Teach Primary Issue 19.6

www.teachwire.net | 77 T E ACH RE AD I NG & WR I T I NG ‘Sunstruck’). Ask children to close their eyes as you read and imagine the world of the poem. Have them write their own ‘soundscape’ poem, focusing on what they hear in their chosen season – birds; wind; rain on leaves; even silence. Encourage onomatopoeia and wild similes ( The wind whooshed like a fox in a feather shop! ). This gentle, joyful exercise helps pupils build emotional connections with nature, and explore how language can reflect mood and rhythm in the environment. From wonder to worry The Iron Woman is a darker, more urgent tale than Hughes’s better-known The Iron Man . Here, nature is being poisoned, animals are suffering, and a mysterious, mud-drenched figure rises up to demand justice. It’s dramatic, angry, and completely gripping. Children often respond powerfully to this book because it doesn’t sugarcoat the truth. It trusts I f you’ve ever taken your class outside and watched a pupil marvel at a worm, a raindrop, or the swoop of a bird, you’ll know that children feel nature deeply. These moments are more than just curriculum boxes to tick; they’re opportunities to connect young minds with the living world. But in the midst of today’s climate crisis, it’s not all wonder and wide eyes. More and more, our pupils are expressing worry – sometimes even fear – about the future of the planet. That’s where literature, especially poetry and prose rooted in nature, can be a powerful ally. Ted Hughes, whose work thrums with the pulse of the natural world, offers a vivid, gritty, and often magical way into these big themes. His writing can help children articulate both their love for nature and their anxieties about its future. In particular, his poetic collection, Season Songs and novel The Iron Woman , are goldmines for rich classroom conversations and writing. Here’s how we can bring them to life… Start with wonder Hughes’s Season Songs is a short collection of nature poems that celebrate the shifting moods of the seasons: from frozen stillness to the riot of spring growth. It’s beautifully accessible for younger readers, yet layered with vivid imagery and sound-play that invites deeper exploration. Activity: seasonal sounds Pick a season and read one or two poems aloud (e.g. ‘March Morning Unlike Others’ or them with tough ideas, and that’s empowering. Activity: wild voices After reading a key scene (for example the animals’ transformation or the Iron Woman’s confrontation with the polluters), ask pupils: If nature could speak, what would it say? Pupils should write short monologues or letters from the perspective of a river, a frog, a fish, or even a cloud. This can lead to a class anthology titled something like Letters to the World , which you can display or even send to a local MP or eco group. You’ll be amazed by how passionate and poetic pupils can be when given this creative space. For many, it offers a cathartic outlet for their worries. Balance the scales One risk of diving into eco-literature is tipping too far into despair. Ted Hughes’s work, though dark at times, often carries a fierce sense of hope and Poetry > PANIC We tell kids to stay in school, dream big, and plan for tomorrow, yet we hand them a world on fire. As a teacher, however, all is not lost… Jessica de Waal is a writer and former deputy headteacher with a PhD in English Literature. transformation. The Iron Woman fights back. The seasons turn. Life insists on growing. Activity: nature’s future Ask pupils to imagine the world 50 years from now, but in a positive light. What does the river look like? What animals have returned? What inventions have helped clean the air? Pupils can create eco-stories, comic strips, or posters that celebrate solutions and dreams. This helps counter eco-anxiety by encouraging constructive, imaginative thinking, and reminds pupils that their voices, creativity, and care for the Earth matter . Why now? Ted Hughes was writing about ecological damage long before ‘climate change’ became a household phrase. His writing is alive with untamed magic of nature, but also an awareness of its vulnerability. That makes him a brilliant companion for children learning to navigate their feelings about the environment. So, whether you’re planting wildflower poems in spring or marching with the Iron Woman through toxic sludge, Hughes gives your pupils a language for love, rage, and hope, helping them become not just readers and writers, but stewards of a future they care about deeply. TP JESS I CA DE WAAL