Storm On The Island - CONTEXT for LA/MA

A lesson introducing the context for Seamus Heaney’s ‘Storm on the Island’, one of the poems in the AQA Power and Conflict poetry anthology. This has been planned for use in a Yr 9 bottom set, but could be easily adapted. It includes a link to a 5 min video that explains ‘The Troubles’ as well as clear presentation slides that explains a (brief!) history of Ireland. The lesson was planned to be taught after the class had had an initial lesson or two, unpicking the key themes, ideas and imagery within the poem, with this lesson highlighting the importance and significance of context in shaping our understanding.

In a nutshell, the lesson follows the lines of: what is context; here’s some context; apply the context to the poem; what’s our understanding now.