Paula Meehan: "Buying Winkles"

This is Lesson 2 of a fully designed unit on the poetry of Paula Meehan for Leaving Certificate Higher Level English. It introduces the first poem in the unit: ‘Buying Winkles.’ Students hear the poem read aloud, confirm their understanding, and analyse key moments through the exam lenses established in Lesson 1 — Voice, Imagery and Language, and Life and Experience.

The lesson follows a deliberate sequence. The poem is heard before it is analysed. Comprehension is confirmed before interpretation is demanded. One central moment is modelled in full depth across all three lenses before students attempt their own analysis.

What this lesson covers:

• A first encounter with ‘Buying Winkles’ — heard aloud, then read on the handout
• A comprehension check that establishes the poem’s situation before analysis begins
• Expert modelling of one moment across all three lenses, including a complete exam-ready sentence
• A guided analysis task in which students complete a three-lens grid using the modelled example as a template
• A formative checkpoint and homework that feeds directly into Lesson 3

What is included:

• A ready-to-teach PowerPoint presentation (10 slides, full speaker notes)
• A student handout containing the full poem text, a structural overview, a glossary, a three-lens analysis grid with one modelled row, and a key quotations table
• A Teacher Lesson Guide covering lesson logic, preparation checklist, full lesson breakdown, key decisions, anticipated misconceptions, and after-lesson notes
• A Back in the Room sheet for any student who missed Lesson 1

Designed for Irish classrooms. Every lesson in this range is built around the current Leaving Certificate English specification and is forward-compatible with the new draft specification. The lesson design does not require structural change when the specification transitions.

Part of a unit. This lesson is the second in a unit on Paula Meehan’s poetry. The unit is anchored by a Scheme of Work available free of charge here. Individual lessons are available separately; the full unit is available as a bundle.

30-minute preparation promise. A teacher picking this up for the first time can prepare confidently in thirty minutes or less. The thinking has been done. The teaching is yours.