Spotlight on Learning: Poetry Speed Dating

With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, Mrs Murphy’s Year 8 class were in the mood for love this week with Poetry Speed Dating. 

Students were given lines from the well-known poem ‘If-’ by Rudyard Kipling as they participated in fast-paced questioning to try and find a perfect ‘match’ to their line; in doing this, they were beginning to explore Kipling’s use of poetic language, structure and style. 

After three ‘dates’, students then had to put their critical thinking skills to the test and decide on their perfect match, justifying how and why they thought their lines went together. The speed dating culminated with students using their perfectly matched lines to create their own poems, emulating the language and style of the original lines as well as employing poetic techniques; these new poems were then shared on a ‘double date’ where students critiqued each other’s poems and offered constructive feedback on how to improve. The result?  Not only have students utilised the BIS HCMC Learning Skills of collaboration, communication, critical thinking and reflection, they have begun to think about the original poem’s meaning and message through close focus on language – and they haven’t even read the poem yet!

Amy Murphy, Deputy Head Teacher: Curriculum & Learning