What was life like for Irish immigrants settling in America during the late 1800's? Learners examine primary source documents, such as lyrics, poems, and letters, to understand the immigrant experience. They then use those primary source...

Students are introduced to a variety of customs and traditions relating to the culture of Ireland. They view a video, explore the art of storytelling, research sport origins, cook Irish food and discuss well-known Irish proverbs.

This is a fun, thought-provoking lesson. Learners use census data from 1855, primary source documents, their historical knowledge, and information regarding the New York City Draft Riots of 1863 to construct and engage in a role-play....

Use data from the 1855 New York census to better understand the Irish immigrant experience during the late 19th century. Young historians analyze information from the census and build three hypotheses regarding the residents of the Five...

Students explore Irish culture by participating in a creative writing activity. In this good will writing lesson, students define "Irish Blessings" and utilize computer software to create a template for a blessing they will write....

Erin go bragh! Enliven your St. Patrick's Day celebration by teaching your class members some of the combinations found in traditional Irish step dancing.

Students write their own folktales based on "Cathal O'Cruachan and the Cowherd." In discussions they examine the animal symbolism in the story, as well as the characters, events, problems, and solution. With partners, they select...

Students explore Irish-American culture. In this immigration lesson, students watch video segments regarding immigration in the 1840's and 1850's. Students discuss the discrimination Irish-Americans faced as they listen to songs and...

Students examine 19th century newspapers, a last and testament, and census manuscripts to analyze the Irish and German immigrant communities in the 1850s and 1860s. They write a letter from the perspective of an Irish or German immigrant.

Young scholars research how immigration changed the lives of Americans during 1850-1860. They study immigrant communities in rural America and research Irish and German-born residents of Augusta County, Virginia and Franklin County,...

Everyone living in the United States today is a descendant from an immigrant—even Native Americans. Learn about the tumultuous history of American immigration with a reading passage that discusses the ancient migration over the Bering...

Students examine the importance of folklore in Ireland and how that folklore reflects Irish culture. They first interpret various Irish folk tales, focusing on what about Irish culture can be better understood from these stories.

Social Studies and role-playing can go hand in hand. Learners use supporting evidence found in primary and secondary source material to develop a character from the Five Points neighborhood in the 1850s. Each student takes on the role of...

Students study Irish Dancing. They watch a video or have experienced watching dancers, such as a dance company, perform. They practice the Irish Jig as a class before the actual game. If a student is tagged by the individual with the...

Learners identify the reasons for the mass starvation in Ireland in the 1800's. They analyze the historical and political forces that caused the famine and discuss the potato blight itself in detail.

Students determine what it was like to serve as an Irish-American in the American Civil War. In this Irish folk song lesson plan, students use the provided worksheets to analyze selected Irish folk songs and make inferences about war...

Fourth graders locate and evaluate various books, journals, anthologies, and Internet sources that contain information that may be used in answering the scavenger hunt questions related to Ireland and Irish literature.

Learners practice their dancing skills. In this Irish dancing lesson, students follow the provided instructions to dance with a partner in a group to the tune "The Walls of Limerick."

Young scholars practice Irish Dancing. In this physical education lesson, students dance with partners to the song "The Siege of Ennis".

Fun St. Patrick's Day facts abound. The lesson plan tells the story of the most famous icons associated with the holiday: the shamrock, snakes, Celtic religion, Irish history, and St. Patrick himself. 

Students recognize a Ceili as an Irish dance of celebration and investigate Ireland while studying the dance.  In this Irish dance instructional activity, students search the geography of Ireland, read poetry, identify costumes,...

Learners investigate the effects of low and high temperatures on potato products. In this potato products lesson plan, students demonstrate the effects of storage conditions on Irish potatoes. They investigate the effects of frying, they...

How has your local neighborhood changed throughout recent history? Young researchers evaluate census data, images, and primary source descriptions describing the living situation in the antebellum Five Points neighborhood. They consider...

Students listen to examples of fiddle music and violin music to determine the similarities and differences between the two musical forms. A video link is included in this introductory lesson to fiddle music (Part One of Two).