Reading

Grade 6 · English

Semester 2 | Period 6 | Week 34

Download the Lessonotes Mobile Liberia app for faster lesson access on Android and iPhone.

Subject: English

Semester: 2

Period: 6

Week: 34


School Name:
Teacher’s Name:
Subject: English Language
Grade Level: Grade 6
Date: Week 34
Lesson Duration: 45 minutes
Week & Period: Week 34, Period 6
Topic: Reading
Sub-topic: Reading and Appreciating Poetry
Learning Objectives
By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:
Read, explain, and recite poems
Identify literary devices (simile, metaphor, personification, alliteration, rhyme)
Discuss mood, imagery, and main ideas of poems

Previous Knowledge
Students already know main ideas, supporting details, and literary terms

Instructional Materials
English Language textbook for Grade 6, selected poems, markers, chart paper

Lesson Development – ABC Model
A – Anticipation (Warm-up / Starter)
Time: 5–10 minutes
Recite a short poem aloud and ask learners to identify words that create images or sound patterns

B – Building Knowledge (Main Lesson Body)

Time: 25–30 minutes

  1. Teacher Explanation & Introduction (7–8 minutes)

➡️ Introduction to Poems and Literary Devices

  • Introduce the four poems:
    • From a Railway Carriage (Robert Louis Stevenson)
    • Dry River Bed (African folk poem)
    • I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud (William Wordsworth)
    • The Wind (African poem or chosen poem relevant to the curriculum)
  • Briefly explain that poems often use literary devices to make language more vivid and interesting. These include:
    • Simile: comparing two things using like or as
      Example: “I wandered lonely as a cloud” (comparing the speaker’s loneliness to a floating cloud)
    • Metaphor: a direct comparison without using like or as
      Example: “The river is a silver ribbon” (implied metaphor)
    • Personification: giving human qualities to non-human things
      Example: “The wind whispered through the trees”
    • Alliteration: repetition of initial consonant sounds in words close to each other
      Example: “From the railway carriage, rapid and rushing”
    • Rhyme: repetition of similar sounds, usually at the ends of lines
      Example: “See the train / In the lane”

 

➡️ Discuss Mood and Imagery

  • Define mood as the feeling or atmosphere created by the poem (e.g., joyful, peaceful, sad, exciting).
  • Define imagery as language that appeals to the senses (sight, sound, touch, taste, smell) to create vivid pictures in the reader’s mind.
  • Give examples from the poems:
    • “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” creates a peaceful, joyful mood with imagery of dancing daffodils.
    • “From a Railway Carriage” creates an exciting, fast-paced mood with visual and auditory imagery of the rushing landscape.

 

  1. Learners’ Activities (Expanded – 15–18 minutes)

🎯 Activity 1: Reading and Highlighting Literary Devices

  • Distribute copies of the poems.
  • Learners read individually or in pairs.
  • Task: Highlight or underline examples of similes, metaphors, personification, alliteration, and rhymes in the poems.

 

🗣️ Activity 2: Group Discussion on Themes, Mood, and Imagery

  • Organize learners into small groups.
  • Each group discusses:
    • What is the main theme or message of the poem?
    • What mood does the poem create? How does the poet achieve this?
    • What imagery stands out? Which senses does it appeal to?
  • Groups share their ideas with the whole class.

 

🎭 Activity 3: Group Recitations and Dramatizations

  • Assign groups or pairs to recite a stanza or whole poem aloud, focusing on expression, tone, and rhythm.
  • Encourage dramatization: using gestures, facial expressions, and voice changes to convey mood and meaning.

 

✍️ Activity 4: Writing Reflections

  • Individually, learners write a short reflection (3–5 sentences) on:
    • What they liked about the poem
    • How the poem made them feel (mood)
    • Imagery or lines that stood out to them and why

 

  1. Assessment Checks
  • Observe:
    • Correct identification of literary devices during reading/highlighting
    • Participation and insightfulness during group discussions on themes, mood, and imagery
    • Expression, clarity, and engagement in oral recitations and dramatizations
  • Review written reflections for:
    • Understanding of poem’s mood and imagery
    • Ability to connect personal feelings to the poem’s content
    • Clear and coherent writing

 

  1. Notes (Expanded & Detailed)
  • Literary devices are tools poets use to deepen meaning and create vivid images or sounds. Recognizing these helps with better comprehension.
  • The mood of a poem influences how readers emotionally respond; tone and word choice are key to mood.
  • Imagery uses sensory details that can make a poem come alive and help readers visualize or feel what the poet describes.
  • Frequent oral practice with poems enhances fluency, expression, and appreciation for rhythm and sound patterns.
  • Writing reflections develops critical thinking and personal connection with the text.

C – Consolidation (Conclusion & Assessment)
Time: 5–10 minutes
Summary: Learners can read, analyze, and appreciate poems using literary devices

Evaluation Method (Expanded):
Exit slip/quiz: Identify one simile and one metaphor from a given poem
Teacher will collect slips and provide oral feedback

Assignment (Expanded):
Write a four-line poem using at least two literary devices

Follow-up Activity:
Recite original poems in small groups and provide peer feedback

Differentiation / Inclusive Strategies
Allow learners to choose poems at appropriate difficulty levels; pair stronger readers with struggling readers

Teacher’s Reflection (After Class)
What worked well? ___________________________________________
What needs improvement? ____________________________________
Students’ engagement level: ☑ High ☑ Medium ☑ Low