Ireland Day Teaching Ideas

Try out some of our teaching ideas for a day celebrating Ireland.

If you have any other ideas of your own, let us know by adding a comment!

English:

• Use our Republic of Ireland Fact Cards as a reading resource, for research or as the basis for a class quiz.
• Read some traditional Irish tales. Our Myths and Legends Pack contains some old Irish myths your children will enjoy.
• Read some poetry by Irish poets, like The Lake Isle of Innisfree.
• Create an acrostic poem using IRELAND or EIRE.
• Write your own version of an Irish story, such as Jamie O’Rourke and the Big Potato by Tomie DePaola.

• Design a brochure or postcard for an Irish attraction or area.
• Write a story with an Irish theme; you could include the Blarney Stone, for example.

Maths:

• Learn how to count in Irish with this video.

• Find out the conversion rate from your local currency to euros (if you are not in the Eurozone) and convert sums of money from one currency to the other.
• Make a pattern using shamrocks. There are plenty of downloadable templates on this page.
• Measure ingredients for Irish soda bread. How much would you need to make two loaves? Or five?

Science:

• Learn about Irish plants like shamrocks, gorse, rowan trees.
• Write a fact file about native Irish animals, such as Connemara ponies, Irish hares, Irish setters and Galway sheep.
• Read about Irish scientists like Robert Boyle, John Tyndall or Agnes Mary Clerke.

Computing:

• Create a digital presentation about Ireland’s top tourist destinations.
• Code a leprechaun sprite game.
• Try this game, which lets children first learn the names of the colours in Irish using flashcards and then test themselves.

Design Technology:

• Make homemade Irish soda bread.
• Create a presentation about an Irish invention, for example, the cream cracker or croquet.
• Take a virtual museum visit to learn about Irish linen.

Art:

• Paint or draw iconic Irish landscapes or landmarks such as Newgrange Tomb or the Skellig Islands.
• Look at the work of an Irish artist such as Jack B. Yeats.
• Make some environmental art using moss and other natural materials.

Music:

• Sing Irish songs like “Rattlin’ Bog”.

• Listen to the sounds of traditional Irish instruments.
• Tap out rhythms of Irish dance music, like the music in this video.

• Listen to some music by Irish musicians such as U2, The Corrs, and Boyzone.

Geography:

• Locate Ireland on a map and identify the major cities, rivers and mountains.
• Colour an Irish Flag.
• Compare the climate and landscape between Ireland and your local area.
• Find out about the work of an Irish fisherman and use some of our ideas for the video The Oldest Man in the Sea.

History:

• Learn about famous Irish figures like Saint Patrick, Daniel O’Connell, and Grace O’Malley.
• Read myths and legends from Irish mythology.
• Find out about the Irish Potato Famine.
• Write a report about the early human inhabitants of Ireland.

Physical Education:

• Practise traditional Irish dances like reels or jigs
• Play Irish sports like Gaelic Handball – this site has an entire 6-week scheme of work for the game.

Religious Education:

• Learn about how Saint Patrick introduced Christianity to Ireland. Our Saint Patrick Pack can be used to find out more about his life.
• Use this page to create a calendar of Irish Saint’s Days.

Languages:

• Learn how to say hello and goodbye in Irish.

• Try one of the fun games on this Irish language learning site.

PSHE:

• Lots of people have moved from Ireland to countries all over the world. Talk about what it feels like to move, and compare experiences of moving in the group.
• Visit the Houses of the Oireachtas website to find out about democracy in Ireland.