Culture Poetry Unit KS3 (Full Scheme of Work)

A complete poetry unit for KS3 (recommended year 8 but can be adapted for years 7 and 9).

This scheme of work includes 18 fully planned and resourced lessons covering both classic and contemporary poetry spanning the 19th to 21st centuries. The scheme explores cultures from each continent with a focus on British culture.

Resources included:

• 226 slide PPT with teacher notes, guidance and options for adaptive teaching (more challenging/accessible slide options)
• Poetry booklet with full text of 15 poems

Poems included:

• ‘The British’ by Benjamin Zephaniah
• ‘God Save the King’ (English National Anthem)
• ‘Black’ by Dave (song - excerpt used)
• ‘Checking Out Me History’ by John Agard
• ‘The New Colossus’ by Emma Lazarus
• ‘The Hill We Climb’ by Amanda Gorman
• ‘Night of the Scorpion’ by Nissim Ezekiel
• ‘Haiku’ by Matsuo Basho (titles vary from translation)
• ‘Ballad of the Totems’ by Oodgeroo Noonuccal/Kath Walker
• ‘Africa My Africa’ by David Diop
• ‘Composed Upon Westminster Bridge’ by William Wordsworth
• ‘Welcome to Tottenham’ by Giovanni Rose
• ‘Island Man’ by Grace Nichols
• ‘Refugees’ by Brian Bilston
• ‘Game Changer’ by Solli Raphael

Medium term plan:
Week 1: Introduction and critical analysis of British culture
Week 2: Close analysis of ‘Checking Out Me History’ and introduction to American culture
Week 3: Exploration of American, Indian, and Japanese poetry
Week 4: Exploration of Australian and African poetry, then back to British poetry (19th century poem)
Week 5: Assessment Preparation: Comparison of 19th century and modern British poem (plus alternate assessment task for struggling students)
Week 6: Reading Assessment and creative writing/spoken language tasks