Saint Patrick's Day

 WEBQUEST. Follow the instructions and write an article about it.

Who was St Patrick? Where in the world celebrates St Patrick’s Day? In this WebQuest you will find the answers to these questions and discover a range of Irish cultural traditions.

On the 17th March, the whole world becomes Irish. It’s the day we celebrate St Patrick’s Day in honour of Ireland’s patron saint. But who was St Patrick? And how do we celebrate his day?

Activity 1: Who was St Patrick?

Visit this site: http://wilstar.com/holidays/patrick.htm and read the article. Look for the answers to these questions. Share your answers with your classmates.
1. Where and when was St Patrick born?
2. What happened to him when he was 16?
3. When did he become a Christian?
4. How long was he a slave?
5. Where did he study and who was his teacher?
6. What did he want to do with his life?
7. Where did he want to go?
8. Who was sent there in his place and how long did he stay there?
9. What did Patrick achieve in Ireland?
10. How long did he work in Ireland?
11. Where did he go when he retired?
12. When did he die?
13. What legends developed about St Patrick?
14. What is the traditional icon of the day and what does it symbolize?

Activity 2: What is the history of St Patrick’s Day?

Visit this site: http://socyberty.com/holidays/the-history-of-st-patricks-day-parades/ and read the article. Then complete the following sentences.

•   The first recorded St Patrick’s Day celebration in the USA happened in _______________ [1] in the year _______________ [2].
• In 1766, the St Patrick’s Day parade in ____________________ [3] was so successful that they decided to hold one every year.      
• ____________________ [4] societies were formed by protestants in the late 1700s and early 1800s.
• These societies organised big celebrations for St Patrick’s Day, where local groups played _______________ [5] and _______________. [6]
• In the year _______________ [7], the ___________________________________ [8] in Ireland meant that many starving immigrants moved to America, so the Irish population there greatly increased.

 

Activity 3: A St Patrick’s Day Treasure Hunt  

St Patrick’s Day is celebrated all over the world. You have 15 minutes to visit these sites and answer the questions about various international celebrations.
Ireland
Dublin:http://www.stpatricksday.ie/cms/events.html/
Cork: http://www.corkstpatricksfestival.ie/
United States of America
New York City:http://www.saintpatricksdayparade.com/NYC/newyorkcity.htm
Chicago:http://www.chicagostpatsparade.com/
Rochester, New York: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/7702896/st_patricks_day_2011_events_in_rochester.html
Savannah, Georgia:http://www.savannahsaintpatricksday.com/
St. Louis, Missouri:http://www.irishparade.org/
Rest of the world
Toronto, Canada:http://www.allirish.ca/topatrick/
Tokyo, Japan:http://www.inj.or.jp/stpatrick_e.html
Manchester, UK: http://www.manchesteririshfestival.co.uk/events_day14_2011
Questions:
In which city …
1. … does the parade end at University Avenue?
2. … is the second largest parade in the world?
3. … can you run a five-mile race called Runnin’ O’ the Green?
4. … is there a photographic exhibition about County Mayo?
5. … is the river coloured green?
6. … can you take part in a walking tour ‘in the footsteps of St. Patrick’?
7. … is the parade on Fifth Avenue?
8. … is ‘happiness’ the theme of the 2011 festival?
9. … can you attend the 20^th St Patrick’s Day parade in 2011?
10. …can you visit the Irish Village at Kiener Plaza?
Now, summarize how St Patrick’s Day is celebrated.

Activity 4: Irish Culture

There are many traditions connected with St Patrick’s Day. Visit the links and investigate one of these aspects of Irish culture and report on it to the class. The questions will help you.

The Shamrock
Links
How Stuff Works:http://people.howstuffworks.com/saint-patrick3.htm
The Holiday Spot:http://www.theholidayspot.com/patrick/shamrock.htm
Questions
1. Why is the shamrock related to St Patrick?
2. In what year was the first reference to the shamrock and what was it
used for?
3. Why is three the Irish magic number?
 

Leprechauns
Link:
The Holiday Spot: http://www.theholidayspot.com/patrick/shamrock.htm (scroll down)
Questions:
8. What is a leprechaun and what does it look like?
9. What kind of treasure do leprechauns hide from people?
10. Why must you keep your eyes on a leprechaun if you want his treasure?
           

Interesting web pages with funny activities on Saint Patrick's Day:
game 1
web page: a lot of games. click here
matching game: here
wordsearch
memory game
hangman