The Treaty and Civil War

Active learning helps students grasp the complexity of the Treaty and Civil War by moving beyond dates and names into lived experiences. Debating Treaty terms, mapping divisions, and sorting sources makes abstract divisions personal and memorable, helping students see how political choices shaped daily lives.

• 5th Class
• Voices of the Past: Exploring Change and Continuity
• 4 activities
• 30 min–45 min

Learning Objectives

1. Analyze the primary points of contention within the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921.
2. Explain how the Anglo-Irish Treaty and subsequent Civil War created divisions within Irish families and communities.
3. Evaluate the challenges faced by the newly formed Irish Free State in establishing governance during internal conflict.
4. Compare the perspectives of pro-Treaty and anti-Treaty factions regarding national sovereignty.
5. Identify key figures and their roles in the Treaty negotiations and the Civil War.

Formal Debate

⏱ 45 min·Small Groups

Debate Carousel: Treaty Arguments

Divide class into pro-Treaty and anti-Treaty groups. Each group prepares three key arguments from provided sources, then rotates to defend and counter at four stations. Conclude with a whole-class vote and reflection on persuasion.

Prepare & details

Analyze the core disagreements surrounding the Anglo-Irish Treaty.

Facilitation Tip: During the Debate Carousel, circulate to listen for students using treaty excerpts to support arguments rather than repeating opinions.

Setup: Two teams facing each other, audience seating for the rest

Materials: Debate proposition card, Research brief for each side, Judging rubric for audience, Timer

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

Formal Debate

⏱ 35 min·Pairs

Family Division Mapping: Community Impact

Students draw family trees or community maps showing real or hypothetical splits during the Civil War, using newspaper clippings. Pairs add quotes from divided figures and discuss lasting effects. Share maps in a gallery walk.

Prepare & details

Explain how the Civil War created divisions within Irish families and communities.

Facilitation Tip: When mapping family divisions, provide colored pencils and large paper so pairs can clearly distinguish pro- and anti-Treaty views.

Setup: Two teams facing each other, audience seating for the rest

Materials: Debate proposition card, Research brief for each side, Judging rubric for audience, Timer

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

Formal Debate

⏱ 30 min·Small Groups

Timeline Relay: Key Events

Teams line up to add one event, leader, or quote to a shared timeline on the board, passing a baton. Include Treaty signing, Four Courts attack, and war end. Review for accuracy as a class.

Prepare & details

Assess the challenges of establishing a new state amidst internal conflict.

Facilitation Tip: For the Timeline Relay, assign each group one event but require them to justify why it matters to other groups’ events.

Setup: Two teams facing each other, audience seating for the rest

Materials: Debate proposition card, Research brief for each side, Judging rubric for audience, Timer

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

Formal Debate

⏱ 40 min·individual then pairs

Source Sorting: Perspectives

Provide mixed document cards (speeches, cartoons). Individuals sort into pro/anti-Treaty piles, justify choices in pairs, then verify with class key. Extend to predict war outcomes.

Prepare & details

Analyze the core disagreements surrounding the Anglo-Irish Treaty.

Facilitation Tip: While sorting sources, ask students to note which perspective each document represents and why the language reveals bias.

Setup: Two teams facing each other, audience seating for the rest

Materials: Debate proposition card, Research brief for each side, Judging rubric for audience, Timer

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

Teaching This Topic

Teach this topic by focusing on the human scale of the conflict rather than dry political theory. Start with personal stories to build empathy, then layer in documents to show how ideals clashed in practice. Avoid framing the Civil War as a simple right versus wrong; instead, help students see how honorable people could hold opposing views. Research shows that when students role-play historical figures, they retain core arguments longer because they attach emotions to facts.

What to Expect

Students will explain the core disagreements over the Treaty, identify key figures’ positions, and describe how these choices divided families and communities. Success looks like students using primary sources to justify perspectives and connecting historical events to human consequences.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During the Debate Carousel, watch for students treating the Civil War as a continuation of fighting Britain instead of a debate between Irish groups.

What to Teach Instead

Use the debate format to redirect students: ask them to identify whether each argument focuses on British actions or Irish choices, and have them revise statements to clarify internal divisions.

Common Misconception

During the Timeline Relay, watch for students assuming the Treaty solved all independence issues immediately.

What to Teach Instead

After relay groups share, ask them to highlight which events on their timeline directly led to the Civil War, connecting Treaty acceptance to its consequences.

Common Misconception

During Family Division Mapping, watch for students believing all Irish people rejected the Treaty.

What to Teach Instead

After mapping, have pairs share a family member’s perspective they included, then ask the class to identify which areas show mixed views rather than uniform opposition.

Assessment Ideas

Exit Ticket

After the Debate Carousel, provide a T-chart. Ask students to list one reason someone might have supported the Anglo-Irish Treaty on one side and one reason someone might have opposed it on the other. Include a sentence explaining the oath of allegiance.

Discussion Prompt

During Family Division Mapping, pose the question: 'Imagine you are a young person living in Ireland in 1922. Your parents disagree strongly about the Treaty. How might this conflict affect your family and your friendships?' Have students share their thoughts before mapping to build emotional context.

Quick Check

After Source Sorting, present students with short quotes from historical figures on both sides of the Treaty debate. Ask them to identify which side each quote represents and briefly explain why, referencing key terms like 'partition' or 'Free State'.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Students who finish early can research a local family affected by the Civil War and present a short biography to the class.
• For students struggling with perspective-taking, provide a Venn diagram comparing treaty terms to help them organize ideas before discussions.
• To go deeper, assign a mock press conference where students role-play Collins and de Valera answering reporters’ questions about the Treaty’s flaws and benefits.

Key Vocabulary

Anglo-Irish Treaty	The agreement signed in 1921 that ended the Irish War of Independence but led to a split in the independence movement. It established the Irish Free State but maintained links to the British Crown and partition.
Irish Free State	The name given to the new state established by the Anglo-Irish Treaty. It was a dominion within the British Empire, with its own parliament and government.
Partition	The division of Ireland into two separate political entities: the Irish Free State and Northern Ireland. This division was a key point of contention in the Treaty.
Oath of Allegiance	A pledge required by the Anglo-Irish Treaty for members of the new Irish parliament to swear loyalty to the British King. This was a major point of disagreement for anti-Treaty forces.
Civil War (Ireland)	The conflict fought from 1922 to 1923 between the forces of the new Irish Free State (pro-Treaty) and the opposing republican forces (anti-Treaty) who rejected the terms of the Anglo-Irish Treaty.