Teaching cultural aspects: Northern Ireland

Two films (6-7 minutes) about the two cities Belfast and Derry-Londonderry:

Belfast:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkjqS-GtiT4

Derry-Londonderry was "City of Culture" of the UK in 2013
http://www.nervecentre.org/portfolio/voices-–-city-culture-2013-bid-film#.Uu83MP0pp3c

Derry-Londonderry details:

here you can find films and other information about the events that have taken place:
http://www.nervecentre.org/portfolio

Historical background/the beginning of The Troubles:
http://www.rte.ie/archives/exhibitions/1042-northern-ireland-1969/1048-august-1969/319413-this-is-the-title/?page=1

Belfast details:

Visitors' comments on different sights around the Peace Wall:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g186470-d189770-Reviews-Falls_Road-Belfast_Northern_Ireland.html


For inspiration on murals:

Photos of the Peace Wall in the Guardian Newspaper:
http://www.theguardian.com/uk/gallery/2012/jan/22/belfast-peace-wall#/?picture=384779384&index=14

A series of photos around Belfast to find here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/laurence_cooley/sets/1006600/

A set of gates in the Peace Line on Lanark Way, Belfast:

Photos by http://www.flickr.com/photos/laurence_cooley/

Discussion

Today's theme is slavery

Discuss with your classmates and collaborating students what you know about slavery.

Do you think that there still are slaves today?

What do you know about slavery?

What do you think?

Can you do something about it?

Ask questions! Is there something you don't understand?

Start with some creativity

Working with texts

Working with cultural aspects in English and working with literature or your own texts in a different way, can help getting into depth with a theme or with understanding the deeper meaning of a text, giving the process of understanding a different way to elaborate.

This little series of pictures show the idea 

Take a story you have written or worked with, write it on a peace of paper (or print it and cut it in pieces and glue it to a larger peace of paper A3 or bigger) and then proceed in a similar style as I did.

Let some drops of paint fall onto your paper, I used water colour and acrylic and a little bit pastel:

Use a piece of cardboard to smear the colours all over your paper:

Add some more colour:

Now find images in newspapers and books/magazines... that fit to the content of your story. 

Cut out some elements.In my example I would look for a ship and an old man. 

The neatly cut figures are to be placed on your painting and then connected with more paint.

The result will be a mixture of collage and painting, telling the story.