Summer

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.