Celebrating St. Patrick's Day in the ELA Classroom with Middle and High School Students
Are you looking for some fun, engaging ways to celebrate St. Patrick's Day with your middle or high school students? You're in luck! Here are some activities to try with your class:
1. Use St. Patrick's Day Themed Writing Prompts to Spark Creative Short Stories
Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with this roll-a-story activity. Students will roll a die to get their story started. They will start with the “Character” column. The number they roll will determine which character(s) their story will be about. Then, they will roll the die again for each of the other categories.
Categories include:
- Character (Example: Leprechaun)
- Time (Example: On a rainy St. Patrick’s Day at 8 a.m.)
- Place (Example: In a fish and chips shop in Dublin)
- Problem (Example: A giant is chasing the character.)
This print-and-go narrative writing activity is perfect for a St. Patrick's Day class party, early finisher challenge, March writing workshop, etc.
2. Research the History of St. Patrick's Day and Create Posters
Celebrate St. Patrick's Day by having your students research the saint behind the holiday. Students will use the internet to search for biographical information (birth, education, death, nationality, family) and details about Saint Patrick's life journey.
This printable poster template includes the following sections:
- a space for illustrating a portrait of Saint Patrick
- biographical information
- lines for writing about the saint's kidnapping, escape, travels, education, decision to return to Ireland, and more
- a section for students to share a famous quote from the saint, as well as a fun fact they learned during their research
3. Complete a Punctuation and Grammar Editing Challenge with a St. Patrick's Day Theme
Celebrate St. Patrick's Day and help your students edit writing with this proofreading activity. Students will use the chart with proofreading symbols and their meanings to show how they would revise sentences on the right side of the page. The holiday-themed sentences include a pot of gold, the color green, a rainbow, and more!
4. Write an Acrostic Poem
Celebrate St. Patrick's Day by having your students create an acrostic poem. This poetry writing activity is perfect for a St. Patrick's Day class party, early finisher challenge, March writing workshop, etc.
5. Have students write about things in life that make them feel lucky
Your students will love celebrating St. Patrick's day by filling the four-leaf clovers on the worksheet with words and drawings that represent things they feel thankful for. This NO PREP activity is perfect for helping students reflect on their blessings.
6. Add some Irish-themed books to your classroom library
Here's a list of some options:
- Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
7. Read a poem by an Irish author
- Down By the Salley Gardens by William Butler Yeats
- St. Patrick’s Day by Jean Blewett
- The Little Waves of Breffny by Eva Gore-Booth
- The Lost Land by Eavan Boland
- Song by James Joyce
- Corned Beef and Cabbage by George Bilgere
- Lake Isle of Innisfree by William Butler Yeats
- St. Patrick’s Day by Eliza Cook
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