Objectives

• Analyse how Casey uses direct address and the second-person 'you' to position the reader as the silent middle-class judge being confronted.
• Explain how the catalogue of working-class markers — 'Mam', chip-shop meals, council house, Liverpool accent — functions as both self-definition and political defiance.
• Evaluate how Casey's use of the Liverpudlian vernacular is itself an argument about the legitimacy of working-class language and identity.
• Write an evidenced analytical paragraph that embeds at least two quotations and links language choices to the poem's social and historical context (Britain, 1982, Thatcherite deindustrialisation).
• Compare the speaker's confrontational tone in the opening challenge with the declarative pride of the poem's conclusion, tracing how the emotional register shifts across the poem.

The sequence

1. Lesson 1: How Does Casey Make the Speaker Impossible to Ignore? — Close Reading of 'The Class Game'

   55 min · ch. 1

   Do now

   Look at the title 'The Class Game' written on the board. Without opening your book, write two sentences: What does the word 'game' imply about class — is it something people play, perform, or are they simply born into it? Then, write one question you think the poem will answer.

   Teacher input

   Model close reading on the poem's opening challenge — the lines where the speaker directly asks the listener how they can tell she is working class. Think aloud about the impact of the second-person 'you': the speaker doesn't describe a middle-class person in the third person; instead, she locks the listener into the moment, making the act of judging both visible and uncomfortable. Illustrate how the rhetorical question form ('How can you tell what I am?') challenges the very idea of the questioner's superiority — it demands an answer that the questioner cannot provide without revealing their own biases. Annotate on the board: pronoun choice, question form, confrontational register.

   Independent task

   Students will annotate their own copy of the full poem and then write two PEEL paragraphs (Point, Evidence, Explain, Link) in response to the question: "How does Casey use voice and structure in the opening section of 'The Class Game' to challenge the middle-class listener?"

   In Paragraph 1, focus on the direct-address rhetorical question and its effect on the reader's position. In Paragraph 2, concentrate on the catalogue of working-class markers—such as "Mam," "chip-shop," "council house," and "Liverpool accent"—and explain how presenting these without apology transforms them into sources of pride instead of shame. Each paragraph should include at least one quotation and discuss a specific language or structural choice. Students will submit their annotated poem along with both paragraphs.

   Exit ticket

   In one sentence, explain why Casey chooses to use the second-person 'you' throughout the poem rather than writing about the middle-class questioner as 'they' — what does that pronoun choice force the reader to do?

2. Lesson 2: Writing About Voice and Class: From Analysis to Exam Response

   55 min · ch. 1

   Do now

   Read the final movement of the poem — the lines where the speaker rejects shame and counters the accusation of vulgarity aimed at them. Without consulting your notes from the last lesson, write one sentence that captures the speaker's tone in this section, along with one sentence highlighting the single word or phrase that strikes you as the most powerful. Be prepared to explain why you chose that word or phrase.

   Teacher input

   Model the transition from annotation to a complete exam-style paragraph by focusing on the poem's final declaration — the point at which the speaker claims that the real vulgarity lies with those who judge. Begin with a clear analytical assertion: "Casey's closing lines reverse the power dynamic by..." Include a brief quotation, then delve into a particular word or structural aspect (like the use of declarative sentences or the change from a question to a statement). After that, expand to include broader context: in 1982, during a time when Thatcher's government was facilitating the decline of Liverpool's industrial sector, taking pride in a council-house, chip-shop identity was a political statement, rather than just a personal sentiment. This additional context enhances the analysis without overshadowing the detailed examination of language.

   Independent task

   Mary Casey's poem "The Class Game" powerfully reclaims working-class identity, presenting it as a source of pride rather than shame. Throughout the poem, the speaker boldly asserts their heritage, challenging the stigma often associated with working-class backgrounds. This is evident in the opening rhetorical challenge, where Casey uses direct address to engage the audience: "So what if I say I’m working-class?" The use of the pronoun "I" signifies personal ownership of the identity, while the question form serves as an invitation for reflection, forcing the reader to confront their own biases about class.

   The catalogue of markers—such as "Mam," "chip-shop," "council house," and "Liverpool accent"—further illustrates this defiance. By listing these elements without apology, Casey emphasizes the speaker's connection to their roots. Each term evokes vivid imagery, grounding the speaker's identity in tangible, everyday experiences. Rather than shying away from these associations, the speaker embraces them, showcasing the richness of working-class life. This unapologetic celebration of identity functions as a powerful counter-narrative to the negative stereotypes often perpetuated in society.

   As the poem progresses, a significant shift occurs from questioning to declaration in the concluding lines. The speaker moves from asking, "Do you think less of me?" to boldly stating, "I’m proud of it." This transition alters the power dynamic; the speaker takes control of their narrative, no longer seeking validation from others. Instead, they assert their pride in their identity, challenging societal views that devalue working-class experiences. This transformation reflects a broader call for recognition and respect for working-class individuals.

   Contextually, Casey's choices resonate deeply within the 1982 Thatcherite landscape, a period marked by economic policies that often marginalized working-class communities, particularly in Liverpool. The poem serves as a response to the social and economic challenges faced during this time, expressing resilience and pride amid adversity. By presenting working-class identity in a positive light, Casey not only affirms personal dignity but also advocates for the broader acknowledgment of working-class contributions to society. Thus, "The Class Game" stands as a powerful testament to the strength and pride found within working-class identity.

   Exit ticket

   Write one sentence that states the single most important structural decision Casey makes in this poem — not a language choice, but a decision about how the poem is built or addressed — and explain in a second sentence why that decision is essential to the poem's argument about class.

Activities

Assessment

• Lesson 1 do-now: checking whether students can generate an interpretive question about the title before reading, revealing prior assumptions about class that the teacher can address.
• Lesson 1 exit ticket: checking whether students can articulate the specific effect of the second-person pronoun 'you' — not just that it is direct, but that it implicates the reader as the judge.
• Lesson 1 PEEL paragraphs: checking whether students can move from identifying a feature (catalogue, direct address) to explaining its effect on meaning and the reader's position.
• Lesson 2 do-now: checking whether students can independently identify tone and select a significant quotation from the poem's conclusion without teacher prompting.
• Lesson 2 exit ticket: checking whether students can distinguish between a language choice and a structural choice, and can articulate why the poem's direct-address architecture is central to its argument.

Standards covered

Common Core 11 12

• RL.11-12.1 — Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
• RL.11-12.4 — Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyse the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone.
• RL.11-12.5 — Analyse how an author's choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it, and manipulate time create such effects as mystery, tension, or surprise.
• RL.11-12.6 — Analyse a case in which grasping point of view requires distinguishing what is directly stated in a text from what is really meant.

AP Literature

• Literary Argumentation (LAN-1) — Explain the function of word choice, imagery, and other figurative language in a literary text.
• Character (CHR-1) — Explain the function of a narrator or speaker in a literary text.
• Figurative Language (FIG-1) — Explain the function of specific words and phrases in a literary text, including how they contribute to tone and meaning.
• Literary Argumentation (LAN-1.E) — Develop a thesis that makes a defensible claim about an interpretation of literature and establish a line of reasoning to defend it.

AQA

• AO1 — Read, understand and respond to texts; maintain a critical style and develop an informed personal response; use textual references, including quotations, to support and illustrate interpretations.
• AO2 — Analyse the language, form and structure used by a writer to create meanings and effects, using relevant subject terminology where appropriate.
• AO3 — Show understanding of the relationships between texts and the contexts in which they were written and received.

Edexcel

• AO1 — Articulate informed, personal and creative responses to literary texts, using associated concepts and terminology, and coherent, accurate written expression.
• AO2 — Analyse ways in which meanings are shaped in literary texts, with reference to language, form, structure and literary contexts.
• AO3 — Demonstrate understanding of the significance and influence of the contexts in which literary texts are written and received.

Eduqas

• AO1 — Articulate informed, personal and creative responses to literary texts, using associated concepts and terminology and coherent, accurate written expression.
• AO2 — Analyse the ways in which meanings are shaped in literary texts, with reference to language, form, structure and literary contexts.
• AO4 — Explore connections across literary texts.