Voices of the Past: Exploring Change and Continuity · 5th Class

Active learning ideas

Home Rule Crisis and World War I

Active learning works for this topic because it helps students move beyond textbook descriptions of the 1916 Rising to engage with the emotions, decisions, and consequences of the event. By analyzing primary sources like the Proclamation or role-playing key moments, students connect intellectually and emotionally to the choices faced by Irish people in 1916.

• 20–35 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Gallery Walk
• 30 min · Pairs

Gallery Walk: Analyzing the Proclamation

Post sections of the 1916 Proclamation around the room. Students move in pairs to identify key promises (like equality for women) and discuss what these words meant to the people of the time.

Analyze the differing perspectives on Home Rule within Ireland and Britain.

Facilitation Tip

For the Gallery Walk, arrange the Proclamation so students can stand close enough to read the text but far enough to see it as a whole document.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine you are an Irish citizen in 1914. Would you support Home Rule? Would you enlist in World War I? Explain your reasoning, considering the different viewpoints we have studied.' Allow students to share their thoughts in small groups before a class discussion.

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

Activity 02

• Role Play
• 35 min · Small Groups

Role Play: The GPO Dispatch

Students act as messengers (like Elizabeth O'Farrell) trying to deliver news between the GPO and other rebel outposts. They must navigate 'checkpoints' and explain the situation on the streets to their commanders.

Explain the reasons for Irish enlistment in World War I.

Facilitation Tip

During the GPO Dispatch role play, provide a short script with key lines underlined so students focus on delivery and audience reaction.

What to look for

Provide students with a short timeline of key events from 1912-1916. Ask them to identify two events related to Home Rule and two events related to Ireland's involvement in WWI. Have them write one sentence explaining the connection between these events.

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

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 20 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: The Public's Reaction

Students compare two accounts: one from a Dubliner angry at the destruction of the city on Monday, and one from a person mourning the executed leaders two weeks later. They discuss what caused this shift in opinion.

Predict how the outbreak of WWI impacted the Home Rule movement.

Facilitation Tip

In the Think-Pair-Share on public reaction, give students 30 seconds to form their initial response before pairing to avoid overthinking.

What to look for

On an index card, ask students to write down one reason why some Irish people wanted Home Rule and one reason why some Irish people chose to enlist in World War I. Collect these as students leave to gauge understanding of differing perspectives.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Approach this topic by starting with the human stories behind the events so students see the Rising as a series of personal decisions, not just a political act. Avoid presenting the Rising as inevitable or universally supported at the time; instead, use primary sources to show how divided opinions were. Research indicates that when students analyze conflicting accounts, they develop deeper historical empathy and critical thinking.

Successful learning looks like students explaining the complexities of the Rising, identifying multiple perspectives on Home Rule and WWI enlistment, and recognizing the immediate public reaction as well as the long-term impact. Students should also articulate why women’s roles were crucial, not incidental, to the event’s outcome.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Gallery Walk: Analyzing the Proclamation, watch for students assuming the Proclamation reflects universal support for the Rising.

  Direct students to focus on the opening lines about ‘Irishmen and Irishwomen’ to highlight inclusivity, then have them scan for phrases like ‘the will of the people’ to discuss how the leaders framed their authority. Ask students to find one line that might have alienated some groups, such as pacifists or unionists.

• During Role Play: The GPO Dispatch, watch for students believing only men were involved in the fighting.

  Provide role cards that include names like Constance Markievicz or Margaret Skinnider and specify their roles as snipers or couriers. After the role play, ask students to identify which characters were not soldiers in uniform and discuss why their contributions might have been overlooked in contemporary accounts.

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Methods used in this brief

• Gallery Walk
• Role Play
• Think-Pair-Share