St Patrick's Day Thematic Unit
My mom told me that she wanted to name me Kathy, but she went with Kathleen because I was due on St. Patrick’s day. I was to be her little St. Patrick’s baby (complete with green eyes). Although I didn’t hit that exact date, St. Patrick’s Day has always been my special date, and brings back sweet memories of my mom and those special green treats she would always bake to help us celebrate the day.
I took a DNA test that told me I’m 4.9% Irish — Hooray! I recently visited the beautiful country of Ireland, and even kissed the Blarney Stone!
I guess there is nothing to do but embrace this lighthearted holiday, which is based on a patron Saint in Ireland that died in 461. Wow! That is a long time for a celebration to survive. A community where I recently lived has a giant St. Patrick’s Day parade, started by a an Irish settler in the community four decades ago. His goal was to give opportunity for everyone to act like a kid again, which is something I do every day!
Gather The Books
What better way to celebrate the luck of the Irish than a great thematic study of the holiday! The best way to start any thematic unit is by finding great books! Here are some of my favorites with Amazon links.
Find The Music
There are so many great songs you can use to bring St Patrick’s Day to life in your classroom. One of my favorites to use is Michael Finnagen! This Singlish version is a lot of fun! Search Youtube and you will find many other great versions.
It is also a lot of fun to teach your students an Irish jig to an original tune. Students especially love keeping their arms straight throughout the dancing. Again, you can find many other jig examples on Youtube.
Plan The instruction
Planning all of the thematic learning across the curriculum is not only fun to do, it makes sense for the students! There are so many things that you can do with the connection of luck, green, leprechauns, gold, money, rainbows, and even parades.
Leprechaun Traps!
Of course, don’t forget Leprechaun traps! My favorite way of dealing with the construction is to have this a take-home-project if possible. I find that some great creativity ensues. For those who don’t bring a box from home, I simply let them construct something simple at the art table during centers or free choice — they are just as happy.
