Performance Poetry - The Commentator, Lessons 4 & 5, Y5/6

In 1927, BBC Radio broadcast a football match for the very first time (1:1 between Arsenal and Sheffield United). Sports broadcasting was so new that the Radio Times published a diagram of a football pitch that had been divided into eight numbered squares. While Teddy Wakelam (ex-rugby player) described what was happening, another voice called out the numbers that corresponded to the area of the pitch where the action was taking place. This allowed listeners, who were using the grid at home, to follow the match (possibly giving us the origins of the phrase, “back to square one”).

Although TV coverage now dominates media coverage, the voice of the football commentator (and co-commentators) remain at the heart of our enjoyment of the wonderful game.

The last two lessons from a group of five are based on The Commentator, a fabulous poem written by Gareth Owen (who has kindly given permission for his poem to be used) as inspiration for children to write their own poem. In these lessons, the children will draft, edit, publish and perform their own commentary poems based on an experience, either real or imaginary. There will be opportunities for drama, collaboration and evaluation.

So whether you’re a fan of David Coleman, John Motson or Bianca Westwood, I hope you enjoy sharing Gareth’s brilliant poem with the children in your class and then creating some new commentaries which can either be performed to an audience or simply enjoyed by the writer and reader.

I will always appreciate some feedback on the content of the lesson and any improvements that could be made.

Lessons 1, 2 & 3 can be found at
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12870045

I hope that you enjoyed teaching these five lessons. Please take the time to check out other lessons and resources which are available at my shop:
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/RobLlewellyn