Thursday, March 5, 2020

Angela's Ashes Revisited

10 years ago I posted about Angela's Ashes. It remains one of my most visited posts with nearly 5,000 views. I'm not sure if it's an Internet glitch or if I wrote something interesting. Regardless, the post expressed a deep love for the book, but also curisosity as to why it spoke to me so deeply. Since then I spit in a tube and discovered that I am 21% Irish/Scottish and 76% Northwestern European, which I interpret as... Irish-ish. So, I suppose I'm roughly 97% Irish-ish. Being adopted this has always been a big question mark for me. I've also, perhaps through a sense of alienation, thought people that take too much pride in their ethnic heritage are kind of silly. Now that I can point a finger at it, I guess I appreciate a sense of ethnic pride more than I ever have in my life. I still feel a very strong connection to Frank McCourt's story as I am reading the book with a small group of seniors this year and have really enjoyed revisiting it. I have updated the web-quest for the book, which I use now as discussion points, really. I am debating whether or not it's necessary to provide links to students for some questions, and I am interested in continuing to encourage them to draw their own connections. If you teach the book, or just happen to love the book, I hope this finds ye well.


Angela’s Ashes Web Quest 
25 PTS

Instructions: This Web Quest is to be done independently. You will be given two
class periods to complete it. You are not to talk while in the computer lab. If you
have any questions ask Mr. Skarl. You are to stay only on the links connected
directly to this project. Any student doing otherwise will be given a score of zero for
this project.

All answers must be written in complete sentences. Answer the questions
completely.

Using Link 1 identify the following places on your blank map of Ireland(included):
Limerick, Northern Ireland, River Shannon, Dublin, and Lough Neagh.

Link 2
Answer the following questions about the Irish flag
1. In the Irish flag, what color is placed nearest the flagpole?
________________________
2. What color represents the native people of Ireland? ________________________
3. What color represents the British who settled in Northern Ireland in the 1700's?
____________________________
4. What does the color in the middle of the flag represent?
__________________________
5. When was this flag first used? _____________________________

Link 3
Visit the Limerick of Angela’s Ashes and tour the streets Frank grew up on. What is your
impression?

Link 4
What is the IRA? What is the Old IRA?
What was the Easter Rising of 1916?
Was it a success or not? Why was it important?

Links 5 & 6
Frank’s father is always singing Kevin Barry and Roddy McCorley songs.
Who was Kevin Barry? Give two sentences. Listen to the song.

Links 7 & 8
Who was Roddy McCorley? Give two sentences. Listen to the song.
Why do you think Malachy sings about these two?

Link 9
Frank and his father Malachy go to appeal that Malachy “did his bit for Ireland” but there
is no written record of his service. “This is the new Ireland, son little men with little bits
of paper.” Consider the following story about IRA documents newly discovered after
100+ years.
Do you think Malachy McCourt was one who “did his bit” or do you think he’s trying to
leech off the government pension? Justify your answer.

Link 10
The Black and Tans were an important aspect of Post-War Ireland. What function did
they serve?

Malachy also tells Frank Cuchulain stories. Watch the clip at Link 11 and name
something interesting you learned?

Link 12
Malachy hangs a portrait of Pope Leo XIII and claiming he was a great friend to the
working man. Read about the principle of subsidiarity as outlined by Pope Leo XIII.
Summarize the principle of subsidiarity in a sentence or two. Do you think it was a good
idea. Why or why not?

Link 13
Frank is named after St Francis of Assisi. St. Francis was the patron saint of what? Do
you think this fits Frank’s personality? Why or why not? Give specific evidence.

Find your own links
Discover connections between the song "Zombie" by the Cranberries and Ireland. Focus on the lyrics. How does this relate to Angela's Ashes?

Find your own links
Discover connections between Cranberries lead singer, Dolores O'Riordan, and Angela's Ashes.

Angela’s Ashes Web-Quest Links
Link 1 Map
https://www.joycesireland.com/pics-map/
Link 2 Irish Flag
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/europe/ireland/flag.shtml
Link 3 Tour of McCourt’s Limerick
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qfjn7_l8Zo0
Link 4 IRA
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Republican_Army
Link 5 Kevin Barry
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Barry
Link 6 Music
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJ4INuSYr28&feature=emb_title
Link 7 Roddy McCorley
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roddy_McCorley
Link 8 Music
http://www.ireland-information.com/irishmusic/roddymccorley.shtml
https://www.riseupandsing.org/songs/kevin-barry
Link 9 IRA Documents
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-48646318
http://www.militaryarchives.ie/collections/online-collections/military-service-pensions-c
ollection-1916-1923
Link 10 Black and Tans
https://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/ireland-1845-to-1922/the-black-and-tans/
Link 11 Cu Cuhulain
Cu Chulain
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnVHLAH7MYI
Link 12 Catholic Social Teaching
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subsidiarity#Catholic_social_teaching
Link 13 St. Francis
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_of_Assisi

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