It’s no secret that we’re big fans of using online resources to improve maths among our students – previous Wednesday for Parents topics have covered place value and fractions and we’ve been really involved in the Mathletes Challenge using Khan Academy. We also use online resources to revise and learn more about other subjects – and today we’re focusing on SESE (Social, Environmental and Scientific Education) which is the name in the curriculum for History, Geography and Science.
Although there are many good websites for world history and geography out there – BBC schools is always a reliable one – it can be difficult to find good content on Irish history and geography for primary school students. And, particularly in the senior classes, students have a lot of questions and interest in the very complicated nature of Irish history.
Today’s Wednesday for Parents is all about one great site – Ask about Ireland but before we begin, we’d like to recommend two other resources if your child has a strong interest in Irish history. Firstly, if you haven’t seen our blogging friend Manny Man’s History of Ireland video, you should check it out here. His YouTube channel is also contains other animated history videos – A Brief History of the Conflicts in the North, World War 1 in 6 minutes and an excellent Q&A with a little school in Bray! The second resource we recommend is a book called ‘The Story of Ireland’ by Brendan O’Brien – it’s a very entertaining read and the illustrations keep the reader glued to the story!
Ask about Ireland’s Learning Zone has two levels – primary and secondary. Although it’s not our main focus, the secondary section is ideal for project research and exam revision for older students. The primary section contains a wealth of resources for all age groups – from infants to 6th class. It’s a lovely mix of stories, information and activities with children’s voices used throughout. There’s enough content to fill months of ‘Wednesday for Parents’ so we chose five activities that might be of interest to you and your child:
- The full story: This is what I use Ask about Ireland for most frequently. It lays out the story of Ireland in chronological order – you can choose particular topics or work through from start to finish if your child wants to learn more about the overall history of Ireland. It contains pictures and videos throughout.
- Irish myths and legends: Do you remember all the great stories about Fionn, Oisín and Cú Chulainn? They’re brought to life using ebooks, audio books and pdf files. Every story also has a link to its Irish translation.
- Infant geography: There are a number of great activities to develop infants’ awareness of space and their environment.
- Then and now: Continuity and change is one of the most important sections of Junior History – this section on clothes for 1st and 2nd classes contains lots of pictures and suggestions for discussion – a great way to develop skills with your child!
- Wild games and activities: Is your child interested in nature and in the environment? They’ll LOVE this section. Lots to do and lots to learn!
As always, we’d love to hear what you think about the site – can you recommend any other activities or sections on Ask About Ireland? Let us know in the comments! You can find all previous ‘Wednesday for Parents’ here!
