These resources compiled by Phil Nast for NEA include videos, arts & crafts, printables, worksheets, interactive maps, and tutorials. They will help students learn about and explore Irish culture, history, and traditions—including Irish folktales, literature, recipes, Celtic art and mythology, the Great Potato Famine, and more.
For Grades K-5
- Jamie O’Rourke and the Big Potato (8:08)
An Irish folktale. A leprechaun offers Jamie O’Rourke the biggest potato in the world if Jamie will let him go. (Grades K-2) - History of St. Patrick’s Day
Fifteen brief videos covering the history of St. Patrick’s Day and associated traditions. (Grades K-5) - St. Patrick’s Day Crafts and Activities
Crafts, activities, printable books, spelling and writing pages, math activities, coloring pages, and more. (Grades K-5) - St. Patrick’s Day Printables and Worksheets
Word searches and scrambles, puzzles, and coloring pages. (Grades K-5) - The Secret of Kells (2009) (1:15:33)
An award-winning animated movie about Brendan, the boy behind the Book of Kells. (Grades 3-12)
For Grades 6-12
- The Great Irish Soda Bread Debate
A traditional recipe for this quick bread and seven variations. (Grades 6-12) - Famine
During The Great Famine of 1845–9, 750,000 Irish citizens died and 1.5 million emigrated from Ireland to the United States. This section of a larger Irish history project examines the causes and effects of the potato blight. (Grades 9-12) - Celtic Europe
An introduction to Celtic history and mythology. (Grades 6-12) - Immigration Explorer
With this interactive map, users can select a foreign-born group to see how they settled across the United States. (Census data from 1880 to 2000) (Grades 6-12) - Newcomers to New York: Mapping Immigrant History
More than 1.5 million people emigrated from Ireland to the United States during 1845-1855, with a majority landing in New York City. Includes lesson plans and PDFs. (Grades 6-12) - How to Draw Celtic Knots
Learn how to draw the basic unit which makes up all Celtic knots, how to repeat units to create twists, plaits, and weaving, and create all kinds of patterns in your knots. (Grades 6-12)
