I recently read an article which stated that flowers are now blooming on average 1 month earlier than they did in 1987 on account of our warmer climate. This is certainly something that I have noticed locally, particularly at the outset of spring.
As discussed by other participants, one of the other most apparent impacts of climate change in Ireland is that of the weather. Heavy rain leading to floods, extreme storms, and school closures due to snow have all become more frequent. These events are now the norm for the children that we teach, but are certainly cause for concern for those of us who have been able to track their emergence in recent years.
There are many excellent books which introduce the topic of climate change and sustainability to children in an interactive, engaging way. One book that I have used in the past is “Michael Recycle” by Ellie Bethel. This tells the story of Michael Recycle who saves a town from drowning in rubbish, and shows the inhabitants how to recycle.
Some relevant activities that have linked nicely with the book are:
– Children design posters for display around the school outlining why recycling is important.
– Children write a procedure in English showing how to correctly sort rubbish from their lunchboxes for recycling.
– The class make a presentation at assembly about recycling and how each class can recycle effectively.
– A school art competition to design a Recycling Hero (using recycled materials).