Kamikaze - AQA - teaching resource

Kamikaze by Beatrice Garland – AQA GCSE Power and Conflict Poetry Teaching Resource

This comprehensive two-lesson mini-unit focuses on Beatrice Garland’s poem Kamikaze, featured in the AQA GCSE English Literature Power and Conflict poetry anthology. Designed to develop students’ analytical and comparative skills, this resource explores the poem’s context, language, imagery, structure, and themes, while providing guidance on comparing it effectively with other anthology poems.

The teaching pack includes a 56-slide fully editable PowerPoint presentation and five accompanying worksheets with engaging, exam-focused activities.

Lesson One:

• Context: Introduction to Beatrice Garland and the historical role of Kamikaze pilots in World War Two

• First Reading: Annotated reading of Kamikaze with comprehension and consolidation tasks (answers included)

• Language & Imagery: Detailed line-by-line analysis exploring Garland’s language choices and vivid imagery, supported by model responses

• Essay Writing: An extended essay question to assess understanding, with a sample answer provided

Lesson Two:

• Imagery: Further analysis of Garland’s symbolism and sensory imagery

• Themes: Exploring key themes including identity, honour, family, memory, and conflict

• Structure & Form: Analysing Garland’s use of free verse, rhythm, and stanza organisation

• Exam Focus: Comparing Kamikaze with The Charge of the Light Brigade by Alfred Lord Tennyson, with model answers and strategies for writing strong comparison essays

Fully editable and easy to adapt, this resource is ideal for whole-class teaching, homework, intervention, and revision, helping students prepare confidently for the AQA GCSE English Literature exam.

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