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5th Class History Lesson plan on the Great Famine
Resources:
Copilot Designer – to visualize scenes from the Famine that the children write about
Gamma.app – to create student presentations with AI support.
Primary sources: drawings, maps, short texts.
Printed Famine timeline cards.
Tablets or laptops for student groups.Introduction
Begin with a class discussion:
“What do you know about the Great Famine?”
Use a short animated explainer video or interactive map.
Introduce the timeline of the Famine on the board.
Main Activity
Divide students into small groups (3–4). Assign each group a topic:Life before the famine
Potato blight
Daily life during the famine
Eviction and emigration
WorkhousesEach group reads a short passage with primary info and discusses.
Copilot Designer Task:Each group describes a historical scene (e.g., “A family leaving Ireland in 1847 during the famine”).
Use Copilot Designer to generate a realistic AI image.
Discuss how close it feels to what they imagined from texts.
Each group shares their image and the reason they chose that scene.
Teacher summarizes: “What did we learn about life during the famine?”There are many ways in which I could use AI in the classroom:
1. Creative Writing & Literacy
ChatGPT, Grammarly, or Google GeminiStudents write a story or report, then use AI for feedback on spelling, grammar, and sentence structure.
AI can suggest alternative story endings or character names.Visual Storytelling & Art
Copilot Designer, DALL·E, Canva
Use:Students describe a scene from a story, a historical event (like The Famine), or a poem, and generate AI art to match.
Create comic strips or digital posters combining AI images and their own writing.Digital Presentations
Gamma, Canva for Education, SlidesAI
Use:Pupils input their research or notes; the AI helps format a structured, engaging presentation.
Teachers can guide students to revise AI-generated slides to ensure ownership and understanding.Math Support & Problem Solving
Photomath, Khan Academy (with AI tutor), ChatGPT
Use:Students scan a math problem and get a step-by-step explanation.
Use AI to create differentiated practice problems based on ability.History & Geography
ChatGPT, Gamma, Copilot Designer
Use:Generate simulated interviews with historical figures (e.g., “Imagine Michael Davitt was alive today—ask him 3 questions”).
Create AI maps or visuals of past events or places.
Use image generators to visualize a famine-era Irish village or a Norman castle.Hi Michelle, love this lesson idea, great to see how AI can be incorporated into the younger classes! Would be so beneficial to them.
There are plenty of great AI tools to explore from this module, but I’d particularly like to try using Teachable Machine with my own 5th class.
I believe it could make history lessons more engaging and inclusive, especially for students with mixed abilities. For example, we could create interactive activities to recognise images of key historical people, landmarks such as Newgrange or significant events from their textbook. This would provide a visual and hands-on approach that supports different learning styles, especially benefiting children who struggle with reading or writing.
Teachable Machine also allows for sound-based learning. I could incorporate music or famous speeches to help students connect emotionally with historical events and deepen their understanding. I think my class would love this hands on approach to seeing History come alive.
This multisensory approach encourages active learning and helps make history more memorable and meaningful. It gives every student the opportunity to participate in a way that suits them best, helping build confidence and engagement.Hi Valerie, I think scratch would be great for the classroom, I did microsoft coding with my class this year and they loved it. Showed them the behind the scenes of a game so many of them play and enjoy and how AI is used!
Part 1
• I love the idea of using Copilot image creator to spark discussion around creative writing and to stimulate ideas. A great way to bring a child’s description of a fictional character to life also.
• I love the idea of using Magic school to create word problems for the children specific to them and to things they would be interested in, Maths in the higher levels can be boring but this is a great way to keep everyone on task and engaged.Part 2:
I think the examples and programmes shown in this module can have a huge impact on my own future teaching learning and assessment alongside those of my colleagues.
Copilot was one that really stuck out for me, coming up with topics for creative writing can be tricky, having a visual to engage the children prior to writing would be brilliant. I also love the idea of creating a picture based on what they themselves have written. This allows the children to visual what they have written and see the importance of using descriptive words and adjectives when writing or describing something in their piece.
Teaching maths in the higher classes in primary school can be challenging to keep everyone engaged, I really liked how magic school created word problems using the children’s own names and how it also used topics that would be of interest to them. This will be of huge benefit to my class and would be a great extension activity for further learning and reinforcement of topics.Hi Michelle, I agree that Diffit seems like a great resource for differentiated texts for the children to read, especially EAL students. Having fun and engaging Maths questions would make every lesson more enjoyable for the children
I enjoy using AI in the classroom and have already seen its benefits through tools like IXL for Maths and Minecraft Education for coding. These platforms adapt to each student’s level, offering personalised learning that keeps them engaged and motivated. The children loved the coding classes Minecraft & Microsoft provide, with varying difficulties and continuing challenges it was great for all abilities. My class also visited the Microsoft DreamSpace Academy, where they explored how technology and AI can be used creatively to solve real-world problems. Experiences like this have opened their eyes to future possibilities and developed their critical thinking skills.
However, one key challenge is the need for continuous professional development (CPD) for staff. Not all teachers feel confident using AI tools, and some feel pressured to incorporate technology that their students often seem more familiar with. This can be overwhelming and create resistance. To ensure successful implementation, schools need to provide clear guidance, training, and support so teachers feel empowered rather than intimidated.Hi Inez, my class were lucky enough to visit the Microsoft Dreamspace this year and we had a blast! It was so immersive and the children definitely gained a lot of knowledge from it and showed me a lot of ways to immerse AI and other tools in the classroom!
The integration of AI tools in Irish primary classrooms has huge potential for teaching, learning, and assessment. These technologies can personalise learning, adapt to individual student needs, and provide instant feedback in tasks.
For teachers, AI can streamline administrative tasks such as marking, planning, and data analysis, freeing up time for more meaningful interactions with pupils. In assessment, AI tools can offer continuous formative assessment through tests and analysing test results, helping educators track progress and identify areas for future learning and improvement.
However, Module 1 has highlighted the ethical considerations around data privacy, equitable access, and maintaining the human element in education which must be addressed. Teachers will need ongoing professional development to harness AI effectively while ensuring it complements rather than replaces their expertise.