Read the poem in front of you.

What is it about?What details do you know about the event?

Why do you think the author Carol Ann Duffy thinks we should kneel on the street?

What do you think is meant by the words in the last line ‘ nobody’s children’?

After the evening prayers at the mosque,

came the looters in masks,

      and you three stood,

beloved in your neighbourhood,

brave, bright, brothers,

to be who you were –

a hafiz is one who has memorised

the entire Koran;

      a devout man –

then the man in the speeding car

who purposefully mounted the kerb …

I think we all should kneel

       on that English street,

where he widowed your pregnant wife, Shazad,

tossed your soul to the air, Abdul,

and brought your father, Haroon, to his knees,

his face masked in only your blood

on the rolling news

where nobody's children riot and burn.

UK Riots 2011

Learning objectives:

• To critically examine the UK Riots 2011

• To gain an overview of the Riots

• To investigate the event from other points of view

PLTS objective

Independent enquirer

I can explore issues, events or problems from different points of view.

Habits of mind

Listening to others with understanding and empathy.

Keywords

Empathy

Citizenship

Birmingham for Tariq Jahan

by Carol Ann Duffy

BBC news clip hyperlinked to photo (www.redcross.org.uk)

Watch the news clip.How do Tariq Jahan’s words relate to the subject of citizenship?

How do you think he feels about the death of his son?

Why is this speech so powerful?

How does it compare to the speeches of the politicians?

He speaks of people as one, irrespective of race or ethnicity. Do you think this is unusual? Are you aware of other examples?

RIOTS IN ENGLAND, AUGUST 2011

www.teachingcitizenship.org.uk

Event timeline

Using the newspaper articles produce your own timeline of events.

Be creative and put it together how you like – maps of the UK and atlases are available for you to use.

The best examples may be used for display.

• You and your partner have been given a role card.

• Imagine it is the 10 August 2011 and the riots are just starting to dissipate (calm down).

• Discuss what your character will be thinking and feeling at this point and how they feel about the recent events.

• Be prepared with answers to come to the front to take questions in the hot seat.

• Prepare some questions to ask other people.

What message would you have posted?