next to of course god america i - E.E. Cummings - Literary Heritage Poetry

This lesson aims to build students’ understanding of E.E Cummings’ key messages in ‘next to of course god america i,’ with a particular focus upon the language and structure of the poem. By the end of the lesson, students demonstrate their knowledge of the text analytically, through assured, appropriate, and sustained interpretations.

Students learn through a logical and step-by-step learning journey, including:
-Defining the key term 'patriotism' and considering its pros and cons;
-Understanding key information about E.E Cummings' life;
-Reading and interpreting the poem;
-Investigating the structural make-up of the poem, and considering how this links to the poet's message;
-Identifying the language features used throughout the poem, and considering how these link to the poet's message;
-Analysing how language and structure create meaning through the poem;
-Peer assessing each others' learning attempts.

Included is:
- Whole lesson PowerPoint - colourful and substantial; (including hyperlinks to informative and engaging videos)
- Copy of poem;
- Structure key questions task (answers on the PowerPoint);
- Analysis template with success criteria for creating well-structured responses;
- Comprehensive lesson plan.

There are also opportunities for group learning, peer assessment, and whole class discussion. This was originally taught to middle-ability year 9/10 groups, but can easily be differentiated for groups of different ages and abilities.

All images are licensed for commercial use, and image rights are listed on the last page of the presentation.