-NiE ,
INTERMEDIATE Poem
What Is Red? Red is a sunset Blazing and bright. Red is feeling brave With all your might. Red is a sunburn Spot on your nose. Sometimes red Is a red red rose. Red squiggles out When you cut your hand. Red is a brick And the sound of a band. Red is hotness You get inside When you’re embarrassed And want to hide. Fire-cracker, fire-engine Fire-flicker red – And when you’re angry Red runs through your head. Red is an Indian, A Valentine heart. The trimmings on A circus cart. Red is a lipstick Red is a shout Red is a signal That says: ‘Watch out!’ Red is a great big Rubber ball. Red is the giantest Colour of all. Red is a show-off, No doubt about it – But can you imagine Living without it? – Mary O’Neill
9 AUGUST 2017
Evoking emotions with colour A METAPHOR is a word or phrase that writers sometimes use when they want to make a comparison between two things that share a common characteristic.
In Mary O’Neill’s poem, you will find a number of metaphors as the colour red is compared to many things, ranging from the sunset to a rubber ball.
NiE Activity 1 Creative thinking
Critical thinking ● Identify ● Reason
● Organise
● Imagine ● Connect
Problem solving
● Invent
● Recreate
Communicating
● Present
Many images, feelings or memories can be associated with a certain colour. Some of the feelings mentioned in the poem include bravery, embarrassment and anger. In groups of four,
WHAT COMES TO MIND
COLOUR
● Oral ● Written
Collaborating
● Aural
● Listen ● Attain goal ● Contribute respectfully
complete the following table on a sheet of A4 paper. Write down what comes to your mind when these colours are mentioned. (You can change the colours named in the table if you want to.)
GREEN
YELLOW
BLUE
Image Feeling Phrase (from The Star) Occasion or event Person (from The Star) Something in this colour (from The Star) Then, rewrite eight lines of O’Neill’s poem using the comparisons you have made of a colour. Illustrate your work with pictures or words from The Star. When you are done, take turns to present your work in class.
The Day the Bulldozers Came The day the bulldozers came Rooks were building Crazy egg baskets in the oaks; Green flies sizzled by the pond And a cold-eyed toad Waited for them.
David Orme’s poem depicts the innocence and helplessness of nature against destruction planned by Man. The animals are going about their usual activities, completely unaware that something big is going to change their lives.
The day the bulldozers came Squirrels were scattering Up tree trunks, And leapt from branches That were hardly there.
EXAMPLE
The fox Stirred in his sleep As the ground trembled. ‘Ha ha!’ he thought, ‘I’m quite safe, Deep down in the Earth, No one can get me here.’ Then the bulldozers came. – David Orme
NiE Activity 2 Critical thinking ● Identify
The fox Stirred in his sleep As the ground trembled. ‘Ha ha!’ he thought, ‘I’m quite safe, Deep down in the Earth,
● Reason
Creative thinking ● Imagine
This stanza tells us the danger of becoming too secure in our comfort zones. We can become less alert and fail to watch out for danger signs. The fox believes that he is safe in his hole beneath the earth. He is thus completely unprepared when the bulldozers arrive. In groups of four, look for an article or news report from The Star depicting a situation which could have been prevented, had people been more careful. Cut it out and paste it on a sheet of A4 paper. Discuss the situation and write down the measures that could have been taken to either prevent the situation from happening or minimise the negative effects. When you are done, take turns to present your work in class
● Connect
Problem solving ● Question
● Recreate
Communicating ● Oral ● Written
● Aural
Situation
Paste article here
Collaborating ● Listen ● Attain goal ● Contribute respectfully
Measures that could have been taken
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