Year 5 - History
The growth of Irish monasteries
Britain after the Romans: how did Christianity survive in the British Isles?
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit, pupils develop their causal understanding by learning how Christianity survived in the British Isles following the departure of the Romans. They learn about how religion changed after the Romans left and the importance of Irish Christianity in this period.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to describe how the monasteries of Ireland grew in importance.
Key Notes
- By the early 6th century, monasteries began to be set up across Ireland.
- At first, these were meant as places for Christians to retreat to and dedicate their lives to God.
- They were often in remote, hard to reach places like the island of Skellig Michael.
- Many monasteries, though, attracted the patronage of kings and the rich and grew in both size and importance.
- They were centres for the teaching of poetry, literature, and the arts and produced manuscripts like the Book of Kells.
Vocabulary To Learn
- monastery: a monastery is a building lived in by a community of monks who follow religious vows
- patronage: patronage is the support given by a person to another person, organisation or cause, usually involving money
- monk: a monk is a member of a community of men living under religious vows
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Pupils may think monasteries were only a place for prayer.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Summarise this historical learning in two key ideas.
By the early 6th century, monasteries began to be set up across Ireland. At first, these were meant as places for Christians to retreat to and dedicate their lives to God.
2. Define this history term and explain why it matters in this topic. 'monastery'
a monastery is a building lived in by a community of monks who follow religious vows.
3. Correct this common history misconception using evidence language.
Mistake: Pupils may think monasteries were only a place for prayer. Correction: Monasteries were places for learning and culture where people could pray, study the bible and create things.
More Lessons In This Unit
Browse all guides in the Year 5 History guide library.