At the end of the unit, over two lessons, each Year 8 pair takes one of four poems they have studied: Blake's 'A Poison Tree', Tennyson's 'The Eagle', Rossetti's 'Remember' or Shelley's 'Ozymandias'. In Book Creator, in the teacher's class library, each pair builds a two-page spread. The left page holds the poem and a recording of the pair reading it aloud; the right page holds a commentary of about 150 words on three choices the poet made and the effect of each. Pairs decide first what tone the reading needs, such as whether the king's boast in 'Ozymandias' should sound proud or hollow, then record, listen back and record again until the voice matches what the commentary claims. No spread shows a face or a full name.
The teacher checks each spread and combines them into one class book, which the three other Year 8 teachers play to their classes as revision before the end-of-unit assessment. The pairs' own class hears two readings of the same poem side by side and discusses how the different voices change its meaning.
Tools: Book Creator Nine ideas for your own version in Generate
This page is one of a growing set of PICRAT examples by cell, subject and grade. Page maintained by Andy Perryer.