Starter quiz
- Which of these countries isn't part of the United Kingdom (UK)?
- England
- Scotland
- Wales
- Northern Ireland
- Republic of Ireland ✓
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- What is the name of the conflict that occurred in Northern Ireland between approximately 1968-1998?
- The Upset
- The Troubles ✓
- The Rebellions
- The Revolutions
- The Tremors
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- What is the name of this punctuation symbol '*' ?
- full stop
- semicolon
- asterisk ✓
- hyphen
- ampersand
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- What is 'confetti'?
- spray-painted artwork on buildings and other urban structures
- a political agreement between two opposing forces
- a type of machine gun used during The Troubles
- small pieces of paper, thrown during celebrations, parades, or festive occasions ✓
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What is shown in this image?- paramilitary forces
- riot police ✓
- diplomatic negotiators
- armed civilians
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- What does the prefix 'para-' mean?
- alongside or side-by-side ✓
- in between
- inside of
- outside of
- before the existence of
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Exit quiz
- During The Troubles, the nationalists wanted Northern Ireland to ...
- remain part of the United Kingdom.
- become part of the Republic of Ireland. ✓
- become its own separate state.
- join Europe.
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- Match each word to the correct defintion.
- exacerbated⇔made worse or more severe, intensifying existing problems or conflicts ✓
- civil war⇔a conflict within a country involving opposing groups ✓
- sectarian⇔divisions between religious/political groups, often hostile or violent ✓
- In 'Belfast Confetti', the speaker is...
- confronted by a photographer after fleeing an explosion.
- contemplating how Northern Ireland's culture will be affected by the conflict.
- questioned by riot police after being caught in street fighting. ✓
- making homemade bombs to use in the conflict.
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- In 'Belfast Confetti', Carson names the streets "Balaclava", "Raglan", "Inkerman", "Odessa" and "Crimea". What do all these words have in common?
- They are all sites of military conflicts or wars. ✓
- They are all places in Northern Ireland with strong links to cultural heritage.
- They are all types of weapon used during WWII.
- They are all places that are considered holy or sacred.
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- Match each of these punctuation marks to its correct function.
- colon⇔separates a list or examples ✓
- question mark⇔poses a question ✓
- hyphen⇔joins words or parts of a sentence ✓
- exclamation mark⇔shows excitement or fear ✓
- asterisk⇔links to extra information ✓
- full stop⇔pauses at the end of a sentence ✓
- At the end of the poem, Carson describes how the speaker receives a "fusillade of question marks" from the riot police. What emotion could "question marks" symbolise here?
- overwhelming sadness
- overwhelming joy
- overwhelming confusion ✓
- overwhelming relief
- overwhelming rage
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Worksheet
Presentation
Video
Lesson Details
Key learning points
- Carson lived in Belfast during the height of The Troubles.
- The Troubles was a 30-year conflict between Nationalists and Unionists.
- Belfast Confetti was the slang name given to homemade bombs.
- The poem discusses the impact of the The Troubles on people living in Belfast.
- Carson uses different punctuation symbols to explore the overwhelming emotions we associate with war.
Common misconception
The Troubles was a war that occurred between the armies of the UK and the Republic of Ireland.
The Troubles were fought in Northern Ireland between the unionists (who wanted NI to remain in the UK) and the nationalists (who wanted NI to join the ROI). Most of the fighting occurred between paramilitary groups.
Keywords
Exacerbated - made worse or more severe, intensifying existing problems or conflicts
Civil war - conflict within a country involving opposing groups, often leading to widespread violence and destruction
Paramilitary - armed group operating like military but not officially recognised by the government
The troubles - period of conflict in Northern Ireland characterised by sectarian violence and political tensions
Sectarian - divisions or conflicts between religious or political groups, often marked by intolerance or hostility