The School Boy - William Blake Analysis - 2 lessons

Initially taught to Year 8 students but can be adapted accordingly.

Lesson 1 - Aims:

To understand how context dictates how a poem is interpreted and analyse a poem’s ending
Understand the context of Blake’s poem, his views and apply this to modern day schooling.

To analyse the language and structure of today’s poem.

To summarise the narrative of today’s poem.

SKILLS: CON, AQ, I

Consolidate task is comprehension task which tests students’ understanding of the poem – can be adapted accordingly. Copy of poem

Copy of worksheet

Lesson 2 - Aims:

• To understand how context dictates how a poem is interpreted and analyse a poem’s ending Identify and analyse the writer’s language techniques in the poem.

• To analyse the writer’s message about the theme of childhood.

• To self-assess analytical writing.

CONTENT: Re-read poem – but closer reading; guided analysis of language and structural features in the poem through question prompts; demonstrate to reconnect which tests skills acquired across scheme so far.

SKILLS: WT, WM, E, AQ, CON
First demonstrate task can be completed as a class or individually (slides 4-6) as annotations on copy of their poem.

Use second half of class for Ss independently write an assessed paragraph based on the question: How does Blake present the significance of childhood?
Students can use their annotations.

Students highlight / label the features using the success criteria once task is completed.

Copy of poem from the previous lesson.

Prompts for demonstrate task (slides 4-6)

Writing frame for the demonstrate task – can be adapted accordingly to suit ability.