School Workshops
Personification Poetry
What if Stonehenge could tell us all it has seen over the millennia – and all it has heard, too? What if your school gates could share with us all the comings and goings they have seen for years? And what about that well-thumbed book on the library shelf?
This highly imaginative and interactive workshop allows students to harvest the fruits of both their own and their classmates’ imaginations as they explore notions of empathy to construct some uniquely moving poetry.
Workshop Testimonials
Introduction
What would the world look like from the point of view of a withered tree on the Somme in World War I? How would it sound to the tree in which Scout, Jem and Dill hide their treasures in “To Kill a Mockingbird”? What would be the memories of Mount Etna? And what might the clock on your classroom wall dream of as it gazes down on all the learning below?
This highly imaginative and interactive workshop allows students to harvest the fruits of both their own and their classmates’ imaginations as they explore notions of empathy to construct some uniquely moving poetry.
Longer workshops will see them gaining experience in presentation skills as we support them in exploring the most effective ways to deliver their poems vocally.
Exploring (according to age): empathy, personification, subtext, descriptive writing, contrasts, rhythm, tone, pace.
| Year Groups | KS1-KS4 |
|---|---|
| Curriculum | Poetry |
| Pupil Numbers | 30 pupils per workshop |
| Duration | minimum of 60 minutes (although we always prefer longer!) |
| Space | Classroom or hall |
Workshop FAQs
How many pupils can take part?
Personification Poetry workshops can accommodate up to 30 pupils per workshop in sessions lasting at least 1-hour – so up-to 150 pupils can take part in one day.
What is the format of the day?
We will work with you to plan a timetable to accommodate the number of classes you would like to include, based around the timings of your school day. The timetable might look something like this:
9.00 – 10.15: Session 1
10.15 – 11.30: Session 2
11.30 – 12.00: Session 3
LUNCH
1.00 – 1.45: Session 3 (cont’d)
1.45 – 3.00: Session 4
Are there any technical requirements?
Your visitor will need access to a laptop/ screen/projector set up in the working space.
Related Poetry Workshops
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Collaborative Poetry
This workshop provides a fantastic way of linking poetry to other areas of the curriculum!
Outdoor Poetry
Using school grounds as a resource, we’ll guide pupils to see ordinary things in extraordinary ways – and weave magical tapestries of words.