Checking out Me History

1. Word of the Day: Heterogeneous: (adj.) Diverse in character or content There were a large and heterogeneous collection of maps in the British library. Checking out Me History • Question for Learning:Can I effectively consider the construction of contextually relevant poetic voice? Starter: Discuss in pairs and Mind-map ideas about the word ‘History’ and what it means. Challenge: How heterogeneous are your ideas? Have you considered more than one perspective of ‘History’?

2. How diverse is your interpretation of history? History?

3. “History is written by the victors.” Think/Pair/Share: Consider this quotation. What does it mean? What does it suggest about our understanding of the past? Our next poet has a contextually relevant political message attached to his poem linked to this quotation. See if you can articulate what this is by the end of the lesson....

4. Watch the poet perform his poem: Checking out Me History http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/john-agard-checking-out-me-history-poem-only/12247.html Challenge: As you watch, consider and list the varied emotional tones expressed during the poet’s presentation of his poem. The rhythm and pace of the poem give a light-hearted feel despite the serious subject. This is typical of John Agard’s poems.

5. Which of these historical figures do you recognise?Challenge: Why might this be? Robin Hood Mary Seacole Touissant L’overture Florence Nightingale Napoleon

6. On the next few slides is some information on the historical figures and groups referenced by Agard in his poem. Using your copy of the poem and these slides, annotate the references to these figures to aid your understanding of the poet's message.

7. You should be annotating your poem with this information Toussaint L’Ouverture The leader of the Haitian Revolution, Toussaint L’Ouverture transformed the lives of many slaves when he turned their society into the independent black state of Haiti. This shook slavery throughout the ‘New World’ (the Americas). L’Ouverture is the French word for ‘opening’., which might link to the fact that he opened the lives of many.

8. You should be annotating your poem with this information Nanny of the Maroons A Jamaican national hero, Queen Nanny was a leader of the Jamaican Maroons in the eighteenth century, The Jamaican Maroons were black slaves who fought against their plantation work, and they formed new homes and communities in other areas. Nanny originally fled her life as a slave and she started many of the escaped slaves’ communities.

9. You should be annotating your poem with this information Shaka, Zulu King Shaka was a strong leader of the Zulu Kingdom, which lived in Southern Africa. Shaka is famous for bringing together different nations in order to grow the Zulu Kingdom, but he has also been recognised for his violence.

10. You should be annotating your poem with this information Arawak people One of the tribes of the Caribbean. They have many different cultures. They live by growing crops, and many of the women do the craft work.

11. You should be annotating your poem with this information Mary Seacole A Jamaican born woman who set up a ‘British Hotel’ behind the lines during the Crimean War. She was voted, in 2004, the greatest black Briton. She learnt much about herbal medicine in the Caribbean, and she used this knowledge to help the wounded from the battlefield. In 2012, reports stated that she would be removed from the National Curriculum.

12. Checking out Me History Read the poem through again and write a response to the following questions in your book: How does Agard want us his reader’s to feel about the figures he references? Who does he mean when he refers to ‘Dem’? Why is the phrase ‘Dem tell me’ repeated so many times? Challenge: What is the significance of the final line (and title?) What does it suggest about the poetic message?

13. Strongly agree Agree Don’t know Disagree Strongly disagree Agree or disagree? ‘Checking Out Me History’ The speaker is angry that Black culture and history has been neglected. The speaker implies that the history he has been taught is a fiction. The poet values the qualities of independence and courage. The poet is careful to use humour to make his point in a non-threatening way. The poem suggests that the process of education involves passive people being bombarded with information by those who have power and/or authority. The poem can be interpreted as encouraging self-empowerment and pride in one’s culture. The poem equates identity with knowledge of your own cultural and racial roots. 13

14. Plenary: Key Term: Creole: In his poem, John Agard uses Caribbean Creole to express his ideas. Creole is a term to describe a grammatically simplified form mother tongue formed from the contact of two languages Often associated with speakers who have a mixed cultural descent Why do you think Agard chooses to use creole in his poem?

15. Extension • Can you think of other examples of similar themes and ideas from the literature we have studied. • What is your personal response to the issues raised by Agard?