Saint Patricks Day

As a future educator, I plan to respect all American holidays. Since Saint Patricks Day will be celebrated in the next couple of days, it is a perfect opportunity to brainstorm on potential lessons and activities.

Saint Patricks Day in the Classroom:

History of Saint Patrick's Day: Every American child should gain a basic understanding of each American holiday. As an instructor I would begin the day with a brief history of the particular holiday. The students would learn that Saint Patricks Day is centered around the Irish patron Saint, Saint Patrick. The saint is credited for bringing Christianity to the Irish for twenty nine years. His death is celebrated on March 17th.

History of the Shamrock: Prior to beginning any activity dealing with the shamrock symbol, the origin of the symbol must be explained. It has been said that Saint Patrick utilized the three leafed shamrock during his sermons to the Irish. Each leaf of the shamrock represented three different items: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. The idea was that all three items constitute a final product like the shamrock. The shamrock was eventually worn on feast days around the necks of Saint Patrick's followers. It must be noted that the color green is associated with the holiday because the color is unique to the shamrock, Ireland, and even spring.

Handprint Rainbow Activity: The activity is mainly targeted around young elementary aged children. Each student in the classroom will dip their hand in a different paint color to form a giant rainbow in honor of Saint Patrick's Day.This particular activity would be conducted as follows:

Materials: Red Paint, Orange Paint, Yellow Paint, Green Paint, Blue Paint, Purple Paint, Large sheet of blue construction paper ( to illustrate the sky) , 6 trays (for dipping), and lots of paper towels and wipies for messy palms ( A parent volunteer aids in limiting chaos.)

Procedure: Each child in the classroom will be selected one at a time to dip their palm in a particular tray of colored paint. After they dip, the child will simply place their palm on the light blue construction paper. After each student has received their turn, the result of the activity should be a beautiful rainbow. The final product will represent a perfect selection for a March Buletin Board.