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Year 10
Edexcel

Understanding the poem ‘Half-caste’ by John Agard

I can explain how Agard presents the conflict between race, identity and societal viewpoints.

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Year 10
Edexcel

Understanding the poem ‘Half-caste’ by John Agard

I can explain how Agard presents the conflict between race, identity and societal viewpoints.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. John Agard was born in Guyana to a Caribbean father and Portuguese mother.
  2. 'Half-caste' was a term which was used to describe mixed race people.
  3. Agard objects to the term 'half-caste' as it implies mixed race people are only half a person.
  4. He uses a facetious tone in the poem to explore the derogatory meanings linked to the term 'half-caste'.
  5. Agard embraces the joy that having mixed identities can bring.

Keywords

  • Caste - social system based on hierarchical divisions, often associated with occupation and status

  • Mixed race - individuals of multiple racial heritage

  • Dual heritage - having ancestry from two distinct cultural or ethnic backgrounds

  • Facetious - treating serious issues with inappropriate humour, often to entertain or provoke amusement

  • Derogatory - expressing a disrespectful or negative attitude, often aimed at a person or group

Common misconception

'Half-caste' is a word used to describe people whose parents have different racial or cultural backgrounds.

This is a historical term and is now considered inappropriate and disrespectful to use. Instead, we may use terms such as 'mixed race' or 'dual heritage' to discuss someone's cultural or racial background.


To help you plan your year 10 english lesson on: Understanding the poem ‘Half-caste’ by John Agard, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Look at some of Picasso's artworks and listen to some of Tchaikovsky's music to encourage students to experience the 'beauty' of these things that were created through a mixture of different elements (as identified by Agard in the poem).
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Teacher tip
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Equipment

You need access to a copy of ‘Half-caste’ by John Agard. This can be found in the Edexcel Poetry Anthology (we will be using the ‘Conflict’ cluster).

content-guidance

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
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Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

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Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What does the term 'dual heritage' mean?
It refers to someone who moved from their home country shortly after birth.
Correct answer: It refers to someone whose parents each have two different racial backgrounds.
It refers to a society that was formed by combining different ethnicities.
It refers to a group of people who are all from different ethnic backgrounds.
Q2.
What is informal language?
polished, precise style used in professional or academic settings
specialised terminology or jargon specific to a particular field or discipline
Correct answer: relaxed, casual style of communication, often used in everyday conversation
figurative speech using metaphor to convey abstract ideas or comparisons
Q3.
What is discrimination?
acting with freedom to make choices, not based on prejudice or bias
Correct answer: unfair treatment based on characteristics like race, gender or religion
forced absence from one's home or country, typically due to political reasons
a difference or inconsistency, not related to unfair treatment or prejudice
Q4.
What is imagery?
a poem based on an picture or other piece of artwork
the use of symbols to represent ideas or concepts beyond their literal meaning
attributing human characteristics to non-human entities or abstract concepts
Correct answer: descriptive language that appeals to the senses, creating vivid mental pictures
Q5.
What is a dialect?
words or phrases that all link to a particular topic or theme
Correct answer: words/pronunciations specific to a certain regional or social group
using two opposite ideas to explore their shared characteristics
dividing something into two or more parts to explore it fully
Q6.
What does it mean to write something phonetically?
following conventional spelling rules without adjustments for pronunciation
artistic handwriting or lettering, emphasising aesthetic form over accuracy
to use spellings from other languages for English words we have borrowed
Correct answer: spelling words based on their pronunciation rather than their standard spelling

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What does the word 'caste' mean?
when people play certain societal roles because of how they were brought up
it is another way of saying 'background'
the shared qualities/aspects across different cultures
Correct answer: social system based on hierarchical divisions associated with occupation/status
Q2.
What does the word 'derogatory' mean?
expressing praise, admiration, or approval
Correct answer: expressing a disrespectful or negative attitude, often aimed at a person/group
forming opinions or criticisms about others, lacking a full understanding
treating serious issues with inappropriate humour, often to entertain
Q3.
How could the term 'half-caste' have derogatory connotations?
Correct answer: It suggests that there is something hierarchical about race/heritage.
It suggests that people are pretending to be a part of a particular culture.
Correct answer: It gives the impression that someone's identity is incomplete.
It suggests that mixed race people should choose between their two identities.
Q4.
What is interesting about the spellings in the poem 'Half-caste' by John Agard?
Agard has used lots of words borrowed from other languages.
Correct answer: Agard has used phonetic spellings to emphasise the speaker's Caribbean dialect.
Agard has intentionally spelled some words incorrectly.
Agard uses many homophones to highlight the complexity of the English language.
Q5.
Which of these interpretations of the poem 'Half-caste' is most accurate?
Correct answer: This poem explores the speaker's conflict with people who say 'half-caste'.
This poem explores the speaker's inner conflict about their dual heritage.
This poem explores how life would be easier if everyone spoke the same language.
This poem explores how difference and diversity are things to be feared.
Q6.
In 'Half-caste', Agard plays on the negative meaning of 'half-caste, listing aspects of culture that are more beautiful because they consist of a combination of elements. We could argue he is being...
insolent.
Correct answer: facetious.
derogatory.
florid.
ambiguous.