History · 6th Class

Active learning ideas

Hunters and Builders: The Stone Age in Ireland

Get ready to journey from a world of stone to a world of metal! This topic uncovers how new technologies and new people transformed ancient Ireland forever.

• NCCA Curriculum Specifications
• NCCA: Primary School Curriculum, History - Strand: Early people and ancient societies

• 45–90 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Mystery Object
• 60 min · Individual

Celtic Art Studio

Pupils examine examples of Celtic art like the Tara Brooch or the Ardagh Chalice, identifying key motifs like spirals, knots, and animal forms. They then use these designs as inspiration to create their own piece of 'Celtic' art, such as an illuminated letter of their initial or a design for a shield.

Analyse the evidence archaeologists use to learn about Stone Age life.

Facilitation Tip

Provide templates of basic Celtic knots to help pupils who find the freehand drawing difficult.

What to look for

Use an 'exit ticket' where pupils must write down two ways the arrival of metal changed Ireland and one question they still have.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 02

• Mystery Object
• 90 min · Small Groups

A Day in the Life of a Druid

In small groups, pupils are assigned a role within Celtic society (e.g., druid, chieftain, warrior, farmer). They must research the responsibilities and daily life of that person and prepare a short presentation or role-play for the class.

Explain the significance of the shift from hunting and gathering to farming in Neolithic Ireland.

Facilitation Tip

Give each group prompt cards with key questions to guide their research, such as 'What did you eat?' or 'What was your most important job?'.

What to look for

Pupils create a 'Museum in a Box'. They select 3-5 'artifacts' (which they can draw or make) from the Bronze or Iron Age and write a museum label for each, explaining what it is and what it tells us about life at the time.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 03

• Mystery Object
• 45 min · Pairs

From Rock to Metal

Create a large Venn diagram on the board or floor comparing the Stone Age and the Bronze Age. Pupils work in pairs to write facts about tools, homes, food, and beliefs on sticky notes and place them in the correct section of the diagram.

Compare the lifestyles of Mesolithic and Neolithic people in Ireland.

Facilitation Tip

Encourage debate and justification for where they place each note, especially for things that might have continued across both periods.

What to look for

Provide pupils with a 'traffic light' checklist of the key learning objectives. They colour each objective red, amber, or green to indicate their confidence level.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Begin with tangible comparisons: show images of a stone axe next to a bronze axe and ask pupils which they'd rather use and why. This grounds the concept of technological change. When introducing the Celts, use maps to show their spread across Europe to avoid the idea of a single invasion fleet. Use storytelling and role-play to explore the complex social roles, making the abstract ideas of a chieftain or a druid more concrete and relatable for the class.

Your pupils will be able to explain how the Bronze Age revolutionised daily life and analyse the art, laws, and leaders of the powerful Celtic society that followed.

---

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• The Celts were a single, unified nation that invaded and conquered Ireland all at once.

  The Celts were a collection of different tribes who shared similar languages, beliefs, and artistic styles. Their arrival in Ireland was a gradual process over many centuries, involving migration and cultural fusion rather than a single invasion.

• Life in the Bronze Age was primitive and simple.

  The introduction of bronze led to complex developments. It required sophisticated knowledge of mining, smelting, and trade to acquire copper and tin, and led to a more stratified society with clear distinctions between rich and poor.

• Druids were just wizards who performed magic.

  Druids were a highly respected and powerful class in Celtic society. They were not just priests, but also acted as judges, teachers, doctors, and advisors to the kings, memorising vast amounts of history, law, and poetry.

---

Methods used in this brief

• Mystery Object