Myths about teaching can hold you back
- Year 10
- Edexcel
Analysing the poem 'No Problem' by Benjamin Zephaniah
I can explain how Zephaniah uses language, form and structure to express his viewpoint.
Copyrighted materials: to view and download resources from this lesson, you’ll need to be in the UK and
- Year 10
- Edexcel
Analysing the poem 'No Problem' by Benjamin Zephaniah
I can explain how Zephaniah uses language, form and structure to express his viewpoint.
Copyrighted materials: to view and download resources from this lesson, you’ll need to be in the UK and
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Lesson details
Key learning points
- The poem is a dub poem - a form of performance poetry of Jamaican origin.
- Dialect is used throughout to illustrate Zephaniah's pride in his identity.
- The repetition of the refrain highlights how racism is the problem in society.
- The alliteration of plosive sounds could illustrate Zephaniah's anger.
- Arguably, Zephaniah uses stereotypes to mock the prejudicial views of some in society.
Keywords
Dialect - regional variation in language or speech, often influenced by culture or geography
Conceptual - relating to abstract ideas, rather than tangible objects
Discrimination - unfair treatment based on differences of protected characteristics such as race, gender or age
Plosive sounds - sounds articulated with an abrupt release of air like 'p', 'b' or 't'
Dub poetry - a form of poetry, originating from Jamaica, traditionally performed to reggae music
Common misconception
Zephaniah's description of his "mother country" shows that his Jamaican cultural identity is more important to him that his British identity.
Prior to Jamaican independence in 1962, many Jamaicans referred to the UK as their "mother country". This suggests that Zephaniah's British identity is very important to him.
To help you plan your year 10 English lesson on: Analysing the poem 'No Problem' by Benjamin Zephaniah, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 10 English lesson on: Analysing the poem 'No Problem' by Benjamin Zephaniah, 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.
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Explore more key stage 4 English lessons from the 'Conflict' unit, dive into the full secondary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
You need a copy of the Edexcel Poetry Anthology for this lesson to read ‘No Problem’ by Benjamin Zephaniah. We will be using the ‘Conflict’ cluster.
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
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