Voices of Change: Ireland and the Wider World · 6th Year

Active learning ideas

The First Dáil and Sinn Féin

Active learning works well for this topic because students need to grasp the political urgency and strategic choices of the period. Debates and role-plays help them internalize the stakes of independence and governance, while collaborative tasks build empathy for the pressures faced by those in 1919.

• NCCA Curriculum Specifications
• NCCA: Primary - Politics, conflict and society
• NCCA: Primary - Continuity and change over time

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

Activity 01

• Expert Panel
• 50 min · Small Groups

Election Debate Simulation: Sinn Féin vs Unionists

Divide class into Sinn Féin, Unionist, and moderator roles. Provide manifestos and speeches for preparation. Groups debate key issues like Home Rule versus full independence for 20 minutes, then vote as 1918 electorate. Debrief on outcomes.

Explain the significance of the 1918 General Election results for Irish nationalism.

Facilitation Tip

During the Election Debate Simulation, assign roles with clear party platforms and have students prepare 3-minute arguments using historical speeches or manifesto excerpts for authenticity.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine you are an Irish voter in 1918. Based on the political climate and the actions of Sinn Féin and other parties, what factors would influence your vote, and why?' Facilitate a class discussion where students articulate their reasoning, referencing specific election promises or historical events.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 02

• Expert Panel
• 35 min · Pairs

Timeline Construction: Path to the First Dáil

Students in pairs sequence 15 key events from 1916 Rising to 1919 Dáil meeting using cards with dates, descriptions, and images. Add cause-effect arrows and present to class. Extend with 'what if' discussions.

Analyze how the First Dáil sought to establish an alternative government.

Facilitation Tip

For the Timeline Construction, provide pre-sorted event cards with dates, causes, and effects, but require students to justify their sequencing in pairs before finalizing the shared class timeline.

What to look for

Provide students with a short excerpt from the Democratic Programme and a brief description of a contemporary government policy (e.g., a social welfare initiative). Ask them to write two sentences comparing the stated goals of the Democratic Programme with the contemporary policy, identifying similarities or differences in their aims.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 03

• Expert Panel
• 45 min · Whole Class

Mock Dáil Session: Democratic Programme

Assign roles as TDs to read and vote on the Democratic Programme excerpts. Whole class discusses land reform and labour rights clauses. Record decisions and compare to British Parliament actions.

Compare the political strategies of Sinn Féin with earlier nationalist movements.

Facilitation Tip

In the Mock Dáil Session, limit the Democratic Programme to 5 key clauses and assign ministers to defend their portfolios against 'British suppression' challenges, modeling real-time political trade-offs.

What to look for

On a small card, ask students to write: 1. One reason why Sinn Féin's victory in the 1918 election was significant. 2. One way the First Dáil attempted to function as a government. 3. One question they still have about this period.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 04

• Jigsaw
• 40 min · Small Groups

Jigsaw: Sinn Féin vs Parnell

Expert groups research one strategy (abstentionism, boycotts, or Home Rule). Regroup to teach peers and create Venn diagrams. Class shares insights on successes and failures.

Explain the significance of the 1918 General Election results for Irish nationalism.

Facilitation Tip

In the Strategy Comparison Jigsaw, give each group either Sinn Féin or Parnell’s materials, then assign peer experts to teach the other group, ensuring evidence-based contrasts are shared.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine you are an Irish voter in 1918. Based on the political climate and the actions of Sinn Féin and other parties, what factors would influence your vote, and why?' Facilitate a class discussion where students articulate their reasoning, referencing specific election promises or historical events.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Research shows that students retain political history best when they role-play decision-making and analyze primary sources in context. Avoid overloading them with abstract theories; instead, ground discussions in the specific language of manifestos, election results, and Dáil proceedings. Emphasize the provisional and risky nature of the First Dáil to counter romanticized narratives.

Successful learning looks like students confidently explaining how Sinn Féin’s rise connected to the 1916 Rising and the 1918 election. They should analyze the First Dáil’s provisional nature and compare its goals with earlier nationalist movements using evidence from simulations and timelines.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Timeline Construction activity, watch for students assuming Sinn Féin led Irish politics continuously before 1918.

  Use the pre-sorted event cards to highlight the 1916 Rising as the turning point, and require students to note Sinn Féin’s low pre-1916 profile in their timelines, using election data to confirm its 1918 surge.

• During the Mock Dáil Session activity, watch for students portraying the First Dáil as a fully operational government.

  Provide context cards about British raids and secrecy; have students note logistical challenges in their session notes, such as hidden meeting places or coded communications.

• During the Strategy Comparison Jigsaw activity, watch for students oversimplifying Sinn Féin and Parnell’s goals as identical.

  Require peer groups to create a comparison chart with columns for goals, methods, and outcomes, using direct quotes from party documents to clarify differences.

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Methods used in this brief

• Expert Panel
• Jigsaw