HOW PRIMARY SCHOOLS CAN USE THE ARCHIVE
Opening a window on Irish society
Teacher Miriam Fitzpatrick shows how the archive can work in the primary school classroom, pulling together various strands of the curriculum
Communion Bread is taken to Moon" was reported on the front page of The Irish Times, July 21st, 1969 (pictured right), on the momentous occasion of the successful mission by Apollo-11 and "For those who like the best of everything" was the headline that described the Titanic as it set out on its ill-fated voyage in April, 1912. The Irish Times archive is not only a gateway to information on historical events but by providing the reader with a perspective at a specific time, it mirrors societal thinking of the epoch.
The Irish Times acts as a window on aspects of Irish society, with writing which is both descriptive and high-quality in nature, providing a comprehensive source of information on a vast array of topics. By making it accessible to schools through digitisation, it provides primary school teachers with a key teaching and learning resource in supporting history. Its potential for cross-curricular integration is extensive and content from the archives can seamlessly integrate across almost all subject areas.
The primary school history curriculum places a renewed emphasis on the use of documentary and visual evidence as a central methodology. Along with this, the investigative skills of working as an historian are critical in enabling pupils to achieve a balance in acquiring knowledge and concepts while simultaneously developing skills and attitudes. Pupils' engagement with the digitised Irish Times archives will serve to develop these skills by encouraging pupils to use evidence, understand cause and effect, use synthesis and communication and develop empathy. The archives are an extensive source of primary written evidence - the use of which has been pinpointed as good practice in history teaching at primary level.
TEACHING AND LEARNING RESOURCE
The archives provide many teaching and learning opportunities, many suited particularly to the content of the senior primary school curriculum, though much of the visual evidence can be used in a spiral way from the infant classes upwards. Material can be used as a stimulus for a topic by the teacher or can be explored by pupils as an extension of a topic. Much of the material will be of greater benefit when the pupils have developed some prior understanding of the topic in question.
As with most online resources, a critical factor in interaction with the archive is the ability to search and find appropriate and relevant resources. When using the digital archives independently, pupils will require clear guidance to complete a specific task or follow a definitive line of enquiry. Experience of using search engines is essential. To become accustomed to using the date range tool, pupils could search for events that occurred simultaneously with a topic already studied e.g. the 1916 Rising. Some of the language in the earlier editions may be more suited for senior primary level. The frequency of images increases in more recent editions. An excellent feature of the online archives is an inbuilt timeline by which pupils can arrange events chronologically and search by decade; they can also search days previous and subsequent to a major historical event.
By way of introducing the archive to pupils, children could search for some key dates in their lives such as their birthday or first day at school and prepare a report of some of the main newsworthy items from this day. In tandem with this, children could also research what the weather was like on that date, the entertainment and sporting events that took place and what television programmes were en vogue. A key element of teaching history at junior primary level is starting with personal and family history comparative to the time when their grandparents were young. Thus, to extend this, pupils could research news items from the day an older/younger sibling, parent or grandparent was born.
START LOCAL
Exploring local history and environment through the archives can be facilitated by searching for famous people from a certain area. In this way, a tableau can be built up of key events in their lives. Similarly, a search for noteworthy local events or traditional business names can trace their development within an area e.g. Switzers department store in Dublin, or the start of the Luas service. A similar approach to local place names, such as the Phoenix Park, could also be adopted.
COMPLEMENTING CHOICE
The menu aspect of the primary school history curriculum at senior level allows teachers to select from a range of topics in order to expose children to a broad and balanced range throughout their primary schooling. Two in-depth studies per year are factored into these choices. This Irish Times archive adds to the tremendous array of resources that complement choices from the menu curriculum.
A component of the history curriculum involves studying aspects of life, society, work and culture in the past and eras of change and conflict. Topics such as life in the 19th century, changing land ownership in the 19th century, the world wars, language and culture in the late 19th and early 20th century Ireland, life in Ireland since the 1950s and modern Ireland are ideal for research within the archives.
CONTINUITY AND CHANGE
A significant element of the primary school curriculum is the comparative study of the old and the new or continuity and change over time. The Irish Times archive provides excellent opportunities to explore topics such as how caring for the sick, transport, clothes, schools and education, workshops and factories, literature, arts, crafts and culture, communications, houses and urban developments have evolved over periods of time.
Advertisements reflect popular society, culture and the range of services on offer. And the columns of The Irish Times carry an extensive collection. Their brevity and clarity of language make them ideal material for use with primary school pupils. Also, by entering the search term "school" or "education" at 30-year intervals, children can build a picture of how the education system evolved and create a timeline of development. On September 2nd, 1859, The Irish Times reported how the examination of the children attending the Kildare Sunday and weekday schools took place "although the number of children was less than we could have wished to have seen in this populous neighbourhood, the answering was above average . . ." The report goes on to state that "the children were regaled with tea, barm-bracks, cakes, puddings and sweets of various sorts". Some 30 years later, in September, 1889, Alexandra School with a staff of four foreign and English resident governesses and visiting masters advertised itself as offering "healthy situation, home comforts, sea bathing, lawn tennis, daily drill and perfect sanitation."
Many advertisements for servants reflect the work and society culture of the era. The Domestics Wanted column of January, 1893, sought a "Clean, humble, tidy girl . . . aged 14-16 who was also required to be an early riser". Much insight into the changing roles of women in the 19th and 20th century can be tracked in a line of development through use of the archive.
Comparing and contrasting property prices over a period of time provides children with an insight into the changing value of money, A 1930s advertisement for a Glenageary, south Dublin, suburban house, boasted a maid's room, hot bath, copper pipes throughout, electric light and heating and would set the purchaser back the princely sum of £1,100.
The Irish Times has traditionally championed the arts, culture and literature. It can act as a vehicle to research these topics in Irish society. In January, 1889, an advertisement for entertainment on winter evenings offered first-class wizards, ventriloquism and war scenes. This can be directly compared to the entertainment featured in a present day edition. Pupils can research Irish and international authors, playwrights and poets from J.M. Synge to J.K. Rowling.
The development of fashion is illustrated by the many visual images throughout the archives. In early 1963, The Irish Times reported that doctors became critical of school-goers wearing stiletto heels and "winklepicker" shoes. A sporting event such as the World Cup in 1990 may not be significant in strict historical terms, yet it has a societal aspect, and occurred approximately five years before current 6th class pupils were born. In this regard, the digitisation of The Irish Times archives facilitates teachers in finding raw evidence to combine a range of topics seamlessly.
THE SECOND WORLD WAR
The strand unit "Life during World War 11" is a component of "Life, society, work and culture in the past" and can be selected as part of the menu curriculum from 3rd - 6th class. The focus here is to become familiar with aspects of wartime life while concurrently learning about the key events of the war.
As an extension to prior study of life during the second World War, pupils should be familiar with key terms such as black-out, air-raid shelter, rationing, gas-mask etc. Children work co-operatively in groups. Each group searches within the date range of the week beginning September 3rd, 1939, the first week of war, which returns a manageable amount of results.
Groups prepare reports on their findings and report back to the class. Pupils may also be encouraged to find a specified amount of items of extra information outside other search terms about the effects of war such as the fact that all entertainment had been closed down in Britain (September 4th, 1939), that Irish citizens were to raise pigs - a rapid laying stock (September 3rd, 1939), letters and telegrams were censored (September 4th, 1939) or that Dublin's Theatre Royal offered a show that in contrast to the times was described as light, musical and gay (September 5th, 1939).
Pupils will discover that "Regarding gas-masks, at present, no definite instructions have been given. It is therefore a matter for individuals, but I strongly advise anyone who is leaving home to take his gas mask with him." and "The child's gas-mask is the symbol of modern warfare" (September 5th, 1939).
Pupils will ascertain that G.D. Grannell of Fairview claimed to be the first in Ireland to advertise air-raid shelters. On September 3rd, black-out failed as trams and buses kept their lights on as normal. Leinster House was also guilty of being inadequately shuttered. "Lights out" offer a black-out service to individual homes and black-out rules for motorists are outlined.
The introduction of food and petrol rationing as reported on September, 10th, 1939, noted that "hardship is being experienced by poor people of Dublin in the matter of supplies of sugar" and that "customers are required to purchase a stated amount of tea in order to secure the right to buy sugar".
By collaboratively preparing a report on their findings, pupils are encouraged to build a picture of the effect of war on life in Ireland.
Miriam Fitzpatrick teaches at St Kilian's junior school, Kingswood Heights, Dublin 24.
