Woven in Ulster: Ulster-Scots and the Story of Linen

Woven in Ulster: Ulster-Scots and the Story of Linen

Lesson 3: The Life of a Hero: Amy Carmichael and the ‘Shawlies’

This lesson examines the work of Ulster-Scot Amy Carmichael with the Belfast mill workers known as the ‘shawlies’ and also briefly introduces pupils to her work in India. Pupils will have an opportunity to carry out a research activity to explore the traits of Amy Carmichael. They will also carry out a Talking and Listening activity to order Amy Carmichael’s character traits from most important to least important.

Lesson Plan

Keywords and Phrases

life expectancy Linenopolis industrialisation rural urban

Learning Intentions

Pupils will:

  • understand the work that Amy Carmichael carried out with the Belfast ‘shawlies’; and
  • show an understanding of the qualities of a hero of the faith.

Starter

Ask the pupils to name their heroes (they may be from the world of sport, religion, politics etc). Now ask pupils to join with a partner in a think, pair, share activity giving reasons to their partner why their chosen person is a hero. Now ask pupils, working in their pairs, to come up with four qualities that make their person a hero. Pupils should record these qualities on ‘Post-its’. They may suggest qualities such as a good role model, talented, doesn’t give up easily, hard worker etc. Now ask pupils to stick their ‘Post-its’ around the classroom. Are there common qualities appearing? Discuss this with the pupils.

Main Lesson

Display Resource 4.13: Amy Carmichael (IWB) and briefly introduce the pupils to Amy Carmichael, telling them who she was and where she was born and subsequently worked. See Resource 4.14: Teacher Information Card 3, on the story of Amy Carmichael, and Carmichael, Amy Beatrice.

At this point you may also want pupils to watch the video created by the pupils of Millisle Primary School.

Introduce pupils to the term ‘shawlies’ and display Resource 4.15: ‘Shawlies’ (IWB). Ask pupils what they think a shawlie was. Now display Resource 4.16: ‘Shawlies’ Description (IWB).

You may wish to show pupils the video clip of Anne Rowntree, who was born in Belfast in 1928, recalling the ‘shawlies’ during the time when her grandmother was alive.

Pupil Activity

Now distribute Resource 4.17: Traits of a Hero (Cards) and ask pupils to work in pairs to find examples of these traits from the life of Amy Carmichael. Pupils should use information from Resource 4.14, as well as the video mentioned above.

You should use information from Resource 4.14: Teacher Information Card 3 and the video clips of an interview with Jonathan Clarke, the pastor of The Welcome Evangelical Church in Belfast, which was previously called the Tin Tabernacle where Amy Carmichael taught the ‘shawlies’. He has researched the life of Amy Carmichael and read many of her 37 books and poems. Listen to what he has to say about Amy Carmichael:

Plenary

Amy Carmichael was a hero of the faith. Ask pupils to identify one aspect of their character which they could improve on to try and emulate the life of Amy Carmichael.

Additional Pupil Activities

1. Leadership Qualities – Amy Carmichael

Using Think, Pair and Share : Active Learning and Teaching Methods for Key Stages 1&2, page 70, ask pupils to talk about Amy Carmichael and address the questions below giving reasons for their responses:

  • What were the qualities that Amy Carmichael had?
  • Do you think Amy Carmichael was a good leader?
  • Was there anything in her life that she had to overcome?
  • Would you have picked her to be your leader?

You may wish to use the interview with Jonathan Clarke after pupils have completed their responses to the questions. Did the pupils come to the same conclusions?

Links to Curriculum

Suggested Websites & Resources

Did you know

Ulster-Scot Amy Carmichael wrote many books and one of her many quotations is, ‘One can give without loving but one cannot love without giving.’

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