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‘Ode’ No You Didn’t! Poetry With a Punch: Take the 'Oh No' Out of Writing an Ode

Find out what an ode is, how it's constructed and write your own. Join us as we take the 'stuffiness' out and add the fun.
Tracy Lambert
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:
(235)
Rising Star
Class

What's included

1 live meeting
55 mins in-class hours
Assessment
Informal assessment during class

Class Experience

US Grade 4 - 6
Keats, Wordsworth, Shelley, Coleridge; all great masters, among others, of the Ode. They praised nightingales, duty, the West Wind, a true love…

What would they immortalise in an ode if they lived today? 

Their favourite pizza topping? (You decide if pineapple is ode-worthy or not!)
The joy of finding their lost sock?
A nice cold drink of Coke/ Pepsi (other soft drinks are available for ode writing purposes!)

Odes are an important part of understanding poetry but they can sometimes be so, well, serious. 
In this one time class, we’ll take a look at what an ode actually is, where it came from, and learn the features of this type of poem before writing our own- but with considerably more humour than most of the great figures of literature thought to inject into their work. 

On a more serious note…
Studying older forms of poetry can be intimidating and somewhat confusing. By taking the pressure off and using fun and humour in our class, students will begin to explore the structure of an ode and start to gain an appreciation of how the more famous odes were written. I will also write an ode along with the class, on a subject that is chosen for me by the students. (I may regret that decision)

We’ll take a step-by-step approach in constructing our odes and finally share them at the end of the class (with appropriate solemnity and passion, of course!). 

If a student is not comfortable with reading out their ode, they can type it into the chat feature (and/ or request that I read it out if they like), or, if they prefer, upload it to the classroom afterwards, send it to me privately or keep it to themselves if they’d rather. There is no pressure.

Learning Goals

Students will:
Briefly explore the background of the ode
Look at the features of an ode and how it is constructed
Learn how to write their own
If they choose- experience sharing their work and enjoy a little ham-acting in reading it out.
learning goal

Other Details

Parental Guidance
All content is age-appropriate.
Supply List
A notebook or paper and something to write with, or device to use for writing.
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Sources
A variety of online and published works have been referred to over years of teaching this subject, including but not limited to: The works of Shakespeare, Keats, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Tate, Gray, etc. The class content and curriculum is created by me.
Joined September, 2020
4.9
235reviews
Rising Star
Profile
Teacher expertise and credentials
Writing is my passion and as well as majoring in English at university, along with Theatre Arts, I've almost 20 years of experience in teaching English in primary schools. Over those years, I have worked regularly with groups of children specifically on English writing skills and teaching creative writing online.

Reviews

Live One-Time Class
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$13

per class
Meets once
55 min

Completed by 4 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 9-12
1-6 learners per class

This class is no longer offered
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