The unit is designed to support the strands and skills development of the history curriculum. It also allows for the spiral nature of the curriculum as can be seen from the curriculum references below. Curriculum objectives have been placed in bullet point format.
Investigate the development of present buildings and the history of earlier school buildings
The child should be enabled to:
- Actively explore some features of the local environment
Local church, old house or houses, mill, hospital, shop front or building facades, castle or tower house
At this level the history curriculum refers specifically to children learning about schools at different periods in the past, particularly their own school. It also states that they should examine evidence which refers to schools and learn about the development of a national school system. This unit gives specific examples in these areas.
The child should be enabled to:
- Study the development of the school over a period
- Relate the history of the school to the history of education in the parish or local area
- Explore the history of the school in the wider context of educational development in Ireland
- Learn about the national school system
- Find out about curriculum content and school equipment in the past
- Use documentary and other sources
Records in school (roll books, inspector's reports)
Oral history from former pupils and staff school photographs
Letters, bills, receipts, diaries
Parish records which refer to schools
Newspaper reports
Children should study official printed reports on education.
The schools in history unit is divided into several sections. Each section traces the history of education and/or schooling at a given time in the past. It also introduces different types of evidence about schools and schooling long ago.