The lesson plan can be divided into the four stages* as follows:

Slides	Stage	Activity
2	1	Pre-reading: Read through the background details about Victor Hugo, pointing to the pictures as necessary to make meaning clear.
3	1	Based on reading pupils decide which picture might be the poet and give brief reasons in French, emphasising emotional state (solution: left picture – looks sad; clues why not middle picture: clothes & style looks too modern; right is too modern, too young, looks too happy, not sad enough).
4	1	Predictions: pupils predict what the poem will be like (mood, who the protagonists will be/'how' they might be (e.g. sad), what the poem will be about, how they will feel about the poem): 'hey can do this in pairs, making some notes using the prompt words and the questions themselves to help them – take some responses as a whole class.
5	2	Provide learners with core vocabuarly to enable them to access the poem.
6–8	2	Present the poem, ideally with words, images and sound. Slides 7 and 8 give examples of how an illustrated version can be used (either as a Word document, from the second link on slide 6 or pasted into slides as done in the examples). If you use the Youtube version, use the link (NB the music makes it quite long!). As learners listen, they should check which of their predictions were correct or not. Try to get them to focus on the mood of the poem.
9	2	Revisit predictions as a class and elicit oral responses from class.
10	3	Translation – either singly or in pairs, learners look at alternative translations and judge which they prefer. No right or wrong answer – discuss how exact translation often does not express feelings very poetically.
11	3	Slide with whole poem to read or print out as required (optional).
12–15	3	Focus on key structures, question and answer. Either in pairs or whole class. Correct responses using slide 13. Then learners find similar examples.
16–17	3	Focus on language to express emotions. Learners find phrases that expresses these (answers in slide 17). Draw their attention to the last line and how it expresses some hope on the part of the poet, that his daughter lives on.
18–19	3	If time: Focus on pronunciation. Draw attention to key sound spelling links. Read poem again; learners raise hand when they hear one of these sounds/liaison. Then they practise in pairs.
20	3	Expressing emotion: Play the poem again (or read aloud). Learners should note that the tone changes between each verse – grows sadder, then more positive towards end. They practise in threes, reading one verse each, to try to copy the tone. Optional: ask some groups to read aloud.
21–22	4	Plenary: learners voice feelings about the poem, using phrases on slide 22.
23–25	4	Explain homework – 5 options.

*The four stages are as follows:

Setting the scene and creating anticipation
Initial meaning-making and understanding
Focus on language and emotions
Reacting, transforming, and developing different perspectives