Technology Resources for St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's Day is right around the corner and I wanted to share some technology resources you can use in your classroom to learn more about this holiday and celebrate in fun ways with your students.

There are loads of games out there, I wanted to try and narrow down all of the resources into my top four choices that are both instructional and engaging.

BrainPOP

As you know, I am a huge fan of BrainPOP and was fortunate enough to teach in a district that had a subscription. This video is not free unless you are a subscriber, but I wanted to include it because it seems like many of you are. This is a fantastic video since it describes St. Patrick's Day, St. Patrick himself, and traditions around the world that don't involve drinking or adult libations-- so it's very safe for kids :)

BrainPOP also includes quizzes, worksheets, and other fun related features. I loved projecting this whole-class one time through, then watching it a second time and stopping it to talk about things, have kids ask/answer questions, take notes, etc. You can also download their iPad app and use it for small groups-- there are loads of possibilities!

To get to their St. Patrick's Day video, click HERE.

BBC's St. Patrick's Journey

This is a great center choice for Listen to Reading since there are words across the bottom of the page and has quick and informative sections all about the life and times of St. Patrick.

There are several versions you can choose and I went with the non-Flash English version. The Flash didn't work for me after several attempts, but the non-Flash was just as informative and really gave some interesting facts about the time periods in Ireland leading up to St. Patrick as well as his life and the legacy he left behind.

This site would also be a great whole-class read aloud that you can project into a whiteboard/screen and discuss as you walk through each part. You could do the whole thing or just bits and pieces-- take a look to see what would fit best with your class :)

You can find St. Patrick's Journey HERE.

The History Channel

These videos are short and simple and address some of the common traditions we think about when we say "St. Patrick's Day" here in the states.

There are 15 videos total and you should (of course!) preview them before you show them to your kiddos--some of them show drinking and most have an ad preview before it shows. That being said, these are high-interest and short and sweet, mostly around 2-5 minutes!

Some of my personal favorites are "Why Green?" and "NYC St. Patrick's Day Parade" with the archival footage of prior parades and the staggering statistics of just how big it has become!

To access all of these videos from The History Channel, click HERE.

St. Patrick's Day Word Search

I am a huge word search fan, and this one is a lot of fun to play!

As you select a word, it highlights the letters and if it's correct, shamrocks cover the word and dim it on the word list. A great vocabulary game to play this time of year.

You can find the St. Patrick's Day Word Search HERE.

If you're interested in my St. Patrick's Day Word Work Set, it is available in my TpT Store by clicking on the picture below.

I hope these resources gave you some new and interactive ways to learn more about this festive holiday and its rich tradition.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Find more Technology Resources throughout the year here: