This WAGOLL resource pack gives you everything you need to teach imagery in poetry at KS2. You can use the model poems, writing frames and planning tools to guide pupils towards writing their own descriptive poems that engage the reader’s senses.
The final outcome is a poem inspired either by the themed journey images provided or by a current topic in your curriculum, offering a chance for meaningful cross-curricular writing.
Model poems and teaching tools
At the heart of the pack are two model poems. The Pathway describes the emotions of following an unknown track through the forest. It shows how poets can build suspense and atmosphere using sensory description, similes and personification.
In Flight presents a flock of geese soaring and gliding through the sky. This poem demonstrates how vivid images can be created through sound words, similes and precise verbs.
Both examples give pupils a WAGOLL they can analyse, imitate and adapt when drafting their own work.
To help pupils plan effectively, you can use the imagery planning sheet. This gives space to record ideas, think about which senses to include and choose figurative language that will bring their poem to life.
The imagery writing sheet provides success criteria and examples of alliteration, metaphors, personification, onomatopoeia and similes, making clear that these techniques are part of a writer’s toolbox rather than a checklist.
Other resources in the pack include:
- A set of journey-themed images to spark imagination
- Themed writing paper for presenting final poems
- Teacher notes with guidance on how to use the materials in a sequence of lessons
Curriculum links and skills development
The pack also explains what imagery and figurative language are, with pupil-friendly definitions and clear examples. Pupils learn how imagery appeals to the senses – sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, movement and feelings. Meanwhile, figurative language helps them express these ideas creatively.
This resource links directly to KS2 writing objectives. Pupils plan by generating and organising ideas, draft by experimenting with language choices and edit by reviewing their writing for effect.
They also practise selecting grammar and vocabulary that change meaning and impact. By using these resources, you can teach your pupils to write powerful poetry that paints vivid pictures in the reader’s mind.