St. Patrick’s Day brings lots of joy to students. They love dressing in green to avoid “getting pinched” and enjoy hearing about the mischievous leprechauns. Here are some St. Patrick’s Day activities for upper elementary students that are not only engaging but also align to the standards.
St. Patrick’s Day Activities for Upper Elementary
1. Shamrock Activities
Teach students how to create a shamrock. You can then use them for different activities.
Here are the steps:
- Gather supplies.
- Have the students place their paper landscape style, then fold it in half.
- Then, have the students place half of the cup onto the center of the folded edge.
- Next, have students create an almost half heart at the top of the circle. (The bottom of the half heart should NOT meet back at the crease of the paper, but to the top of the circle.)
- Then, have the students make an almost heart on the right side of the circle. (The bottom of the heart should again NOT meet back at the bottom, but to the side of the circle.)
- The last drawing part is the stem of the clover.
- Lastly, have the students cut the edge of the shamrock.
Now, it’s time to get creative. You can use these shamrocks for a variety of things.
Shamrock Related Activities
1. Main Idea & Key Details: Write the main idea in the middle of the shamrock and write three key details on each of the leaves.
2. Character Traits: Write a character’s name in the middle. Write 3 character traits that describe that character and explain when they showed that trait.
3. Themes: Write the title of a book in the middle. Write 3 themes displayed in that book and explain why.
4. Order of Adjectives: Write a noun in the middle. Include three adjectives from different categories that can be used to describe it. (N.O.S.A.S.C.O.M.) Students should make sure to apply the rules of order of adjectives writing the adjective that should go first on the left leaf, the second adjective on the middle and the last on the right.
5. Frequently Confused Words: Write the title Frequently Confused Words in the middle. Have students write one word on each leaf and include when to use it and/or an example. Examples are: to, too, two / where, were, we’re / there, their, they’re.
6. Parts of a Word: Write a word that has a prefix, root, and suffix in the middle. Then have students write the prefix on the left leaf, the root word on the middle top leaf, and the suffix on the right leaf.
7. “Dead Words”: Have students write words that are frequently used in writing but that have better alternatives in the middle. Have them write alternate words on the leaves.
8. Root Words: Introduce root words to students. Assign each student a root word and have them come up with a word that include that root in them. Then, have them add the meaning of the root, them meaning of the word they chose, and an illustration.
2. Write a Limerick
St. Patrick’s Day is all about fun which makes reading, teaching, and writing limericks ideal for this day.
3. Create a Figurative Language Rainbow
- simile
- metaphor
- idiom
- hyperbole
- personification
- onomatopoeia
- alliteration
4. Lucky Idioms
Introduce your students to idioms that relate to luck. Then, have students create colorful Lucky Charm Idioms crafts that you can hang up on a bulletin board.
5. St. Patrick’s Day Vocabulary
Break away from your regular vocabulary wordlist and introduce your students to words focused on Patrick’s Day.
Teach students the meaning of these new words. Educate them on how to search for synonyms and antonyms using a dictionary or online resources. Then, have them create sentences and illustrations related to the words.
After having them share their sentences and illustrations with a partner, assess their understanding with a quick ten question quiz.
6. Grammar Review Sheets
St. Patrick’s Day lands right in the middle of test prep season, so use this opportunity to combine the two. I loved using gamified St. Patrick’s Day Themed Grammar Review pages. Students loved the feeling of playing games or working on brain teaser type sheets.
7. Read St. Patrick’s Day Books
Upper elementary students love being read picture books to just as much as primary students. The holidays are a perfect time to incorporate a read aloud or two, and St. Patrick’s Day is no exception. If you’re looking for some suggestions, I’ve created a list of St. Patrick’s Day books that are great for upper elementary students.
8. St. Patrick’s Day Puzzles
Puzzles are so versatile. If you have way too much already to cover, but want to incorporate some St. Patrick’s Day activities in the classroom, puzzles is a great option.
They work well as morning work, early finishers, brain break activities, and extra options for substitutes.
9. St. Patrick’s Day Research Project
If you want to add more depth to your St. Patrick’s Day lessons, consider including a short research activity. Students can learn about who St. Patrick was, where the holiday originated, and why symbols like the shamrock are important.
This What is St. Patrick’s Day? Facts & Research Project gives students the opportunity to do some research. It covers reading comprehension, social studies and research skills. It works well for independent work, centers, or a graded assignment.
As you can see, there are quite a few St. Patrick’s Day activities for upper elementary students that you can incorporate in your classroom to cover ELA standards.
10. St. Patrick’s Day Story Map Activity
After reading a St. Patrick’s Day picture book, have students analyze the plot using a themed rainbow story map. Students identify exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution, then use their notes to write a summary.
This St. Patrick’s Day Rainbow Story Map works with any fictional text and includes structured plot notes and a summary page for easy assessment.
Hopefully, you will be able to find something exciting that works for you and your students.
If you’re looking for more St. Patrick’s Day ELA resources, make sure to head on over Your Thrifty Co-Teacher on TPT where you will find puzzles, grammar activities, and more.
