Teaching poetry to lyceum students. Teacher: Barbara Crespi
This lesson was taught as a demonstration lesson to lyceum teachers of A Athens in 2nd term 2009-2010
Sindhi Woman by Jon Stallworthy
Poem published 1992 in 'Modern Poetry' by Alex Martin and Robert Hill. (Prentice Hall)
Taught to lyceum teachers from offices of Directory & 1-7, A’ Athens by Barbara Crespi January till April 2010
ORGANISATION OF CLASS: Students sitting in 4 groups. Two of boys and 2 of girls in order to solicit the different view points according to gender.
LANGUAGE LEVEL: Intermediate-upper intermediate
AIMS OF LESSON: to stimulate interest in reading poetry, build vocabulary, stir imagination, sensitize students to 3rd world problems, broaden horizons and have some fun
SKILLS: listening, reading, working in groups to discuss veiwpoints and find group concensus of opinion
WARM UP: part 1
Photographs shown on laptop with video projector. The purpose of showing the pictures is to get students to talk in groups and discuss what they represent and that even when living in poverty people try to live with dignity and send their children to school etc.
(All pictures downloaded from Google images)
Pictures shown of the following:
1. an Indian woman
2. a map of Pakistan
3. a slum which shows clothes drying and plants growing on rooves of slum housing
4. a child walking in poor area of Karachi
5. Sindi girl
6. Sindhi women going to the river to bring water in jars on their heads.
Indian woman introduced to get students to discuss their own perceptions of beauty
Map of pakistan
Slum housing - attention drawn to washing and plants on roof
School boy walking in slum area in karachi
Sindhi girl . Is she beautiful? Why/ why not?
Sindhi women carrying water from the river
Part 2:
Students shown the following statement and asked to discuss in groups and then report to class
A famous British actor once said, “ The only thing I look for in a woman is beauty. Everything else can be bought or learned.”
Do you think he is right?
PRESENTATION:
Qualities of women introduced to teach unknown vocabulary
Students given list of qualities and asked to fill in their viewpoint as a group and then to report to class. This is filled in on laptop as they report.
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Put the qualities in numerical order according to how you think men view (see) women |
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QUALITY |
1. BOYS |
2. BOYS |
3. BOYS |
4. GIRLS |
TOTALS |
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1.Kindness |
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2.Beauty |
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3.Humour |
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4.Good taste |
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5.Youth |
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6.Intelligence |
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7.Wit |
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8.Cheerfulness |
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9.Elegance |
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10.Ambition |
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Poem read by teacher once and new vocabulary explained on second reading. Volunteer student reads poem aloud third reading.
Sindhi Woman
by Jon Stallworthy
1. Barefoot through the bazaar,
2. and with the same undulant grace
3. as the cloth blown back from her face,
4. she glides with a stone jar
5. high on her head
6. and not a ripple in her tread.
7. Watching her cross erect
8. stones, garbage, excrement, and crumbs
9. of glass in the Karachi slums,
10. I, with my stoop, reflect
11. they stand most straight
12. who learn to walk beneath a weight.
Vocabulary given to students
Sindi: from the region of Sind (Pakistan)
barefoot: with bare feet (not wearing shoes)
undulant: moving like waves in the water
glides: moves slowly and smoothly
ripple: small wave
tread: step
erect: with straight posture
excrement: faeces, manure
slums: poor squalid part of the city
stoop: opposite of erect
reflect: think about, meditate
PRACTICE:
Students work in groups to note down the lines where one of the following is to be found in the poem then present their findings to class. Please note that it is not very important if students working in groups talk in their mother tongue but they have to present it in English to the class.
What and where does the poet have to say something about:
1. clothes,
2. economic status
3. Karachi
4. movements
5. himself?
FURTHER PRACTICE:
Class discussion of meaning and success of poem .
Students from A class at 33rd General Lyceum at Kolono deciding what beauty means.
