Ireland · NCCA Curriculum Specifications
3rd Class Exploring Our Past: From Local Roots to Ancient Worlds
This course introduces students to the work of the historian through the lens of personal, local, and global history. Students develop chronological awareness and empathy by investigating how people lived in different eras and how we use evidence to reconstruct the past.
The Historian's Toolkit
An introduction to the skills of the historian, focusing on evidence, chronology, and the difference between fact and opinion.
Investigating how physical objects from the past tell stories about the people who used them.
Exploring change and continuity through the students' own family trees and personal timelines.
A local study of the school building and community to understand how institutions evolve over time.
Life in Ancient Egypt
A deep dive into the social structure, beliefs, and daily lives of the people of the Nile Valley.
Examining how the geography of the Nile enabled the development of a complex civilization.
Investigating the power of the Pharaohs and the architectural feats of the Old Kingdom.
Exploring the importance of writing and record keeping in ancient Egyptian society.
Early Settlers in Ireland
Tracing the arrival of the first people in Ireland and their transition from hunters to farmers.
Studying the Mesolithic hunter-gatherers who first arrived on the island of Ireland.
Analyzing the shift from hunting to farming during the Neolithic period in Ireland.
Exploring the technological leap from stone tools to metalworking.
Life in Medieval Times
Examining the feudal system, castle life, and the growth of towns in medieval Europe and Ireland.
Investigating the design of castles and the code of chivalry followed by knights.
Understanding the social hierarchy and the obligations between lords, vassals, and peasants.
Exploring the rise of trade, markets, and the regulation of crafts in growing urban centers.
Great Explorers and Change
Studying the lives of individuals who challenged boundaries and the impact of their discoveries.
Focusing on the motivations and technologies that drove early maritime explorers.
A case study of the Irish explorer Tom Crean and his expeditions to the South Pole.
Examining how the meeting of different cultures changed the world forever.