Sing Street - Junior Cycle Film Study Guide

Sing Street – Junior Cycle Study Booklet

A complete classroom resource for teaching John Carney’s coming-of-age film
This comprehensive 52-page study guide is designed specifically for Junior Cycle English teachers and students. It provides everything you need to teach Sing Street with confidence, while helping students engage deeply with the film’s characters, themes, and techniques.

What’s Inside:
Background & Context
Clear notes on 1980s Dublin, Irish society, and music culture.
Director John Carney’s inspiration and influences.
Pre-Watching Activities
Think–Pair–Share tasks on growing up and identity.
Research prompts on Irish society in the 1980s and popular music of the era.
Prediction and trailer analysis activities to spark curiosity.

Character & Theme Exploration
Detailed character breakdowns (Conor, Raphina, Brendan, Eamon, Brother Baxter, and more).
Accessible theme analysis with Point–Evidence–Explanation models to support exam answers (music, family conflict, first love, coming-of-age, dreams, friendship).

While-Watching Tasks
Character trackers, music logs, and film technique spotters.
Guided notes to help students actively analyse key scenes.
Post-Watching Reflection
Class discussion prompts, creative response activities, and written practice questions.
Comparisons between 1980s Dublin and modern Ireland.
Personal reflection opportunities to encourage student voice.

Exam Preparation Section
Scaffolding for past Junior Cycle exam-style questions.
Sentence starters and structured answer guides.
Tips for linking techniques to atmosphere, visual impact, and setting.

Why teachers will love it:
Saves hours of planning time.
Blends critical analysis with creative, student-led activities.
Fully aligned with Junior Cycle learning outcomes.
Encourages engagement with film techniques and cultural context.
Flexible design – can be used as a whole scheme of work or dipped into for individual lessons.