Topic 7: More Activities for Topic 7: More Activities for the Teaching of Poetrythe Teaching of Poetry

Topic 7: More Activities for Topic 7: More Activities for the Teaching of Poetrythe Teaching of Poetry

• activities adapted from the teaching of activities adapted from the teaching of dramadrama•Focus on poems used in Literature in Focus on poems used in Literature in English component (Lower & Upper)English component (Lower & Upper)

–Preparing students for poetry–Suggested lead – in activities –Activities for exploring the poem

7.1. Preparing Students for Poetry

• Preparatory stage• Use to enhance students’ receptivity for the

learning of poetry• Examples of materials such as:

a). Stimuli - Various stimuli• Visual stimulus

– Pictures, videos, posters and drawing– Present stimulus that not explicitly present

the poem

• Example activities– Brainstorm or write out ideas related

to stimuli presented (group activity)– Recall childhood memory related to

stimuli

Stimuli • Personal reaction – feeling, memories

or ideas• Using songs, sounds of objects or

actions such as recorded sounds of objects, songs, etc

• Another variation – guessing what’s next?– Title of the song, what sound they

heard? Etc

• Other possible stimuli – touch & smell (guessing the object by touching or smelling

7.1.2. Life Line• Activities that are able to generate

students’ awareness of life and the experience of life

• Example activity:– Showing pictures (accident)– Generate questions based on the

pictures

Life line• Ask students to think about life

and death– Teacher writes students’ responses

on the board.

• Draw the life line of their own (before, now, future)

• Disadvantage – superstitious of some of the students

7.1.3. Using other Poems

• May consider other poem – easier or more suit able with your students’ ability

• That is/are elated to the theme of the prescribe poems

• Teacher may take some part of the poem that has some similarities to the prescribe poem

7.1.4. Questionnaire• Use questionnaire to generate ideas or

relate to the target poem• Construct about 10 questions• Include “Don’t know” option• Don’t know – a springboard for

discussion

Questionnaire • Group activity – leader present at

the end of discussion• Teacher summaries the main

points• Introduce the poem (prescribe

poem)

7.2. Working Into The Poem

• Reading the poem and working with the poem

• Activities to draw attention on the language used, ideas or contents of the poem.

• Activities – mainly involve comprehension

• Aim – to have students comprehend and interpret the poem

7.2.1. The Best Choice • Before reading the poem• Give worksheet and students

choose the best answer • Selected students read the poem

and the other think of their choice

7.2.2. Completing the Piece

• Sentence building • Students trying out words for

acceptability• Lead students to useful interaction

centering on the meaning of the poem

• Complete the incomplete phrases in the poem

• Ask students to read the poem used in the lesson

• Students justify their choice

7.2.3. Using the Video• Another way of getting the

students to work into the poem• Procedure – play the video

continuously• In-pair – recall as accurately as

possible and list out the order of the images

Using the Video• Replay video – correction• Give the poem to the students • Match their choice and the poem• Advantage – allows for discussion

among the students in the groups

Using the Video • May make it possible for students

to discuss ideas or contents which may not emerge if they were to only read the poem

• Problem – choosing the most suitable videos for the selected poems

7.2.4. Line by Line• Procedure

– Write the first line of the poem on the board

– Ask Wh-questions based on the line given

– Write the second line and ask Wh-questions

• Help students to focus on specific meanings, to predict answers or to anticipate

• A variation – move backward• Another variation

– Write the title of the poem and the first line

Line by Line– Ask students to guess the second line– After students give answer (correct

answer), write the 2nd line and students guess the following line

– Activity continues until the end of the poem

7.3. Working out from the poem

• Extension Activities• Allow students to work from the

poem, relate their personal experiences what they know to what they have read

7.3.1. Be the judge/critic • Done after going through the

poem• students make critique and give

rationale

7.3.2. Interview• In group – role play an interview

based on the theme or content of the poem learnt

• Present the interview to the rest of the class

7.3.3. Drama• Make a short sketch or play of the

theme of the poem

7.4. Miscellaneous Activities

• Divide students into two different group• One group – list down as many noun as

possible• Other group – list down as many adjectives

as possible• Give time frame• Pair the students – noun and adjective• Write out a short article or poem based on

the learnt theme - may write about other things