KS3, KS4, poetry, reading, writing, simile, analysis, crr, WW1, war poetry, cover

This lesson uses Margaret Postgate Cole’s “The Falling Leaves”. The lesson was originally planned as cover. There is a short powerpoint (only 9 slides and one of those slides is a printable) accompanied by a worksheet which has a copy of the poem together with six questions, two of which are on the poem’s structure and its effect; the others focus on Cole’s use of simile and its effect. The main focus of the lesson is on the use of simile. Once the analysis of the poem is done, the pupils are then asked to create their own similes to go alongside an image of a WW1 soldier in a trench. Having done this, they are asked to use their similes along with four of Cole’s words to produce a piece of creative writing, either in poetry or in prose.