These teacher resources are designed to just offer starting points for you on how you might include and use the work of Forest writers in the Anthology as part of your teaching practice. The extracts could be used as standalone examples for English or, as part of a History or Geography topic. Detailed biographies of each writer can be found here: https://www.readingtheforest.co.uk/authors.html to support your teaching and subject knowledge.
Introductions to each part of the Anthology also provide useful information and context about the Forest and wider world at that time and the main literary themes and tropes.
Introductions to each part of the Anthology also provide useful information and context about the Forest and wider world at that time and the main literary themes and tropes.
Part One: The Early-Modern PerioD
Brittania by William Camden, Page 4, Poly-Olbion by Michael Drayton, Page 6
Camden and Drayton are writing contemporaries of Shakespeare. Two Shakespeare texts must be studied at KS3 and at least one at KS4. These extracts could be used, alongside the Shakespeare text, to provide evidence of writers describing the Forest of Dean and Britain during the same period that Shakespeare was writing.
Comparing texts is a key skill for GCSE English. Camden and Drayton’s texts would make good examples for pupils to analyse and compare a writer’s choice of vocabulary, form, grammatical and structural features, and make critical comparisons.
Camden and Drayton are writing contemporaries of Shakespeare. Two Shakespeare texts must be studied at KS3 and at least one at KS4. These extracts could be used, alongside the Shakespeare text, to provide evidence of writers describing the Forest of Dean and Britain during the same period that Shakespeare was writing.
Comparing texts is a key skill for GCSE English. Camden and Drayton’s texts would make good examples for pupils to analyse and compare a writer’s choice of vocabulary, form, grammatical and structural features, and make critical comparisons.
Part Two: The Nineteenth Century
'The Forest of Dean in Times Past Contrasted with the Present’ by Catherine Drew, Page 19
This is a very long poem but there are sections that would be useful to illustrate how industrialisation changed the Forest. From, ‘The Forest now is numerous got of late… Page 30 to ‘There’s nothing hid from his all -seeing eye’. Page 32
‘In the Mine’ by Ada M. Trotter, Page 43
This extract from Heaven’s Gate: A Story in the Forest of Dean, could be used in several ways:
This is a very long poem but there are sections that would be useful to illustrate how industrialisation changed the Forest. From, ‘The Forest now is numerous got of late… Page 30 to ‘There’s nothing hid from his all -seeing eye’. Page 32
‘In the Mine’ by Ada M. Trotter, Page 43
This extract from Heaven’s Gate: A Story in the Forest of Dean, could be used in several ways:
- A text for whole class reading and subsequent comprehension tasks
- The basis for diary recount writing (from the point of view of the rescued man), a newspaper report
- As contemporaneous evidence of the working conditions/jobs for people working in Forest of Dean Mines
- If studying mining, link to/compare with research about the 1949 Waterloo Colliery disaster
- Link with a visit to Hopewell Colliery, and/or the Waterloo Memorial (near Mireystock) and/or the Dean Heritage Centre.
Part Three: The Twentieth CenturY
The Flower-Patch Among the Hills by Flora Klickmann, Page 102
Klickmann’s detailed description of her home and surrounding valley would make an excellent example of descriptive writing when teaching settings for stories. Pupils could:
‘Devil’s Chapel’ by F. W. Harvey, Page 110
If you are studying the Romans as part of your History work, this poem helps illustrate the impact the Romans had on our local area and why the locally mined iron ore was so important to them. Local ‘Scowles’ (e.g. Puzzle Wood) and the Devil’s Chapel (part of Lydney Park Estate) can be visited too.
F. W. Harvey’s author page here: https://www.readingtheforest.co.uk/f-w-harvey.html
‘Warning’ by F. W. Harvey, Page 119
This rhyming poem would be excellent for pupils to learn and perform. It also mentions many local towns and villages; this could be linked to work on local geography, map reading and identifying the Hundred of St Briavels.
Hear F. W. Harvey reading ‘Warning” here: https://poetryarchive.org/poem/warning/
Teacher resources on Harvey and World War One: https://www.readingtheforest.co.uk/worldwarone.html
‘The Wood’ by Leonard Clark, Page 135
This beautiful, descriptive poem describes the Forest in springtime. It could be used for analysis and comprehension but also as a starting point for children to go out into local woodland and write from their own experience.
Leonard’s author page: https://www.readingtheforest.co.uk/leonard-clark.html
Hear Leonard reading ‘The Wood’ at his author page (above)
Teacher resources on Forest literature on landscape and the natural world: https://www.readingtheforest.co.uk/forestlandscapesandnaturewiritng.html
‘Vorest Volk’ by Harry Beddington, Page 140
The very first paragraph of this extract makes clear that the Forest of Dean is Harry Beddington’s favourite place on earth. Pupils could write, draw, record/film about their favourite places in the local area.
The next three paragraphs go on to describe the border of the Hundred of St Briavels linking well with ‘Warning’ by F. W. Harvey (see above) and local area map work.
Written in dialect, this would be a good example to ‘translate’ into standard English and use in conjunction with Keith Morgan’s poetry (Page 200) to create a dictionary of Forest dialect words and phrases.
Pupils could also ask/interview family and local community for dialect words to add to the dictionary.
Harry’s author page: https://www.readingtheforest.co.uk/harry-beddington.html
Winifred Foley, Page 161
Winifred’s writing reveals what life was like for mining families around the time of the First World War and beyond. They are rich sources of evidence for social and cultural history. The texts are accessible for KS2 pupils and excerpts could:
Teacher resources linked to A Child in the Forest: https://www.readingtheforest.co.uk/i-am-a-child-in-the-forest.html
‘Varest ship’ and ‘Varest National Anthem’ by Keith Morgan, Page 200, 203
These are excellent dialect poems for children to learn and perform. They can then be ‘translated’ into standard English and dialect words added to a Forest dialect dictionary.
Keith’s author page: https://www.readingtheforest.co.uk/keith-morgan.html
Hear Keith reading ‘Varest ship’ here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aifa-MPt-80
‘Secret Places’, by Joyce Latham, Page 206
This poem is ideal for analysis because of its repetitive structure and use of literary devices including alliteration and personification. It would also be a suitable structure for pupils to innovate their own versions.
Joyce’s author page: https://www.readingtheforest.co.uk/joycelatham-270977.html
Klickmann’s detailed description of her home and surrounding valley would make an excellent example of descriptive writing when teaching settings for stories. Pupils could:
- Highlight text for examples of figurative language
- Draw or paint in response to what they have read/heard
- Write a description of the same setting but in autumn/wintertime.
‘Devil’s Chapel’ by F. W. Harvey, Page 110
If you are studying the Romans as part of your History work, this poem helps illustrate the impact the Romans had on our local area and why the locally mined iron ore was so important to them. Local ‘Scowles’ (e.g. Puzzle Wood) and the Devil’s Chapel (part of Lydney Park Estate) can be visited too.
F. W. Harvey’s author page here: https://www.readingtheforest.co.uk/f-w-harvey.html
‘Warning’ by F. W. Harvey, Page 119
This rhyming poem would be excellent for pupils to learn and perform. It also mentions many local towns and villages; this could be linked to work on local geography, map reading and identifying the Hundred of St Briavels.
Hear F. W. Harvey reading ‘Warning” here: https://poetryarchive.org/poem/warning/
Teacher resources on Harvey and World War One: https://www.readingtheforest.co.uk/worldwarone.html
‘The Wood’ by Leonard Clark, Page 135
This beautiful, descriptive poem describes the Forest in springtime. It could be used for analysis and comprehension but also as a starting point for children to go out into local woodland and write from their own experience.
Leonard’s author page: https://www.readingtheforest.co.uk/leonard-clark.html
Hear Leonard reading ‘The Wood’ at his author page (above)
Teacher resources on Forest literature on landscape and the natural world: https://www.readingtheforest.co.uk/forestlandscapesandnaturewiritng.html
‘Vorest Volk’ by Harry Beddington, Page 140
The very first paragraph of this extract makes clear that the Forest of Dean is Harry Beddington’s favourite place on earth. Pupils could write, draw, record/film about their favourite places in the local area.
The next three paragraphs go on to describe the border of the Hundred of St Briavels linking well with ‘Warning’ by F. W. Harvey (see above) and local area map work.
Written in dialect, this would be a good example to ‘translate’ into standard English and use in conjunction with Keith Morgan’s poetry (Page 200) to create a dictionary of Forest dialect words and phrases.
Pupils could also ask/interview family and local community for dialect words to add to the dictionary.
Harry’s author page: https://www.readingtheforest.co.uk/harry-beddington.html
Winifred Foley, Page 161
Winifred’s writing reveals what life was like for mining families around the time of the First World War and beyond. They are rich sources of evidence for social and cultural history. The texts are accessible for KS2 pupils and excerpts could:
- Be used as a text for whole class reading and guided reading
- Be used a source of evidence for local history topics
- Inspire pupils to write about life as a child in the Forest today
Teacher resources linked to A Child in the Forest: https://www.readingtheforest.co.uk/i-am-a-child-in-the-forest.html
‘Varest ship’ and ‘Varest National Anthem’ by Keith Morgan, Page 200, 203
These are excellent dialect poems for children to learn and perform. They can then be ‘translated’ into standard English and dialect words added to a Forest dialect dictionary.
Keith’s author page: https://www.readingtheforest.co.uk/keith-morgan.html
Hear Keith reading ‘Varest ship’ here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aifa-MPt-80
‘Secret Places’, by Joyce Latham, Page 206
This poem is ideal for analysis because of its repetitive structure and use of literary devices including alliteration and personification. It would also be a suitable structure for pupils to innovate their own versions.
Joyce’s author page: https://www.readingtheforest.co.uk/joycelatham-270977.html
Part Four: The Twenty—First Century
‘Tribute to a Forest Miner’ by Maggie Clutterbuck, Page 238
A poem that would help support topic work on mining and provide evidence about the physical demands of working down a pit. It could also start a discussion about what it was like for other family members to have a miner in their family – would they be worried about the dangers of working underground? Would the children want to work down the mine when they were old enough?
Pupils could:
Watch Maggie reading ‘Tribute to a Forest Miner’ here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkexUbSvaqE
Watch Maggie describing how she approaches writing poetry here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtH8YiVXc-4
Teacher resources on Forest literature and mining: https://www.readingtheforest.co.uk/mining.html
‘The Wedding Present’ by Stewart Carswell, Page 260
This poem speaks of the importance of home, leaving home but staying close to trees or a forest.
It would make an excellent starting point for a discussion about what pupils love about the Forest/local area/town or village and whether they see themselves staying in the Forest when they are older. If not, where would they go? What are their aspirations? What would they like to see, do or experience? What would they miss about the Forest?
Stewart’s author page: https://www.readingtheforest.co.uk/stewart-carswell.html
Watch Stewart reading ‘The Wedding Present’ here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_REUcOFhQw
A poem that would help support topic work on mining and provide evidence about the physical demands of working down a pit. It could also start a discussion about what it was like for other family members to have a miner in their family – would they be worried about the dangers of working underground? Would the children want to work down the mine when they were old enough?
Pupils could:
- Use drama to act out a family scene/discussion to demonstrate the different viewpoints
- Write a short play script in response to the drama work
Watch Maggie reading ‘Tribute to a Forest Miner’ here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkexUbSvaqE
Watch Maggie describing how she approaches writing poetry here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtH8YiVXc-4
Teacher resources on Forest literature and mining: https://www.readingtheforest.co.uk/mining.html
‘The Wedding Present’ by Stewart Carswell, Page 260
This poem speaks of the importance of home, leaving home but staying close to trees or a forest.
It would make an excellent starting point for a discussion about what pupils love about the Forest/local area/town or village and whether they see themselves staying in the Forest when they are older. If not, where would they go? What are their aspirations? What would they like to see, do or experience? What would they miss about the Forest?
Stewart’s author page: https://www.readingtheforest.co.uk/stewart-carswell.html
Watch Stewart reading ‘The Wedding Present’ here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_REUcOFhQw
INDEX TO THEMES
This document is a quick guide to some of the themes explored in the work included in the Anthology. It is by no means exhaustive! - so please do explore the book for yourself....
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