St Andrew's Day lesson for P5 to P7: fact, legend or opinion?

At a glance

Stage	P5 to P7 (KS2 in England)
Experiences and Outcomes	SOC 2-01a: "I can use primary and secondary sources selectively to research events in the past." SOC 2-02a: "I can interpret historical evidence from a range of periods to help to build a picture of Scotland's heritage and my sense of chronology." (Social studies Es and Os, Education Scotland)
Time	50 to 60 minutes
Date	St Andrew's Day is 30 November every year. In 2026 it falls on a Monday.

Learning intention and success criteria

Teacher background (checked facts)

• Andrew was one of the twelve apostles in the Bible, a fisherman and the brother of Simon Peter.
• A later tradition says he died on an X-shaped cross in Greece. That is where the saltire shape comes from.
• Legend says a monk called St Rule (Regulus) brought some of Andrew's bones to the place now called St Andrews.
• Another legend says a Pictish king, Óengus II, saw a white saltire against a blue sky before a battle near Athelstaneford in East Lothian, and won. Historians treat this as a legend, not a record.
• The Declaration of Arbroath (1320) names St Andrew as Scotland's patron.
• The St Andrew's Day Bank Holiday (Scotland) Act 2007 made 30 November a bank holiday, but employers and schools don't have to close.
• St Andrew is also honoured in other countries, including Greece and Romania.

The lesson

Time	What happens
0 to 5 min Hook	Show the saltire. "Why is Scotland's flag an X, and why is it blue and white?" Collect ideas without saying who's right.
5 to 15 min Teach	Share the LI and SC. Tell the story of St Andrew using the background above. Then teach the three words: fact (we can check it), legend (an old story people tell that we can't prove), opinion (what someone thinks or feels).
15 to 35 min Card sort	In groups of 3 or 4, pupils sort the nine cards below into fact, legend and opinion. Each group must agree a reason for every card. Circulate and ask, "How could we check that?"
35 to 45 min Share	Take one card per group. Debate the tricky ones (cards 2 and 7 usually split the room).
45 to 55 min Write	Pupils write a short "St Andrew: what we know and what we don't" paragraph, using one fact, one legend and the word "because".
55 to 60 min Exit	"Write one fact and one legend about St Andrew." Collect as pupils leave.

Card sort: fact, legend or opinion? (with answers)

Card	Answer and why
1. Andrew was a fisherman.	Fact (from a source): the Bible says so. A good extension: "Is one source enough?"
2. Andrew died on an X-shaped cross.	Legend or tradition: the story was written down long after he died.
3. St Rule brought Andrew's bones to Scotland.	Legend.
4. A white cross appeared in the sky before a battle.	Legend.
5. St Andrew's Day is on 30 November.	Fact: we can check a calendar.
6. The saltire is the best flag in the world.	Opinion.
7. The Declaration of Arbroath (1320) mentions St Andrew.	Fact: the document still exists and we can read it.
8. 30 November is a bank holiday in Scotland.	Fact: since a 2007 law, though not everyone gets the day off.
9. Shortbread is the best thing to eat on St Andrew's Day.	Opinion.

Levels

• Support: use six cards (1, 3, 5, 6, 8 and 9) with picture clues, and give a sentence starter: "This is a ___ because ___."
• Core: all nine cards, with a reason agreed for each.
• Challenge: add a "not sure" pile and explain what evidence would move a card out of it.

Extension: a Scots saying poster

Pupils make a poster for a Scots saying, such as "We're aw Jock Tamson's bairns" (we're all the same underneath), and ask at home for one their family uses. The Scots Language Centre St Andrew's Day resource has more ideas.

More free resources

• BBC Teach: St Andrew's Day assembly framework
• Scots Language Centre: St Andrew's Day schools' resource
• Scottish Parliament: St Andrew's Day Bank Holiday (Scotland) Bill