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RSRT Y6 L5 Poems from the Second World War

Literacy Counts

Created on September 22, 2025

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Transcript

Ready Steady Read Together

Poems from the Second World War: Poetry Lesson 5

Quiz Time

Start

Questions about the book so far...

Picture Me

Which image is the best match for ‘vault’?

Sequence Me

Put the events from the poem in the correct order:

A) Women and children emerge from their homes in a state of shock.

B) The scene looks more like a scene from a film than real life.

C) The sky is so bright from fire it resembles dawn.

D) Flares hang in the sky before dropping on homes.

Click if correct
Check

Tick Me

The moonbeam tentacles of searchlights grope through baffling cirrus while the moon herself seems to grow smaller…

Tick the poetic features used:

A metaphor

B personification

C juxtaposition

Check

D alliteration

Click if correct

E all of the above

Link Me

Link each poem from this unit with the correct description:

A The horrors of the London bombings are compared to a celebration of Death.

1 The Second World War

2 Embarkation, 1942

B Soldiers depart secretly on a train then board a ship.

3 High Flight

C A woman remembers the day war was declared.

Check

4 Blitz

D A pilot describes the joy and awe of flying.

Click if correct

Speaking Spotlight

Newsreader

Explore

Newsreader

Formal language
Speak clearly
Vary your voice
Practise
Look at the camera
Calm & composed
Finish strong
Be confident

Create a news segment reporting on a London bombing during the Blitz.

Vocabulary

Explore

Hover for definitions!

casualties

aerodrome

widow

beloved

sole support, and stay

quenched

Explore

From: Poems from the Second World War by Gaby Morgan © 2015. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.

Let me read today's text

Explore

‘The Casualties Were Small’

When Winton Aerodrome was bombed The ‘Casualties were small’ Just your son, and my son, and little widow Brown’s son, The youngest of them all. And your son was your eldest lad, Handsome and straight and tall. A model for your younger sons, Beloved by you all.

From: Poems from the Second World War by Gaby Morgan © 2015. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.

And Mrs Brown’s, her youngest boy Her sole support, and stay. So like his father, all her joy Was quenched, on that dark day. And mine, my only son and pride So loved and dear to all. The blast of bombs spread far and wide Tho’ ‘the casualties were small’.

May Hill September 1941

From: Poems from the Second World War by Gaby Morgan © 2015. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.

Strategy Stop

Teach

Your turn

Practise & Apply

Use your text

Practise & Apply

1) Of the three casualties mentioned, who was the youngest?

Acceptable Answers:

  • little widow Brown’s son
  • Mrs Brown’s son
  • Mrs Brown’s youngest boy
  • Mrs Brown’s boy

Reveal Answer

Practise & Apply

2) A model for your younger sons, Beloved by you all...

The word ‘model’ suggests the other sons…

Tick one

did not like him.

looked up to him.

were younger than him.

loved him dearly.

Reveal Answer

Practise & Apply

3) What can you infer about Mrs Brown’s husband from the poem? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

Text Mark Evidence - little widow Brown’s son - like his father, all her joy was quenched, on that dark day

he died / was dead

Click on the evidence to reveal acceptable answers
RevealEvidence & Answers

4) Circle the correct theme of this poem.

courage
friendship
parenting
grief
Reveal Answer

Practise & Apply

5) How does the title of the poem compare with the poet’s personal experience? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

Acceptable answers will contrast the small number of deaths with the large impact on individual families:

Text Mark Evidence - your son… a model for your younger sons, beloved by you all - Mrs Brown’s, her youngest boy her sole support…all her joy was quenched, on that dark day - my only son and pride so loved and dear to all the blast of bombs spread far and wide

the personal loss was great

Text Mark Evidence the casualties were small

the title implies the loss of life was small/only a few people died

Click on the evidence to reveal acceptable answers
RevealEvidence & Answers

Feedback: Who did what well?

FindRead Talk

EchoRead

ChoralRead

ReadingStrategy

Answers & Text Marks

Other...

To be a book lover, you could...

write your own poetry.

Reveal

Start with a short poem about your thoughts or surroundings.

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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.