1. This project and its actions were made possible due to co-financing by the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals Checking Out Me History Lesson 1: Identity and history Subject:English Age groups:12–14, 15–16 Topic:Poetry EAL Nexus resource Licence information | This resource is free to use for educational purposes. © British Council 2015 Source | This resource was originally developed by EAL Nexus.

2. Lesson 1 – Learning objective: To consider our own multiple identities as we introduce a poem by John Agard

3. We are going to look at how poets explore character and voice. What do these words mean? charactervoice Why are character and voice important in poetry?

4. Identity is an important aspect of our own character and voice. identity  What does this word mean to you?

5. What makes up your own identity? language, dialect or accent country, town or region you live in, or come from age gender group you identify with religion or belief sexual orientation politics or ideas fashion or style disability music you like where your family comes from physical characteristics football team personality

6. What makes up your own identity?  Working alone or in pairs, write on Post-it notes or coloured paper five words or phrases to describe your own identity.  Draw a picture, using words as well if you like, to represent your own identity.

7. How are our identities different?  Share these with a friend.  How are the identities that you have drawn similar and how are they different?

8. Working in small groups, share what you have written and discuss your answers to the following questions. 1.How are the identities you have considered in the group similar and different? (Group the Post-it notes to show this.) 2.Following your discussions, do you want to go back and add anything to your drawing showing your identity? How are our identities different?

9. Our history: an important aspect of our identity In small groups, look at the characters and historical events on the cards. Sort the cards into groups. How have you grouped them?

10. Our history: an important aspect of our identity Now look at these headings. How would you need to change your groupings to fit these? Nursery rhymes and stories European history African and Caribbean history card numbers: 2, 6, 9, 10 card numbers: 1, 4, 5, 8, 12, 13 card numbers: 3, 7, 11, 14, 15

11. Write down the numbers of the cards that you have grouped under the three different headings, so that you have three clear sets. You will need these next lesson!

12. We are going to look at a poem by John Agard, who was born in 1949 in the Caribbean country of Guyana. He moved to England in 1977. ‘Checking Out Me History’ by John Agard  What do you think the poem will be about?  How do you think it will relate to our themes of history and identity?  How do you think the historical events and characters we have looked at will be represented in the poem?

13. Plenary What have you learnt about another person’s identity today?

14. Next lesson... We will explore the meaning, emotions and language of the poem ‘Checking Out Me History’ by John Agard.