St. Patrick's Day in the Classroom
Holiday Background Information
St. Patrick's Day commemorates the patron saint of Ireland, Bishop Patrick, who in the year 432 left his home to bring Christianity to Ireland. Tradition says that Patrick drove the snakes from Ireland, but biologists say there were none in the country at the time. Shamrocks are associated with St. Patrick's Day because the Bishop used the three leaves to illustrate the Trinity.
The holiday, March 17th, is marked by parades in cities across the United States. 
The largest of these, held since 1762, is in New York City, and draws more than one million spectators each year. In Ireland, it is a religious holiday similar to Christmas and Easter. The parades, shamrocks, and green beer are provided primarily for tourists.
For more information on Ireland, visit my Ireland Section
Let's Learn About the Emerald Isle
The following activities are designed to acquaint students with the country of Ireland.
Discuss the country of Ireland and the history of St. Patrick. Two very good sources are Patrick, Patron Saint of Ireland by Tomie dePaola and Shamrocks, Harps, and Shillelaghs, The Story of the St. Patrick's Day Symbols by Edna Barth. Both books contain a wealth of information on the origins of St. Patrick's Day.
Map Activities
Have students look at and study a map of Ireland. After a certain period of time have students put the map away. Instruct them to:
Draw an outline map of Ireland.
Color Ireland green.
Color Northern Ireland orange.
Draw in the Shannon River. Locate and name Galaway Bay and Donegal Bay.
Write in the names of the various oceans and seas that border Ireland.
Locate (by placing a dot) the names of the following cities:
- Belfast
- Galway
- Wexford
- Tralee
- Cork
- Dublin
- Kilkenny
- Tipperary
- Derry
For younger students: Locate Ireland on a world map and show its proximity to where you live. Compare the size of the two countries and emphasize that Ireland is very small.
Student Research Ideas
Have students research the following:
1. Find out how the shamrock became the symbol for the country of Ireland.
2. Learn about Ireland's flag. Write a biography of the Irish flag-include an illustration. What is the significance of the colors white, orange and green in the flag?
3. What is the Blarney Stone?
4. Research the Irish potato famine.
5. List and locate five castles of Ireland.
6. Why were there no snakes in Ireland?
More Activities on Ireland...
Find or request Irish recipes from your parents. Have the children make a booklet to share with their parents. Invite parents to share family recipes by coming to your classroom, perhaps to help cook some tasty Irish food.
Pictures and stories about your school could be traded with Irish pen pals.
You and your students could share a part of your community with students from Ireland.
Help in obtaining Irish pen pals or Irish schools could be received from the Irish Embassy based in Washington, D.C.
St. Patrick's Day Language Arts Activities
The following language arts activities are designed to be integrated into your study of Ireland:
Creative Writing
"How to Catch a Leprechaun": Have students write directions on how to catch a leprechaun.
Write a language experience story about ways to prepare potatoes.
Journal Topics
If I found a pot of gold, I would...
What does it mean to be lucky?
What is the luckiest thing that ever happened to you?
Writing Limericks
Limericks are short, traditional Irish poems that often have a predictable, humorous ending. A limerick is a five-line verse with a rhyme scheme of a-a-b-b-a. For example:
There once was a boy named O'Toole,
Who didn't act smart when at school.
He tried to read books
But got dirty looks, and
He grew up to be quite a fool.
Look for collections of limericks in the library and share several with your class so that they can become familiar with the rhymong patterns. Then have students write their own limericks.
Limericks can be used as Cloze activities. For a Cloze activity, simply rewrite the limerick with a blank at the end of each line and provide a word bank of the words to be filled in.
Alliteration:
Using tempera paint, have students paint portraits of leprechauns. Under each painting, put a sentence strip with an alliterative statement describing the leprechauns. One example would be "Lucky leprechauns leap lightly on logs."
St. Patrick's Day Science Activities
Clover, potatoes, and shamrocks are plants of Ireland. Try to grow each in the classroom. A shamrock plant may be purchased at a local florist.
Potatoes in the Classroom
Provide a 5-lb sack of potatoes at a learning center; include reference books on potatoes.
How many potatoes in 5 pounds? Estimate...
Count the number of eyes on a potato. What is the average?
Can you find two potatoes that weigh the same?
Make a graph. How do your students like to eat their potatoes? Mashed? Baked? French Fries?
Can you find the longest potato?
Which potato has the greatest circumference?
Play a round of "Hot-Potato"...
Assign students the task of researching the potato and its important role in Ireland's history. What other information can they find? Write all interseting facts on a GIANT wrapping-paper potato (two pieces slightly stuffed) and hang it over a table where you have your potato activities.
Have students creatively decorate a potato...or make a potato "person"...
Make Potato Soup:
Ingredients:
9 potatoes, peeled and diced
6 stalks of celery, sliced
2 small onions, chopped
3 cups water
2 teaspoons salt
3 chicken bullion cubes, dissolved in 1/2 cup boiling water
6 cups milk
1/2 cup flour
1 stick margarine or butter
Directions:
Combine the potatoes, celery, onion, water, and seasonings in a large pan. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook until tender, about 30 minutes. Combine a small amount of milk and flour until smooth. Add this mixture and the rest of milk to the potato mixture. Stir in the butter. Cook and stir over medium heat until the soup thickens. This recipe will make about 3 quarts of soup or 24 1/2 cup servings. Serve the soup in styrofoam cups.
Shamrock Potato Prints
Each child will need a medium to large potato. Cut the end off the potato and on the cut end draw the outline of a shamrock. Using a table knife (for safety) the child should carefully carve away the excess potato down about an inch until only the shamrock remains. Use the potato like a stamp with an ink pad or thinned paint to decorate paper or cards for St. Patrick's Day.
Click the St. Patrick's Day People for a Suggested Reading list for Children
St. Patrick's Day Fun
Talk about the Irish lore of the mischievous Leprechaun. Find a leprechaun doll in a toy store or card shop. Have your class name the Leprechaun and keep him in the room as your lucky mascot during the month of March. It's especially fun if the Leprechaun plays harmless pranks during the night, such as hiding the reading books or leaving a small little treat on the desks (with a little help from the teacher, of course!). Cut out little footsteps and tape them to the floor...
Pipe Dreams
Here is a real antique story. The pipe at one time was a "community pipe", at least at country inns. When the user was finished, he broke off the end so the pipe was clean for the next user.
Draw a picture of a Leprechaun...
Make a map of Ireland...
Learn an Irish poem...
Hum or sing an Irish song...
Draw five things that are green...
What is a pipedream?
List 10 things you think are lucky...
Name five bad luck things...
Make a list of famous Irish people. Then choose one to learn about...
How many words can you make from the Letters IRELAND?
Math Center Ideas
In your math center, put out a jar filled with pennies or candy coins to resemble gold coins. Estimate how many coins are in the "pot of gold." Place the pot at the end of a large laminated rainbow. If you laminate the rainbow, the estimates can be written on the rainbow using a wipe-off pen. Group the pennies or candy coins by tens, and count to check your estimates.
Enjoy a treasure hunt using the "pot of gold" coins. Hide one hundred coins in the classroom and let the students work in teams to find as many coins as they can. Try timing the treasure hunt. Group the coins by tens and total them. Estimate the total weight of the coins and check the weight on a balance scale.
Green Hat Day
Declare a Green Hat Day! Provide plenty of crepe paper, tissue paper, paper plates and construction paper. You might like to assign this as a project for the family to do at home, and then when Green Hat Day comes, everyone wears their creation.
Green is...Green Day Celebration
Click Kermit the Frog for an entire page of ways to celebrate the color green!!
Make Shamrock Jigglers
For this snack you will need two family size packages of lime Jell-O; follow directions for jigglers recipe. Chill until set. Unmold from a 9" x 13" pan by dipping the pan into hot water for 15 seconds. Cut with shamrock cookie cutters.
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Page created on January 20, 1998.
Updated on February 23, 2002
The largest of these, held since 1762, is in New York City, and draws more than one million spectators each year. In Ireland, it is a religious holiday similar to Christmas and Easter. The parades, shamrocks, and green beer are provided primarily for tourists.
For more information on Ireland, visit my 
Have students look at and study a map of Ireland. After a certain period of time have students put the map away. Instruct them to:
Here is a real antique story. The pipe at one time was a "community pipe", at least at country inns. When the user was finished, he broke off the end so the pipe was clean for the next user.
In your math center, put out a jar filled with pennies or candy coins to resemble gold coins. Estimate how many coins are in the "pot of gold." Place the pot at the end of a large laminated rainbow. If you laminate the rainbow, the estimates can be written on the rainbow using a wipe-off pen. Group the pennies or candy coins by tens, and count to check your estimates.
