Exploring Maya Angelou’s ‘Phenomenal Woman’
I can explore Maya Angelou's 'Phenomenal Woman', including an appreciation of its contexts.
Exploring Maya Angelou’s ‘Phenomenal Woman’
I can explore Maya Angelou's 'Phenomenal Woman', including an appreciation of its contexts.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- 'Phenomenal Woman' was first published in 1978.
- The poem sees a confident speaker tell us how and why she is "phenomenal".
- The poem is perhaps a response to the sexist and racist discrimination Angelou faced in her life.
- Angelou performed 'Phenomenal Woman' many times in her lifetime.
- The poem remains very popular because of its powerful and uplifting message.
Keywords
Civil rights activist - a person who advocates for social and political equality for those who have been denied equal treatment
Phenomenal - extraordinary or remarkable, often beyond usual expectations or understanding
Discrimination - treating someone unfairly because of certain characteristics like age, ethnicity or gender
Belittle - dismiss someone as unimportant
Common misconception
Poems are meant to be read in your head.
When poets write poems, they play close attention to their sounds and rhythm. As such, it's often important and desirable to hear poems aloud.
To help you plan your year 8 english lesson on: Exploring Maya Angelou’s ‘Phenomenal Woman’, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 8 english lesson on: Exploring Maya Angelou’s ‘Phenomenal Woman’, 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 3 english lessons from the Single poet study: Maya Angelou unit, dive into the full secondary english curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
You need access to a copy of 'Phenomenal Woman' by Maya Angelou published by Penguin Random House in 2011.
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
- Depiction or discussion of sexual content
- Risk assessment required - physical activity
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
confident, self-assured
inspiring happiness or hope
extraordinary or remarkable, often beyond usual expectations
to dismiss someone as unimportant
Exit quiz
6 Questions
the speaker says she is not "cute" but rather "phenomenal"
the speaker explains how people react when she walks in a room
refrain
the speaker describes how confused men are about her power
the speaker explains why we should be "proud" when we see her