Peat

Subject areas: Drama & History
The Ark presents a new show by Kate Heffernan for children in 3rd - 6th class looking at where things go when they leave us.

How far down is yesterday?

On the edge of a town, in the middle of a bog, half way between a school and a housing estate, Rayy and Jo have come to dig a hole. Peat is the story of the things they bury, and the things they find.

With lightness and humour, this new play for children asks big questions about life, death, time and history. A conversation between two 11-year olds who find themselves standing on top of everything that has ever happened, it is a story of friendship, loss, and finding our place in the world.

Curricular Links

Watching and reflecting on theatre performances with your class will explore many of the key strands of the Drama and English curricula, particularly in relation to: examining the relationship between story, theme and life experience; using insights arising out of dramatic action to draw conclusions about life and people; receptiveness to language; competence and confidence in using language; emotional and imaginative development through language; reflection on drama and listening and responding.

Download our Peat Activity Pack in English or Irish Now

While the play Peat is presented in English, we have also provided our classroom resources as Gaeilge which link to themes and ideas from the show in order to support teachers wishing to deliver classroom based drama and history-based activities through the Irish language.

In Section 1: Discovering History, you'll find the following learning activities:

  1. Becoming Objects
  2. Class Discussion
  3. Photograph from the Past
  4. Mysterious Objects
  5. Time Capsule

In Section 2, Friendship, you'll find the following learning activities:

  1. Would You Rather?
  2. Frozen Images
  3. Recount the Story
  4. Hot Seating

The activities in our Peat Classroom Activity Pack are cross-curricular and contain elements of the English, History and Geography curricula. While it is helpful to have seen Peat, many of the activities included can be used in the classroom, whether you have or haven’t seen the play.

The Ark @ Home

If you prefer, as part of The Ark @ Home, we have adapted some of the activities in the classroom pack specifically for home use, which may be simpler for children to engage with on their own or with family members in their homes. Find out more here.

Watch the Trailer