The Irish War of Independence
The Irish Civil War
Vocabulary
Annotations/Tips for Reading a Short Story
The Sniper
100

What is Home Rule?

A law passed by Britain that allowed nations under British control, such as Ireland, to govern themselves in some matters.

100

What treaty ended the Irish War for Independence?/What was the treaty that sparked the Irish Civil War?

Anglo-Irish Treaty

100

What is a ruse?

A trick.

100

What is an annotation?

Questions/comments added while reading to help explain or examine the text.

100

What does the sniper feel shortly after killing the opposing sniper and watching his body fall to the ground?

Remorse, regret, heaviness, etc.

200

What two groups fought during the Irish War for Independence?

Nationalists and the Unionists

200

What is one of the main reasons why many Irish opposed the treaty that ended the Irish War for Independence?

The treaty that ended the Irish War for Independence required Ireland to make an oath of allegiance to the British king.

200

What is imagery?

Descriptive language that authors use to help readers see the events of a story in their heads.

200

What should you look for when making annotations?

Essential ideas, things you have questions about, keywords, etc.

200

What happened as a result of the sniper choosing to smoke in the story?

He was spotted and shot at. This ultimately led to him engaging in a shootout with his brother.

300

Why were the Irish unhappy with British rule?/Why did many of the Irish want to fight against Britain?

The Irish faced discrimination for many reasons, one of the biggest being that they were primarily Catholic.

300

What happened after the Anglo-Irish Treaty was signed?

Eamon de Valera resigned as president of the Dáil and created an armed force that opposed the treaty, while Michael Collins and Arthur Griffith created the Free State Army that supported the treaty.

300

What is Irony?

When something happens that is the opposite of what you expect to happen.

300

What should you look for when reading a short story?

Story elements such as the characters, setting, plot, theme, conflict, etc.

300

What is the theme of "The Sniper?"

The cost of war is a terrible thing, for it dehumanizes people, ruins lives and relationships, and creates loss and regret.

400

Why or why not was The Easter Rising effective for the Irish people's fight for independence?

It was effective because it drew international attention to Ireland’s desire for independence, motivated many Irish people to support independence later, and created sympathy for the rebels and increased support for Irish independence.

It was not effective because the rebellion itself was quickly crushed, many leaders were executed, there was widespread destruction in Dublin, and many Irish people were initially angry about the damage and disruption.

400

What caused the Irish Civil War to end?

The anti-treaty forces realized they couldn't win.

400

What is mood?

The overall feeling or atmosphere of the story.

400

What does PRIME IT mean as it pertains to reading a short story?

Preview the Story

Read Actively

Identify the Elements of the Story

Make Predictions and Ask Questions

Enrich your Experience by Visualizing

Infer the Author’s Purpose by Looking at Clues in the Story

Take the Time to Reflect and Summarize

400

What do we learn about the sniper as a person?

That he is skilled and determined, but also human and vulnerable.