Tasks to be undertaken in relation to GCSE work on Gillian Clarke

1. Create a poster / flyer advertising a poetry reading by Gillian Clarke.
   This task aims to develop skills in:
   • group work,
   • creative skills,
   • presentational skills, (IT - Desk-top Publishing)

   It would also explore, at a basic level, understanding of the essence and nuances of the poetry.

2. A poetry reading - we must bring poetry off the page! (Perhaps attend a real poetry reading first in order that pupils understand the conventions.) Selected class members will assume the role of Gillian Clarke; they will introduce, briefly explain and then read the poem, in addition to answering questions from the 'audience' (compiled of other group members.) The questions and answers will have been pre-determined in the relevant working groups.
   This task aims to develop skills in:
   • questioning authorial motivation / intention,
   • performance and presentational skills,
   • analytical skills,
   • oral and discussion skills,

   • creative skills (role-play allows for reasonable, creative guesswork!)

3. A review for a magazine on Gillian Clarke's poetry.
   This task aims to develop skills in:
   • presenting articulate, written responses, (i.e., showing understanding of themes, style, language, images etc.)
   • IT,
   • presenting and justifying personal opinions,
   • utilisation of appropriate literary terminology,
   • drafting and proof-work, (initially, pupils assess each other.)

   • quoting appropriately from the poems.

4. Invite Gillian Clarke along to conclude the series! Conduct a re-run of the poetry reading. Discuss the pupils' reviews. Conduct interviews as part of coursework. (Perhaps more suited to A level work?)

5. Set official, exam type essay - the series of tasks, together with the study of the poems, are structured to become increasingly demanding, and, (hopefully), will have nurtured the necessary skills and level of understanding (differentiated as necessary) required for the essay.

Each of the tasks results in something concrete for display, or for use in coursework - e.g., the poetry readings could be recorded / videoed. Flyers / posters could be displayed and / or placed in a coursework portfolio. Similarly, the reviews could be published and then placed in coursework portfolios. The whole series is based on providing pupils with a sense of purpose, whilst also (and shrewdly) equipping them with necessary exam based skills.

This worksheet by Chantel Evans Mathias was found free at www.englishresources.co.uk
© 2000 English Resources, all rights reserved