Teaching notes and ideas
Name of resource:
Comparing two poems
Age group(s)
Subject(s)
12 to 14, 15 to 16
English
Topic
Language Level
Poetry
Beginner/Intermediate/Advanced
EAL Nexus
Description of resource
A lesson comparing two poems: ‘Checking Out Me History’ by John Agard and
‘Singh Song!’ by Daljit Nagra.
 Comparing two poems PowerPoint presentation
 Learner handout – using comparative connectives
 Group work handout – comparing different aspects of the poems
Preparation needed
You will need:
 interactive white board or projector to use the PowerPoint electronically
 copies of both poems (from AQA anthology or other source – not included here
for copyright reasons) – one of each for every learner
 highlighter pens
 dictionaries (English, bilingual as appropriate for learners).
You will need to:
 print learner handout – one for each learner
 print group work handout – whole document with one slide per page, one page
(one aspect of the poem) for each small group.
Curriculum objectives
 To reflect on, understand and analyse the content of both poems, individually
and comparatively, with reference to structure, meaning, images, language,
emotion
 To respond to the poems from a personal point of view
This project and its actions were made possible due to co-financing by the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals
© British Council 2015
EAL Nexus
Language/Literacy objectives
Functions
Structures
Comparing
Comparative connectives: however, but, whereas,
on the other hand, although, unlike, in the same
way, likewise, similarly, both … and …
Justifying
Inferring
How do you know? I know this because ...
What does this tell you? This tells me that ...
Vocabulary
character, voice, culture, identity, history, structure, meaning, images, language,
emotion, response, repetition, rhyme, narrator (1st or 3rd person), metaphor,
alliteration, enjambment, annotate, non-standard English, creole, accent
This resource could be used:
 whole class
 as differentiation within class
 one to one or small group
Ideas for using the resource
This resource is intended to be used in conjunction with two other EAL Nexus
resources – ‘Checking Out Me History’ and ‘Singh Song!’. The intention is to look
at ‘Checking Out Me History’ first, then ‘Singh Song!’ and finally ‘Comparing two
poems’ which looks at common themes in the two poems.
What to do
Work through the lesson, as detailed in the PowerPoint presentation, using the
supplementary resources as suggested at each relevant point.
On the presentations, key points and questions are written in black. Instructions for
learners to carry out specific tasks are in blue, so that they can easily be referred
back to. Key words are in green. Where not otherwise stated, key questions are to
be discussed as a whole class; the teacher should model and encourage learners
to annotate their own copies of the poem with the key points that arise from these
discussions. It is good practice to allow learners to consider their answers
individually, then share with a partner or small group, before feeding back the main
This project and its actions were made possible due to co-financing by the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals
© British Council 2015
EAL Nexus
points to the class. The teacher may decide to copy the PowerPoint presentation
for the learners to use as revision before their exam.

Slide 5: Elicit connectives before revealing to the learners.

Slide 6: Use prepared worksheet. Learners work individually.

Slide 7: If you have previously used the EAL Nexus resources on ‘Checking
Out Me History’ and ‘Singh Song!’, refer back to Lesson 3 of ‘Checking Out Me
History’, where the idea of SMILER was introduced.

Slides 8 and 9: Group work – use prepared sheets from supplementary
PowerPoint document. Elicit/explain the use of a Venn diagram. You may
choose to copy each group’s work for the others to keep as a future revision
aid – tell learners this before they start so that they take more pride in their
work.

Slide 10: Learners should have come across the PEE structure in previous
English lessons, so draw on their previous experience of using this.

Slide 11: Model writing a paragraph, taking ideas from the learners, perhaps
using a particularly well-completed Venn diagram from the previous activity.
Make very clear the different stages of PEE by underlining and annotating on
the board.
Other ideas for making the best use of this resource
 Throughout the lesson, EAL learners may use bilingual dictionaries or
translation software and the teacher should encourage use of the learners’ first
language ability, particularly as they discuss their own experience as well as
the meaning of the poems. With this in mind, the teacher should consider
carefully how learners are paired or grouped, facilitating first language
communication as well as ensuring that EAL learners have access to good
models of English language use around them, and are encouraged to
communicate in English with their peers in order to develop their language
skills.
Possible extension activities
 As well as annotating their copies of the poems with responses to the key
questions covered in the lessons, learners could summarise at the end or at
key points in the lesson what they have discovered about different aspects of
the poems.
This project and its actions were made possible due to co-financing by the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals
© British Council 2015