Garda Storytelling Project

Overview

A 50-minute engaging history lesson designed for a class of 14 first-class students. A visiting Garda will share personal, age-appropriate stories from his career in the community. Students will choose one story and retell it visually through pictures, developing comprehension, creativity, and narrative skills aligned with the Irish Primary Curriculum (IE Curriculum Framework).

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Curriculum Alignment

Strand and Strand Units

History: Story (Social, Cultural, and Local History)
Strand Unit: Personal and Family History, Community Helpers

Learning Objectives (Derived from IE Curriculum)

• Develop listening skills and comprehension in familiar contexts (History - Story).
• Recognise the role of significant community helpers in society (Garda).
• Express understanding of a narrative through visual representation.
• Foster respect for community roles and safety.

Skills Developed

• Historical awareness through storytelling.
• Oral language competence and narrative sequencing.
• Artistic expression and fine motor skills.
• Critical thinking through question responses.

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Learning Outcomes

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

• Listen attentively to a Garda’s story and recall key details.
• Answer lower and higher order questions demonstrating comprehension and critical thinking.
• Retell the chosen story through a series of drawings in correct sequence.
• Show understanding of the Garda’s role in their community.

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Resources

• Visiting Garda
• A4 paper, coloured pencils, crayons, markers
• Large display board or whiteboard for questions
• Story anchor charts for sequencing (Optional)

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Lesson Structure

Introduction (10 minutes)

Aims: Set context, activate prior knowledge about Gardaí and community roles.

• Welcome Garda and class introduction.
• Brief class discussion on what a Garda does.
• Teacher poses lower order and higher order questions to engage students.

Lower order questions:

1. What is a Garda?
2. Where do Gardaí work?
3. Can you name a rule that Gardaí help to keep?
4. Have you ever seen a Garda before?

Higher order questions:

1. Why do you think Gardaí are important in our community?
2. How do Gardaí help keep us safe?
3. What would happen if Gardaí didn’t do their job?
4. How do you think Gardaí feel when they help people?

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Development (30 minutes)

Aims: Active listening, comprehension, and visual storytelling.

• Garda shares 3-4 age-appropriate stories from his career — real-life but positive and relatable (e.g., helping find a lost child, community events, road safety).
• Students listen carefully and think about which story they liked best.

Teacher facilitates student thinking with questions:

Lower order:

1. Who was in the story?
2. What happened first in the story?
3. Where did the story take place?
4. What problem did the Garda help solve?

Higher order:

1. Why did the Garda decide to help in that way?
2. How do you think the people in the story felt?
3. What would you have done differently if you were the Garda?
4. What can we learn from this story for ourselves?

• After choosing their favourite story, students will draw 3-4 pictures illustrating the key parts of the story in sequence.

Support: Teacher and Garda circulate to assist with understanding and artistic expression.

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Conclusion (10 minutes)

Aims: Share learning, reinforce comprehension, and metacognitive reflection.

• Students volunteer to share their picture stories in small groups or with the class.
• Teacher and Garda encourage oral retelling using the pictures.

Closing questions:

Lower order:

1. Can you tell us the name of your story?
2. What was your favourite part of the story?
3. Who helped in the story?
4. What pictures did you draw?

Higher order:

1. Why do you think that part of the story was important?
2. How did the Garda help people in your story?
3. What would you like to ask the Garda about their job?
4. How have you changed your understanding of Gardaí today?

• Conclude by thanking the Garda and praising children for their listening and storytelling.

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Assessment

Formative throughout the lesson through:

• Student responses to questions (oral and written).
• Quality and coherence of picture stories (assessed against ability and sequence).
• Engagement with Garda and participation in discussions.

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Differentiation

• Support for students who need it with additional prompting or scaffolding for drawing.
• Higher ability students may add speech bubbles or captions to their pictures.
• Garda and teacher prompt with follow-up questions to deepen thinking.

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Extension Ideas

• Create a class book of Garda stories with student illustrations.
• Role-play “Help a Garda” scenarios for practical understanding of safety.
• Invite other community helpers (Firefighter, Nurse) for storytelling sessions.

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This lesson is designed to inspire wonder about local history and community roles, while developing key skills in listening, comprehension, and creative retelling consistent with IE Curriculum expectations for first class students.