Overview:



Using Political Murals to unpack the “Troubles” of Northern Ireland

Overview:

The Troubles in Northern Ireland destroyed communities on both sides of the political, religious conflict. Throughout the near thirty-year struggle, human expression became central to finding ways to heal the wounds left from sectarian battle. Political murals served as one outlet for such expression.

Objectives:

• Students will know the goals of both the loyalist tradition and republican tradition in Northern Ireland during the period known as the “Troubles” (August, 1969- April, 1998).

• Students will understand the significance of political murals as a form of expression in Northern Ireland.

• Students will be able to evaluate how the messages of political murals in Northern Ireland connected to the respective goals of loyalists tradition and republican tradition.

Time Required:

One 90 minute block or Two traditional 45 minute classes

As written, this lesson is a stand alone; however, it could serve as one lesson in a unit investigating the role human expression plays in conflict areas. At the conclusion of the lesson, suggestions are provided for how extensions can be applied.

Recommended Grade Level:

9-11

Curriculum Fit:

Global Studies; Political Science; Sociology; Arts & Humanities

Standards (NCSS Social Studies Strands):

Standard IV: Individual Development and Identity; Standard VI: Power, Authority and Governance; Standard IX: Global Connections; Standard V: Individuals, Groups, and Institutions; Standard II: Time, Continuity and Change

Resources:

| |Republican Tradition Murals |

|Loyalist Tradition Murals | |

| | |

|King Billy Mural |Hunger Strike Mural |

| | |

|Memorial Mural to Trevor King, UVF |Cú Chulainn Mural |

| | |

|UVF Mural |Anti Orange Marchers Mural |

| | |

|UFF Mural |Time to Go Mural |

| | |

|UFF Prisoners’ Mural |Pro Agreement Mural |

Procedures:

I. Introductory Activity

Post graffiti image on projector.

Have students respond to the following questions:

- Why do people create graffiti?

- How can graffiti impact a community?

- Are all types of graffiti the same? Explain.

Allow students five minutes to respond to the questions. Encouraging students to share their answers, discuss the role of graffiti as a form of expression. Answers will vary among students, and the teachers should work to guide students towards the understanding that graffiti can be used for multiple purposes and can have both positive and negative effects in a community.

* Teacher Note: One idea is to take some snap shots of local graffiti and project on a screen. Tailor the questions around the local graffiti. For example, what is pictured? Have you seen this graffiti? Where? Why do you think someone created it? How do you think this graffiti has impacted our community?

II. Background Information

Explain to students that they will be examining political graffiti (political murals) in Northern Ireland. Before students can begin their investigation of the photos, they will need basic knowledge about the period of time known as the “Troubles” in Northern Ireland. Either through notes or lecture, provide students with background knowledge about the goals of both the republican and loyalist traditions in Northern Ireland.

Distribute a fact sheet to students that includes important terms and events relating to the “Troubles.”

* Teacher Note: If teaching in a traditional 45 minute class the lesson will continue into the next day; if teaching a 90 minute block, students will be able to begin their investigation of photos on the same lesson day.

III. Significance of Political Murals

Project one of the political murals (see resources) for the class. Ask students the following questions:

- How is this graffiti different than the one we saw at the beginning of class? (answers will vary)

- What kind of message do you think this image is sending? (answers will vary)

Explain to students that the use of political murals as a form of expression was important to the goals of both sides of the Northern Ireland conflict. Although the conflict has been politically resolved, tensions still remain in the communities of Northern Ireland today. Some believe the murals are part of this tension, while others believe that the murals have helped to heal the communities by allowing an outlet for frustration, anger, sadness, or even hope. Explain to students that they will be examining ten different murals from both sides of the conflict (loyalist and republican). Remind students that they have a fact sheet as well as notes (see Background information) that they need to keep out during the activity.

IV. Evaluation of Political Murals

Divide the class into groups of five. Provide each group with a handout that will help them examine and evaluate the various political murals. Distribute sets of the political mural pictures (see Resources) to the groups. Each group should have two sets of photos—one set containing five loyalists murals, the other containing five republican murals. Explain to students that it is their task to examine the photographs, using the handout as a guide. The photographs will be divided evenly among the group so that every student has one republican mural and one loyalist mural.

After each group member has examined his or her two photographs, allow time for the group to share the information they found so that the entire group can record the information in their handout.

At the conclusion of the photo share, have students turn their handout over and respond to the evaluation question. This question should be discussed as a group and then recorded on the sheet. Explain to students that the class will share answers as a way to end the lesson.

*Teacher Note: If students are unfamiliar with primary sources or if students need additional scaffolding, the Library of Congress’ publishes useful primary source analysis tools: see online--

V. Closing/Wrap Up:

Ask the groups to volunteer their responses to the evaluation question. Compare and contrast, as a class, the loyalist and republican murals. Ask students to respond individually, to the following question(s):

- How did the messages in the political murals express the goals of each side of the conflict?

- In what ways (that you saw) did these goals change over time?

VI. Lesson Extension:

While created as a single lesson, this lesson could easily be incorporated into a larger unit that examines graffiti as a form of expression in current/past conflict zones. Relevant case studies could include:

• Brazil (poverty, unemployment and income inequality)

• Middle East (particularly Israel/Palestine)

• Berlin, Germany (pre/post reunification)

*Teacher Note: Additionally, students could use a variety of technology to express their research (e.g. Digital Documentary, PowerPoint, hyperlinks within a Word Document).

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