Inspired by: Tiddler - Week 5

Inspired by the plight of Tiddler, a fish caught in a net, students delve into the world of poetry, exploring emotions and the freedom of aquatic life. The children are tasked with reading the poem "How I Wish," which paints a vivid picture of a fish's desire for liberty and adventure in the ocean. Using this poem as a stimulus, the students are encouraged to channel their own creativity and compose original poems. They ponder on which sea creature they would like to be and articulate reasons for their choice, tapping into their imaginations to craft verses that express these whimsical yearnings.

Another poetic journey invites the children to empathize with Tiddler's past life, swimming freely among a shoal of anchovies. The students gather dynamic '-ing' words to capture the essence of the fishes' movements, creating a lively word bank that is displayed in the classroom. They then read and perform "Look At Them Flit" by Mary Ann Hoberman, which uses an array of such words to convey the swift, silent dance of fish in motion. The poem's structure and rhythm serve as a template for the children to write their own poems, encapsulating the swift and silent world beneath the waves. Meanwhile, a different activity prompts them to consider the life of fishermen, discussing the various roles aboard a fishing vessel and even engaging in role play to better understand the daily tasks of a deckhand, culminating in writing a rota for the week's duties.