Active Citizenship and Democratic Action · 3rd Year

Active learning ideas

Our School Leaders: Principal and Teachers

This topic comes alive through active learning because students need to see how abstract roles like the President’s non-political authority or the Council of State’s function connect to real decision-making in their own school. Role play and debate let them practice the careful, evidence-based reasoning that defines these roles, while gallery walks build visual and contextual understanding of the presidency’s symbolic and practical duties.

• NCCA Curriculum Specifications
• NCCA: Primary - Myself and the Wider World - People in the Community
• NCCA: Primary - Myself and the Wider World - Rules and Laws

• 30–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Role Play
• 50 min · Small Groups

Role Play: The Council of State

Students simulate a meeting of the Council of State where the President must decide whether to refer a controversial bill to the Supreme Court. Participants take on roles like the Taoiseach, Chief Justice, and former Presidents to offer advice.

What jobs do our Principal and teachers do in the school?

Facilitation Tip

During the Role Play: Council of State, assign clear roles and provide short fact cards so students focus on the constitutional process rather than improvising.

What to look for

Facilitate a class discussion using these prompts: 'What is one important job the Principal does that helps you learn? Name one way a teacher makes decisions that affect your class. How could you share a good idea for the school with your Principal?'

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 02

• Gallery Walk
• 30 min · Whole Class

Gallery Walk: Presidential Themes

Display quotes and initiatives from past Presidents (e.g., Mary Robinson's light in the window or Michael D. Higgins's ethics initiative). Students move around the room to identify how each President interpreted their role as a representative of the people.

How do they help make important decisions for everyone?

Facilitation Tip

For the Gallery Walk: Presidential Themes, place the images or quotes at eye level and group them by theme so students can see patterns across different presidencies.

What to look for

Provide students with a worksheet containing two columns: 'Principal's Jobs' and 'Teacher's Jobs'. Ask them to list at least three responsibilities under each heading. Review responses to gauge understanding of roles.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Activity 03

• Formal Debate
• 40 min · Small Groups

Formal Debate: Political vs. Non-Political

Organize a debate on whether the President should have more executive power or remain a symbolic figure. Students must use evidence from the Constitution to support their arguments about the stability of the state.

How can we share our ideas with our school leaders?

Facilitation Tip

During the Structured Debate: Political vs. Non-Political, give students a pro/con framework in advance so they prepare arguments grounded in evidence, not opinion.

What to look for

On a small piece of paper, have students write down one question they would ask the Principal if they had the chance, and one suggestion they have for their teachers. Collect these to assess their engagement with the topic and their ideas for communication.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Decision-Making

A few notes on teaching this unit

This topic works best when teachers avoid oversimplifying the presidency as just a ceremonial role. Instead, emphasize the legal and ethical boundaries that define its power, such as the Supreme Court referral process. Research shows students grasp complex systems better when they connect them to familiar structures, so link the Council of State to school leadership teams or student councils. Avoid spending too much time on election mechanics unless it directly supports understanding checks and balances.

Students will show they understand the differences between formal leadership roles by explaining responsibilities with examples, comparing roles using clear criteria, and applying this understanding to situations they recognize, such as school leadership. They will also be able to identify checks and balances in the Irish system and relate them to how decisions are made at school.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Role Play: Council of State, watch for students who describe the President as having executive power like a head of government.

  Pause the role play and ask groups to list the President’s actual powers from the Constitution, then compare them to the Prime Minister’s role in a short whole-class discussion.

• During the Structured Debate: Political vs. Non-Political, watch for students who assume the President’s refusal to sign a bill is purely political.

  Have students refer to the debate handout with constitutional clauses and the Council of State’s role, then rephrase their arguments to include legal evidence rather than personal opinion.

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Methods used in this brief

• Role Play
• Gallery Walk
• Formal Debate