Jabberwocky

Poet: Lewis Carroll

Age: KS2

This poem is taken from Lewis Carroll's novel Through the Looking Glass, so a clear connection can be made between the poem and Alice in Wonderland. Both are useful, quality texts to explore with KS2. There are lots of nonsense words in the poem to inspire writing and it could be discussed that some of the nonsense words have since appeared in the dictionary, such as "chortle".

As the children are older they will probably try to make sense of the poem and understand it fully, but this should not be the focus as it is mainly nonsense. This poem would be great to promote poetry in a positive way, showing how we can use language creatively and have fun, rather than the more serious and meaningful poems that children may find boring.

Some cross-curricular links could be made, such as using computing and music skills to make a soundscape or create an animation of the poem. Year 6 could link this to the evolution and inheritance topic in science - create the creature and consider adaptations - this also links with art/design and technology.

Fun approach to the poem using the Muppets:

A more formal approach to the poem:

Making links to Alice in Wonderland: