made worse or more severe, intensifying existing problems or conflicts

conflict within a country involving opposing groups, often leading to widespread violence and destruction

armed group operating like military but not officially recognised by the government

period of conflict in Northern Ireland characterised by sectarian violence and political tensions

divisions or conflicts between religious or political groups, often marked by intolerance or hostility

Understanding the poem ‘Belfast Confetti’ by Ciaran Carson

English

In 'Edexcel Conflict Poetry', pupils compared the language, form and structure of a variety of poems connected by the themes of power and conflict. In 'Edexcel Conflict Poetry continued', pupils work on making more nuanced comparisons between poems.

In 'A World at War: Poetry', pupils explore how poets present the atrocities of World War One through their poetry. In 'Edexcel Conflict Poetry', pupils analyse how a variety of different wars have been presented through poetry.

In this unit, pupis explore 12 of the 15 poems from the 'Conflict' anthology. Pupils complete two lessons on each poem: one on understanding and one on analysis. Pupils study the poems in a thematically linked order so they can complete comparative and thematic lessons at key points in the unit.

Poetry anthology: first study

Depiction of war, threats of war, death or the aftermath of war.

Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Depiction or discussion of violence or fighting, including threats of violence or the aftermath of violence.

During The Troubles, the nationalists wanted Northern Ireland to ...

a conflict within a country involving opposing groups

divisions between religious/political groups, often hostile or violent

Match each word to the correct defintion.

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.

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.

In 'Belfast Confetti', Carson names the streets "Balaclava", "Raglan", "Inkerman", "Odessa" and "Crimea". What do all these words have in common?

Match each of these punctuation marks to its correct function.

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?

Which of these countries isn't part of the United Kingdom (UK)?

What is the name of the conflict that occurred in Northern Ireland between approximately 1968-1998?

What is the name of this punctuation symbol '*' ?

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

Content guidance

Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Adult supervision recommended

This lesson will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Understanding the poem ‘Belfast Confetti’ by Ciaran Carson

Lesson outcome

Content guidance

This lesson will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.