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

Active learning ideas

The Rise of Sinn Féin and the 1918 Election

Active learning engages students with the human drama behind political change, turning abstract events like the 1918 election into a lived experience. By stepping into roles, analyzing sources, and debating outcomes, students connect empathy with analysis, deepening their grasp of how political shifts unfold in real time.

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

• 35–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Timeline Challenge
• 45 min · Small Groups

Timeline Build: Sinn Féin Milestones

Provide cards with key events from 1916 to 1918, such as the Rising, conscription crisis, and election results. In small groups, students sequence them on a class timeline, add cause-effect arrows, and present one link. Conclude with a whole-class vote on the most pivotal event.

Analyze the factors that led to Sinn Féin's transformation into a mass movement in the period after 1916.

Facilitation Tip

For the Dáil Role-Play, assign roles like Eamon de Valera, Constance Markievicz, or British officials to give students clear character constraints.

What to look for

On a slip of paper, students will write two reasons why Sinn Féin gained popularity after 1916 and one consequence of their 1918 election victory for Irish governance.

• Remember
• Understand
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 02

• Timeline Challenge
• 50 min · Small Groups

Mock Election Debate: 1918 Campaigns

Divide class into Sinn Féin and Irish Parliamentary Party teams. Each prepares a 2-minute speech using provided posters and manifestos, then holds a debate. Students vote with ballots to simulate the landslide, discussing why support shifted.

Explain the significance of Sinn Féin's landslide victory in the December 1918 general election.

What to look for

Facilitate a class discussion using the prompt: 'Imagine you are a voter in Ireland in 1918. What issues might influence your decision to vote for Sinn Féin or another party? How might the outcome of the election change your life?'

• Remember
• Understand
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 03

• Timeline Challenge
• 40 min · Pairs

Source Stations: Election Evidence

Set up stations with newspapers, posters, and maps of results. Pairs rotate, noting evidence for Sinn Féin's rise at each. Groups compile findings into a shared poster explaining the victory's significance.

Evaluate how the 1918 election results set the stage for the establishment of an independent Irish parliament.

What to look for

Present students with a simplified map of Ireland showing the 1918 election results by constituency. Ask them to identify the areas where Sinn Féin won the most seats and explain what this pattern suggests about political support across the country.

• Remember
• Understand
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 04

• Timeline Challenge
• 35 min · Whole Class

Dáil Role-Play: First Meeting

Assign roles as TDs; students read simplified speeches from the 1919 Dáil. In a mock session, they vote on the Declaration of Independence and justify positions based on election context. Debrief on continuity to modern Ireland.

Analyze the factors that led to Sinn Féin's transformation into a mass movement in the period after 1916.

What to look for

On a slip of paper, students will write two reasons why Sinn Féin gained popularity after 1916 and one consequence of their 1918 election victory for Irish governance.

• Remember
• Understand
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Start with broad context, then immerse students in specific dilemmas like 1918 voters facing conscription or Sinn Féin’s shift from cultural nationalism to republicanism. Avoid overwhelming them with too many dates; instead, let key events emerge through inquiry. Research in political education shows that students retain concepts better when they analyze choices rather than memorize outcomes.

By the end of these activities, students will explain how Sinn Féin evolved from a marginal party to a dominant movement and how the 1918 election redefined Irish politics. They will also analyze primary sources to evaluate the fairness of the election and role-play the first Dáil to understand the significance of abstentionism.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Timeline Build, watch for students assuming Sinn Féin always advocated full independence.

  Use the pre-1916 events on the timeline to prompt them to note Sinn Féin’s initial focus on abstentionism and cultural revival, then contrast this with post-1916 shifts as they sequence the cards.

• During Source Stations, watch for students believing the 1918 election was conducted fairly.

  Direct students to compare constituency maps with election results, using the provided gerrymandering evidence to question British claims of neutrality and fairness.

• During the Dáil Role-Play, watch for students thinking the 1918 election immediately ended British rule.

  Pose questions during the role-play about whether the Dáil’s declaration of independence changed Britain’s actions, then have students add the 1921 Treaty as a concluding event to the timeline to show continuity.

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Methods used in this brief

• Timeline Challenge