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Learning Through Poetry: Keys to the Future, by Children’s Laureate Wales
Child Safeguarding Statement
Some resources and activities may prompt a child to remember and potentially share an experience of harm. Make sure you’re familiar with your school's safeguarding policies and procedures so you can confidently report safety and well-being concerns.
Prepare students for the session by discussing: their right to be safe and respected; what to do if discussing online safety makes them feel uncomfortable or unsafe; and how to seek help if they feel or have felt unsafe. Use this resource available on the website.
Learning Through Poetry: Keys to the Future, by Children’s Laureate Wales
Overview
This activity is based on the poem “Keys to the Future”, by the Children’s Laureate Wales. The poem was developed in partnership with The Royal College of Psychiatrists, following a series of poetry workshops with children that focused on the effects of technology on children’s mental health. Further information regarding the development of the poem can be accessed here on the Literature Wales site.
This activity is relevant for:
- Introducing students to poetry, and encouraging students to relate its key themes to their everyday lives.
- Addressing concerns about student wellbeing and social interactions related to device usage.
- Encouraging a balanced perspective of both the positives and negatives of technology use.
This lesson is part of the FREE digital licence program
Learning Intentions
By completing this activity, our class intends to:
- Identify ways that technology can work to bring people together, and also keep them apart.
- Describe strategies for maintaining positive and balanced technology use.
Lesson Instructions
Activity Setup
Download and print the “Student Activity Pack” from the Resources section, which can be pasted into student workbooks. This Activity Pack can also be used digitally as a visual guide, or shared via Google Classroom or similar.
Introductory Discussion
Lead students in brainstorming responses to the first activity in the "Student Activity Pack”. Here, students re asked to list some of the ways that technology can bring us together, and how it might also keep us apart.
In the “Ways technology can bring us together” column, examples include:
- Gaming online with friends (i.e. playing Roblox.
- Connecting with family through video calls.
- Participating in online classes or outside activities.
- Phone calls and messaging.
- Showing our family or friends something cool that we found online.
- Showcase creativity by making art and culture accessible to others.
In the “Ways technology can keep us apart” column, examples might be:
- Prevents us from spending quality time with family and other friend groups.
- Missing out on offline activities, such as sports or other in-person clubs.
- We might compare ourselves to other people, and feel negatively.
- Excluding people from playing with us online.
- Some people might be mean to others online.
Ask students whether they think the positives of technology use outweigh the negatives, and why.
Play or read the poem
Introduce the poem. You may wish to explain that the poem was inspired by a series of workshops with children in 2022, which focused on the impacts that technology might have on mental health. The poem was inspired by what the children said and wrote in these workshops.
Play the poem from Youtube here, or read the poem as a class from the transcript provided in the "Student Activity Pack".
Analysis and Comprehension
Follow the comprehension questions in the"Student Activity Pack".
To assist in comprehending the overall meaning of the poem—and to scaffold students towards the analysis of certain words and poetry techniques—it is advised to split students into pairs or small groups. Assign a stanza of the poem to each group. The first step is for them to circle the stanza they will be analysing on their individual worksheets.
For quick reference, the worksheet asks:
- In your stanza, is technology seen as a positive, negative, or both?
- Circle clues that tell us whether technology is seen as positive, negative, or both. Clues can be certain words, rhymes, or ideas.
- Can you see any ways that the stanza might relate to yourlife, or someone that you know? Give an explanation.
As a whole group, ask for volunteers to report their findings.
Exit Pass
Finally, ask students to come up with at least one goal for using technology to bring people together in positive and healthy ways.
Aligned Curriculum
Australian Curriculum (Version 9.0)
The Australian Curriculum outlines the fundamental knowledge, comprehension, and abilities students are expected to acquire as they advance through the initial 11 years of schooling.
Years 3 and 4: General Capabilities
Personal and Social Capabilities
Relational awareness:
- Level 3: Identify how they can contribute to healthy relationships and manage challenging relationships.
Year 3: English
- AC9E3LA03: Describe how texts across the curriculum use different language features and structures relevant to their purpose.
- AC9E3LE02: Discuss connections between personal experiences and character experiences in literary texts and share personal preferences.
- AC9E3LE04: Discuss the effects of some literary devices used to enhance meaning and shape the reader’s reaction, including rhythm and onomatopoeia in poetry and prose.
- AC9E4LA03: Identify how texts across the curriculum have different language features and are typically organised into characteristic stages depending on purposes.
- AC9E4LE02: Describe the effects of text structures and language features in literary texts when responding to and sharing opinions.
- AC9E4LE04: Examine the use of literary devices and deliberate word play in literary texts, including poetry, to shape meaning.
CASEL Framework
The CASEL Framework creates a foundation for applying evidence-based, Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) strategies both at school and in the broader community. Its aim is to support the cultivation of SEL skills and environments that advance students’ learning and development.
- Self-management: The abilities to manage one’s emotions, thoughts, and behaviours effectively in different situations and to achieve goals and aspirations.
- Responsible decision-making: The abilities to make caring and constructive choices about personal behaviour and social interactions across diverse situations.
My Time, Our Place – Framework for School Age Care in Australia
The aim of My Time, Our Place: Framework for School Age Care in Australia (the Framework) is to assist educators to provide children and young people with opportunities to maximise their potential and develop a foundation for successful lifelong learning. The Framework has been designed for use by approved providers and school age care educators working in partnership with children and young people, their families and the community, including schools.
Outcome 2: Children and young people are connected with and contribute to their world.
Children and young people develop a sense of belonging to groups and communities and an understanding of the reciprocal rights and responsibilities necessary as active and informed citizens.
This is evident when children:
- Understand the concept that while digital technology can connect us, it is also vitally important to maintain our face-to-face and interpersonal connections too.
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