Take Your Students on a Virtual Tour of Ireland for St. Patrick's Day

If you are looking to save time and avoid spending hours prepping something new for Saint Patrick's Day this year, a virtual field trip to Ireland is a great option!

This digital-friendly activity will take your students to various locations around Ireland while building background knowledge, incorporating map skills, and providing time for Google Earth 360-degree exploration.

This might sound like a lot, but all the prep work is d.o.n.e.

All of the clickable links, informational text, and response questions are set up and ready to go. Just assign in Google Classroom (or other learning platform) or conduct whole group, and you're set! This activity is truly low prep.

This virtual field trip is structured and begins with a look at the geographic location of Ireland, the political boundaries, physical features, and then looks at human history and culture while incorporating Google Earth tours and video throughout.

Teachers share with me that these virtual field trips keep their students engaged while incorporating critical thinking and observation skills. All of the response questions are set up and ready to go as well.

If you haven't used Google Earth, your students are in for a real treat! This trip includes specific links to Google Earth panoramic views to make the activity nearly seamless.

Some of the locations include a virtual tour of peat bogs, Carrauntoohil (the highest peak in Ireland), the Cliffs of Moher, Newgrange Megalith, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Blarney Castle (and stone), and so much more!

This virtual field trip covers:

:: geographic location of Ireland

:: borders (drag & drop map skills)

:: partition of Ireland (Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland)

:: climate

:: physical features (lowlands, mountains, coasts)

:: peat bogs

:: Carrauntoohil

:: Cliffs of Moher

:: Irish National Heritage Park

:: Newgrange Megalith Passage

:: Jerpoint Abbey

:: Father Mathew Bridge

:: Belfast Castle

:: Blarney Castle & Blarney Stone

:: Dublin Castle

:: St. Patrick's Cathedral

:: human history (Celts, Normans, Vikings, Tudor Conquest & Great Irish Famine)

:: culture

:: religion

:: economic activity

This trip also includes drag & drop map skills to help your students better conceptualize the geographic location of Ireland as well as political boundaries.

The response questions included throughout the trip are editable so that teachers can tailor the trip to their class needs. The questions provided are designed to incorporate higher-order thinking skills, such as a focus on observations and how the new information presented challenged or supported prior knowledge.

This trip also includes clickable links to YouTube videos. You will want to ensure that your school has access to YouTube and Google Earth as well.

Students can complete this activity on a computer, tablet, or smartphone. If using on a tablet or smartphone, just download the Google Earth app, and your students will have access to all of the features.

Here's what teachers are saying:

"I really really loved having a no-prep activity I could use for St. Patrick's Day. It also helped to reinforce ideas we'd previously learned in class. They found this really engaging!" - Whitney H.

"My students loved this resource! I used it for an after school club that I run, where we take different "field trips" virtually!" - Casie G.

Check out this digital activity in time for St. Patrick's Day and save hours of prep time and hassle. This is a virtual field trip your students are sure to love!

Learn more here:

Ireland Virtual Field Trip