Established 1885

Our Motto

" A man's a man for a' that"

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  But Mousie,thou art no thy lane,
In proving foresight may be vain:
The best-laid schemes O mice and men
Gang aft agley.
An lea'e us nought but grief an pain,
For promis'd joy!

 

INTRODUCTION

The aim of this package is to stimulate and further an interest in the works of the poet ROBERT BURNS. They form part of Scotland's historic culture and students can derive great enjoyment from reading about Robert Burns and learning his poems and songs.

Within its contents are ideas for learning the poems and songs within an educational frame?work, such as geography, social history, mathematics and map?reading skills.

From this study good pupil/teacher relationships and inter-class harmony can flourish.

Teachers can form a relationship or build on an existing one in sharing the experience of reading and learning the works of Robert Burns together as a group or class.

The contents of this package will help to lead on to more 'active' learning and research of Robert Burns the man, the poet and his environment. They will also give a rewarding insight into the social history of the late 18th and the early 19th centuries. It would be an advantage to have a reasonable cognisance of the passages prior to administering any assignment. The passages may be changed/adapted to the age and/or ability of the student.

Use of a large scale map of Scotland and preferably one of Ayrshire and Dumfriesshire as well as photographs, drawings, books etc. as visual aids would make worthy contributions to the study. Pages without header graphics and backgrounds can be printed by clicking on Printer Friendly Page

POSSIBLE USES OF THE SIMPLIFIED STORY OF THE POETS LIFE
1. Some background build-up may be related orally.
2. Read the passages to the students.
3. Give out the written story for the students to read.
4. Perhaps have them 'read out' round the study group.
5. Present the passages with words missing and ask them to fill-in from memory.

This should be presented only as an exercise, NEVER AS A TEST. The length of the exercise or part of it can be determined by the teacher.

6. Discussion is an important factor. At all times make it pleasurable, be it factual, question/answer, or even roleplaying e.g. identification with characters. This will give encouragement and confidence to the student, leading to the reciting of poems, the singing of songs and extending to instrumental playing for those with musical talent.Click here to go to the Index of Learning Resources

© 2008 The Robert Burns World Federation