A Level Poetry: ‘Chainsaw Vs the Pampas Grass’ by Simon Armitage

Armitage’s ‘Chainsaw Vs the Pampas Grass’ is a dynamic text that explores masculinity and its toxic conventions, it remains a significant text for our post-modern society. I have taught this text a number of times, and I have used this specific resource (revised in 2021), to lead my teaching in class, as a distance learning material (Google Meet/Skype lessons), as a homework assignment and even as a tool for revision – all have worked well for the students.

This dynamically illustrated 32 slide PowerPoint lesson contains, a starter activity, a text overview, exploration tasks connected to content, summary and analysis questions connected to language and its devices, questions pertaining to structure and theme, an academic writing task, an extension task, a homework assignment and a plenary. No further work is required from the teacher. This is a complete resource. Enjoy!