This lesson explores the work and leisure activities of older people, encouraging the child to consider how older people spend their day. The lesson reinforces the concept that work can be paid and unpaid, which was introduced in the lesson for infant classes, and also promotes intergenerational contact.
The overall objective for the theme Obair agus imirt is to enable the child to understand that:
The objectives of this lesson are to enable the child to explore the following concepts:
For this lesson, think about older people that the children might know who work, either paid or unpaid.
| Lesson plan | Scéal Brainstorm Drama |
An Cóisir Sráide Playing with Gran A day in the life |
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Work
and play What can older people do? Gran and Grandad are busy Older people keep fit What does Danny do every day? What does Gran do every day? A day in the life of an older person you know |
Léigh an scéal seo don rang.
Tá Éilís ag obair go crua sa chistin. Tá plúr ar a lámha agus ar a srón. Tá Peadar agus Máire, a clann clainne, ag cabhrú léi. Tá siadsan clúdaithe le plúr freisin - bhí plúr ar a lámha, ar a n-aghaidheanna agus ar na héadaí. Tá siad ag obair le chéile, timpeall ar an mbord sa chistin, ag bácáil cácaí seacláide don chóisir sráide. Bíonn cóisir sráide ag cairde agus ag comharsana Mhamó ar Lá Fhéile Eoin gach bliain.
Tá Mamó ina suí ag an mbord. Nuair a bhíonn aon rud uaithi ón gcuisneoir siúlann sí trasna na cistine. Úsáideann sí an bata siúil atá aici. Tá málaí plúir, bosca uibheacha, buidéal bainne, mála siúrca, dhá phíosa mhóra de sheacláid chócaireachta, dhá bharra bheaga de sheacláid ón siopa, dhá chrúsca uachtair, biabhóg agus cairéid ar an mbord. "Cuireann an obair seo, an t-am a chaith mé ag obair sa mbácús ar an mbaile mór na blianta ó shin, i gcuimhne dom" arsa Mamó.
D'éirigh Máire fiosrach nuair a chuala sí Mamó ag caint. "Cén cineál oibre a rinne tú sa mbácús, a Mhamó?" a d'fhiafraigh Máire. "An raibh ort dul ag obair ann gach lá?". An raibh ort a bheith in am mar a bhíonn orainne agus muid ag dul ar scoil ar maidin?" Bhí orm go cinnte, a pheata," arsa Mamó. Thug Mamó peata ar Mháire i gcónaí. "Bhíodh orm éirí ar a 5 a chlog gach maidin agus taisteal ar mo rothar go dtí an bácús. Thosaíomar ar an mbácáil ar leath huair tar éis a cúig. Mise a rinne na pastaetha do na cácaí agus do na toirtíní. Bhíodh an bácús an-te nuair a bhíodh na hoighinn ag obair - go háirithe sa samhradh. Bhíodh báicéirí eile ann a dhéanadh na cácaí eile a bhácáil. Ba obair chrua í ach bhain mé an-taitneamh as," a dúirt Mamó.
Tá Peadar ag rolladh an taois le crann fointe. Tá tuirse ag teacht air. "Meas tú an bhfuil go leor toirtiní agus cácaí bácailte againn anois?" a d'fhiafraigh sé de Mhamó. "Táimid nach mór réidh," arsa Mamó. " Bheathódh na toirtíní agus cácaí go léir atá anseo an t-arm!"
Thug Éilís, Máire agus Peadar na cacaí seacláide, na cácaí cairéid, na toirtíní úll, na toirtíní piorraí agus na toirtíní biabhóige go dtí an cóisir an tráthnóna sin. D'iompair Máire agus Peadar iad i ndá chiseán mhóra. Bhí Mamó ag siúl taobh le taobh leo, le cabhair ón mbata siúil. Stopadar go minic ar an mbealach mar gur theastaigh ó Mhamó labhairt le cairde agus le comharsana. Níor thuig na páistí cén chaoi a raibh aithne ag Mamó ar an oiread sin daoine. Ní chaitheann daoine fásta an oiread sin ama ag caint agus ag comhrá! Tháinig comharsana Mhamó agus na clanna go léir a raibh cónaí orthu ar na sráideanna in aice láimhe go dtí an cóisir. Thug chuile dhuine fásta bia nó deoch éigin leo.
Bhí an-spraoi go deo ag Peadar agus ag Máire. D'imir siad cluichí lena gcairde. Nuair a tháinig an oíche d'inis Éilís scéal faoi thaibhsí do na páistí go léir a bhí ina suí timpeall ar an tine chnámh léi. Ní raibh le cloisteáil ach brioscarnach an adhmaid sa tine - bhí na páistí go léir ina dtost. Nuair a bhí an scéal inste ag Éilis bhí an-tuirse ar Pheadar agus ar Mháire. Luigh siad isteach le Mamó agus leag a gcloigne ar a glúine. " Go raibh maith agat as ucht muid a thabhairt go dtí an cóisir sráide," a dúirt Máire i gcogar le Mamó. "Bhain mé féin agus Peadar an-taitneamh as an lá - agus as an oíche!"
Discuss the story with your class. The following may be helpful:
What did Éilís work at? Is there a bakery in your town? What can you buy there? Who works in the bakery? What do they wear? What is it like to work in a bakery? Is it hot? Do you stand all day?
Who can bake? Do you know anyone who is good at baking? Do you bake? What do you make? What do you use? Do you enjoy baking? Develop the concept that people of all ages can do this.
Does Éilís get paid for baking now? Did she ever get paid? Do you think she enjoys baking? Why? Develop the concept of work and play overlapping.
Who was at this party? Were you ever at a party out of doors? Were there adults at it? Why are parties out of doors good fun? Is there space for everyone to enjoy themselves without interfering with others at the party (e.g. children play games while Alice sits by fire)? Develop the concept of everyone having a role in fun activities
Do you know any old people? What do they work at? What do they enjoy doing?
Do you know any old person who cannot walk too well? What do they work at? What do they enjoy doing? Develop concept that physical problems do not mean an end to all participation.
What else do you think Éilís might do during the day? Discuss other possible activities that an older lady might do - go to the library, work in the garden, help in a voluntary group, visit friends, talk on the phone, clean her house, do her washing, etc.
Use the blackboard to explore "Gran and Me... and Grandad and me... " Look at the activities children like doing with an older person. Solicit input from the class. Possible answers include: baking, reading, playing with toys, swimming, talking, walking, shopping, eating, running, playing football etc. going to the cinema, to matches etc. It may also be useful to ask:
It is breakfast time in the Murphy household. Mam, Dad, Emer and Jean (7-year-old twins) are getting ready for the day at work and at school. Mam and Dad own a shoe shop and the girls are in school. Gran works in the shoe-shop and Grandad collects the girls from school and looks after them in the afternoon.
Characters: Mam, Dad, Emer, Jean, Gran, Grandad, customer and perhaps other people in the park.
Role-play the following scenes during the day:
Depending on your class, you may want to give them more specific input to some of the characters - e.g. Gran has worked for 40 years in the shoe shop and is used to handling troublesome customers, Grandad enjoys being with the girls but would like to be watching the horse racing on the TV. You could also introduce the elements of tension and suspense by briefing both Gran and Grandad with agendas that are not known to the other participants, for example, Gran accidentally spills a cup of tea she has on the counter, on the customer's own shoes, while Grandad storms out of the house promising never to mind the children again.
The main objective of this role-play is to encourage the children to think about older people working and enjoying themselves.
This lesson provides opportunities for many cross-curricular activities and links directly to the curriculum for primary schools as follows:
| SPHE | Myself and and the wider world | Developing citizenship |
| Drama | Drama to explore feelings, knowledge and ideas | Exploring and making drama |
The key questions for this lesson include: