gsquaredmom
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,107
Jun 26, 2014 17:43:22 GMT
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Post by gsquaredmom on Oct 10, 2019 17:53:46 GMT
My husband is a teacher for students with special needs. They do international themes each year, and his room is assigned Ireland. He asked me for ideas for food wrappers and other things that would help the students learn some things about the people and culture of Ireland.
So, Ireland peas, please help us out with ideas for things we can acquire (the budget is our pockets, so hopefully not too much) here in the States. We are near Chicago and can order from Amazon, but we’d like advice/ideas.
Thanks!
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Post by coaliesquirrel on Oct 10, 2019 18:30:01 GMT
I'm not native Irish, but am well-steeped in American Irish culture, as I'm on the board of our local Irish fest and an Irish dance mom.  Googling "Chicago Irish goods store" yielded a bunch of places that could likely help you - and if you explain what it's for, they may well even donate something. Tea and soda bread (loads of recipes out there!) are big Irish cultural things that could be provided pretty economically (if you make the bread, at least). But at a shop, you might be able to get a sample of peat (traditionally burned in hearth fires) for kids to smell. You could probably get some Aran-style knit wool gloves, hat, or scarf (or if you're me, you'll jump at the chance to justify another sweater) there too, representing the prevalent sheep, the art of knitting, etc. The Irish American Heritage Center would be a great resource as well, I imagine, and might be able to supply a speaker or some educational materials. Irish dance is a huge part of the culture as well, and there are a number of Irish dance schools in the Chicago area, so you could get in touch with one or more of those who might send you a dancer or two to perform (possibly even teach a very basic step) as well as show their costumes, shoes, poodle socks, etc. Biggest thing to know: it is the THREE-leaf clover, or shamrock, which is representative of Ireland. NOT the FOUR-leafed kind. It's not about luck. It's about what St. Patrick supposedly used to teach the pagan Irish about the Christian trinity. Bonus tip: PaTTy is the diminuative of PatricIA. PaDDy is the diminuative of Patrick. Thus, St. Paddy's Day - never St. Patty's Day. |
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wellway
Prolific Pea
Posts: 9,203
Jun 25, 2014 20:50:09 GMT
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Post by wellway on Oct 10, 2019 18:49:05 GMT
You could introduce them to the wide range of music produced over the years in Ireland. Lots of toe tapping, sing along music to be found. Plus some instruments that are associated with Ireland like the bodhrán, harp, fiddle and tin whistle. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_IrelandSport. The GAA oversees the gaelic games of hurling and gaelic football. Hurling is the world's fastest game on grass, about 3000 years old. There has to be a club in Chicago who could bring along hurls and sliothars (the balls) to let the students hold and have a go. There are videos on YouTube of games, one thing to note the players are all amateurs , no payments involved. 80,000 watch the All-Ireland finals. |
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peabrain
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,588 
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Post by peabrain on Oct 10, 2019 18:55:13 GMT
Irish whiskey? LOL
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Post by ntsf on Oct 10, 2019 21:23:41 GMT
get some raw wool and learn to card it.. we saw lots of sheep all over ireland. seafood, strawberries.. both enjoyed there.
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gsquaredmom
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,107
Jun 26, 2014 17:43:22 GMT
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Post by gsquaredmom on Oct 11, 2019 2:55:23 GMT
Oh thank you!
All great ideas to share with my husband!
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Googling "Chicago Irish goods store" yielded a bunch of places that could likely help you - and if you explain what it's for, they may well even donate something. Tea and soda bread (loads of recipes out there!) are big Irish cultural things that could be provided pretty economically (if you make the bread, at least). But at a shop, you might be able to get a sample of peat (traditionally burned in hearth fires) for kids to smell. You could probably get some Aran-style knit wool gloves, hat, or scarf (or if you're me, you'll jump at the chance to justify another sweater) there too, representing the prevalent sheep, the art of knitting, etc. The 
