AIMS:
To read authentic material about the most
important holiday in Ireland, to come in contact with Irish history, to train Ss to locate a country on a map and talk
about its borders, to train Ss extract specific information
to answer specific questions, to come in contact with a different
culture, to practise giving directions, to
have some fun at the end by connecting the dots to find the hidden image
WORKSHEET
A) SPEAKING
Brief
Background
Ireland is divided
into two parts. The northern part still constitutes a part of England.
The Southern part became independent in 1922 and in the year
1949 it became a republic. (ask the Ss to locate the republic of
Ireland and talk about its boundaries)
B) READING/WRITING
St
Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. You can find a lot of info about
him in the addresses provided.
Scan the sites www.usemb.se/Holidays/celebrate/stpatric.html
and www.alphabet-soup.net/hol/sphist.html
and answer the questions.
-
Who
was St Patrick?
-
How do the Irish call him?
-
When is it celebrated?
-
How did the shamrock
become the symbol of the country of Ireland?
-
What is the favourite
colour of St Patrick's Day?
-
What's the difference
between celebrations in Ireland and the USA?
C) Check what you learned about St Patrick by clicking HERE
D)
PAIR-WORK (SPEAKING)
Leprechauns are little make-believe fairies that live in Ireland. They
are the shoemakers for the fairies. The story is that if you catch one
you can make him tell you where he hides his gold. No one has caught one
yet.... but start looking today!! Good luck!! (In the following map you
decide where your leprechaun is hidden. Give directions to your fellow
student so that he can find him. Change roles)
(You
can use any available map or graph)
E)
Have fun
The following picture found in http://www.alphabet-soup.net/hol/stpdot.html
was taken out and printed on Ss' worksheet
F) Discuss with the Ss the importance of potato
in Ireland's history and ask them to copy (if they like or there is time)
a recipe and try it at home. http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Forest/8483/stpatclass.html
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