The arrival of ‘Spring’ has enabled different groups of ESOL
students to think about what they see around them and notice some of the
smallest changes to their environment.
Two groups of students (years 4-6) were asked to think about the
differences that they notice in spring. We shared William Wordsworth’s poem and
discussed the impact the daffodil flower has on us when it is seen in mass. The
students used similes and adjectives to dissect the daffodil in poetic form.
The learning intention was to extend descriptive vocabulary and learn to draw a
comparison between two objects. While
ESOL students often find it difficult to use complex sentences to describe
objects, poetry allows them more flexibility.
These are the results:
Aisha (Year 4)
In spring it feels as though summer has arrived
The days stretch out
The sun shines through my bedroom window
It almost feels like a dream
It’s warm and winter’s over.
Daffodil blooms are like summer flowers
Swirling and twirling in the gentle breeze
Striving to reach the sun.
Nabin (Year 4)
Roots, so natural, yet ugly like arm pit hair
The bulb, big and plump like a pear
Stems move like water flowing in the sea
Petals so yellow like the sun.
Nisha (Year 5)
Roots that look like girl’s disgracefully messy hair
in a howling wind.
Roots that push their way down into the muddy wet ground
That bulb, that looks like a can of pumpkin soup
sitting on the supermarket shelf.
The daffodil flower looks just like a princess’s yellow floating
ball dress.
Akki (Year 5)
The daffodil’s roots are like zigzag lightning
The daffodil’s bulb is like a clowns spongy red nose
The daffodil’s leaves are like loopy straws
The daffodil’s trumpet reminds me of a cornet ice cream
The daffodil’s petals are like a five sided star
Twinkling up in the milky-way.
Arozo (Year 5)
In spring things grow quickly
The sky is often blue
In your mind’s eye, see a daffodil
Even when it is not there
Daffodils, like the sunflower
Make it sunny.
Uday (Year 6)
Roots that look like a needle’s thread moving through soft fabric
The bulb so like a mosquito’s head
The stem seems like a frog’s tongue that reaches out to catch insects
The flowers look like soft tissue paper dancing in the howling wind outside.
The inside of the daffodil flower oozes liquid that tastes like honey juice.
Aliya (Year 5)
In spring the glorious yellow daffodils grow
The roots look like messy tangled strings
The bulb is shaped like a kiwifruit
The long leaves form what looks like a bridge
The daffodil flower looks like a starfish that has seven legs
The colour of the flower is just like a hot desert.
Elena (Year 5)
The days are longer
And the sun is high in the sky
Spring is here
Daffodils poke out of the soil
Under the ground it looks like cat’s whiskers
Knotty and messy like the ones that come out of an onion
Maybe they make the daffodil cry too
The stem is long like a giraffe’s neck
Stretching all the way up to the petals
The dafffodil’s trumpets are filled with golden treasure
That the bees pick up from a yellow cup
The smell makes me think of hokey pokey icecream.
Ryota (Year 6)
Spring blows into your mind, like the view from a mountain top
Daffodils colour the park, just like the sun reflects off the snow
Daffodil roots are as important to them, as ours are to us
They need to be strong and tough
They are like the grandfathers who watch over us.
Grandfathers with their tangled white beards.
The bulb is the heart of the flower that creates a small burning
sun.
Stems race through the fresh scented air
The highway that transports fuel to the flower
Midday warmth opens the bright yellow petals
They open to signify the beginning of spring.
Trumpets poke their heads up into the sky
Each silent trumpet echoes its message across parks and fields.
