St Patrick, the shamrock and the snakes of Ireland
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can retell some of the popular stories told about St. Patrick.
Key learning points
- Having returned to Britain, St. Patrick had a vision which convinced him to return to Ireland.
- When he reached Ireland, he travelled around teaching people about Christianity.
- One popular story about St. Patrick is how he used the shamrock to explain some important things about Christianity.
- The shamrock has since become one of the symbols of Ireland.
- 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.
Teacher tip
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.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Risk assessment required - physical activity
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which country is St. Patrick the patron saint of?
Q2.Where was the patron saint of Ireland born?
Q3.Which animals did St. Patrick look after in Ireland as a teenager?
Q4.St. Patrick had a dream. What did he dream about?
Q5.Match the word to the correct defintion
a group of people from Italy who took over lots of land
someone who follows the Christian religion, believing in God and Jesus
someone who attacks people or places, often to steal
someone who herds and looks after sheep
Q6.Put the events in St. Patrick's life in order.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the word to the correct defintion.
when people have an imagined experience
someone who travels to convince others to join their religion
a clover plant with three leaves
Q2.Why did St. Patrick return to Ireland after he escaped?
Q3.Which plant is a symbol of Ireland?
Q4.How many leaves does a shamrock have?
Q5.In the story, which animal did St. Patrick banish from Ireland?
Q6.In the story of the snakes of Ireland, where did all the snakes go?
To help you plan your 1 history lesson on: St Patrick, the shamrock and the snakes of Ireland, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 1 history lesson on: St Patrick, the shamrock and the snakes of Ireland, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 1 history lessons from the Wales, England and Ireland unit, dive into the full primary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.