MY SPARROW GRANby Berlie Doherty

A THING OR TWO ABOUT

SPARROWS

① Sparrows live in colony. Some are small and some are large. Some even live in pairs.

② They eat small seeds mostly. However, they also feed on small insects.

③ They live in agricultural areas, human settlements and even cities.

④ Ancient Greeks associated sparrows with Aphrodite, the Greek God of Love.

Vocabulary Building Activity

NO WORD MEANING

1 CHIRRUP

2 SCURRY/DART

3 CLUTTER

THE BIG QUESTION

WHY DO YOU THINK THE POET SPECIFICALLY ASSOCIATED THE WORD SPARROW WITH HER GRANDMOTHER?

Comprehension QuestionsCreate a question for each of the answer below.

①

The word gran is referring to the grandmother.

②

One of the ironies in the poem is busy and tidy.

③

Some examples of personifications (giving human characteristics to other things) are singing and chats.

④

The words dash can be replaced with scurries/darts

⑤

Answer all the questions below.

① What is the word that can be used to replace clutter? (1m)

② Which line indicates that sparrow/grandmother moves fast and active? (1m)

③ Which line tells us that the poet and her grandmother are close to one another? (1m)

④ What is the poet looking for when she snugs under her grandmother’s arms? (1m)

⑤ If you were going to write a poem for your grandmother, what animal would you use to describe her? Why do you choose that animal? (2m)

⑥ Why do you think the poet brings her book to her grandmother? (2m)