Hawk Roosting - teaching resource

Hawk Roosting by Ted Hughes – WJEC Eduqas GCSE Poetry Anthology Teaching Resource

This detailed two-lesson mini-unit explores Ted Hughes’s poem Hawk Roosting, featured in the WJEC Eduqas GCSE English Literature Poetry Anthology. Designed to develop students’ analytical skills and exam confidence, this resource provides an in-depth study of the poem’s language, imagery, themes, structure, and context, alongside guidance on comparing it effectively with other anthology poems.

The teaching pack includes a 50-slide fully editable PowerPoint presentation and three accompanying worksheets with engaging and exam-focused activities.

Lesson One:

• Context: An introduction to Ted Hughes and the poem’s mid-20th-century context

• Language & Imagery: Analysing Hughes’s powerful imagery and word choices

• Consolidation Task: Comprehension and discussion activities with example answers

• Essay Writing: An initial essay question assessing understanding, with a model response provided

Lesson Two:

• Poetic Techniques: Exploring Hughes’s use of symbolism, tone, and figurative language

• Themes: Analysing power, nature, control, and ruthlessness

• Structure & Form: Examining stanza organisation, rhythm, and free verse for effect

• Exam Focus: Comparing Hawk Roosting with Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelley, including model responses and strategies for writing strong comparative essays

Fully editable and adaptable, this comprehensive resource is ideal for whole-class teaching, homework, intervention, and revision, helping students prepare confidently for the WJEC Eduqas GCSE English Literature exam.

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