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Year 11 - English

Analysing the Poem 'Checking Out Me History'

Power and conflict poetry continued

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupis read and analyse three more poems from the 'Power and Conflict' anthology. Pupils complete two lessons about each poem: one on understanding and one on analysis. At the end of the unit, pupils analyse themes from across the anthology and write a sophisticated comparative essay,

Lesson Summary

You will learn to explore how Agard uses language and structure to present conflict and create a didactic tone.

Key Notes

  • Dual structure, highlighted by the use of italics , shows the separation between taught history and Black history.
  • Plosives and monosyllabic words convey an indignant tone, showing the harm that is caused by colonial control.
  • The poem is didactic, teaching the reader about Black history, encouraging them to find out about their own identity.
  • Natural imagery and light imagery is used to portray figures from Agard's heritage, celebrating their power.
  • The final stanza shows Agard's move from passively learning history to actively researching culture and identity.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • didactic: determined to teach, often a moral lesson
  • colonialism: the act of settling and establishing control over the indigenous people of an area
  • precedence: if something takes precedence, it is considered more important than something else
  • dual: consisting of two parts

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Students may have not heard of the folk tales and nursery rhymes in the poem so may not be able to identify them as such.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.

Dual structure, highlighted by the use of italics , shows the separation between taught history and Black history. Plosives and monosyllabic words convey an indignant tone, showing the harm that is caused by colonial control.

2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'didactic'

determined to teach, often a moral lesson.

3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.

Mistake: Students may have not heard of the folk tales and nursery rhymes in the poem so may not be able to identify them as such. Correction: The use of nursery rhymes and folk tale was a deliberate stylistic choice, perhaps Agard is indignant about the trivial nature of some of his education.

More Lessons In This Unit

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