Grade Level: 6th or 7th

Perspective: History

Benchmark: Select conditions in various parts of the world and describe how they have been shaped by events from the past.

Content to be Covered: The Irish Famine began in 1846 with a blight of the potato crop that left acre upon acre of Irish farmland covered with black rot. This activity involves visiting the Irish Famine home page. This site on the world wide web will help students learn more about the Irish Famine and the devastating effects that it had on the people of Ireland. Students can even visit photographs that show some events that occurred during the Famine.

I. Objectives
Students will:

a. describe one or two new ideas obtained from the Web site

b. answer one higher level thinking question at the evaluation level of thinking

c. answer two sequenced questions about information found at the site

d. describe their reaction to the photograph entitled ^t1A Starving Irish Family"


II. Activities

a. Type in this address: http://www.people.Virginia.EDU/~eas5e/Irish/Famine.html

b. In a small group tell everyone two new things that you have learned about the Irish Famine. (Answers may vary)

1. The Irish Famine of 1846-50 took as many as one million lives from hunger and disease.

2. Landlords evicted hundreds of thousands of peasants who then crowded into disease infested workhouses.

c. Answer this question:

I. What do you think might have happened if Britain did not have such a delayed response towards the relief of Ireland's starving population? (Evaluation) Answers may vary:


There could have been less deaths related to disease and hunger.

d. Answer these two questions:

1. When did the Irish Famine begin? (Knowledge)

Answer: The Irish Famine began in 1846.


2. What were some of the devastating events that occurred during the Famine? Summarize your answer in your own words. (Comprehension)

Answers may vary: The harvests failed and the price of food soared. Peasants who ate the rotten produce became sick. Peasants crowded into disease-infested workhouses.

e. Have students work individually to make a list of all of the feelings that come to their mind when viewing this picture. Then have the students in small groups describe their reaction to the photograph.