Exploring Our World: Global Connections and Local Landscapes · 5th Class

Active learning ideas

Irish Settlement History: Vikings to Modern Towns

Active learning helps students connect abstract economic concepts to tangible experiences, making the invisible supply chain visible. By handling real labels, moving items in simulations, and discussing costs, students build concrete understanding of interdependence and globalization.

• NCCA Curriculum Specifications
• NCCA: Primary - Human environments
• NCCA: Primary - Settlement and society

• 25–60 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Inquiry Circle
• 40 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: The Label Hunt

Students check the labels on their school jumpers, bags, and lunch items. They plot the countries of origin on a large world map and discuss why so many items come from specific regions like Southeast Asia.

Analyze how historical events shaped Irish settlement patterns.

Facilitation Tip

For 'The Label Hunt,' group students by product type to encourage focused investigation and peer comparison of findings.

What to look for

Provide students with a map of Ireland showing key historical towns. Ask them to label three towns and briefly explain the primary reason for their initial settlement (e.g., Viking longphort, natural harbor, river crossing).

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Activity 02

• Simulation Game
• 60 min · Small Groups

Simulation Game: The Trading Game

Groups represent different countries with varying resources (paper, scissors, rulers). They must trade to complete 'products,' experiencing firsthand how some nations have more power in the global market than others.

Explain how the function of Irish towns has changed over the last century.

Facilitation Tip

In 'The Trading Game,' limit turn time strictly to five minutes per round to maintain energy and urgency.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'How might the function of a town like Galway have changed from the 1700s to today?' Encourage students to consider trade, industry, and population changes in their responses.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 25 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: The Cost of a Banana

Students are shown the price of a banana and a list of people involved (farmer, shipper, supermarket). They discuss in pairs how the money should be split and then compare it to the reality of Fair Trade.

Evaluate the sustainability of current Irish settlement patterns for future generations.

Facilitation Tip

During 'The Cost of a Banana,' ask follow-up questions like 'What would happen if shipping costs doubled?' to deepen reasoning.

What to look for

Students write down one factor that influenced the location of an early Irish settlement and one factor that influences the growth of towns in Ireland today. They should compare these two factors.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Approach this topic through inquiry and simulation to avoid overwhelming students with abstract data. Use familiar items like smartphones or food to anchor discussions, as these make global connections relatable. Avoid lectures about trade routes; instead, let students discover patterns through activities. Research shows that role-playing trade scenarios builds empathy and retention better than traditional methods.

Students will confidently explain how goods travel globally, identify key stages in supply chains, and recognize the importance of trade in everyday life. They will also analyze how historical settlement patterns relate to modern Irish towns.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Label Hunt, watch for students assuming all items are made in Ireland or the UK.

  Direct students to examine labels closely, noting countries of manufacture and sourcing. Ask them to share surprising findings and discuss why certain items come from far away.

• During The Cost of a Banana, students may believe trade is optional or only about wants.

  Ask students to research where Ireland gets essential goods like medicines or coffee. Use this to highlight interdependence, showing that trade meets needs, not just desires.

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Methods used in this brief

• Inquiry Circle
• Simulation Game
• Think-Pair-Share