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TEACHER’S GUIDE
MUM [POLLY PETERS]
Andrew Fusek Peters
By Hilde H & Monique van D
Poetry teacher’s guide
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Introduction
This lesson plan is developed as a tool for ESL teachers. It contains a fifty minute lesson created around the poem ‘Mum [Polly Peters] by Andrew Fusek Peters. This teachers guide contains:
1. Learning goals ........................................................................................ 3
2. Poem ....................................................................................................... 4
3. Pre-reading activities ............................................................................... 5
4. While-reading activities ............................................................................ 5
5. Post-reading activities .............................................................................. 5
6. Student hand-out with answers................................................................. 6
The lesson is designed for first or second year VMBO students.
The learning goals of this lesson are:
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1. Show the pupils that poetry can be fun2. Respond to the poem creatively by making an Elfje3. Pupils increase their vocubulary 4. Pupils increase ways to express themselves in English.
In this lesson we are going to work with the poem “Mum” by Andrew Fusek Peters (b. 1965). He is the tallest poet in the UK and he has written more than 45 books for children, two of them nominated for the Carnegie Medal. His reading starts close to home, with poems about family and pets, and moves out into the world, to nature and to school. Some poems are silly and some are very serious, like 'The River of Tears', written for the poet's dead brother. Peters is a poet who likes to use rhyme and bouncy rhythms, so that a poem comes as close to a song as a poem can without becoming one. Furthermore, he is a practiced performer and knows how to fit the best performance to each poem - so much so that the poem 'Mum', is read by his wife and frequent co-author, Polly Peters.
This lesson is an introduction to English poems and therefore, we think, suitable for first year students. If you look at the workbook, you’ll probably say that we were perfectly right by saying that this poem is dedicated for first years. The exercises are not that difficult, but the vocabulary in the poem is rather complicated, and that’s why we’ve decided to make the exercises easy. In this way, we are trying to make sure the students don’t get discouraged.
The goal of this lesson is to get the students acquainted with poetry and to enlarge their vocabulary. Further, it is a first attempt for first years to write an English poem. This lesson is based on a 50 minutes’ lesson plan. It consists of a pre-, while- and post-reading activity.
Mum: http://childrenspoetryarchive.org/poem/mum-polly-peterson
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Mum [Polly Peters]
She’s a:
Sadness StealerCut-knee healerHug-me-tighterWrongness righterGold star carerChocolate sharer (well, sometimes!)
Hamster feederBedtime readerGreat game playerNight fear slayerTreat dispenserNaughty sensor (how come she always knows?)She’s myNever glumConstant chumSecond to noneWe’re under her thumb!Mum!
Pre-Reading activities :
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During the pre-reading stage, the students must fill in a mind map about mums. Make sure that you know if there aren’t any children whose mum has died, otherwise this lesson could be rather painful. In a class discussion, you can talk about the characteristics children normally give a mum. The second assignment is meant to elaborate on the characteristics which will be rather stereotypical: mothers are sweet, friendly, helpful and so on.
While-Reading activities:
Then, during the while-reading phase, the teacher asks the students to read and listen to the poem. After that, the pupils should answer a few questions. First, they have to summarize the poem in one sentence. They are allowed to do this in Dutch, but of course we prefer English. They can compare their answer with their classmates. Then, we can discuss if the poem is a positive one or not. After that the students must write down three descriptions of the mother in the poem and their translations. First, you can let them count all the descriptions of the mum in the poem (12). They can use a dictionary if they need to. A difficult question is question number 4 about the sentences in brackets. Why did the poet write them down? You can say it’s humor or to explain the words before the brackets. And finally, they must give their opinion about the poem with an explanation.
Worksheet three is a crossword puzzle. In this way, the students can enlarge their vocabulary and first year students like doing puzzles like this. And as you can see, the given words are in Dutch and the students have to find the English translation in the poem. If there is time left, you can let them make a crossword puzzle themselves. http://www.woordzoekers.org/kruiswoordpuzzel-maken.html.
Post-Reading activities:
Worksheet 4. The students get an explanation about the “Elfie”. It’s a very simple way of making a poem. Probably they’ve already made an “Elfie” during the Dutch lessons. We’ve given a few examples in Dutch to make it more easy. And by choosing a subject and making a word web first, we think making an “Elfie” in English shouldn’t be that difficult.
Worksheets for students
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WORKSHEET 1
Today we are going to work on a poem. First, you’re going to make some exercices. At the end, you’re going to make your own poem.
1. Fill in the mindmap.
2. Describe a mother in five words.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________Worksheet 2
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MUMS
Listen to the poem and read along
Mum [Polly Peters]
She’s a:
Sadness StealerCut-knee healerHug-me-tighterWrongness righterGold star carerChocolate sharer (well, sometimes!)
Hamster feederBedtime readerGreat game playerNight fear slayerTreat dispenserNaughty sensor (how come she always knows?)She’s myNever glumConstant chumSecond to noneWe’re under her thumb!Mum!
Questions:
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You just read a poem. Now you will answer some questions about this poem to help you to understand it better.
1. Describe in one sentence what the poem is about.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
2. Is this a positive or a negative poem? How do you see that?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
3. In this poem the mother is described in a lot of ways. Write down 3 descriptions you like and try to translate them.
description translation
4. Why do you think are there sentences in brackets?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
5. Do you like this poem? Why or why not?_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
WORKSHEET 3
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Crossword
In this crossword you have to fill in the English translation of the Dutch words. All the words can be found in the poem.
Across Down
4. verzorger (carer) 1. moordenaar (slayer)6. onjuistheid (wrongness) 2. verdriet (sadness)8. somber (glum) 3. iemand die dieren voedsel geeft (feeder)9. steviger (tighter) 5. tractatie/snoep (treat)10. vriend/kameraad (chum) 7. ondeugend (naughty)
9. duim (thumb)WORKSHEET 4
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Elfje
What is an “Elfje”? May be you already know from your Dutch lessons?Just in case you have forgotten:
An Elfje is a poem of eleven words, divided over5 sentences
Sentence 1 1 word Sentence 2 2 words Sentence 3 3 words Sentence 4 4 words Sentence 5 1 word
On the next page you will find some (Dutch) examples of Elfjes.Have a look at them before you start to make your own Elfje.
Now it’s your turn!
1. Choose your subject:a. your motherb. your fatherc. your brother / sisterd. your dog or other pet (cat, rabbit etc.)
2. Make a word-web about the subject you have chosen.3. With the help of your word-web, now make an Elfje (In English of course!)4. Finished? Than make a nice picture which goes with your Elfje5. You are going to present your Elfje to your classmates.
Examples of Elfjes:
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My word-web
My Elfje
Student’s workbook
MUM [POLLY PETERS]
Andrew Fusek Peters
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Name: __________________________________
By Hilde H & Monique van D
WORKSHEET 1
Today we are going to work on a poem. First you’re going to make some exercices. At the end you’re going to make your own poem.
1. Fill in the mindmap.
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2. Describe a mother in five words.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________Worksheet 2
Listen tot he poem and read along
Mum [Polly Peters]
She’s a:
Sadness StealerCut-knee healerHug-me-tighterWrongness righter
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MUMS
Gold star carerChocolate sharer (well, sometimes!)
Hamster feederBedtime readerGreat game playerNight fear slayerTreat dispenserNaughty sensor (how come she always knows?)She’s myNever glumConstant chumSecond to noneWe’re under her thumb!Mum!
Questions:
You just read a poem. Now you will answer some questions about this poem to help you to understand it better.
1. Describe in one sentence what the poem is about.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
2. Is this a positive or a negative poem? How do you see that?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
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3. In this poem the mother is described in a lot of ways. Write down 3 descriptions you like and try to translate them.
description translation
4. Why do you think are there sentences in brackets?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
5. Do you like this poem? Why or why not?_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
WORKSHEET 3Crossword
In this crossword you have to fill in the English translation of the Dutch words. All the words can be found in the poem.
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Across Down
4. verzorger 1. moordenaar 6. onjuistheid 2. verdriet 8. somber 3. iemand die dieren voedsel geeft 9. steviger 5. tractatie/snoep 10. vriend/kameraad 7. ondeugend
9. duimWORKSHEET 4Elfje
What is an “Elfje”? May be you already know from your Dutch lessons?Just in case you have forgotten:
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An Elfje is a poem of eleven words, divided over5 sentences
Sentence 1 1 word Sentence 2 2 words Sentence 3 3 words Sentence 4 4 words Sentence 5 1 word
On the next page you will find some (Dutch) examples of Elfjes.Have a look at them before you start to make your own Elfje.
Now it’s your turn!
1. Choose your subject:a. your motherb. your fatherc. your brother / sisterd. your dog or other pet (cat, rabbit etc.)
2. Make a word-web about the subject you have chosen.3. With the help of your word-web, now make an Elfje (In English of course!).4. Finished? Then make a nice picture which goes with your Elfje.5. You are going to present your Elfje to your classmates.
Examples of Elfjes:
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My word-web
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My Elfje
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