History · 6th Class

Active learning ideas

Raiders and Traders: The Vikings in Ireland

Set sail back in time to an age of longships and legends! This topic explores the fearsome Vikings and uncovers their surprising and lasting impact on Ireland.

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

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

Activity 01

• Formal Debate
• 90 min · Small Groups

Build a Longship Challenge

Using recycled materials, pupils work in small groups to design and construct a model of a Viking longship, focusing on key features like the keel, sail, and rudder. They must then present their model, explaining why its design was effective for both raiding and trading.

Analyse the reasons why Vikings first came to Ireland.

Facilitation Tip

Provide images of archaeological finds, like the Roskilde ships, to guide their designs and prompt discussion on form versus function.

What to look for

Use an 'Exit Ticket' where pupils must write down two facts they learned about Viking settlements and one question they still have.

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

Activity 02

• Formal Debate
• 45 min · Individual

A Day in Dyflin Diary

Pupils write a diary entry from the perspective of a child living in the Viking settlement of Dublin (Dyflin) around the year 950. They should include details about daily life, crafts, trade, and interactions between the Norse settlers and the native Irish.

Compare the stereotype of Vikings as just raiders with their role as traders and settlers.

Facilitation Tip

Create a 'word bank' on the board with key Hiberno-Norse terms and concepts to support their writing.

What to look for

Pupils create a 'Museum Exhibit' project, choosing an aspect of Viking life in Ireland (e.g., trade, crafts, warfare) to research and present on a poster or in a digital format.

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

Activity 03

• Formal Debate
• 60 min · Pairs

Viking Legacy Map

In pairs, pupils use maps of modern Irish towns (Dublin, Waterford, Wexford, Limerick) to find street names, landmarks, and areas that have Viking origins. This can be a virtual tour using online maps or with printed resources in the classroom.

Evaluate the long-term legacy of the Vikings on Irish towns, trade, and language.

Facilitation Tip

Encourage pupils to look for place names ending in '-ford' (from fjord) or street names like 'Fishamble Street'.

What to look for

Pupils use a 'Traffic Light' system (red, orange, green) to indicate their confidence in explaining the difference between a Viking raider and a Viking trader.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Begin by tapping into pupils' prior knowledge, which is often shaped by popular culture. Use images of primary sources, like the annals and archaeological finds from Dublin, to challenge stereotypes. Employ group work and debates to encourage pupils to analyse different perspectives on the Vikings' role in Irish history.

By the end of this topic, your pupils will be able to look beyond the horned helmets and see the Vikings as complex figures who were not just raiders, but also traders, explorers, and town-builders.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• Vikings wore horned helmets into battle.

  There is no archaeological or historical evidence that Vikings wore horned helmets. This image was invented for a 19th-century opera. Real Viking helmets were typically simple, conical metal caps that offered practical protection.

• The Vikings were just violent barbarians who only destroyed things.

  While their raids were often brutal, Vikings were also skilled craftspeople, explorers, and traders who established vast networks. They founded many of Ireland's most important towns and introduced new technologies and ideas.

• The Irish and the Vikings were constant enemies.

  The relationship was very complex. While there was a great deal of conflict, there was also extensive trade, cultural exchange, and intermarriage between the Irish and the Norse settlers, leading to a unique Hiberno-Norse culture.

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Methods used in this brief

• Formal Debate