New
New
Year 1

St Patrick, the shamrock and the snakes of Ireland

I can retell some of the popular stories told about St. Patrick.

New
New
Year 1

St Patrick, the shamrock and the snakes of Ireland

I can retell some of the popular stories told about St. Patrick.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Having returned to Britain, St. Patrick had a vision which convinced him to return to Ireland.
  2. When he reached Ireland, he travelled around teaching people about Christianity.
  3. One popular story about St. Patrick is how he used the shamrock to explain some important things about Christianity.
  4. The shamrock has since become one of the symbols of Ireland.
  5. Another popular story about St. Patrick was that he drove all of the snakes out of Ireland, chasing them into the sea.

Keywords

  • Vision - when people have an imagined experience it is known as a vision

  • Missionary - a missionary is someone who travels somewhere to convince other people to join their religion

  • Shamrock - a clover plant with three leaves is called a shamrock

Common misconception

That snakes used to live in Ireland.

Explain that snakes were unlikely to have ever lived in Ireland due to the geography and climate. It is thought that the snakes in the story of St. Patrick and the snakes of Ireland were a metaphor or symbol.

Children could work in small groups to act out the stories. Explain that traditional stories are often told verbally. Stories can change and alter as this happens. Play a game to illustrate this; whisper a phrase to child and pass the whisper around the circle.
Teacher tip

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
  • Risk assessment required - physical activity

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which country is St. Patrick the patron saint of?
England
Correct answer: Ireland
Scotland
Wales
Q2.
Where was the patron saint of Ireland born?
Correct answer: Britain
Ireland
France
Italy
Q3.
Which animals did St. Patrick look after in Ireland as a teenager?
Correct Answer: sheep, Sheep
Q4.
St. Patrick had a dream. What did he dream about?
Correct answer: a boat waiting for him
a horse waiting for him
a map showing him the way
Q5.
Match the word to the correct defintion
Correct Answer:Romans, a group of people from Italy who took over lots of land

a group of people from Italy who took over lots of land

Correct Answer:Christian,someone who follows the Christian religion, believing in God and Jesus

someone who follows the Christian religion, believing in God and Jesus

Correct Answer:raider,someone who attacks people or places, often to steal

someone who attacks people or places, often to steal

Correct Answer:shepherd,someone who herds and looks after sheep

someone who herds and looks after sheep

Q6.
Put the events in St. Patrick's life in order.
1 - St. Patrick was born in Britain.
2 - St. Patrick was catured by raiders and taken to Ireland.
3 - St. Patrick worked as a shepherd.
4 - St. Patrick had a dream about a boat waiting for him.
5 - St. Patrick sailed back to Britain.

6 Questions

Q1.
Match the word to the correct defintion.
Correct Answer:vision,when people have an imagined experience

when people have an imagined experience

Correct Answer:missionary,someone who travels to convince others to join their religion

someone who travels to convince others to join their religion

Correct Answer:shamrock,a clover plant with three leaves

a clover plant with three leaves

Q2.
Why did St. Patrick return to Ireland after he escaped?
to be a shepherd
Correct answer: to be a missionary
to be a farmer
Q3.
Which plant is a symbol of Ireland?
a rose
Correct answer: a shamrock
a thistle
Q4.
How many leaves does a shamrock have?
Correct Answer: three, 3, Three
Q5.
In the story, which animal did St. Patrick banish from Ireland?
sheep
Correct answer: snake
slug
snail
Q6.
In the story of the snakes of Ireland, where did all the snakes go?
Correct Answer: In the sea, In the ocean, In the water, In the waves , the sea

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