements

a story told through poetry, blending prose and poetic elements

Correct Answer:free verse,poetry without strict rhyme; it emphasises natural speech rhythms

poetry without strict rhyme; it emphasises natural speech rhythms

Q2.
What does the word migration mean?
spinning around quickly in a circular motion
drifting or moving gently on the surface
lowering briefly into a liquid or substance
Correct answer: to move from one place to another
Q3.
Match the following information, using the front cover to support.
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer:Title,'Swallow's Kiss'

'Swallow's Kiss'

Correct Answer:Author,Sita Brahmachari

Sita Brahmachari

Correct Answer:Illustrator,Jane Ray

Jane Ray

Correct Answer:Publisher,Pop Up Projects

Pop Up Projects

Q4.
True or False? Blessing finds the bag of wish bird feathers under a table.
Correct Answer: True, true
Q5.
Order the following events in the order that they occur in the text.
1 - Blessing helps her mother out at Uncle Miral’s cafe.
2 - Blessing finds a bag of paper birds.
3 - Blessing dreams of finding who the birds belong to.
4 - Blessing meets a boy called Hani who is also missing his father.
Q6.
'Swallow's Kiss' is written in __________?
Correct answer: free verse
fixed verse
rhyme
Q3 Swallows Kiss, Sita Brahmachari, Jane Ray, Pop Up Projects CIC