Starter quiz
- What is 'longing'?
- when you really hate something and wish never to see it again
- when you really want something to happen ✓
- when you are scared of something happening again
- when you feel sad because something happened without you
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- What is context?
- the background or circumstances that surround something ✓
- other texts that you think are similar to the one you're studying
- the main idea or theme of a text
- a list of key quotations from a text
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- What are a poem's key themes?
- its rhythmic structure and rhyme scheme
- the historical and cultural background of the poet
- the central ideas or messages it explores ✓
- the grammatical structure used in its lines
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- What is cultural identity?
- wishing you had been born in a different country
- the beliefs, behaviours and values shared by a group of people ✓
- the physical characteristics of individuals within a cultural group
- what other people think about a certain country or community
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- Which of these poems describes the speaker's experiences moving from Zambia to the UK?
- 'Kumukanda' ✓
- 'In Wales, wanting to be Italian'
- 'Us'
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- Which of these poems considers ideas of unity and togetherness in an abstract way?
- 'Kumukanda'
- 'In Wales, wanting to be Italian'
- 'Us' ✓
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Exit quiz
- What does 'tenuous' mean?
- firm and secure
- weak or not well supported ✓
- transparent or clear
- loud and boisterous
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- Which of these words is a synonym for 'yearning'?
- despising
- longing ✓
- belonging
- defending
- opposing
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- When comparing two poems, we should lead by ...
- comparing a key quotation from each poem.
- comparing the wider context of each poem.
- comparing how both poets use literary methods.
- comparing both poets' attitudes towards certain key ideas/messages. ✓
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- Which poem from the Edexcel 'Belonging' anthology explores the fine line between division and togetherness?
- 'Kumukanda'
- 'In Wales, wanting to be Italian'
- 'Us' ✓
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- In which poem does the speaker view belonging as a means of validation (through others acceptance of her)?
- 'Kumukanda'
- 'In Wales, wanting to be Italian' ✓
- 'Us'
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- Why does the speaker's sense of belonging in 'Kumukanda' make him feel anxious?
- he hates it in the UK and wants to return to Zambia
- he worries he has become dislocated from his heritage ✓
- he knows he isn't accepted by people in the UK
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Worksheet
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Presentation
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Lesson Details
Key learning points
- Chingonyi, Dharker and Kunial's poetry all appear to show a yearning for a sense of belonging.
- They also explore the links between belonging, dislocation and individual identity.
- Dharker's speaker yearns to escape her current life by becoming someone else who is more confident and 'cool'.
- Chingonyi's poem feels more reflective, considering how different life may have been if the speaker had not left Zambia.
- Kunial takes a philosophical approach to thinking about identity and belonging, exploring the fine line between them.
Common misconception
All three poems explore conflict and belonging related to cultural identity because all three poets have an intercultural identity.
All three poets have an intercultural identity and this is reflected in many of their poems. However here, only 'Kumukanda' explores these ideas directly. Dharker focuses on identity and growing up; Kunial explores belonging in a more abstract way.
Keywords
Tenuous - weak, slight, not strong or substantial
Intercultural identity - identity influenced by multiple cultures or ethnic backgrounds
Thematically - relating to the central ideas or messages in a poem
Yearning - deep longing or desire, often with an emotional intensity
Attitudes - beliefs or opinions towards something, typically influencing behaviour or decisions
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