Poem
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Countdown, Year 3
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Issue 2, 2025

Blossoming Birds

Learning resource

Outcomes

Learning Intention

I am learning how authors use language choices to help readers visualise part of a poem so that I can create my own imagery and visual representation.

Success Criteria

I can:

identify examples of imagery and figurative language in a poem
create a visual representation in response to a model text
plan and write a line of poetry
create a visual representation of my own work

Essential knowledge

For more information about teaching figurative language, download the Literary devices teaching strategies for Years 3 to 4 resource on the department’s Universal Resource Hub.

Introduction

Prior to reading the poem, provide students with the following definitions of the key figurative language used in the poem. These definitions have been taken from the Literary devices teaching strategies for Years 3 to 4 resource. This resource also contains ideas on how to introduce these literary devices to your class, including detailed introductory activities.

Alliteration is the repetition of a consonant sound at the beginning of words or within words. The words can be right next to each other or spaced out, and at least two words are needed for alliteration. A good example of alliteration is a tongue twister.
A metaphor provides information about something that is unfamiliar by comparing it to something that is familiar. For example, ‘The moon was a silver coin.’ This tells us that the moon was full and round. It also tells us that the moon was bright and shiny.
Personification is when human attributes, thoughts, feelings, physical characteristics, are given to non-human things.

Read the poem as a class or listen to the audio recording if preferred.

Guide students in a discussion about the poem using the following prompts:

What does ‘having a green thumb’ mean?
Who has a ‘green thumb’ in the poem?
What does the speaker think will happen if they plant bird seed? How is that different to what would happen if you planted bird seed?
What does the speaker in the poem show their grandpa in the morning?
Does the speaker in the poem have the same sort of ‘green thumb?’

Teacher modelling (I do)

10 minutes

Explain to the class that poets use literary devices (also known as figurative language) in their poems to help readers ‘see’ what is happening or being described in the poem. Remind students of the three definitions they received at the start of the lesson (metaphor, personification and alliteration).

Project or write the poem onto the board. Secretly assign a different colour whiteboard marker to each of the three types of figurative language that are being focused on in this lesson. Underline in the appropriate colours the following examples:

My grandpa’s a ‘green thumb’ (metaphor) colour 1
He tickles the dirt and things magically grow (personification) colour 2
mischief of magpies (alliteration) colour 3
cockatoo crackle (alliteration) colour 3
Until morning arrives with a feathery sight (personification) colour 2
Blossoming birds (alliteration) colour 3

Tell the class that the coloured underlined sections are part of a secret code – each of the three literary devices in the poem have been assigned a colour. Ask the class to complete a short Think, Pair, Share activity in which they try to work out which colour belongs to which literary device.

As the share part of the activity is being completed, annotate the poem on the board with the relevant literary device.

Use the think aloud strategy to break down what you see when you read each underlined part of the poem. Use the notes below to assist, if required.

My grandpa’s a ‘green thumb’	This is a metaphor, because the speaker’s grandfather is most likely a person and not just a thumb. Thumbs are not usually green, unless they have paint or ink on them. This phrase is a well-known metaphor to mean that the person is really good at gardening. When I visualise Grandpa, I think of a gardener, wearing a hat and gloves, they might have some tools with them. It could even be a celebrity gardener such as the presenters on ‘Gardening Australia Junior.’
He tickles the dirt and things magically grow	This makes readers think about gloved hands, wriggling in the soil, digging a hole for a seedling or planting seeds. They aren’t tickling the soil. Soil is not a person – you can only tickle things that are alive – such as people.
mischief of magpies	This alliteration draws readers attention to the cheeky nature of magpies – that they can be a nuisance, they can been mischievous – they like shiny things and they sometimes swoop.
cockatoo crackle	This helps readers imagine the sound of a cockatoo – they have a harsh loud screech – which could be described as a crackle.
Until morning arrives with a feathery sight	Here the author personifies the morning with the use of the verb ‘arrives’. The concept of arriving or leaving is typically associated with living things. This subtle example of personification seems to suggest that ‘morning’ can control its ability to arrive and depart.
Blossoming birds	This alliteration helps readers imagine the dreams that the speaker is dreaming. I imagine flowers opening and little birds hopping out, or bird shaped flowers like the ‘bird of paradise.’ It is colourful and bright and fantastical.

There may be opportunities for students to contribute their own visualisations as they read those selected lines. Emphasise that not everybody will imagine or visualise texts in the same way. As readers we all bring our own ideas and experiences with us to the text. You may like to ask if any students visualised any of these examples in a different way to demonstrate this concept.

Guided practice (we do)

10 minutes

Explain to students that figurative language like metaphors, alliteration and personification are used in poetry to help readers create a picture in their mind. Tell students that they are going to be visualising three key images from the poem and drawing their visualisation. Provide students with three sheets of plain white paper for this task.

Write the following instructions on the board, students are to choose one of the following visualisation tasks to complete on the paper provided:

First stanza: Draw two pictures side by side. The first shows the literal meaning of ‘green thumb’ and the second showing the metaphorical meaning of ‘green thumb.’
Second stanza: Draw a flow chart with three images showing the process explained in the line: ‘A seed, to a sprout, to a kingfisher’s cackle!’
Third stanza: Draw the ‘feathery sight’ that the speaker in the poem shows to his Grandpa.

After students have completed their visual tasks, display the visualisations in a gallery walk.

Independent activity (you do)

20 minutes

Return to the title of the poem, ‘Blossoming Birds.’ Engage the group in a class discussion using the following prompts:

Does the word ‘blossoming’ make you automatically think of birds? Why/Why not? (Suggested answer: No – the word blossoming is usually associated with gardens and plants – not birds)
Why do you think the poet wanted to use alliteration in the title of the poem? (Suggested answer: Alliteration is catchy and memorable. The combination of two words starting with a /b/ sound that do not usually go together makes readers want to find out what the poem will be about)

Instruct students to contribute descriptive words, starting with a /b/ sound that could be used instead of the word ‘blossoming.’ Record these on the board. (Suggested ideas include: Big birds, brilliant birds, bizarre birds, brainy birds, bored birds, brave birds, beautiful birds, bright birds, bold birds, bad birds, bossy birds, best birds.)

Organise the class into pairs and then assign each pair one of the alliterative titles they brainstormed above.

Ask pairs to complete the table below for their assigned ‘title’:

Alliterative title:	Example: Bright birds
Type of bird:	Example Rainbow lorikeet
Why this bird suits the title:	Example: Rainbow lorikeets are extremely colourful, their feathers are bright green, blue, red, yellow and orange)
Describe appearance:	Example: Rainbow, beady eyes, small sharp curved beak
Describe behaviour:	Example: Loud screeches, eats flowers, flies fast
Describe personality:	Example: Cheeky, can be trained to be hand fed by humans
Figurative language example:	Feathery Friend, laughing lorikeet, rainbow flash in the sky

After completing the table, pairs work together to write one or two lines for a poem with the title they have been assigned. This line is to convey an image of the type of bird that features in their poem. The goal is to write a line (or two) that helps readers create a picture in their mind of the bird. Students should use at least one metaphor and/ or one example of personification.

The final task is to create a visual representation of the line(s) they have just written. Remind students of the three visualization tasks they completed during the ‘guided’ reading section of the lesson when they prepare to create their visual representation of their writing.

Sample answer:

Lines from a poem:

I look up to see, high in the sky,

A rainbow flash pass me by.

Visualisation: A drawing of a blurred colourful bird with a blue sky in the background. Low angle looking up at the bird.

Differentiation

For students requiring additional support during the independent activity, provide the completed table with the example of ‘Bright Birds.’ Have students create a visual representation of a ‘Bright Bird’ based on the information provided. An image of a rainbow lorikeet may also be useful – you may like to use one of the images provided on the Australian Museum website.

Students requiring extension can complete the following extension task:

Compose an entire poem, with three stanzas with the title you have been assigned. Use at least one example of metaphor, personification and alliteration in your poem to help readers visualise the bird and what they are doing in the poem.

Assessment

Organise the pairs to join with another pair and share their lines of poetry and visual representations. Have pairs provide feedback using the TAG feedback template.