Old Possum’s Children’s Poetry Competition 2009
Teachers' guide
Download here
Poet Mandy Coe gives advice on helping children to write poems on the theme of 'Heroes and Heroines’.
Heroes and heroines can be explorers, civil rights and environmental activists, political leaders; people who excel in sport, art and science. Or there are the fictional heroes of fairy stories, books, films and cartoons. National Poetry day 2009 gives young people a chance to discuss them and celebrate them. Here are some qualities associated with heroism:
- personal courage
- caring for others
- perseverance
- a belief in oneself
- optimism
As well as the more famous heroes and heroines there are teachers, ambulance drivers and carers – the quiet, unsung heroes found in every community. As the poet Benjamin Zephaniah said, ‘these streets are full of heroes’.
Approach to competitions
Thousands of new and established poets enter competitions every year (even poet laureates enter and judge them). Being placed is wonderful, but prizes aside, learning to send your work out into the world is a rite of passage for all writers. Help make this a positive experience by displaying the poems or organising in-school competitions. If poems are written about local people, remember to send them the poems!
Perspective and shape
Each poem can be written as:
- a neutral observer;
- in the voice of the hero (fictional or autobiographical – pupils writing about themselves);
- in the voice of someone – or something – touched by the hero’s life and actions.
Remind pupils that the poem does not have to rhyme. Write first drafts as prose or free verse and craft the poem into another shape later. For examples of forms try The Works 4, published by Macmillan. Let the tone of the subject matter guide the form.
As well as abstracts, encourage pupils to include physical detail: smells, sounds, textures – describing scenes as if in a film. Invite pupils to consider using direct speech, questions and repeated phrases.
Redrafting and finishing touches
A well-chosen title can intrigue and provide context, enabling the poem to hit the ground running. Ask pupils to read their poems aloud and comment positively on each other’s poems (asking a question, or noting a line/image they like). Here are a few more things to consider:
- spelling (readability)
- replace unintentionally repeated words
- replace small words such as can, and, it with a comma
- consistency of tense and persona
- first lines and last lines should be strong (they may be hidden elsewhere in the poem)
- by all means look to other poems to provide inspiration, but allow enough redrafting time for the new writing to develop its own voice and shape
- read the competition rules carefully.
Related Poems
Download the following poems to give you ideas on this theme:
- Girl Footballer by Jackie Kay (The Works 4 Macmillan). Get in the mood to write about sporting heroes by visiting the official Olympic site (see below) which contains spectacular photographs.
- Father’s Hands by Paul Cookson (The Works 6 Macmillan). Celebrating your parents, guardians or bigger brothers and sisters as heroes and heroines.
- I’d Like to Squeeze by John Agard (Rainbow World: Poems from Many Cultures, Hodder Wayland – out of print) . A fun poem about justice—providing an opening to discuss and celebrate some of those who have fought for it.
These book titles can also be ordered from the Children’s Poetry Bookshelf (see below):
The Works 4 , chosen by Pie Corbett (Macmillan)
The Works 6, chosen by Pie Corbett (Macmillan)
Listen live in your classroom to poets reading the following hero related poems at www.poetryarchive.org
Rosa by Rita Dove (a poem about Rosa Parks)
Little Red Riding Hood by Roald Dahl (a fairytale heroine)
Geography Lesson by Brain Patten (celebrating a teacher)
Brendon Gallacher by Jackie Kay (an imaginary hero)
Legend by Gillian Clarke (a sister rescues her sister)
Mum by Polly Peters (heroes in the home)
Other sites related to the theme of Heroes and Heroines:
- National Poetry Day: online activities for schools www.nationalpoetryday.co.uk
- My Hero Project : contains a teachers’ room and lists contemporary and historical heroes, plus a feature allowing pupils to add their own www.myhero.com
- Local Heritage Initiative : features local historical heroes and teachers’ resources (with links to the curriculum) www.lhi.org.uk
- Olympic Website : contains a directory of wonderful images and videos, plus a teachers’ site with downloadable activity sheets for pupils aged 6 to 16. www.olympic.org.uk
Prizes
Judges
Downloadable entry form
Email entry form
Teachers’ guide
International Learners
Special Children’s Poetry Bookshelf membership offer
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