Lead teacher in English and ICT, Carol Weale at Dane Court Grammar School, doesn't give her Year 10 class William Blake's complete 'London' poem but places the words in alphabetical order. By isolating key words, the students begin to explore the themes. Carol then presents them with completed lines of 'London' but in a jumbled order. They must rearrange them using their knowledge of the poem's rhyme structure and themes. Finally, students compete to memorise and write down as many words from the poem as possible in a few minutes. This largely independent lesson is a great way to encourage and engage reluctant learners and help them to prepare them for the unseen poetry paper.

Video Series: Great Lesson Ideas
Release Date 2010