Messages from the Heart Scarab to the Heart

(Suitable for Year 7 and 8).

1) Play truth, lie, fantasy game:

Everyone writes down three pieces of information about themselves - one is true, one is a lie, one is a fantasy. Hide it from your neighbour! You may need to give an explanation of the subtle difference between lie and fantasy - something like, a fantasy is something you would like to happen, whereas a lie is a downright untruth.

I usually go first - reading out all three, then asking someone to challenge me as to which one is which. Then throw it open to the floor. The one who guessed mine correctly gets to say his or hers and choose a challenger, and so it goes on. The class may need a gentle reminder at first not to specify which is a lie, which is true etc. before they read out.

This gives the idea that you can lie and make things up in your writing.

2) (Show illustration) Explain that a heart scarab is an Egyptian amulet that was placed over the heart. Underneath it is inscribed a spell which warns the heart not to give away any guilty secrets during the Weighing of the Heart ceremony. This would jeopardise the chance of the spirit making it to the afterlife.

3) Read the poem 'Messages from the Heart Scarab to the Heart.' (below).

4) Without discussing the poem start to collect ideas for lines on the board. Talk about different qualities of naughtiness - silly, serious, daft, nonsensical, ingenious, irritating. Veto death and destruction if you need to.

5) The students write their own poems, borrowing lines from the board if they want to.

6) Ask everyone to decide which are their two best lines. Read out these lines round the class.

7) Discuss where these lines should be placed in the poem. First and last?

8) Talk about placing lines next to each other according to their tone - an absurd line next to a shocking line, an innocent line next to an outrageous line.

9) Redraft and read out whole poems

Messages from the Heart Scarab to the Heart

Don't tell I stole from my Mum's purse to buy the Bunty,
don't tell I ran in front of a car to avoid Barry Smith,
don't tell I stitched an aeroplane to the sky

Don't tell I ate a whole bag of Thornton's
Continental Chocolates from my landlady's cupboard,
don't tell I took a razor to the soles of the shoes
I was supposed to shine,

Don't tell I cut the string on my neighbour's garden chimes,
don't tell I put a dustbin through the sacristy window,
don't tell I touched the curlew's egg.

The Heart Scarab was an essential Egyptian funerary amulet placed over the heart On the underside a spell is inscribed telling the heart to say nothing during the Weighing of the Heart ceremony for fear that it might make a guilty confession. Homiman Museum.

KS2 Pupils should be taught:

Y5 T1 T16
- To convey feelings, reflections or moods in a poem through the careful
choice of words and phrases.

Y6 T2 T3
- To recognise how poets manipulate words
    - for their quality of sound, e.g. rhythm, rhyme, assonance
    - for their connotations
    - for multiple layers of meaning, e.g. through figurative language, ambiguity

Y6 T2 T5
- To analyse how messages, moods, feelings and attitudes are conveyed in poetry.

KS3 / Y7 Literacy Teaching Objectives

TL - Writing 1
- plan, draft, edit, revise, proofread and present a text with readers
and purpose in mind.

KS3 / Y8 Literacy Teaching Objectives

Plan, draft and present

TL - Writing 1
- experiment with different approaches to planning, drafting, proofreading
and presenting writing, taking account of the time available.

key stage 2/3	· poetry lesson
Chrissie Gittins

Chrissie Gittins

Messages from the Heart Scarab to the Heart