Irish independence · 1916-1922

Ireland 1916-1922: from Easter Rising to Free State

At Easter 1916 rebels in Dublin proclaimed an Irish Republic. Six years later most of Ireland was a self-governing Free State, while six counties in the north stayed British. Students compare the 1914 and 1938 maps and weigh the hopes of nationalists and unionists.

Teach it live New Open on the map
Length
45 minutes
Ages
12–15
On the map
3 steps, AD 1914 to AD 1938
Live lesson
7 rounds, 3 on the map
Worksheet
Two A4 pages, with Classroom
You need
A projector; phones for live

Live lesson · new in Classroom

Teach it live. The class answers on their phones.

Put the board on the projector. Students join with a six-digit code, no account needed, and tap the map: where was the frontier, where did the grain come from. Their pins drop in together when you reveal, and the closest student takes the round.

€19 per month: every lesson live, every worksheet, cancel anytime. Rome at its height runs live for free.

A live lesson on the projector: the class's pins on the map around Alexandria, the closest students listed beside it A student's phone: the question and a map to tap
7 rounds
3 places to find on the map, quiz questions, a class vote and a one-line answer.
About 15 minutes
Run it as the map step, or to open the discussion. You move on with the space bar.
A report
Every answer, per student and per round, to read back or print after the lesson.
1

Introduction

5 min

Read aloud

At Easter 1916 rebels in Dublin proclaimed an Irish Republic. Six years later most of Ireland was a self-governing Free State, while six counties in the north stayed British. Students compare the 1914 and 1938 maps and weigh the hopes of nationalists and unionists.

By the end of the lesson, students can

  • Explain what happened in Dublin during the Easter Rising of 1916.
  • Describe how Ireland was divided in 1920-1922 and locate Northern Ireland on the map.
  • Compare unionist and nationalist views on Ireland's future.
2

Explore the map

12 min

Project the map, or let students follow on their own devices. Each step opens the map at the right year and place.

a

AD 1914

One kingdom

Open the map in 1914. Ireland is part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Find Dublin and Belfast. Which of the two lies closer to Scotland?

Open this view on the map
b

AD 1914

Easter 1916

Zoom in on Dublin. Ask the atlas: "What happened at the General Post Office in Dublin in 1916?" Why would rebels choose a post office as their headquarters?

Open this view on the map
c

AD 1938

Two parts

Move the time slider to 1938. Ireland now has its own border. Find the six counties in the north-east that stayed in the United Kingdom. Why did they stay?

Open this view on the map
3

Class discussion

14 min

Pick two or three. They run from what happened to why it mattered.

  1. Why did a small group of rebels rise in Dublin in 1916, while Britain was at war?
  2. At first many Dubliners did not support the Rising. Why did opinion change after the leaders were executed?
  3. Unionists in the north wanted to stay in the United Kingdom. What were their reasons?
  4. The treaty of 1921 split the nationalists and led to a civil war. Why would people who fought side by side turn on each other?
  5. Was the treaty of 1921 a step toward full freedom or a betrayal of the republic? Argue both sides.
4

Game round

9 min

Play one round of Rule History as Elizabeth I, whose armies fought for control of Ireland in the 1590s. Then compare: why did Britain's leaders choose a treaty instead of more war in 1921?

Open Rule History
5

Worksheet

5 min

This worksheet comes with Classroom

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