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Year 11
Edexcel

Planning an extended and developed response on Edexcel's Belonging poetry

I can use single paragraph outlines to plan a written response.

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New
New
Year 11
Edexcel

Planning an extended and developed response on Edexcel's Belonging poetry

I can use single paragraph outlines to plan a written response.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. It's a good idea to find thematic connections between the poems.
  2. Theoretically, you can compare any of the anthology poems but it's useful to choose two which complement each other.
  3. Thinking about why you chose to compare two poems can help you build a thesis statement.
  4. Expanding your thesis statement into 'mini-arguments' can help you to build topic sentences.
  5. A great way to build a concluding sentence is to make the opposite connections to your topic sentence.

Common misconception

It doesn't matter which two poems you choose to compare as all of them can be compared with each other.

In theory, you can compare any two poems from the anthology however it's important to remember that some have more connections than others. You should aim to select two poems with a range of connections to avoid tenuous links.

Keywords

  • Subtle - less obvious; complex and understated

  • Tenuous - weak or easily challenged; lacking strength, clarity, or significance

  • Thesis statement - opening paragraph of an analytical response where you state your overarching argument

  • Topic sentence - opening sentence of an analysis paragraph where you introduce your argument

  • Conclusion - final summary of an analytical response that wraps up and reinforces main point

Before beginning the lesson, give pupils the same question Jun uses and encourage them to complete a planning grid as a 'cold task'. As the lesson walks them through each section, pupils can then reflect on any misconceptions they had about planning.
Teacher tip

Equipment

You will need access to a copy of the Edexcel GCSE Poetry Anthology ('Belonging' cluster).

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
  • Depiction or discussion of peer pressure or bullying

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

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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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What does the word 'tenuous' mean?
Correct answer: weak or insubstantial; lacking a strong basis
unclear or open to multiple interpretations
less obvious
obvious; easy to understand
Q2.
Which of the following poems from Edexcel's 'Belonging' anthology could be described as poems about cultural identity?
'Mild the Mist Upon the Hill'
Correct answer: 'Jamaican British'
'I Remember, I Remember'
Correct answer: 'Kumukanda'
Correct answer: 'We Refugees'
Q3.
Which of these poems from Edexcel's 'Belonging' anthology focus on sentimental places?
Correct answer: 'My Mother's Kitchen'
'Us'
Correct answer: 'Clear and Gentle Stream'
Correct answer: 'Mild the Mist Upon the Hill'
'Captain Cook (To My Brother)'
Q4.
Which of these poems from Edexcel's 'Belonging' anthology reflect on memories of the speaker's childhood?
Correct answer: 'Kumukanda'
'Peckham Rye Lane'
Correct answer: 'I Remember, I Remember'
Correct answer: 'In Wales, wanting to be Italian'
Q5.
What does 'thematic' mean?
linked to the wider context of a poem
Correct answer: linked to the key ideas/messages in a poem
linked to the sounds/rhythm of a poem
linked to the use of methods in a poem
Q6.
What is an 'inference'?
understanding the literal meaning of the poem
identifying the poem's rhyme scheme and meter
Correct answer: interpreting underlying meanings and themes not explicitly stated
summarising the poem's plot and main events

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which of these questions are useful to ask yourself when deciding which two poems to compare from the Edexcel Belonging poetry anthology?
Do I like both of the poems?
Correct answer: Do these poems share similar themes or ideas?
Correct answer: Do the poets use similar tones or create similar moods?
Do both poems use lots of literary methods?
Were both poems published around the same time as each other?
Q2.
Which of these categories would we not use to group the Edexcel Belonging anthology poems?
Correct answer: poems about love and romance
poems about nostalgia
poems about people and places
poems about dislocation/alienation
poems about longing/desire
Q3.
What makes a good topic sentence?
leading with a comparison of literary methods
leading with a comparison of two quotations, one from each poem
lead with a comparison of the wider context of both poems
Correct answer: leading with a comparison of the key ideas or messages of each poem
Q4.
Supporting detail should aim to be ...
Correct answer: accurate.
rephrased into your own words.
Correct answer: relevant.
Correct answer: judiciously chosen.
Q5.
Which of these is good advice for building a concluding sentence?
list all of the literary methods you've identified in that paragraph
you must focus on context in your concluding sentence
make a new point that you can develop in the next paragraph
Correct answer: make the opposite connection to the one you made in your topic sentence
Q6.
In your conclusion, you should aim to ...
use some quotes you haven't previously used in your response.
Correct answer: summarise the points you've made in the response.
link your ideas to a third poem in the anthology.
Correct answer: consider why you think each writer chose to the convey their ideas in this way.
Correct answer: consider how the wider context helps to shape your interpretations.