Fairytales of Blackberry Picking

Overview

Using Seamus Heaney’s celebrated poem Blackberry Picking as a creative starting point, this engaging Key Stage 3 workshop develops students’ skills in reading, interpreting and creating imaginative texts.

Students will explore how Heaney uses language, imagery and memory to bring an everyday experience to life before reimagining the poem through the lens of familiar fairytales such as Jack and the Beanstalk and Little Red Riding Hood. They will consider what happens when these well-known characters embark on their own blackberry-picking adventure, using Heaney’s poem as inspiration for original storytelling.

Through a range of interactive activities, students will develop their understanding of character, setting, narrative structure and descriptive language while building confidence in creative writing. The workshop encourages close reading, discussion and collaboration, supporting learners as they plan, draft and produce their own imaginative piece of writing.

This workshop will enable students to:

• Develop reading and critical thinking through the exploration of literary texts.

• Analyse how writers use language and imagery to create meaning and atmosphere.
• Build confidence in planning, drafting and producing creative and imaginative writing for different purposes.
• Develop speaking and listening skills through discussion, collaboration and the sharing of ideas.
• Foster creativity, personal expression and an appreciation of Seamus Heaney’s literary heritage.

By the end of the workshop, each student will have created an original piece of creative writing inspired by Blackberry Picking, demonstrating their understanding of poetic language while developing their own voice as a writer.