In this text based, 5 session English planning, texture, art and music are explored whilst comparing poems about the sea. Work on word classes and special memories culminate in the final outcome. Pupils extend their ideas using specific and adventurous vocabulary.

All aspects of poetry from the national curriculum in reading, spoken language and writing composition will be covered across the full set Au1-Su2.

National curriculum skills for this unit:

Spoken language:

• Listen and respond
• Build vocabulary
• Give well-structured descriptions, explanations and narratives
• Use spoken language: speculating, hypothesising, imagining and exploring ideas
• Speak audibly and fluently

Reading comprehension:

• Show understanding through intonation, tone, volume and action
• Discuss words and phrases that capture the reader’s interest and imagination
• Explain meaning of words in context
• Identify how language, structure, and presentation contribute to meaning

Writing composition:

• Plan writing by discussing the structure, vocabulary and grammar of similar writing
• Discuss and record ideas
• Compose and rehearse sentences orally
• Proof-read for spelling and punctuation errors

For schools that use Pathways to Write, this unit aligns with the Au1 set 1 unit.

Poems for this unit can be found in:

I Am the Seed that Grew the Tree: A Nature Poem for Every Day of the Year edited by Fiona Waters