Ireland · NCCA Curriculum Specifications
3rd Year Exploring Our Past: From Stone Age Ireland to Ancient Civilizations
This course introduces Year 3 students to the skills of the historian through the study of local history, early Irish settlers, and the wonders of Ancient Egypt. Students develop chronological awareness and learn to use evidence to reconstruct the lives of people in the past.
The Historian's Toolkit
An introduction to how we discover the past using artifacts, documents, and oral traditions.
Students learn to distinguish between primary and secondary sources by examining physical objects.
Exploring continuity and change through the lens of the student's own family tree and timeline.
Investigating the origins and development of the local school building and community.
Early Settlers in Ireland
Examining the lives of the first hunter-gatherers and the transition to farming in the Mesolithic and Neolithic eras.
Studying the lifestyle of the first people to arrive in Ireland after the Ice Age.
Investigating the massive shift from hunting to agriculture and the impact on the Irish landscape.
Exploring the engineering and spiritual significance of the Brú na Bóinne passage tombs.
Life in Ancient Egypt
A deep dive into the civilization of the Nile, focusing on social hierarchy, religion, and daily life.
Understanding how the geography of the Nile River allowed a great civilization to flourish.
Examining the power of the rulers and the religious significance of the Great Pyramids.
Exploring the Egyptian writing system and the importance of record keeping.
Great Explorers
Biographical studies of individuals who ventured into the unknown and changed world history.
The life and voyages of the Kerry man who survived the harshest conditions on Earth.
Analyzing the motivations and consequences of the 1492 voyage to the Americas.
The story of the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic and her impact on gender roles.
Life in Medieval Ireland
Exploring the world of castles, knights, and monks during the Middle Ages in Ireland.
Life in places like Glendalough and Skellig Michael, focusing on the work of monks.
How the arrival of Strongbow and the Normans changed Irish architecture and law.
Investigating the trades, hygiene, and social structures of walled towns like Dublin or Kilkenny.
Games and Pastimes Through Time
A thematic look at how children and adults have spent their leisure time from ancient times to the present.
Exploring the sports and board games of the Egyptians, Greeks, and early Irish.
Comparing the leisure activities of wealthy and poor children in the 19th century.
Tracing the shift from outdoor community play to indoor digital entertainment in the late 20th century.