Death of a Naturalist

Death of a Naturalist - GCSE Poetry Anthology

This two-lesson mini-unit covers Seamus Heaney’s ‘Death of a Naturalist’ in detail. Designed for GCSE pupils studying WJEC Eduqas poetry, this resource explores the poem in depth and explains how to compare it to other poems from the anthology. The resource is made up of a 50-slide editable PowerPoint presentation and 5 accompanying worksheets.

The lessons contain the following:

Lesson One

Context – A brief outline of Seamus Heaney and the poem’s context.
First Reading – A reading of ‘Death of a Naturalist’ by Seamus Heaney with glossary and comprehension / consolidation questions with example answers included.
Language and imagery – Analysing ‘Death of a Naturalist’ in detail. Exploring language and answering questions that delve deeper. Model answers provided.
Essay Writing – An essay question to assess students’ initial understanding of the poem. An example response is included.

Lesson Two

Imagery - Analysing Heaney’s use of language and imagery.
Themes – Exploring the themes of ‘Death of a Naturalist’ – the power of nature, childhood and the loss of innocence.
Structure and Form – How Heaney uses form and structure for effect.
The GCSE exam – Comparing ‘Death of a Naturalist’ with ‘Excerpt From The Prelude’ and explaining how to write a comparison essay in the exam.

This is a comprehensive resource containing a range of activities, however it can also be edited to suit your teaching needs. To preview ‘Death of a Naturalist’ click on the images.

Not quite what you’re looking for? Click below to see more GCSE Poetry resources for Eduqas :

The Manhunt
Sonnet 43
London
The Soldier
Living Space
As Imperceptibly as Grief
Cozy Apologia
A Wife in London
Hawk Roosting
To Autumn
Afternoons
Dulce et Decorum Est
Excerpt from The Prelude
Mametz Wood
Ozymandias