Overview of History Lesson Plans
The Minister with Responsibilty for Defence, Paul Keogh TD, said the following at the official launch of the Military Service Pensions Collection (1916-1923) -The Brigade Activity Reports in Cathal Brugha Barracks:
“We have the responsibility to remember the events (of the War of Independence) in the full context of our history. It provides the opportunity for this generation to understand and empathise with our forebears who fought to gain independence’.
The release of these records shed light on the lives of those who took part in the Irish revolution a century ago and provides us with an invaluable primary source into an era that is laced with conflicting memories and experiences. The renowned historian Dr Eamon Phoenix has stated repeatedly that while Ireland, north and south, has a shared history, it does not have a shared memory. This archive will give the student a window into every parish and townland in Ireland and provide the opportunity to interrogate material at first hand.
There has never been a more exciting time to be a student of history in this country
thanks to the rich variety of sources and archives that have become available to all. It is also deeply ironic that at this time, history in our schools has been marginalised and has become an optional subject. As professional history teachers, we in the History Teachers association of Ireland (HTAI) regret the current situation in our educational system. As teachers of history, we believe that all students have a right to their past. The study of history has a huge social value in training young minds to become active citizens and should therefore be the right of ALL our young people. To quote the current Minister for Education and Skills, Joe Mc Hugh, TD:
“How vital it is that young people learn from the past in order that they can plan for the future? At a national, European and international level, it has never been more important for people to understand the lessons of history’”
Let’s hope that the current review initiated by the Minister will restore history to the core of our educational system.
THE FLAG AS A SYMBOL:
The current decade of centenaries has engaged the public imagination throughout the country and placed history at the
centre of local, national and international commemorations. The image of the Irish Flag has been central to these ceremonies. A country’s flag is a potent symbol of nationhood and identity. While it has the power to unify and instill a sense of pride in its people, it can also become a symbol of division and conflict. Therefore, the story of the Irish Flag and Thomas Meagher, the man who presented it to the Irish people in 1848, provides an opportunity for students of history at all levels to reflect on the significance of symbols and anthems; to explore and forge links from the Republican tradition of the 18th century right through to the political divisions of the present day. This in turn would allow students to focus on the power of emblems and symbols to define loyalities based on cultural, social and religious traditions.
The lesson plans provided by my colleagues in the History Teachers’ Association of Ireland offers the teacher a ‘toolkit’ for the classroom to navigate the complex and turbulent times of the War of Independence and include a detailed study of key events and personalities of that time. The narrative of the sequence of events can be explored in a multi-faceted way. Students are encouraged to analyse a variety of primary sources such as newspaper reports, public notices and posters, contemporary documents, images and audio material. Emphasis has been placed on the necessity to raise students’ awareness of the concept of propaganda and mythology and to stress the importance of contextualising key events and personalities so as not to reinforce or impose any inherited preconceptions or prejudices. To quote the historian Diarmaid Ferriter, we must always try to avoid ‘studying history backwards’!
SKILLS:
The central vision of new Junior Cycle as set down in the Framework Document is underpinned by eight Principles; 24 Statements of Learning and eight Key Skills. At the heart of the new strategy is the desire for students to learn, how to learn; to engage in independent research and to connect with everyday life and current affairs. The language of this document reflects the defining vocabulary for the study of history. The following is a list of some of the key skills that are at the heart of the study of historyInvestigate Justify
Assess Evaluate
Analyse Explore
Consider Review Interrogate Identify
Examine Make connections with...
Students are given an opportunity to enhance their skills of enquiry, research and analysis, reflect on their learning and engage in making considered decisions based on the exploration of evidence. These lesson plans will harness all these skills and enable students to: Main: Cover of the recently published Military Service Pensions Collection, at Military Archives, Cathal Brugha Barracks, Dublin, with an image of the East Cork Flying Column 1920-21. Image courtesy of Patrick W Cashman. Top: notice of martial law issued by order of military authority, Enniscorthy, 17 February 1921. Image courtesy of Christopher Courtney. Above: Constitution of Cumann na mBan , 1919 with image of women and flag. gather, record, organise and evaluate information and data think critically and creatively make considered decisions gather, interpret and represent data express ideas
Guided by professionally trained teachers, students can learn to value local, national and international heritage and to study diverse values, beliefs and traditions. In the current climate of the suspension of the Northern Ireland Assembly and the Brexit negotiations, a knowledge of the complex history of Anglo Irish relations is particularly relevant.
LITERACY AND NUMERACY STRATEGY:
The study of history enhances a student’s ability to embrace a rich vocabulary that provides them with important life skills of communication and expression. Their numeracy skills can also be improved by the use of timelines, chronology and the observation of sequences and patterns in the study of the past. The use of technology and digital media also enhances the student’s ability to embrace the rich variety of sources that have become available thanks to advancement in technology.
The author is President of The History Teachers’ Association of Ireland and a history teacher and school archivist in Dominican College Muckross Park, Donnybrook, Dublin.