determined to teach, often a moral lesson

the act of settling and establishing control over the indigenous people of an area

if something takes precedence, it is considered more important than something else

Analysing the Poem 'Checking Out Me History'

English

In 'AQA Power and Conflict Poetry' continued, pupils used a range of reading skills to aid the supported decoding of challenging poems. In 'Unseen Poetry', pupils use these reading skills to decode texts with independence. 

In 'AQA Power and Conflict Poetry', pupils compared the language, form and structure of a variety of poems connected by the themes of power and conflict. In 'AQA Power and Conflict Poetry continued', pupils work on making more nuanced comparisons, focusing on the final three poems: *Checking Out Me History*, *The Emigree* and *Tissue*

Poetry anthology: continued study

Historic or outdated representations of people that may portray inequality or injustice.

Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour

What type of structure is there in 'Checking Out Me History'?

shows the attention and care Agard wants to give 

What is the effect of monosyllabic words in the poem 'Checking Out Me History'?

use of plosives - to show Agard's indignation

use of light imagery - to show Black figures as sources of inspiration

use of creole - to show he is proud of his heritage

What do the words "sunrise", "beacon" and "fire" from 'Checking Out Me History' have in common? What is the effect?

knowing who you truly are without knowing your history

In 'Checking Out Me History' what does Agard suggest is impossible?

Agard teaches us to shape our own identity

Agard teaches us to conform to society’s expectations

How is the poem ‘Checking Out Me History’ didactic?

they reflect his great admiration for black figures

they show that Eurocentric history is unimportant to Agard

Which of the below best explains Agard's inclusion of nursery rhyme and folk tale in 'Checking Out Me History'?

In the poem 'Checking Out Me History', who was Agard *not* taught about?

Agard moved to Britain in the 1970s and received a Eurocentric education here.

Agard was born and schooled in Guyana, where he received a Eurocentric education

Agard was schooled in Guyana and received a diverse and holistic education.

What is appropriate contextual link for the poem 'Checking Out Me History'?

When describing black figures in 'Checking Out Me History', Agard uses...

The tone of 'Checking Out Me History' seems to be both...

The last stanza of 'Checking Out Me History' reveals that Agard...

violence between indigenous people and colonisers

people who live in colonies not knowing about the history of their own ancestors

In 'Checking Out Me History' what does Agard reveal is one effect of colonialism?

Content guidance

Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour

Adult supervision recommended

This lesson will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Analysing the Poem 'Checking Out Me History'

Lesson outcome

Content guidance

This lesson will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.