1. Two Scavengers in a Truck Two Beautiful People in a Mercedes
What does this title suggest?

2. Stanza 1
two garbagemen in red plastic blazers* standing on the back stoop** one on each side hanging on and looking down into an elegant open Mercedes with an elegant couple in it
*blazers - hi-vis jackets
**stoop - the platform on the back of the bin lorry
There are two pairs of characters in this poem. What might each of them be thinking at this point?

3. Creating academic statements
The poet suggests…
To a reader, it seems…
The characters are presented…
At first, it seems… However, the poet…
The pairs of characters are…
The first stanza sets up…
Compared with the title, the first stanza creates an impression...
5 minutes
Teacher leads sharing of sentences and models changing one to create an academic statement of interpretation.
Students use sentence starters to modify both of their own sentences (again to create a thesis statement about the first stanza…)

4. The poet presents pairs of characters as opposites in society, since the couple in the Mercedes is most likely better off due to driving an expensive car; he may have done this in order to highlight the inequality and prejudice inherent in modern society.

5. Stanza 2 The man In a hip three-piece linen suit
And the two scavengers up since four a.m grungy from their route on the way home
*hip - cool, if you are ancient…
**three-piece suit - includes a waistcoat
*** linen - expensive cotton
**** grungy - dirty, unwashed
Compare how the characters are presented in this stanza - focus on your expression.

6. Feedback and discussion

8. And the red light for an instant holding all four close together

9. as if anything at all were possible

10. Academic expression and SPaG
In this poem, a contrast is established between the pairs of characters: the poet creates distance between them as a way of demonstrating the inequality and divisions between classes. However, the ending of the poem also links them together. While they are in separate vehicles, the enforced pause of the red light holds them “close together”; the poet seems to be suggesting that humans are in fact not so different.
How does the expression and punctuation contribute to the interpretation of the poem here?

11. Two Scavengers in a Truck Two Beautiful People in a Mercedes
What is your interpretation of the whole poem? Write a paragraph explaining your view, focusing on your formal, academic expression.
In this poem, it is clear that…
The poet creates two contrasting impressions…
The characterisation throughout this poem…
While in the beginning it seems… by the end, the reader learns…
Although the title sets up an expectation…
two garbagemen in red plastic blazers* standing on the back stoop** one on each side hanging on and looking down into an elegant open Mercedes with an elegant couple in it
The man In a hip three-piece linen suit
And the two scavengers up since four a.m grungy from their route on the way home
And the red light for an instant holding all four close together
as if anything at all were possible

12. Example marking

13. What is your priority now? How will you address it?
Ideas for revision?
2 minutes
What is your priority now? And how are you going to address this?