The Teacher's Closet: Angela's Ashes Revisited

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

No comments:

Words both Curious and Valuable

Surrreptitious - adj - Kept secret, especially because it would not be approved of.
Sententious - adj. - abounding in pithy aphorisms or maxims; given to excessive moralizing... self-righteous.
Fatuous - adj. - foolish or inane especially in an unconscious complacent manner.
Deshabille - adj - the state of being partly or carelessly dressed.
Tchotchke - n - an inexpensive souvenir, trinket, or ornament; also a pretty girl or woman.
Bloviate - v- talk at length, esp. in an inflated or empty way.
Excoriated - v - censure or criticize severely; damage or remove part of the skin
Modicum - n. - a small quantity of a particular thing, especially something considered desirable or valuable.
Flensing - v - slice the skin or fat from a carcass (especially that of a whale).
Sacrosanct - adj - (especially of a principle, place or routine) regarded as too important or valuable to be interfered with.
Discrepant - adj- differing; disagreeing; inconsistent
Depilate - v - remove the hair from.
Opprobrium - noun - from the Latin, literally "against" and "disgraceful act"
sophrosyne- n. soundness of mind, moderation, prudence, self-control.
Diadem - n. - a jeweled crown or headband worn as a symbol of sovereignty.
Marquetry - n. - Inlaid work made from small pieces of variously colored wood or other materials, used chiefly for the decoration of furniture.
Gestalt - n - an organized whole that is perceived as more than the sum of its parts.
Riposte - n - quick clever reply to an insult or criticism.
Utilidor - n - a utility tunnel, corridor, a passage built underground or above ground to carry utility lines such as electricity, water supply pipes, and sewer pipes.
Limn - v - depict or describe in painting or words; suffuse or highlight (something) with a bright color or light.
Prescient- adj - Having to showing knowledge of events before they take place.
Moue - n- a pouting expression used to convey annoyance or distaste.
Perigee - n- The point in the orbit of the moon or a satellite at which it is nearest to the earth.
Apogee - n - either the highest point in the development of something, or the point in the orbit of the moon or a satellite at which it is farthest from the earth.
Estivate - v. - spend a hot or dry period in a prolonged state or torpor or dormancy.
Sacrum - n. -a triangular bone in the lower back formed from fused vertebrae and situated between the two hipbones of the pelvis. Doesn't sound nearly as sexy as it is.
Ebullient - adj. - from the Latin "boiling up;" modern usage = usually cheer or energy.
Salmagundi - noun - a dish composed of chopped meat, anchovies, eggs, onions with oil and condiments. derived from the French word salmigondis which means disparate assembly of things, ideas or people, forming an incoherent whole.
Histograms - noun- a diagram consisting of a number of rectangles or lines drawn from a base line, their portion along this line representing the value or range of one variable and their height the corresponding value of a second variable.
Ubiquitous - adj.- Present or appearing everywhere; omnipresent; of single persons or things.
Cruciverbalist - n- Someone given to complete crossword puzzles.
adumbrated- adj. shadowed forth; represented faintly or in outline.
oneiric- adj. of or belonging to dreams.
o'neiromantist- adj. one who divines by dreams.
pathos- n. that quality in speech, writing, music, or artistic representation which excites a feeling of pity or sadness; power of stirring tender or melancholy emotions; pathetic or affecting character or influence.
lacuna- n. In a manuscript, an inscription, the text of an author: A hiatus, a blank, missing portion.
askesis- n. strict self discipline or self control, as for religious or meditative purposes.
apperception - n. The process of understanding by which newly observed qualities of an object are related to past experience.
ridunculous - adj. (urban dictionary) extremely ridiculous.
bald-head - adj.(Rastafarian) a straight person; one without dreadlocks; one who works for babylon (care of Lisa Lalli)
obsequious- adj. compliant with the will or wishes of another, esp. of a superior; prompt to please serve or follow directions; obedient; dutiful. (now rare)
gewgaw- n. a gaudy trifle, plaything, or ornament; a pretty thing of little value; a toy or bauble.
swagger jacker- n. someone who steals someone else's flow, lines, jokes, swagger.
somnambulist- n. sleepwalker
houri- n. a nymph of the muslim paradise; adj. hence applied allusively to a voluptuously beautiful woman.
egregious- adj. remarkable in a good sense; remarkable in a bad sense.
detritus- n. matter produced by the detrition or wearing away of exposed surfaces, especially the gravel, sand, clay, or other material eroded or washed away by an aqueous agency; a mass or formation of this nature.
qiviut- n. (Eskimo) the underwool of the arctic musk ox; fibre made from this.
woodwright- n. a worker in wood, as in a carpenter. see also, wood-sawyer- n. one who saws wood.
subaqueous- a. of or pertaining to underwater swimming or diving performed with the assistance of an aqualung.
Vesperugo- n. Evening, or the evening star.
avuncular- adj. of, belonging to, or resembling an uncle.
feuille- n. A thin plate; a leaf; the name of a color.
satori- n. (zen buddhism) a sudden indescribable and incommunicable inner experience of enlightenment
savoir-faire- n. (French) tact, address; the instinctive knowledge of the right course of action upon any given emergency.
noc'tambulator - n. one who walks at night.
quirt - n. a kind of riding whip used in the Western United States and Spanish Americas having a short handle and a braided leather lash about two feet long; v. quirting v. to stop up an opening.
malabathrum- n. an aromatic leaf mentioned by ancient writers; a perfumed ointment made from this.
nacre- n. the smooth, shining, iridescent substance forming the inner layer of many shells; mother-of-pearl.
concomitance - n. coexistence; Theol. coexistence of the body and blood of Christ in each of the eucharistic elements.
catafalque n. – (French, from Italian catafalco) a decorated platform or framework on which a coffin rests in state during a funeral; Roman Catholic Church: A coffin-shaped structure draped with a pall, used to represent the corpse at a requiem Mass celebrated after the burial.
Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia- n. Fear of long words.
portmanteau- n. a case or bag for carrying clothing and other necessaries when traveling; originally of a form suitable for carrying on horseback; now applied to an oblong stiff leather case, which opens like a book, with hinges in the middle of the back.
hogan- n. The rude hut of Navajo and other American Indian peoples of the south-western United States.
asterperious- adj. superior attitude in an inferior place. From Zora Neale Hurston's "Sweat." Having trouble finding an actual definition of this! Is it an ethnocentric term?
legerdemain- n. sleight of hand; the performance of tricks which by nimble action deceive the eye; jugglery; conjuring tricks.
tatterde'malionism- n. the style or practice of one appearing in tattered clothing; style or practice of one appearing ragged or beggarly.
pyrolatrous- adj. (Greek) of the Fire- Worshipers.
goblinry - n. The doings or habits of goblins.