Ready Steady Read Together
Poems from the Second World War: Poetry Lesson 1
What do you think you know?
What?
Who?
Why?
Where?
How?
When?
Book Talk: Let's explore this illustration.
Explore
What do you know and think?
The voice said ‘We are at War’.
How might this extract link to the illustration?
Explore
From: Poems from the Second World War by Gaby Morgan © 2015. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Today's Question(s)
A) What effect did the announcement ‘We are at War’ have on the poet?
B) What suggests that the poem was written much later than the time of the radio announcement?
Explore
Let me read today's text
Explore
The Second World War
The voice said ‘We are at War’ And I was afraid, for I did not know what this meant.
My sister and I ran to our friends next door
As if they could help. History was lessons learnt
With ancient dates, but here
Was something utterly new,
The radio, called the wireless then, had said
That the country would have to be brave. There was much to do.
And I remember that night as I lay in bed
I thought of soldiers who
From: Poems from the Second World War by Gaby Morgan © 2015. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Had stood on our nursery floor
Holding guns, on guard and stiff. But war meant blood
Shed over battlefields, Cavalry galloping. War
On that September Sunday made us feel frightened
Of what our world waited for.
Elizabeth Jennings
From: Poems from the Second World War by Gaby Morgan © 2015. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Vocabulary
Explore
Hover for definitions!
utterly new
on guard and stiff
nursery
galloping
cavalry
blood shed over battlefields
Explore
From: Poems from the Second World War by Gaby Morgan © 2015. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
I will model the first.
Find the word or phrase Read the sentence Talk about it to a partner
utterly new
Explore
Find Read Talk
The voice said ‘We are at War’ And I was afraid, for I did not know what this meant.
My sister and I ran to our friends next door
As if they could help. History was lessons learnt
With ancient dates, but here
Was something utterly new,
The radio, called the wireless then, had said
Reveal Vocabulary
From: Poems from the Second World War by Gaby Morgan © 2015. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Your turn
utterly
nursery
Find the word or phrase Read the sentence Talk about it to a partner
on guard and stiff
blood shed over battlefields
cavalry
galloping
Use your text
Explore
Vocabulary Check & Re-read
Explore
Reveal Vocabulary
The Second World War
The voice said ‘We are at War’ And I was afraid, for I did not know what this meant.
My sister and I ran to our friends next door
As if they could help. History was lessons learnt
With ancient dates, but here
Was something utterly new,
The radio, called the wireless then, had said
That the country would have to be brave. There was much to do.
And I remember that night as I lay in bed
I thought of soldiers who
Explore
From: Poems from the Second World War by Gaby Morgan © 2015. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Reveal Vocabulary
Had stood on our nursery floor
Holding guns, on guard and stiff. But war meant blood
Shed over battlefields, Cavalry galloping. War
On that September Sunday made us feel frightened
Of what our world waited for.
Elizabeth Jennings
Explore
From: Poems from the Second World War by Gaby Morgan © 2015. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Fluency
Explore
Let me use my reader's voice...
The voice said ‘We are at War’ And I was afraid, for I did not know what this meant.
My sister and I ran to our friends next door
As if they could help. History was lessons learnt
With ancient dates, but here Was something utterly new, The radio, called the wireless then, had said That the country would have to be brave. There was much to do.
What did you notice?
Explore
From: Poems from the Second World War by Gaby Morgan © 2015. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
My Turn
Your Turn
Echo Read
The voice said ‘We are at War’
And I was afraid, for I did not know what this meant.
My sister and I ran to our friends next door as if they could help.
History was lessons learnt with ancient dates, but here was something utterly new,
The radio, called the wireless then, had said that the country would have to be brave.
There was much to do.
Explore
From: Poems from the Second World War by Gaby Morgan © 2015. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Sound like a reader!
Stand up!
Choral Read
The voice said ‘We are at War’ And I was afraid, for I did not know what this meant.
My sister and I ran to our friends next door
As if they could help. History was lessons learnt
With ancient dates, but here Was something utterly new, The radio, called the wireless then, had said That the country would have to be brave. There was much to do.
Explore
From: Poems from the Second World War by Gaby Morgan © 2015. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Strategy Focus
Explore
Strategy: Read Between the Lines
A) What effect did the announcement ‘We are at War’ have on the poet?
Be a detective and look for clues!
Teach
Let me show you
Reveal Text Marks
The voice said ‘We are at War’ And I was afraid, for I did not know what this meant.
My sister and I ran to our friends next door
As if they could help. History was lessons learnt
A) What effect did the announcement ‘We are at War’ have on the poet?
Reveal Explainer
The poet’s first reaction to hearing that the country was ‘at war’ was one of fear. The words ‘I did not know what this meant’ suggests that the poet did not have personal experience of war so she did not fully understand how it would affect her life yet.
Teach
From: Poems from the Second World War by Gaby Morgan © 2015. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Strategy Stop
What else could you use to answer today's question(s)?
Teach
Your Turn
A) What effect did the announcement ‘We are at War’ have on the poet?
B) What suggests that the poem was written much later than the time of the radio announcement?
Find the answers
Text mark
Explore
Text Mark Evidence my sister and I ran to our friends next door as if they could help
needed explanation or reassurance
Acceptable Answers
Text Mark Evidence history was lessons learned with ancient dates, but here (this war) was something utterly new
confused and didn’t fully understand
A) What effect did the announcement ‘We are at War’ have on the poet?
Text Mark Evidence I thought of soldiers who had stood on our nursery floor holding guns, on guard and stiff
imagined childhood friends joining the war
Text Mark Evidence war meant blood shed over battlefields
thought of the violence war brings
Text Mark Evidence war on that September Sunday made us feel frightened of what our world waited for
fear or anxiety
Click on the evidence to reveal acceptable answers
Text Mark Evidence - here (actual war not just in history books) was something utterly new - war…made us feel frightened of what our world waited for
uncertainty
Acceptable Answers
Text Mark Evidence The voice said ‘We are at War’
And I was afraid
use of past tense
B) What suggests that the poem was written much later than the time of the radio announcement?
Text Mark Evidence history was lessons learnt with ancient dates…but war meant blood shed over battlefields
child’s vs adult’s understanding
Text Mark Evidence the radio, called the wireless then
use of old-fashioned word
Click on the evidence to reveal acceptable answers
Text Mark Evidence I remember that night
poet recalls the event
Practise & Apply
Quiz Time
Start
Picture Me
Which image is the best match for ‘cavalry’?
Tick Me
History was lessons learnt with ancient dates, but here was something utterly new.
What does the poet mean by this?
Tick one
A She found history lessons boring in school.
B She learned about dates of wars but not what they were like to live through.
Check
C She didn’t pay attention when history was taught in school.
Click if correct
D She thinks war is interesting and exciting.
Which One's Right?
The wireless announced that the country would have to be…
B clever
A courageous
C careful
D courteous
Fill the Gaps
galloping
nursery
shed
And I remember that night as I lay in bed
I thought of soldiers who
Had stood on our floor
Holding guns, on guard and stiff. But war meant blood
over battlefields, Cavalry . War On that September Sunday made us feel frightened
Of what our world waited for.
Click if correct
Discuss then check
Feedback: Who did what well?
FindRead Talk
EchoRead
ChoralRead
ReadingStrategy
Answers & Text Marks
Other...
To be a book lover, you could...
think about meaning.
Reveal
Reflect on what the poet is trying to say.
Copyright Notice
This document has been supplied under a CLA Licence with specific terms of use. It is protected by copyright and, save as may be permitted by law, it may not be further copied, stored, re-copied electronically or otherwise shared, even for internal purposes, without the prior further permission of the Rightsholder. Extracts sourced from: Poems from the Second World War by Gaby Morgan © 2015 Schools must purchase the original text for full content.
nursery
galloping
shed
RSRT Y6 L1 Poems from the Second World War
Literacy Counts
Created on July 10, 2025
Start designing with a free template
Discover more than 1500 professional designs like these:
View
Urban Illustrated Presentation
View
3D Corporate Reporting
View
Discover Your AI Assistant
View
Vision Board
View
SWOT Challenge: Classify Key Factors
View
Explainer Video: Keys to Effective Communication
View
Explainer Video: AI for Companies
Explore all templates
Transcript
Ready Steady Read Together
Poems from the Second World War: Poetry Lesson 1
What do you think you know?
What?
Who?
Why?
Where?
How?
When?
Book Talk: Let's explore this illustration.
Explore
What do you know and think?
The voice said ‘We are at War’.
How might this extract link to the illustration?
Explore
From: Poems from the Second World War by Gaby Morgan © 2015. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Today's Question(s)
A) What effect did the announcement ‘We are at War’ have on the poet?
B) What suggests that the poem was written much later than the time of the radio announcement?
Explore
Let me read today's text
Explore
The Second World War
The voice said ‘We are at War’ And I was afraid, for I did not know what this meant. My sister and I ran to our friends next door As if they could help. History was lessons learnt With ancient dates, but here
Was something utterly new, The radio, called the wireless then, had said That the country would have to be brave. There was much to do. And I remember that night as I lay in bed I thought of soldiers who
From: Poems from the Second World War by Gaby Morgan © 2015. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Had stood on our nursery floor Holding guns, on guard and stiff. But war meant blood Shed over battlefields, Cavalry galloping. War On that September Sunday made us feel frightened Of what our world waited for.
Elizabeth Jennings
From: Poems from the Second World War by Gaby Morgan © 2015. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Vocabulary
Explore
Hover for definitions!
utterly new
on guard and stiff
nursery
galloping
cavalry
blood shed over battlefields
Explore
From: Poems from the Second World War by Gaby Morgan © 2015. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
I will model the first.
Find the word or phrase Read the sentence Talk about it to a partner
utterly new
Explore
Find Read Talk
The voice said ‘We are at War’ And I was afraid, for I did not know what this meant. My sister and I ran to our friends next door As if they could help. History was lessons learnt With ancient dates, but here
Was something utterly new, The radio, called the wireless then, had said
Reveal Vocabulary
From: Poems from the Second World War by Gaby Morgan © 2015. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Your turn
utterly
nursery
Find the word or phrase Read the sentence Talk about it to a partner
on guard and stiff
blood shed over battlefields
cavalry
galloping
Use your text
Explore
Vocabulary Check & Re-read
Explore
Reveal Vocabulary
The Second World War
The voice said ‘We are at War’ And I was afraid, for I did not know what this meant. My sister and I ran to our friends next door As if they could help. History was lessons learnt With ancient dates, but here
Was something utterly new, The radio, called the wireless then, had said That the country would have to be brave. There was much to do. And I remember that night as I lay in bed I thought of soldiers who
Explore
From: Poems from the Second World War by Gaby Morgan © 2015. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Reveal Vocabulary
Had stood on our nursery floor Holding guns, on guard and stiff. But war meant blood Shed over battlefields, Cavalry galloping. War On that September Sunday made us feel frightened Of what our world waited for.
Elizabeth Jennings
Explore
From: Poems from the Second World War by Gaby Morgan © 2015. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Fluency
Explore
Let me use my reader's voice...
The voice said ‘We are at War’ And I was afraid, for I did not know what this meant. My sister and I ran to our friends next door As if they could help. History was lessons learnt With ancient dates, but here Was something utterly new, The radio, called the wireless then, had said That the country would have to be brave. There was much to do.
What did you notice?
Explore
From: Poems from the Second World War by Gaby Morgan © 2015. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
My Turn
Your Turn
Echo Read
The voice said ‘We are at War’
And I was afraid, for I did not know what this meant.
My sister and I ran to our friends next door as if they could help.
History was lessons learnt with ancient dates, but here was something utterly new,
The radio, called the wireless then, had said that the country would have to be brave.
There was much to do.
Explore
From: Poems from the Second World War by Gaby Morgan © 2015. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Sound like a reader!
Stand up!
Choral Read
The voice said ‘We are at War’ And I was afraid, for I did not know what this meant. My sister and I ran to our friends next door As if they could help. History was lessons learnt With ancient dates, but here Was something utterly new, The radio, called the wireless then, had said That the country would have to be brave. There was much to do.
Explore
From: Poems from the Second World War by Gaby Morgan © 2015. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Strategy Focus
Explore
Strategy: Read Between the Lines
A) What effect did the announcement ‘We are at War’ have on the poet?
Be a detective and look for clues!
Teach
Let me show you
Reveal Text Marks
The voice said ‘We are at War’ And I was afraid, for I did not know what this meant. My sister and I ran to our friends next door As if they could help. History was lessons learnt
A) What effect did the announcement ‘We are at War’ have on the poet?
Reveal Explainer
The poet’s first reaction to hearing that the country was ‘at war’ was one of fear. The words ‘I did not know what this meant’ suggests that the poet did not have personal experience of war so she did not fully understand how it would affect her life yet.
Teach
From: Poems from the Second World War by Gaby Morgan © 2015. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Strategy Stop
What else could you use to answer today's question(s)?
Teach
Your Turn
A) What effect did the announcement ‘We are at War’ have on the poet?
B) What suggests that the poem was written much later than the time of the radio announcement?
Find the answers
Text mark
Explore
Text Mark Evidence my sister and I ran to our friends next door as if they could help
needed explanation or reassurance
Acceptable Answers
Text Mark Evidence history was lessons learned with ancient dates, but here (this war) was something utterly new
confused and didn’t fully understand
A) What effect did the announcement ‘We are at War’ have on the poet?
Text Mark Evidence I thought of soldiers who had stood on our nursery floor holding guns, on guard and stiff
imagined childhood friends joining the war
Text Mark Evidence war meant blood shed over battlefields
thought of the violence war brings
Text Mark Evidence war on that September Sunday made us feel frightened of what our world waited for
fear or anxiety
Click on the evidence to reveal acceptable answers
Text Mark Evidence - here (actual war not just in history books) was something utterly new - war…made us feel frightened of what our world waited for
uncertainty
Acceptable Answers
Text Mark Evidence The voice said ‘We are at War’ And I was afraid
use of past tense
B) What suggests that the poem was written much later than the time of the radio announcement?
Text Mark Evidence history was lessons learnt with ancient dates…but war meant blood shed over battlefields
child’s vs adult’s understanding
Text Mark Evidence the radio, called the wireless then
use of old-fashioned word
Click on the evidence to reveal acceptable answers
Text Mark Evidence I remember that night
poet recalls the event
Practise & Apply
Quiz Time
Start
Picture Me
Which image is the best match for ‘cavalry’?
Tick Me
History was lessons learnt with ancient dates, but here was something utterly new.
What does the poet mean by this?
Tick one
A She found history lessons boring in school.
B She learned about dates of wars but not what they were like to live through.
Check
C She didn’t pay attention when history was taught in school.
Click if correct
D She thinks war is interesting and exciting.
Which One's Right?
The wireless announced that the country would have to be…
B clever
A courageous
C careful
D courteous
Fill the Gaps
galloping
nursery
shed
And I remember that night as I lay in bed I thought of soldiers who Had stood on our floor Holding guns, on guard and stiff. But war meant blood over battlefields, Cavalry . War On that September Sunday made us feel frightened Of what our world waited for.
Click if correct
Discuss then check
Feedback: Who did what well?
FindRead Talk
EchoRead
ChoralRead
ReadingStrategy
Answers & Text Marks
Other...
To be a book lover, you could...
think about meaning.
Reveal
Reflect on what the poet is trying to say.
Copyright Notice
This document has been supplied under a CLA Licence with specific terms of use. It is protected by copyright and, save as may be permitted by law, it may not be further copied, stored, re-copied electronically or otherwise shared, even for internal purposes, without the prior further permission of the Rightsholder. Extracts sourced from: Poems from the Second World War by Gaby Morgan © 2015 Schools must purchase the original text for full content.
nursery
galloping
shed