Climbing My Grandfather - teaching resource

Climbing My Grandfather by Andrew Waterhouse – AQA GCSE Love and Relationships Poetry Teaching Resource

This comprehensive two-lesson mini-unit explores Andrew Waterhouse’s poem Climbing My Grandfather, featured in the AQA GCSE English Literature Love and Relationships poetry anthology. Designed to help students build a detailed understanding of the poem, this resource also provides guidance on comparing it effectively with other anthology poems in the GCSE exam.

The teaching pack includes a 45-slide fully editable PowerPoint presentation and four accompanying worksheets with engaging and exam-focused activities.

Lesson One:

• Context: A brief introduction to Andrew Waterhouse and inspirations behind the poem

• First Reading: Guided reading of Climbing My Grandfather with glossary support, comprehension questions, and example answers

• Language & Imagery: Detailed analysis of imagery, symbolism, and key language choices, with model responses included

• Essay Writing: An extended essay question to assess initial understanding, supported by an example answer

Lesson Two:

• Themes: Exploring themes of family, memory, and ageing

• Structure & Form: Analysing Waterhouse’s use of rhyme, rhythm, enjambment, and caesura

• Exam Focus: Comparing Climbing My Grandfather with other anthology poems, including a model comparison answer

Fully editable and easily adaptable, this resource is perfect for whole-class teaching, homework, intervention, and revision, helping students prepare confidently for the AQA GCSE English Literature exam.

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