Book status: The book for this planning sequence is currently reprinting or out of print and therefore not in stock at most booksellers. If you do not already own the book, we would recommend this planning sequence as an alternative:
Alternative sequence
KS: Upper KS2
Year Group: Year 6
Literary Theme: Utopia vs. Dystopia
Author(s): Langston Hughes
This is a 15-session Literary Leaf for Poetry for Young People: Langston Hughes by Benny Andrews which covers all aspects of the Upper Key Stage 2 content domains. Children will begin by examining their understanding of black history in America, particularly in relation to segregation, and how their previous knowledge fits with new historical facts they are presented with. Through the series of lessons children will consider definitions of key terms in context and discover how poetic conventions help to convery a message powerfully. There will be opportunities for children to practise answering a range of comprehension questions as well as to express thier opinions about the particular events presented through the text. There are also extension tasks which could lead to additional writing outcomes.
We chose this text as a Literary Leaf as it presents children with an essential opportunity to study a particular period in black history. Showcasing the extraordinary Langston Hughes, the anthology is edited by two leading poetry experts and features quality artwork by Benny Andrews that adds rich dimension to the words. Hughes's powerful words still resonate today and the poems collected in this anthology will allow children to discover one of the greatest voices in black history.
The Three Little Pigs Project (Y6 planning sequence in the Literary Curriculum) would be an ideal text to teach this alongside.
Black history, America, Civil Rights Movement, segregation
