Talking Turkeys

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo
• Leerjaar 2

RATIONALE FOR THE CHOICE OF THE TOPIC

• We chose the poem ‘Talking Turkeys’ because we wanted to introduce an unfamiliar poem. 
• We also wanted the poem to be suitable for reading aloud and reciting. 
  
• Our opinion is that to appreciate its rhythm and sound effects, all poetry should be read aloud.
• For this poem of Benjamin Zephaniah it’s even more so.
• Because of the subject and the language used, we expect the reciting performances to be a lot of fun for the students as well as the teacher.
  

Another aspect we love is the double meaning of the title. ‘Talking turkey’ means discussing honestly and directly.
It refers to the cultural aspects that Zephaniah brings across in the poem (meat consumption, consumerism, genetic breeding). His words provoke and invoke, he challenges the reader to question social ideals but also encourages compassion and equality, and all this in a humourous tone.

Target

• 45 minute lesson 
• teenagers / adult learners at lower secondary (A2-B1) level
  
• 'onderbouw havo/vwo, bovenbouw vmbo-gtl en mbo'
• students need to be familiar with (some) poetic devices. 
  If not, you can incorporate the poetic devices in a second reading between phase 2 and phase 3 using the support materials. It will take an extra lesson.
  

Objectives

• interpret, analyze
• factual, interpretive, personal
• poem style and language
• ideas and meaning
• poetic devices
• reading aloud and recite

O K

For the teacher (1)

• about the author
• short analysis of the poem

For the teacher (2)

Short lesson plan

• welcome with sticky notes
• phases 1, 2 and 3
• timetable
• video link

phase 1

Every phase contains:

• what to do
• notes for the teacher
   (can be used to answer students' questions)

preview worksheet

We show you a preview of the questions on the worksheet. The worksheets are added seperately to the lesson plan (easy to copy and hand out).

Phase 1 is about the first four lines, 
as a warm up exercise...

phase 2

Students watch a video before reading the rest of the poem and do the exercises.

The poet performs the poem ‘Talking Turkeys”’   

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4AgPSjzXkw

another worksheet for phase 2:  poetic devices

phase 3

• wrap-up
• reciting
   (group performance)

For the teacher (3)

For the teacher (4)

Extra worksheet "Visible thinking".        Poetry knowledge organizer.

For the teacher (5)

Decorating your classroom

with a poster of the poem.

Thank you for listening.    Any questions for us?

Offered to you by Prudence and Rita