Voices of the Past: Exploring Change and Continuity · 6th Class

Active learning ideas

The Anglo-Irish Treaty Negotiations

Active learning transforms the Anglo-Irish Treaty negotiations from a distant event into a lived experience for students. By stepping into the roles of delegates or analyzing primary sources, students grasp the human stakes behind partition, the oath, and dominion status. This approach makes abstract political concepts tangible and helps students internalize the pressures of compromise under war conditions.

• NCCA Curriculum Specifications
• NCCA: Primary - Politics, Conflict and Society
• NCCA: Primary - Eras of Change and Conflict

• 30–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Role Play
• 50 min · Small Groups

Role-Play: Treaty Negotiation Rounds

Assign students roles as Irish or British delegates with prepared briefing cards on key issues. Conduct three 10-minute negotiation rounds where groups propose compromises on partition, oath, and ports, then vote on outcomes. Debrief with reflections on pressures faced.

Analyze the main points of contention during the Anglo-Irish Treaty negotiations.

Facilitation Tip

For the Role-Play, assign roles in advance so students can research their delegate’s stance and motivations before the simulation begins.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'If you were a delegate at the negotiations, what would be your top priority, and why?' Allow students to share their chosen priority and justify it based on the historical context discussed.

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

Activity 02

• Role Play
• 40 min · Whole Class

Perspective Debate: Treaty For or Against

Divide class into pro-Treaty and anti-Treaty teams using historical quotes as evidence. Each side presents 3-minute arguments, followed by rebuttals and a class vote. Record key compromises on a shared chart.

Compare the perspectives of the Irish and British delegates during the talks.

Facilitation Tip

During the Perspective Debate, provide a clear structure with timed arguments, rebuttals, and a voting process to keep the discussion focused and equitable.

What to look for

Provide students with a short list of key issues from the negotiations (e.g., partition, oath, dominion status). Ask them to write one sentence for each, explaining why it was a point of disagreement between the Irish and British sides.

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

Activity 03

• Role Play
• 35 min · Small Groups

Source Carousel: Delegate Accounts

Set up stations with primary sources like Collins' letters and Lloyd George's memos. Small groups rotate, annotating perspectives on issues, then share findings in a whole-class discussion.

Evaluate the pressures and compromises that led to the signing of the Treaty.

Facilitation Tip

Set a strict time limit for each station in the Source Carousel to ensure students analyze sources efficiently without rushing or lingering too long.

What to look for

Ask students to write down one significant compromise made during the negotiations and one question they still have about the treaty's impact on Ireland.

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

Activity 04

• Role Play
• 30 min · Pairs

Compromise Mapping: Issue Timelines

In pairs, students create timelines of negotiation issues, marking Irish/British positions and final compromises with sticky notes. Present to class, highlighting war weariness as a factor.

Analyze the main points of contention during the Anglo-Irish Treaty negotiations.

Facilitation Tip

Use a whiteboard or large paper for Compromise Mapping so students can visually track concessions and link them to specific clauses in the Treaty.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'If you were a delegate at the negotiations, what would be your top priority, and why?' Allow students to share their chosen priority and justify it based on the historical context discussed.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teaching this topic effectively means balancing empathy with critical analysis. Experienced teachers use role-plays to humanize the delegates, helping students see the emotional and strategic pressures they faced. Avoid presenting the Treaty as a simple victory or failure. Instead, use primary sources to show how delegates weighed options under duress. Research suggests that students retain more when they grapple with conflicting accounts, so emphasize the messiness of negotiation over neat narratives.

Students will demonstrate understanding by reconstructing the pressures and priorities of both sides, not just recalling facts. Successful learning shows when students articulate the trade-offs in the Treaty, justify their positions with evidence, and recognize how context shaped outcomes. Discussions and debates should reveal nuanced perspectives, not simplistic judgments.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Role-Play activity, watch for students assuming the Treaty gave Ireland full independence immediately.

  Use the role-play’s debrief to clarify limits of the Treaty by asking students to point out the oath, partition, and naval base clauses in their negotiated agreements. Have them compare their outcomes to Collins’ actual reservations to highlight the gap between dominion status and full sovereignty.

• During the Perspective Debate activity, watch for students stating that all Irish delegates supported the Treaty unanimously.

  Structure the debate to include a ‘split vote’ moment where students representing pro- and anti-Treaty factions present arguments using Collins’ reservations and Griffith’s speeches. Require citations from primary sources to underscore the divisions.

• During the Role-Play activity, watch for students believing British negotiators dictated terms without compromise.

  After the simulation, display a chart showing British concessions on ports and dominion status. Ask students to identify where Lloyd George’s threats were met with Irish counteroffers, using their negotiation transcripts as evidence.

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Methods used in this brief

• Role Play