Múin do do dhaltaí conas nead ollmhór a thógáil, conas gairdín féileacán a chruthú nó conas a gcraobh ghinealaigh féin a dhéanamh!
Maidir leis na hacmhainní atá á soláthar anseo, Saineolaithe Oidhreachta nó múinteoirí a chuir ar fáil iad nó eagraíochtaí eile oideachais a d’ullmhaigh iad. Acmhainní de chineál spraoi agus oideachais araon atá ann agus tá siad ceaptha chun tuiscint agus fiosracht a spreagadh agus a fhorbairt maidir le hoidhreacht iontach nádúrtha agus cultúir na hÉireann.
Is féidir acmhainní a chuardach faoi na catagóirí seo a leanas:
The PDFs below provide a history of local government in Kilkenny, encouraging the children to become familiar with important events in the history of the locality and referring to the wider national context where relevant.
Theobald Fitzwalter, an English nobleman, came with the young Prince John, to Ireland in 1185. The prince gave Fitzwalter a large area of land and the important job of Chief Butler of Ireland. This meant that if the king was visiting Ireland, the Chief Butler had to make sure there was plenty of food and drink ready for him and for the group travelling with him. Download the full PDF below for the full story of the Butler family.
TuilleadhLeigh níos lúThis resource encourages the children to become familiar with important events in the history of the locality, referring to the wider national context where relevant.
An introduction into different types of buildings that are in the locality.
TuilleadhLeigh níos lúThings To do
1. Go on a building ramble. Ask the children to look at the different types of houses that are in their neighbourhood. Do a mini survey of where they live and what kind of house/ apartment they live in.
2. Download the Front Doors worksheet below and draw a picture of four different doors they see on their way to school.
3. Tell the three Little Pigs Story and get the children to draw the three different types of houses.
Saint Brigid is remembered for her spirituality, charity and compassion. Her feast day is on the 1st February, the first day of spring. It is customary on St Brigid’s Day to make a cross, known as a ‘St Brigid’s Cross’, out of rushes or reeds (other materials may be used if no rushes or reeds are available).
TuilleadhLeigh níos lúOnce the cross is woven, it is blessed with holy water by a priest. It is then hung on the front doors of homes and left in place all year, to be burned and replaced with a newly-woven cross on the next St Brigid’s Day.
How to make a St. Brigid’s Cross
You will need:
Instructions:
Roscommon Castle is a dramatic and imposing 13th Century Norman Castle. It was built in 1269 by Robert de Ufford, on lands he had seized from the Augustinian Priory. The castle has a tumultuous past which can be explored with junior level children in the presentation below.
TuilleadhLeigh níos lúToday, the Castle's past can be visited while enjoying adjacent Loughnaneane Park and Playground, a 14 acre recreational area. The natural features of the park include a turlough and a wildlife conservation area which is a habitat of unique flora and fauna.
Image by Mike Searle and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Developed to compliment the National Curriculum in England, this site is aimed at 7-11 year olds. It includes some great resources, including an interactive Anglo-Saxon virtual village.
The Book of Kells is the most famous hand-coloured book in the world. This great publication gives you the chance to colour some of the drawings as the monks did over a thousand years ago. Choose from over 60 drawings of heavenly figures, Biblicial characters, fantastic creatures, animal and bird designs and Celtic lettering - to create your own little masterpieces.
This book is quick and easy to make, yet still offers flexibility and potential for children to create their own unique versions. They can be used for everything from storytelling to making guidebooks about a local wood or museum, what they put into your book is up to you!
There are several medieval churches still to be seen in Kilkenny City. St. Canice’s Cathedral is the most complete. It is called a cathedral because it was built as the principal church of the diocese. It was the special church of the Bishop of Ossory and he had his seat there. This was an actual chair which was called cathedra in Latin. St. Mary’s Church was the Parish Church of Kilkenny in the middle ages
TuilleadhLeigh níos lúThere were three churches which belonged to religious orders: The Black Abbey was part of the Dominican Priory. Besides the church which you can see today, there were lots of other buildings where the priests and lay brothers lived and worked. It also owned some land and had a mill on the river Bregagh. It lay outside the walls of Kilkenny, but was connected to the rest of Kilkenny by a gate. St. Francis Abbey was a Franciscan Friary. Part of its church can be seen from the main gate of Smithwick’s Brewery. This is only part of the original church and there were other buildings, now gone.
Franciscans and Dominicans were known as Mendicant Orders. A mendicant is someone who begs. The mendicant orders were founded to preach the gospel and to serve the poor. Instead of living off the produce of land which they owned, the Mendicant Orders got much of their income from the ordinary people. St. John’s Priory was an Augustinian priory. It was also the Parish Church of St. John’s Parish on the east bank of the River Nore.
Download the information sheets below to find out more about Kilkenny’s Medieval churches.
Irish history has a cast of millions of characters, but every now and then one lad or lady sticks out as truly heroic. It’s time for Neil Delamere to take on Ireland’s Heroes. From the legendary warrior, Cúchulainn to the pirate queen, Gráinne Mhaol, Neil wants to get inside their skin and see if he has what it takes to be a modern day Irish Hero. Spoiler alert: He doesn’t.
A high cross is a free-standing Christian cross made of stone and often richly decorated. They were raised primarily in Ireland and Britain during the Early Middle Ages and sometimes later. They often, though not always, feature a stone ring around the intersection, forming a Celtic Christian cross.
TuilleadhLeigh níos lúThings To do
1. Download the High Cross worksheet below and ask the children to design their own high cross, maybe using symbols that are in use today.
A quick activity that can offer delightful characters to use in building stories, having adventures or unfolding the life of an old building.
Explore buildings of interest and different architectural style around the local neighbourhood, town or village.
TuilleadhLeigh níos lúThings To do
1. Download the Famous Buildings worksheet below and ask the children to name the buildings in the pictures.
2. If possible, take pictures of local landmarks and do a mini 'show-and-tell' about the buildings.
3. Ask the children to draw a picture of a local landmark and do a mini 'show-and-tell'.
This website documents a project in which six County Sligo schools explored and documented the heritage sites of the county. It has lots of resources that can be used by other schools in Sligo.
This website has lots of interesting information on the history and heritage of Christchurch Cathedral, Dublin for older age groups.
Would you like your class to learn more about their heritage, and Kilkenny's archaeology, in a fun and education-centred way? The Heritage Office of Kilkenny County Council has developed a series of four lesson plans focused on teaching archaeology to young children! The plans are aimed at pre-school, junior and senior infant classes. They are linked to the primary school curriculum and the Aistear curriculum.
TuilleadhLeigh níos lúThis project was developed in partnership with the Kilkenny County Childcare Committee, Kilkenny Education Centre, Dig-it-Kids, and with co-funding from the Heritage Council.
Through using the resources below, and undertaking a trail around Kilkenny Castle, the children should learn about:
1. The people associated with Kilkenny Castle – the Butler family and the servants.
2. Certain design features of the castle, such as limestone, moat, sally port, arrow
3. loop windows, servants’ entrance, coat of arms and lead hoppers.
4. The strategic site that the castle is built on.
5. How the building is changed and why. How the defensive character of the castle became less important as time went by.
Skills and concepts development:
Children should be able to:
1. Time and Chronology:
2. Change and continuity:
3. Cause and effect:
4. Using evidence:
5. Empathy:
Methodologies:
Among the methods which may be used are:
Sources Used:
Explore the past, the hands-on way! Archaeologists are scientists and historians who spend much of their time on their hands and knees, carefully digging through layers of earth to discover the past. What they find not only reflects the past, but also helps us to understand the present and to anticipate the future.
TuilleadhLeigh níos lúThings to do
1. Create a mini-dig 1 - Find the treasure!
2. Find a big box and fill it with loose soil or sand and place loose coins and artefacts (brooches, pins, and arrow heads) for the children to dig or find in the box. Discuss where and where the items came from.
3. Create a mini-dig 2 - What’s the person’s job?
4. Fill a big box with loose soil or sand and place articles that relate to a person's job in it for the children to find.
