Ideas for Teaching Year 6 Poetry

Learning poetry is an important part of primary school learning.

Year six in the English/Welsh education system is for children aged 10 and 11, and is the last year of what is considered primary education. After year six, students take the National Curriculum Test, which determines placement in secondary education. The Department of Education lays out a 2-unit plan which outlines a framework for teaching year 6 poetry.

Unit 1: Phases 1, 2 and 3

Unit 1 focuses on the use of imagery in poetic works, with the goal of students using what they learn and applying it in their own works. Phases one, two and three of this unit use this method, focusing on different aspects of imagery. Phase one focuses on personification, phase two on powerful images and phase three on surreal and surprising images. The National Strategies stipulate that audio and video media can be used to enhance the poems. The lessons themselves should begin with the reading of several poems which children are encouraged to discuss and respond to in various ways, including performing the poems. The next stage is to demonstrate a process of writing, then as a class work on a poem about a common topic. Throughout this process, students learn to critically read their work and use performance to test the effectiveness of their images. The final step of each phase is for the students to write individual poems.

Unit 1: Phase 4

In the fourth phase, students' progress is evaluated. Students write and perform works of poetry and their usage of imagery is tested against approved criteria. Students can publish poems online, in a podcast or on paper, as well as combining several media forms.

Unit 2: Phase 1

The second unit focuses on allowing students to find their own voices as poets. During the first phase, students select an issue that is important to them and gather pictures and articles that relate to it. Through these mediums, the students develop their attitudes toward the chosen issue. Students will also gather poems which relate to the issue. The goal is to show how poetry can be used as a tool to address an issue.

Unit 2: Phase 2

In phase two, the teacher models a process of writing for the entire class, which then works together to form a poem by this process. The teacher selects a piece of media which demonstrates a certain issue, and the class forms a poem about this issue. Using reading and performance, students examine how effectively the poem communicates the attitudes the class feels toward the issue. Students should focus on avoiding cliches. After the entire class has worked through this process together, students compose poems as individuals about an issue of their choice.

Unit 3: Phase 3

Students evaluate the poems they have composed throughout the unit and judge them against the approved criteria. Poems are selected and published, ideally using a variety of technological media.

References

• Learning English: The British Education System
• National Strategies: Year 6 Poetry Unit 1
• National Strategies: Year 6 Poetry Unit 2