A Writing Root for On the Move: Poems about Migration

Overview and Outcomes:

This is a 15-session Literary Leaf for On the Move by Michael Rosen and illustrated by Quentin Blake. This Literary Leaf covers all aspects of the Key Stage 2 content domain. Children will read a range of poems from this vibrant, humorous and moving collection. They will be encouraged to perform these poems in different ways, incorporating different dramatic techniques. Children will explore questions around word meaning and word choice as well as analyse different aspects of the poet’s craft. As they read through this collection, they will discuss a range of themes such as migration, belonging, memory and family. This collection also allows children to discuss history, including the Jewish experience of the Second World War.

Synopsis of Text:

Michael Rosen and Sir Quentin Blake join forces for a landmark new collection, focusing on migration and displacement. Michael’s poems are divided into four: in the first series, he draws on his childhood as part of a first-generation Polish family living in London; in the second, on his perception of the War as a young boy; in the third, on his “missing” relatives and the Holocaust; and in the fourth, and final, on global experiences of migration. By turns charming, shocking and heart-breaking, this is an anthology with a story to tell and a powerful point to make: “You can only do something now.”

Links to Curriculum areas, other Literary Leaves and Planning Sequences:

This text is perfect for linking to themes of Migration and Movement and would work well alongside the planning sequences for The Arrival or Windrush Child.

Migration, family, memory, belonging, Second World War