What is a Poem?

What is a Poem? is an engaging, single-lesson introduction to poetry which asks pupils to explore and build on their own understanding of the term. The lesson can be taught as a stand-alone lesson or integrated as part of a unit of work on Poetry. It is intended for use in a Secondary School English lesson, for a KS3 audience (11-14 year olds) or KS4 audience (14-16 year olds), depending on ability.

The lesson includes:

• Starter and plenary activities designed to build on pupils’ current understanding
• A good variety of poetry exemplars from Shakespeare, Wordsworth and William Carlos Williams
• A main activity exploring famous definitions of poetry
• Optional audio-visual material to consolidate class discussion
• A free, easily-adapted handout

The 12-slide ppt is easy to follow with teaching notes and answers provided.