Time, place and identity – enabling pupils to see the big picture

Helping pupils to understand sectarian divisions in Northern Ireland is not easy. For pupils to comprehend the origins and complexities of ‘the Troubles’ they need a big picture. That big picture could be viewed as the interaction of three concepts: time, place and identity. If pupils can at least glimpse this, they will have a framework for making sense of the delicate intricacies that define the Troubles. Time, place and identity form a strong, inter-related trinity.