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Year 8

Performing Maya Angelou's ‘Caged Bird’

I can perform Maya Angelou's 'Caged Bird'.

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Share activities with pupils
New
New
Year 8

Performing Maya Angelou's ‘Caged Bird’

I can perform Maya Angelou's 'Caged Bird'.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. When performing a poem, you should make informed decisions about the pace, volume, and tone of your voice.
  2. Your pace, volume and tone could be very different at different moments of the poem.
  3. Experimenting with different ways of saying a poem can be a good way to decide on how you ultimately want to perform it.
  4. You will also want to consider body language and eye contact when performing a poem.
  5. When you don't know a poem by heart, you should consider how to maintain a good level of eye contact with your audience.

Common misconception

Performing poetry is just about reading it aloud.

Watching people perform poetry is very popular. The most engaging performers carefully consider how they will say the poem, and how they will engage with their audiences.

Keywords

  • Triumphant - expressing joy and happiness after a victory or achievement

  • Tone - the attitude of emotion of your voice - written or verbal

  • Gestures - movement of a part of the body (often hand or head) to signal an idea or meaning

  • Experiment - to try something out

Consider the timings and classroom set up for the practice task of Learning Cycle 2. How long might your pupils need to practice their performances? In addition, you likely won't be able to watch each individual pupil, so could you incorporate peer assessment?
Teacher tip

Equipment

You need access to a copy of 'Caged Bird' by Maya Angelou published by Penguin Random House in 1983.

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
  • Risk assessment required - physical activity

Supervision

Adult supervision required

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.
Maya Angelou wrote a poem called 'Caged '. ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou')
Correct Answer: Bird
Q2.
Match each word to its definition ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou').
Correct Answer:tone,the emotion or attitude in your voice – written or verbal

the emotion or attitude in your voice – written or verbal

Correct Answer:eye contact ,looking at your audience

looking at your audience

Correct Answer:volume,how loudly you speak

how loudly you speak

Q3.
In Stanza six of 'Caged Bird', Angelou says that the bird in the cage sings a song about " ". ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou')
Correct Answer: freedom
Q4.
Many of Angelou's poems explore the idea of resilience. Which of the sentences below use the word resilient (or its forms) correctly? ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou')
Correct answer: The ship was very resilient, coping with even the most violent storms.
Correct answer: Those flowers are resilient – they haven't been watered and they’re still alive.
Correct answer: "Don’t stop!" said my coach. "Be resilient and work through the pain!"
All the fish died because they are very resilient to infection.
Q5.
When was 'Caged Bird' published? ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou')
It was Angelou's first poem.
It was Angelou's last poem.
It was published in between 'Phenomenal Woman' and 'Still I Rise'.
Correct answer: It was published in between 'Phenomenal Woman' and 'Life Doesn't Frighten Me'.
Q6.
Match each stanza of 'Caged Bird' to its focus. ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou')
Correct Answer:Stanza 1,the bird that is free moves freely e.g. "leaps"

the bird that is free moves freely e.g. "leaps"

Correct Answer:Stanza 2,the bird in the cage can't move freely – he "stalks"

the bird in the cage can't move freely – he "stalks"

Correct Answer:Stanza 3,we hear for the first time the bird in the cage sings about "freedom"

we hear for the first time the bird in the cage sings about "freedom"

Correct Answer:Stanza 4,the bird that is free thinks about "worms" and "owns" the sky

the bird that is free thinks about "worms" and "owns" the sky

Correct Answer:Stanza 5,the bird in the cage "shouts" and experiences "nightmares"

the bird in the cage "shouts" and experiences "nightmares"

Correct Answer:Stanza 6,a repetition of Stanza 3; ends on the word "freedom"

a repetition of Stanza 3; ends on the word "freedom"

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match each word to its definition. ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou')
Correct Answer:gestures,movements made with the head or hand to signal an idea

movements made with the head or hand to signal an idea

Correct Answer:pace,the speed with which you speak

the speed with which you speak

Correct Answer:tone,the emotion or attitude in your voice

the emotion or attitude in your voice

Q2.
What does it meant to perform a poem? ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou')
to read it in your head in a lively manner
to turn the poem into a play
to watch the poet say the poem on stage
Correct answer: to read it aloud making decisions about how to engage an audience
Q3.
Maya Angelou's 'Caged Bird' relies on an extended ? ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou').
allusion
refrain
simile
Correct answer: metaphor
figurative
Q4.
In 'Caged Bird', Maya Angelou describes the bird’s cage as " " in Stanza two. ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou')
Correct Answer: narrow
Q5.
Which of the sentences below use the word 'experiment' (or its forms) correctly? ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou')
Correct answer: When I was young, I experimented with a range of hair colours.
Correct answer: I want to experiment with different ways to revise for my exams.
I always go to the same shop after school; I'm experimental in that way.
Correct answer: I experimented with netball, football and tennis before deciding which to do.
Q6.
Which of the sentences below use the word 'triumphant' (or its forms) correctly? ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou')
Correct answer: Many of Angelou's poems present triumphant, powerful speakers.
Correct answer: The dinner was a triumph: everyone said the food was delicious!
I triumphant when I won the race.
They looked triumphant as they faced their first loss.