Summer
, illustrated by David Legge
Learning intention:
I am learning to connect language to feelings, so that I can more effectively understand others, and express my own perspective.
Success criteria:
- I can use the language of a poem to identify the perspective of the author
- I can come up with words that express my own perspective
- I can rewrite the text using my own perspective and ideas
Essential knowledge:
More information about how different perspectives are represented can be found in the English Textual Concepts video Perspective.
After reading the poem, ask students how they think summer makes the author feel (e.g. happy, relaxed, positive) and which words or phrases in the poem indicate this. Examples may include:
- shines on me
- warm intensity
- shelters me
- embraces me
- smooth serenity
- feeling free
- happy day
Ask them to consider their own perspective on summer and how the different aspects mentioned in the first line of each stanza (sun, sky, sea, breeze, me) make them feel. They should then create a mind map for each one so they can note down some ideas to write with.
Instruct students that they should then recreate the poem from their own perspective by keeping the first line of each stanza but completing it with their own perspective. Model an example for them, such as from the perspective of someone who doesn’t enjoy the heat of summer:
Summer sun
beats on me
zapping all my energy
Summer sky
covers me
in stifling humidity
Summer sea
terrifies me.
What’s under there that I can’t see?
Summer breeze
bothers me,
blowing sand all over me
Summer me,
wants to flee
The heat just makes me unhappy
Students should write their poems in their books or publish them with an illustration that visually demonstrates their perspective in summer.