Ozymandias - Percy Bysshe Shelley

This engaging, comprehensive lesson provides an interesting and highly-informative study of Percy Bysshe Shelley’s power and conflict poem: ‘Ozymandias.’ Throughout the lesson, students gain a detailed understanding of the poem, with a particular focus upon the content, language, and structural features employed by Shelley. By the end of the lesson, students demonstrate their knowledge of the text analytically, through assured, appropriate, and sustained interpretations.

The lesson follows a step-by-step learning journey, in which children learn through:
- Defining the key concept of power, and considering its role and implications in man’s actions;
- Securing contextual understanding of both Ozymandias the ruler, and Percy Bysshe Shelley the poet;
- Reading and interpreting the poem, using a provided line-by-line analysis, and interactive group activities;
- Developing their understanding through inferring and analysing key language and structural choices;
- Analysing how the theme of power is explored through Shelley’s content, language, and structure;
- Peer assessing each other’s learning attempts.

Included is:
- Whole lesson PowerPoint - colourful and substantial; (including hyperlinks to informative and engaging videos)
- Copy of poem;
- Content, language and structure mind map;
- Deeper thinking worksheet;
- Analysis template with success criteria for creating well-structured responses;
- Comprehensive lesson plan.

There are also opportunities for group learning, peer assessment, and whole class discussion. This was originally taught to middle-ability year 9/10 groups, but can easily be differentiated for groups of different ages and abilities.

All images are licensed for commercial use, and image rights are listed on the last page of the presentation.