Station #9: The History Teacher



1. Read the poem “The History Teacher”.
2. In your group, answer the questions that follow it in complete
sentences.
3. Each individual must have his/her own responses written down.
Then Answer the following questions by paraphrasing the question and
incorporating a quote form the poem.
Example: How does Collins show the importance of the library in stanza 1?
Response: Collins describes the library as being the “heart” of the “dark,
evacuated campus” showing that it is a central place on campus.
When the music starts, move to the next poetry station.

How does Collins portray the character of the
history teacher?
Explain each of the allusions in the poem:
a. Ice Age
d. War of the Roses
b. Stone Age
e. Enola Gay
c. Spanish Inquisition f. Boer War


In what ways are the children being mis-educated
and what are the results of this?



How does Collins convey the feelings of the
history teacher throughout the poem?
Explain the speaker’s (Collins’s) attitude
toward the history teacher throughout the
poem.
What does the poem seem to imply about
protecting innocence at the expense of
education?