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ASSIGNMENT
Reflect on how Climate Change is impacting on your own local area and how you would engage your pupils to explore this further. Suggest three actions that you can do to make the world a better place and slow down climate change.
Post a reflective piece (150 words min) on how you would do this in your classroom to this forum as a reply to this post.
Please also comment on at least one other participant’s post.
Then, recollect on how the Development Education modules in this course can feed into School Self-Evaluation (SSE) at your school.
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Some of the changes observed locally in Ireland…climate change…Warmer Winters and Hotter Summers: Average temperatures have risen, with warmer winters and hotter summersbecoming more common. While this might seem beneficial in some cases, it has major consequences for agriculture, which is a key sector of the Irish economy.Changing Seasons: Traditional growing seasons are shifting, affecting crop yields, livestock health, and food security. For example, warmer temperatures can lead to earlier springs but also greater risk of droughts in the summer months.Increased Rainfall: Ireland has witnessed more frequent and intense rainfall, which has led to flooding in various regions. Urban areas are particularly vulnerable to stormwater runoff.More Storms: Ireland is seeing stronger storms, with higher winds and heavier rainfall. This puts pressure on the country’s emergency services, agriculture, and infrastructure.
School friendly actions to make the world a better place…Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Promote community-wide recycling programs, composting, and reducing the consumption of single-use plastics.
Zero-Waste Stores: Support local zero-waste businesses that allow people to buy bulk items without packaging.
Upcycling Projects: Organize community events where people can swap items or turn old materials into new products (e.g., old furniture into new art pieces or useful items).-
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Climate Change in Dublin.
In Dublin, we are already seeing the effects of climate change in our local area. Heavier rainfall and more frequent flooding in places like Clontarf and the River Dodder have caused disruption in homes and schools. Warmer summers and unexpected weather patterns are becoming more common. These changes impact our daily lives, our environment, and the animals and plants that live around us.
To help 5th Class pupils understand these local effects, we would begin with discussions and simple observations—such as tracking the weather, watching local forecast reports, or taking walks to spot signs of change in nature. Using digital tools like Google Earth or interactive maps, pupils can learn about rising sea levels and the importance of reducing carbon footprints.
As a class, we would take three key actions:
Create a school pollinator garden to support biodiversity.
Organise “Walk or Cycle to School” challenges to reduce emissions.
Launch a waste-free lunch campaign and design posters to raise awareness.
These steps allow pupils to take real action, fostering responsibility, climate awareness, and hope for the future. -
We are seeing the effects of climate change through more extreme weathers. The warm days are very hot and every year we are getting days off through storm days or snow days. I don’t remember ever getting days off due to weather when I was in primary school.
Our school has an Eco team and they really push great initiatives through the school. We were having issues with bins being mixed when they were emptied in the evenings, so now the cleaners only empty the rubbish bin and the Eco teams empty the class recycle bins weekly. At Christmas we had a Christmas jumper swop which was very successful. Children brought in their old jumpers and could swop it for another jumper. It was a sustainable and cost effective way for them to get a new Christmas jumper. Each child also brings a hand towel in with them daily to use to dry their hands when they have washed them. This has cut down massively on the amount of tissue we are using.
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Hi Alison, I love the idea of having an eco team within the school who take ownership of pushing forward initiatives to make a better school community. I suspect the same issue may occur with our rubbish and recycling bins in our school so I will be taking this forward to our principal in September!
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The effects of climate change are becoming more and more visible and are having a direct impact on each and every one of us. We are certainly seeing the effects of climate change in our local area. Heavier rainfall and more frequent flooding have caused disruption in homes and schools over the past year. Warmer summers and unexpected weather patterns are becoming more common. One of the more recent examples of this was Storm Eowyn in January. Many of our homes in my locality were without electricity for almost three weeks. In an era where we are so reliant on electricity this was a very challenging time and gave us a first-hand experience of the seriousness of the problem.
While the issue of Climate Change can seem almost overwhelming, there are many small yet impactful steps we can take on a personal and a school level.
Continuing to inform and educate children at an age-appropriate level of the facts and the issues arising is the first step in empowering them to take action. This is a cross curricular approach which can be embedded in the school plan.
Facilitating projects/events in school such as Walk to School Day, Book Swap Day, Junk Couture, Swap a Garment Day and Developing the school garden are all simple ways to involve pupils.
Working collaboratively with local agents such as Men’s Shed in upcycling projects to improve our Aistear Garden is something we have started in the past year.
We can also show example and make a difference individually and as a staff by making choices/taking actions such as turning off lights, recycling, supporting zero waste businesses, shopping locally, eating food in season etc etc
Being informed and empowered will help our students and school community to make a difference.
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Orla,
This is a clear and thoughtful reflection on how climate change is impacting Ireland. I agree that these local changes make the issue more real for students. The school-friendly actions you suggest are practical and empowering, especially upcycling projects. They help students see that small changes can lead to big impacts.
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Thank you for your thoughtful post. I really liked your point about involving students in local environmental surveys. Giving them the responsibility to investigate and report back not only builds their research skills, but also gives them a sense of agency. Your idea about linking climate action with creative subjects like Art and Drama also really stood out—it’s a great way to engage pupils who might not connect with traditional science-based approaches. Looking forward to trying some of your ideas in my own classroom!
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<p style=”text-align: left;”>Thank you for your thoughtful post. I really liked your point about involving students in local environmental surveys. Giving them the responsibility to investigate and report back not only builds their research skills, but also gives them a sense of agency. Your idea about linking climate action with creative subjects like Art and Drama also really stood out—it’s a great way to engage pupils who might not connect with traditional science-based approaches. Looking forward to trying some of your ideas in my own classroom!</p>
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Hi Orla, a Junk Kouture project is a great idea, I have only seen this at secondary school level but it would be a very creative and enjoyable project for primary school children which would offer so many teaching moments about the impact of pollution and litter on the local community and the world.
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I have noticed the impact of Climate Change to Ireland as a whole. Firstly, we are experiencing rising temperatures and random heatwaves. While this was enjoyable at the beginning, not it is merely a sign that we are going in the wrong direction. On the other side of this, we have also experienced intense rainfall and more frequent storms then ever before. These storms have caused immense damage to peoples homes and livelihoods as well as even ending in death. People living in the countryside are more at risk as they can be isolated from others and harder to reach in cases of emergency. The seasons seem to have lost their pattern as we have experienced some of our hottest weather in September and our worst storms in March/April. It is quite clear that climate change waits for no-one and action must be taken now.
Children are the future and it is important that they are involved in change. Encouraging different initiatives to help combat climate change will facilitate children to step up and take action.
1. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – irradicating single use plastic and the dumping of endless plastics would really benefit with how much waste we have to tackle. Using reusable bottles and discarding of rubbish appropriately are accessible ways people can help
2.Stop the fuel – Having whole school initiatives such as ‘Walk on Wednesday’ or ‘Bike to School’ might encourage those who can to leave their cars at home and walk/cycle/scooter etc. This of course depends on the families situation which is why it is important to approach it in a sensitive manner
3. Energy conservation – Having light monitors and water watchers in the school can prevent lights and computers being left on or taps running out.
As for SSE, schools need to evaluate what they are doing to help stop this climate crisis and encourage different initiatives throughout the school. It is also their priority to ensure that children are being taught about this pressing issue and encouraged to make change.
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Yes, I agree. The impact of climate change in Ireland in recent years can’t be ignored. The Beast from the East in 2018 and Storm Éowyn in January of this year being the most memorable. The extensive damage, widespread electricity outages and disruption to water supplies are stark warnings that we need to act now to prevent worse effects in the future.
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We’re definitely seeing the impact of climate change across Ireland as a whole and there are specific areas that are more exposed than others. One of the notable impacts we have seen in recent years is the increasing volume of very powerful storms. Extreme weather events are growing in number with a huge impact on everyone living here. This year storm Eowyn meant that there were power outages across the country, including in my area. Our power outage was relatively brief but I work with colleagues who experienced this for over a week. The same was true in many areas of the country.
As a keen gardener, I’m also seeing the impacts of climate change in our back gardener. Unpredictable weather such as later-than-normal extreme cold, heavy rain or above-average amounts of dry, hot weather all have a massive effect on the plants we choose to grow in our garden and, more significantly, on the native plant life all around Ireland.
Three actions I try to take to reduce the impact of climate change are as follows – first, I try to reduce consumption overall. Whether this means purchasing fewer items, driving/traveling less than I might have or being conscious of energy-use within the household, this is something that really affects my personal impact on the climate. I think that sourcing sustainable energy sources is another way to try to tackle climate change – relying more on solar, wind, etc. Finally, I take account of climate concerns when planning my own gardening – I like to plant trees and plants that promote biodiversity.
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Hi Patrick,
Thank you for sharing your ideas and possible classroom actions. Your suggestions for reducing consumption, using more renewable energy, and promoting biodiversity are really practical.
You’ve alluded to being a keen gardener, a classroom activity that might dovetail here, is getting your pupils to keep a simple climate log that tracks local weather patterns and its effect on plant growth in the school garden over time. This can help them connect climate change to their own environment and develop observation and recording skills in a meaningful way.
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I agree Patrick that involvement in the school garden is a wonderful activity for children from many perspectives. It can make their learning relevant in terms of observing the effects of weather on plants, the seasonal pattern of growth and introduces them to the connectedness of all elements of the world of nature.
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According the EPA climate change has impacted Ireland in the following ways: https://www.epa.ie/environment-and-you/climate-change/what-impact-will-climate-change-have-for-ireland/
1. Increase overall in temperature – since the 1980s, each successive decade has been warmer than any preceding decade since 1850. 2019, was the 9th successive year with temperatures above normal.
2. Reduction in the number of and length of frost days.
3. An increase in the number of very intense storms coming over the Atlantic.
4. Sea surface temperature in Irish waters has increased at a rate of approximately 0.6°C per decade since 1994, which is unprecedented in the 150-year observational record.
Children will all relate to the increase of intense weather events as a tangible effect of climate change. School closures, road closures, flooding, loss of electricity and loss of clean water supplies are a direct consequence of extreme weather events.
In the classroom, I would engage pupils by starting with a local climate audit—observing weather patterns, changes in local biodiversity, and discussing any flooding or extreme weather events they’ve experienced. We would then explore the global causes of climate change, using resources from Green Schools, SEAI, and the EPA’s Junior Climate Ambassador programme. Inquiry-based projects, class debates, and collaborative action planning would allow pupils to connect their learning to the world around them. Three actions that I can do to reduce climate change and make the world a better place are:
1. Reduce my carbon footprint by holidaying at home instead of abroad.
2. Reduce food miles by shopping local and buying in season.
3. Canvass my local politicians to provide more cycle lanes in my area. Cycling is so popular amongst children and obviously a greener way of travelling. I also love cycling. However, once you venture out onto the main roads there are no cycle lanes and the roads are very dangerous for cyclists.
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I totally agree with you aout the lack of frosty days, I can count on my hands the amount of days last year I actually had to defrost the car which is so unusual, it used to be almost every morning in winter. Even when we consider the amount of days we have had off school in the past few years due to weather, this alone shows the huge impact climate change is having.
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In Cork, climate change is becoming increasingly visible through more frequent storms, flooding, and unpredictable weather. Rising sea levels threaten coastal areas like Cork City, roads/flooding/housing damage, and low-lying farmland also with damage to crops and animal life. To help primary pupils explore this, I would engage them through local storytelling, nature walks to observe changes in weather or plant life, and simple experiments like measuring rainfall over time. Three classroom actions we could take include planting native trees or wildflowers to support biodiversity and absorb CO₂. As well as this, kids could create a “Green Day” where students walk, cycle, or carpool to school and discuss their eco-friendly choices. Starting a recycling and reuse project, where pupils turn waste into art or practical items would also be an option.
By making climate change local and meaningful, children develop awareness, empathy, and a sense of responsibility in protecting their own future, particularly in the senior classes.Development Education supports SSE by promoting active learning, global citizenship, and wellbeing. It encourages pupils to think critically about real world issues which enhances learning and classroom engagement. Development Education also fosters inclusion and empathy, supporting a positive school culture. Whole-school projects can link directly to an SSE’s focus on leadership and collaborative practice, making Development Education a valuable tool for school improvement.
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I really like your ideas of using local stories and nature walks to help pupils connect with climate change in their own community. “Green Day” sounds like a fun way to get students involved and thinking about their daily choices. The recycling and reuse project is also a great way to make learning creative and practical. I agree that making climate change local helps children understand its importance and builds their sense of responsibility. Your point about Development Education supporting SSE through teamwork and wellbeing is very clear and inspiring.
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Shane, I really like your suggestion to link it to local storytelling and nature walks to observe changes in weather or plant life. As a strong advocate of community-based learning, I think that it is vital that aspects of climate change are contextualised in the world around the children. I particularly like the idea of taking action by planting native trees or wildflowers to support biodiversity and absorb CO₂.
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Climate change is already affecting my local area in inner-city Dublin. We see more heavy rain and flooding, which can cause damage and disrupt daily life. Heatwaves also happen more often, making it uncomfortable for everyone, especially children. In my classroom, I would start by helping my pupils understand what climate change is and how it affects their lives locally and globally. We could use simple experiments, videos, and stories to make it real and relatable.
To take action, we could:
Save energy by turning off lights and devices when not in use.
Reduce waste by recycling and using less plastic.
Plant trees or flowers to help clean the air and support wildlife.
These activities teach responsibility and teamwork while showing how small actions make a big difference.
The Development Education modules support our School Self-Evaluation by helping us focus on environmental awareness and active citizenship. They give us tools to include climate education in our plans, improving learning and community involvement.
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I would explore the question with my class how will climate change effect the tourism industry in our local area?
I looked at some previous projects on the Climate Detectives website and they gave me inspiration for my research question. I think this question can be approached and investigated from different angles. The children will get the opportunity to use a wide range of STEM skills. I used the research question planner to keep me on track when formulating my question and I think it ticks all the boxes.
I would have a whole class brainstorm on tourism in Ireland at the moment- why do tourists travel to Ireland? (culture, greenery, history etc.) I would then ask the children to do a brainstorm on why tourists travel to Spain? (weather, beaches etc.) We would compare and contrast the two brainstorms and this would encourage the children to think about climate change in Ireland and the possible effects it could have on tourism in Ireland.
The children would be encouraged to interview their parents about their childhood in Ireland, and whether or not there were many tourists in Ireland back then in comparison to now. We would formulate an email to send to Tourism Ireland requesting facts and figures on tourism in Ireland over the last 10 years. With these figures and facts we can hopefully analyse the data and present it in the form of a bar or line graph.
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The effects of climate change are having a direct impact on my local area. We have seen a major increases in storms and extreme weather conditions. Only a few months, storm Éowyn caused significant damage in the Phoenix Park. Fallen trees were a major issue and one tree in particular fell through the wall and into my neighbour’s garden. It was very fortunate that no one was injured.
As was mentioned in Module 5 pupils are coming to school and most already have a certain amount of knowledge about climate change. As teachers it can be a daunting topic to address for fear of causing anxiety. I have seen children suffering from anxiety really struggle with this topic. However, as mentioned by the teacher in the ‘Climate change – a worldwide view’ video, it is important to look as this topic using high quality material. Therefore, I would engage my pupils using the viewpoint that we can make a difference and we can be proactive about climate change.
Below are three actions we can take to make the world a better place and slow down climate change:
1. Reduce Waste – minimise waste by reducing consumption, recycling and shopping responsibly. Planning meals can be a very effective way to reduce food waste. Fast fashion is having a devastating effect on our world so it is important to support ethical brands and extend the life of clothing through care and repair.
2. Transportation – by choosing to cycle, walk or use public transport we can help to slow down climate change. Car pooling is also a great option if its suitable.
3. Demand Action – advocate for change from our local elected officials. We need to make our voice heard and support local organisations fighting for change.
SSE:
The School Self Evaluation process looks at what is best practice and motivates us to take action in our own schools on areas that need improvement. In my opinion, Development Education feeds directly into this process. By using SMART goals we can use a structured framework for achieving our objectives. As mentioned in Module 5 Development Education is cross curricular and embraces the voice of the pupil. It aims to raise awareness and deepen understanding of global issues. In today’s world, it is essential to inspire and empower our pupils to take meaningful action.
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What is our classes carbon footprint and what actions can we take to reduce it?
I feel that this question has two parts, one being the research and data collection part and the second being the implementing of the findings and our action plan. We will collect data after some time to see if our actions have had a positive effect on the environment in which we worked on.
To begin each student will investigate their own personal carbon footprint and then we can move forward. We can do this by asking the kids to use the website Climate Hero Carbon Calculator.
Here is the link provided for you:
The questionnaire will examine:
• how large the students house is and if their home is
• detached or semi detached or apartment living
• what year their house was built
• what heating source their house uses
• if their insulation has been upgrade
• if their home has air conditioning
• are they actively trying to reduce their electricity usage
• how many people live in the house
• how many pets are in the house
• how many flights do they take a year and if they are domestic or long haul
• how many cars are in their household and questions regarding their car
We would take the questionnaire again after 2 months to see if their carbon footprint has reduced. -
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The effects of climate change can be seen in the amount of school closures in the last two academic years as a result of weather and weather warnings. This was never the case before. I left primary school in 2008 and vaguely recall such time off due to weather warnings. It seems to become the norm now. Although children love the idea of a snow day and extra time off, when we reflect on this it is an alarming consequence of climate change. Our winters are colder and more unpredictable and our summers much hotter with random bursts of heatwaves. Researching into this as a class project could be very influential for students. As mentioned in this module, climate change affects everyone even if the most marginalised countries are those most affected, it is important we realise we are not exempt from the devastating consequences of climate change.
A good idea would be to keep a weather diary. This provided lots of integration opportunities with time in maths. Children would log the weather every day on every month. At the end of every term, we could look back on the weather encountered during the last few months. Questioning could occur surrounding how many sunny days, how many rainy days? Was the weather in line with what it should stereotypically be at that time of year. There are endless opportunities for teaching and learning. I think it is important to use the children’s immediate environment as a starting point for lessons, our surrounding community, our county and our country. Although there are great lessons worldwide for example bushfires in Australia. I think learning will be more meaningful for children when it is related to their personal life experience. This learning could be then be built on by expanding to examples worldwide
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Your observation about the increasing frequency of school closures due to weather warnings truly hits home, highlighting how climate change is impacting our daily lives directly, even in places like Ireland. It’s an alarming trend, as you rightly point out, despite the initial joy of a “snow day.”
I completely agree that using children’s immediate environment as a starting point makes learning incredibly meaningful. The weather diary is a brilliant, practical idea that offers rich opportunities for cross-curricular integration, from maths to science and geography. Tracking local weather patterns allows students to observe changes firsthand and connect global climate phenomena to their personal experiences. This local foundation then provides a powerful springboard for exploring broader, worldwide examples, ensuring a deeper understanding and fostering a sense of agency in addressing this critical issue.
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Climate change is having a huge impact in Ireland and in our own local area. We are experiencing many extreme weather events such as storms and flooding, higher and lower weather temperatures and huge rainfall. There is also a lot of coverage on climate change in the local media also so pupils are very aware of what is happening.
To engage pupils, we could carry out local environmental studies, we could organise a field trip and visit a local form or a flood affected area. We could also invite a guest speaker in to speak about the impact of climate change in the local area.
Three actions we could consider could be to create a school garden and outdoor classroom where pupils can learn about sustainable agriculture, biodiversity, and the importance of green spaces. We could conduct an electricity audit and identify areas where the school could save energy and implement a plan to carry this out. We could run a campaign to reduce single plastic use in the school. We could carry out a survey to count how much plastic is being used in each class and then make a plan for every class to reduce their quantity. A prize could be given to the class that makes the best improvement.-
What a fantastic and practical approach to tackling climate change in your school! I really like how you’re combining hands-on learning with real-world actions that pupils can take ownership of. The idea of a school garden and outdoor classroom is especially inspiring—it not only promotes biodiversity and sustainability but also provides a meaningful space for cross-curricular learning.
The electricity audit and plastic reduction campaign are also great ways to help pupils see the direct impact of their habits and choices. Involving them in data collection and planning encourages critical thinking and responsibility. Adding a bit of healthy competition with a class prize is a brilliant motivator too!
It’s clear you’re creating an environment where climate education is active, relevant, and empowering. Initiatives like these are exactly what we need to develop environmentally conscious young people. Well done Laura!
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Reflecting on climate change in Longford, our locality has had recent experiences effects of climate change. We still see local impacts such as unpredictable weather, storms which caused extensive damage, heavier rainfall, and occasional flooding, which affect agriculture and daily life. To help my pupils explore these issues, I would ground lessons in our own community discussing recent weather events in Longford and encouraging pupils to share observations from their families and local farmers.
In the classroom, I would try out some of these projects or actions.
Organising a project to measure our school’s carbon footprint, including how students travel to school and the school’s energy use.Starting a sustainable gardening project in the school grounds, teaching about biodiversity and food production.
Conserve energy by turning off lights and devices when not in use, and run a student led campaign to audit and reduce the school’s energy consumption.
To deepen engagement, I’d encourage pupils to share their learning with families. This ripple effect can extend awareness beyond the classroom.
Reflecting on the Development Education modules, I see clear links to School Self-Evaluation and our DEIS focus. Climate change could be used a focus area within relevant DEIS themes, such as Partnership with Others or Wellbeing.
By integrating climate action projects and sustainability education into our SSE process, we can set measurable targets (for example reducing waste, increasing biodiversity on school grounds) and track progress over time. This aligns our school’s ethos with global goals and empowers students to be active, informed citizens.-
Hi Colm,
Thank you for your post here and for sharing so many interesting and ‘doable’ activities with the children in our classes here. Having events in the local area and being able to see the impacts of flooding on agricultural land and livelihoods provides a clear context for the children to know that this is becoming a serious problem. The extreme weather events in recent years have provided children with first hand experience of the devastating impact of climate change. The gardening project within the school grounds is a particularly interesting suggestion and offers so many cross-curricular and home-school learning opportunities.
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Climate change significantly impacts North Kerry, primarily through rising sea levels, increased extreme weather, and severe sand dune erosion. These changes threaten coastal infrastructure, vital habitats, and agriculture. To engage pupils, I’d use an inquiry-based approach, starting with local weather data and news. Field trips to eroded sand dunes and discussions with local experts would provide tangible insights. Projects could involve mapping vulnerable areas and designing local solutions, fostering critical thinking and responsibility.
Three key actions to slow climate change would be emphasized:
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Refuse: Minimize consumption and waste.
Embrace Sustainable Transportation: Prioritize walking, cycling, and public transport.
Support Sustainable Food Systems: Choose local, seasonal produce and reduce food waste.
In the classroom, this translates into an action-oriented curriculum, integrating climate change across subjects. Group projects would encourage problem-solving, perhaps leading to a “Green School” initiative. My role is to facilitate exploration and empower pupils with knowledge and agency, cultivating environmentally conscious citizens for a sustainable North Kerry and beyond. -
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Climate change is increasingly affecting Ireland, where we see more frequent storms, flooding, and unpredictable weather. These changes impact daily life, our natural environment, and even how children travel to school. It’s essential to help pupils understand the local and global effects of climate change and empower them to take meaningful action.
In the classroom, I would begin with simple, age-appropriate explanations of climate change and use local examples. Videos, group discussions, and nature walks help make the issue real and relatable. Together, we would focus on three key actions to slow down climate change and make the world a better place:
Reduce Waste – Teach children how to recycle properly, appoint green school representatives to ensure items are recycled correctly, reuse materials in art or STEM lessons, and take part in litter clean-ups.
Green Travel – Promote whole-school initiatives like ‘Walk on Wednesday’, carpooling etc. to cut down on car use and emissions.
Planting for Biodiversity – Planting in school or starting a class or school garden to support pollinators and show how green spaces benefit the environment.
These initiatives link directly to our School Self-Evaluation (SSE) under wellbeing and sustainability and embed Development Education into daily school life.
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In Kilkenny city and county, the effects of climate change are becoming more and more visible. We’ve seen lots of rainfall which in turn leads to flooding and unusual weather patterns which affects local farming and therefore has a noticeable negative knock on effect on biodiversity, especially among pollinators like bees. These changes are not unrelated to the lives of children, they affect the parks they play in, the food they eat and the routines of their families. This creates a key opportunity to connect climate science with their own personal experiences in meaningful, age-appropriate ways.
In the classroom, I would encourage pupils to observe and discuss local environmental changes, through nature walks, weather logs, or interviews with community members like farmers. We could use the school ipads to take some images and compare and contrast these to the past. We would explore the causes and consequences of climate change through stories, science experiments and role-play, helping them understand both the problem and their power to help.
We would focus on three achievable goals:
Reduce waste – introducing classroom composting and encouraging lunchbox audits to cut down single-use plastics.Plant for the planet – growing pollinator-friendly plants or trees in a school garden.
Walk or cycle to school – creating an active travel campaign to reduce emissions and improve health.
These actions slow down climate change and foster responsibility, teamwork, and hope.
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I like how you linked climate change directly to the children’s everyday lives, like the parks they play in and the food they eat. This makes the issue feel so much more real and relevant for them.
Your ideas for using nature walks, weather logs, and interviews are fantastic. They are simple but effective ways to help pupils observe and understand what’s happening around them. I also think your three actions are very achievable and would give children a real sense of ownership. The idea of lunchbox audits is great, it’s practical and gets families involved too.
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Hey Joan, I really connected with your post, especially your mention of how climate change is impacting pollinators like bees. My dad is a beekeeper, so I’ve seen firsthand how unpredictable weather patterns can affect hive activity and local biodiversity. I think your idea of using nature walks and local interviews to make climate issues real for children is brilliant. Using iPads to compare images over time is a great way to show visible change too. I might try that with my own class come September. Your three goals are so practical and achievable, and I especially love the focus on planting for pollinators such a great way to link local action with global impact.
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Living and teaching in Kilrush, Co. Clare, on the edge of the Atlantic, we see firsthand the growing impact of climate change on our local environment. Increasingly unpredictable weather, stronger storms, coastal erosion, and changes in biodiversity are already noticeable. Many families here have a strong connection to the sea and farming, so pupils are aware of how climate change affects both land and ocean.
In the classroom, I would engage pupils by connecting these real-life local changes to global climate patterns. We would explore climate data, record local weather trends, and invite in local experts such as farmers, environmentalists, or fishermen to share what they’re observing. Using creative projects—such as climate action posters, digital storytelling, and nature-based art—we would raise awareness and empower pupils to be part of the solution.
Three actions we would focus on include:
1.Reducing single-use plastics in school lunches.
2.Planting pollinator-friendly plants around the school grounds.
3.Creating an energy-saving campaign for classrooms.
Through small, local steps and hands-on learning, pupils can see that their actions matter—both for our community and the planet. -
The effects of climate change are becoming more visible in my local area in recent years. Winters are becoming warmer and wetter, while summers are getting drier. There are many easy ways a school can help fight climate change but three keys ways we might tackle this in our school are – we can walk, cycle, or scoot to school instead of using cars.
In classrooms, we can turn off lights and close doors to save energy. We ran a competition in our school where Energy Monitors visited classrooms at lunchtime and the gave points to classes who had remembered to turn off their IWBs and lights.
And finally, planting trees or flowers in the school garden or setting up a gardening club at lunchtime is a lovely and hands on way to tackle climate change. And gardening has so many benefits for so many children. Teaching children about climate change and involving them in activities can encourage their parents and the whole community to make better choices for the environment too.
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Climate change is huge global issue that is now visible in our local area here in Dublin. In recent years, we’ve experienced more unusual weather patterns—intense rainfall leading to flooding in local areas like Harold’s Cross and Rathfarnham, and longer, drier periods in summer that affect local parks and gardens. I am from Roscommon and my family were badly affected by recent winter storms and had no water and electricity for days. This had huge impact on local services in the area.
To help pupils explore this issue, I would start with a local climate inquiry project. This could include investigating changes in local weather data. We could invite environmental speakers or parents who were experienced in this field to come and take to the pupils in the school. I know there is a local group in our area Dodder Action that is concerned with cleaning and protecting our local river. It is very positive example of a community responses to ecological changes with our own local area of Terenure.
Three actions we could take to make a difference:
1. Continue to develop our biodiversity garden in the school to support pollinators and local wildlife.
2. Organise a “low-carbon week” with no single-use plastics, walk/cycle-to-school days, and meat-free lunches.
3. Create a student climate council to lead awareness campaigns and green initiatives year-round. We already have a green team and student council but a climate council might have further impact within our school.
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Reflecting on climate change in the dublin/ finglas area, we can see many ways that is affecting the local community. As a teacher, helping pupils connect global climate issues with their own surroundings makes the topic more real to them.
Some visible effects of climate change we / the pupil will see include:
The weather : More frequent storms, heavy rainfall, and even heatwaves.
Local parks: some of the parks and green areas like our local Tolka Valley Park are under pressure from changes in rainfall and temperature. Certain species of plants and animals may be struggling to survive.Here are some things i would do as a teacher to help children understand this further:
-Class discussion: We’d discuss changes they’ve noticed — more floods, unusual weather, fewer birds or bees — and then connect that to global issues.
-Invite local climate activists, community garden leaders, or council workers to speak about real initiatives in Finglas
-Use Project-Based Learning and take a trip to local park to spot changes and evidence of climate changeTo help Slow Down Climate Change we do also do some Class Activities
We already have Create a School Garden, here we would grow pollinator-friendly plants and vegetables. integrate this into the curriculum where pupils will learn about biodiversity and carbon absorption.
We would Organise a ‘Walk or Cycle to School’ Week. This will help to reduce car emissions and promote healthy habits.
Pupils can make posters, write letters to local TDs, or even present to younger classes about what they’ve learned.
By helping students understand and act on climate change in their own area, we empower them to become informed and responsible.-
Hi Harriet,
I love these (and may steal some ) practical ideas and rooted in the local area, which I’ve always believed make a huge difference for pupils. Connecting what they see in places like Tolka Valley Park to the bigger climate picture is essential. Anthony Barlow had a great piece about how children cannot be expected to understand wider geographical systems without first developing understanding locally.
The walk or cycle to school week is a great way to encourage real action, and having local speakers come in can really bring the topic to life – I found Rediscovery in Ballymun fantastic for workshops.
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The impacts of climate change are increasingly affecting County Kildare, with more frequent heavy rainfall and flooding, especially near rivers like the River Liffey. Warmer winters and drier summers are disturbing crop growth and reducing biodiversity. Local wildlife, including birds, insects, and native plants are all under threat due to shifting temperatures and changing habitats.
To engage primary school pupils with climate change in a meaningful way, we need to make lessons personal to our students so they can relate climate change to their own lives. I will encourage students to focus on our locality and the observations they can make. By making learning about climate change fun and relevant students will be more actively engaged. Making lessons active and visual will also promote engagement such as having as engaging in “Climate Detectives” project. This could involve students tracking daily weather and comparing it with past patterns using simple charts and graphs. Nature walks and habitat studies in local parks or rivers allow pupils to observe the real effects of climate change, such as flooding marks or tree health. Connecting their observations and findings to action, such as having them source and arrange relevant local guest speakers like farmers or environmentalists, can provide opportunities for real-life insights.
Involving creativity and team work such as; green school projects activities like; building bug hotels, planting native flowers, COW or WOW Days (cycle on Wednesdays or Walk on Wednesdays) or creating climate awareness posters, encourage teamwork and environmental responsibility.
To help slow climate change, students can take action by planting trees, reducing waste through recycling and no-waste lunchboxes, and saving energy by turning off lights and taps. Children can be chosen to be monitors to supervise this to give them a sense of responsibility. These activities help children connect locally with global issues, empowering them to protect their environment starting in their own community.
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Climate change is already having a visible impact in my local area. In recent years, we’ve experienced more frequent storms, heavy rainfall, unpredictable weather patterns and lots of weather warnings. Flooding has become a major issue for many areas around Ireland, particularly in areas near rivers and low-lying land. These changes affect not only our environment but also farming, transport, and people’s day-to-day lives. Children are aware of these changes, and many are beginning to feel worried about the future of the planet.
In the classroom, I would begin by exploring the causes and effects of climate change in a way that’s age appropriate and solution focused. We would watch short videos, examine extreme weather events in Ireland, and talk about how this connects to our everyday choices. Pupils could explore their carbon footprint, and I would encourage critical thinking by asking how our actions can make a difference.
Three actions we would take together:
1. Start a classroom recycling and composting system.
2. Hold a “Walk or Cycle to School” week to reduce emissions.
3. Plant pollinator-friendly flowers or vegetables in our school garden.
These small steps help pupils feel empowered and part of a global effort. Linking this to Development Education, we can teach pupils to view climate change through a global justice lens—recognising how communities in the Global South are often most affected despite contributing the least.
In terms of School Self-Evaluation, Development Education feeds into our wellbeing and sustainability goals. Through cross-curricular projects in SPHE, SESE, and English, we can foster responsibility, empathy, and action. These projects also support a whole-school approach to Education for Sustainable Development, encouraging collaboration between classes and reinforcing positive environmental practices across the school community. -
This is such a well-thought-out plan. I really like how you’ve connected global issues to local observations, especially by using the River Liffey and local wildlife as examples. The “Climate Detectives” project is a fantastic way to get students actively involved while developing real science and observation skills. Including guest speakers like farmers or environmentalists is a great idea too as it brings learning to life and gives children a real-world context.
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In my local area, climate change has become increasingly visible through more frequent flooding, unpredictable weather patterns, and the loss of biodiversity in natural habitats. These changes affect agriculture, local infrastructure, and even the mental well-being of communities. To help pupils explore these issues, I would begin with a local climate audit, encouraging students to observe and record signs of environmental change around them. We would investigate the causes and consequences of these changes through cross-curricular projects in Science, Geography, and SPHE.
Three actions we would take in our classroom include:Starting a recycling and waste-reduction initiative, organising walk or cycle to school weeks to reduce emissions, creating awareness campaigns to share climate facts and eco-friendly tips around the school.
The Development Education modules from this course directly support School Self-Evaluation (SSE) by encouraging teachers to integrate global citizenship, sustainability, and critical thinking into daily practice. These modules provide a framework for identifying areas of improvement, planning targeted initiatives, and fostering a whole-school ethos of inclusion and responsibility toward global and local issues. -
Every year I lie to engage in STEM(pathy) with my class. We firstly go on a tour and take a photo of a local issue affecting the climate, deforestation, traffic pollution, littering, cars, and even housing crisis. We then present these images as codes and the children then in groups create out of lego or recyclable material depending on the age group a solution to this problem for their local area in 50 years time. This is a great way for children to start to see the effects of climate change at a local level and then use their critical thinking and problem solving skills to create a more sustainable future for their own local area. This is a project that can be tailored to any class level, more advanced classes could make an exhibiton for parents with displays and even more sophisticated technologies where as infants could explored this during Aistear construction stations or small-world play.
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In my local area, climate change has become increasingly visible through more unusual and more frequent weather like flooding, unpredictable weather patterns, and the loss of biodiversity in natural habitats. These changes affect vast areas of our communities like agriculture, local infrastructure, and even the mental well-being of communities. I think it would be a great idea to have pupils explore these issues, I would begin with a local climate audit, encouraging students to observe and record signs of environmental change around them. We would investigate the causes and consequences of these changes through cross-curricular projects in Science, Geography, and SPHE.
Three actions we would take in our classroom include: Starting a recycling and waste-reduction initiative, organising walk or cycle to school weeks to reduce emissions, walk on Wednesdays are a nice way we already have implemented in our school on a monthly basis. Creating awareness campaigns to share climate facts and eco-friendly tips around the school, we could even invite parents to such events.
The Development Education modules from this course directly support School Self-Evaluation by encouraging teachers to integrate global citizenship, sustainability, and critical thinking into daily practice. These modules provide a framework for identifying areas of improvement, planning targeted initiatives, and fostering a whole-school ethos of inclusion and responsibility toward global and local issues. -
Ove the last few years in Ireland, we have definitely witnessed hotter summers, increased rainfall and more issues with biodiversity. Our climate overall has become very unpredictable. Bees and butterflies are becoming less visible, bird migration patterns have changed and hosepipe bans are more frequent during heatwaves. There are plenty of ways to bring awareness to the classroom and ideas to tackle climate change for children. A few ideas would be:
- Developing a sustainable school garden to learn about food miles, ecosystems and to attract biodiversity.
- Taking a climate pledge- The staff and children would pledge to engage in more sustainable practices in their daily lives
- Having day to day jobs for the children in the classroom: Light monitor, water manager, bin inspector etc
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Hi Eimear,
It is certainly true to speak about some increased heat in summers of the recent past, with the next week looking like exceeding that in some parts. This, coupled with extreme floods and drought-like conditions across different parts of the US shows just how pertinent this issue is in our lives. Small, collective actions that are taken on a large scale can have a huge impact in arresting these changes – this is reflected in your 3 suggestions which all focus on making changes at a local level, which can hopefully be replicated on a larger scale.
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In my area there is an increased risk of flooding, especially coastal and river flooding, and changes in weather patterns. These changes can affect infrastructure, agriculture, and potentially human health and well-being. We have seen more storms, weather warnings, heatwaves, snow days in the last few years and it is found to continue to happen unless people make changes. I’m on a Lapland group and even in December snow can’t be guaranteed anymore which is so sad.
I would engage pupils to explore this further by exploring what they can do to slow down climate change.3 things I can go to make the world a better place and slow down climate change are save energy at home by turning off appliances when not in use and change all lightbulbs to energy saving ones and consider solar panels as a source of energy. Walk or cycle to work instead of taking the car. Repair and alter clothes/shoes etc instead of buying new ones and buying less so better quality clothes that last longer.
I would teach the children that small changes make a difference and encourage them to pass on this information at home. I feel that explaining the negative things that are happening both locally and further afield could be improved by taking small actions can help. The children we are teaching are the future so creating good habits from a young age is so important. Having light and white board monitors in school really helps as kids love jobs, encouraging children to walk/scoot/cycle to school and encouraging recycling in school. We have done recycled materials fashion show which the kids loved.
Regarding SSE, schools need to make collective decisions as a whole school to encourage different initiatives to help with climate change.
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In looking at how Climate Change is impacting on our own local area it is important to make sure that we have raised awareness of the affect of climate locally. An idea for this would be starting a Project with the pupils looking at the warmer weather in June recently and the effect of that ón farming is a good example- asking local dairy farmers how it affects growth and also what the farmer has to do to counteract this usually involves more fossil fuels being used e.g. zero grazing a farm far away to bring fresh gráss to the cows daily. The effect of the farm well and how múch more water each cow would drink.
A second idea to explore climate change would be to look at the effect of the recent storm ón the local village- do a project ón what happened and ask locally what interventions were there to cope with this and have any of these been changed or removed from local emergency plans. We could also ask the pupils to do a survey in relation to this and see the difference between different houses- what were the worst affected areas.
A third idea would be borrowed from our Green Flag initiative which is WOW Walk ón Wednesdays, to reduce fuel consumption and also to encourage the pupils to exercise more. This along with their parents will lead to a healthier community.
For the SSE in this instance I think by doing the Green Flag for the 5-7 years and starting back again we are fully covered in our evaluating how this is being taught in our school.
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Climate Change is impacting Ireland at a fast rate and also at local level, through increased extreme weather events, shifts in rainfall patterns and potential impacts on agriculture. Locally, the most significant event related to climate change has been the extensive flooding of the River Shannon in 2015, which has led to many homes being destroyed due to flooding. Many of the students in our school had been effected by this event. To effectively engage students in exploring the effects of climate change in the local area, I would use engaging and interactive resources which will foster discussion. We would explore newspaper articles from that time and clips from the News. We would then investigate what has been done to improve things since 2015 and what we can do to slow down climate change.
Three suggestions that will make our school more sustainable and slow down climate change:
- Implement energy saving measures-encourage staff and students to turn off lights when not in use and conduct an energy saving audit to identify areas for improvement in our school.
- Install water saving devices and encourage everyone not to waste water.
- Develop a butterfly or wildlife garden to support local biodiversity.
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Evidence of climate change is becoming more and more obvious here in Ireland, year on year. While impacts on my own local area have not been extreme, nevertheless they are apparent.
Rainfall has increased, leading to some flooding, and to the Boyne breaking its banks and flooding adjacent walkways and fields.
There has been an increase in the number of heavy storms and high winds. This is leading to disruption to the electricity and water supplies.
Temperatures have become more extreme in recent years.
These climate change impacts can be devastating for some businesses and groups. While for many, they might be just inconvenienced by a loss of electricity, for more vulnerable people, like the elderly, this could have serious consequences.
Three actions I could take that could make the world a better place and slow down climate change are:
• Walking rather than driving whenever possible and shopping locally to reduce my carbon footprint
• Supporting local producers and businesses, using less plastic and refilling containers if it is possible. Our town has a cult zero shop which emphasizes locally sourced, organic, chemical free produce with minimal single use packaging.
• Being mindful of energy use – turning off lights, closing windows, turning down heat, and not wasting water.In school, we could:
• encourage children and their families to walk to school (also benefiting health and well-being), or to car-pool.
• Children could take more responsibility for ensuring that we are not wasting energy…in our school, each class generally has monitors who make sure that we turn out the lights and turn off the IWB, laptops and computers, and check that there are no taps left running in the bathrooms. Our Green Schools Committee are very active in this respect.
• Older classes could investigate the benefits of buying locally and how that reduces carbon footprint.
• Taking part in local recycling initiatives – for example, partnering with ReTurn scheme to raise money for a cause or for the school. -
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Living and teaching in West Waterford, I’ve seen first-hand how climate change is starting to affect our local environment. We’ve had more frequent heavy rainfall, unpredictable weather patterns, and increased coastal erosion along areas like Dungarvan Bay. Many of the children in my class come from farming backgrounds, so they are already noticing the changes—such as fields becoming waterlogged. These real-life experiences provide a valuable starting point for classroom learning.
To explore this further, I would begin by encouraging pupils to investigate how climate change is affecting our community. We could carry out local surveys, interview family members, or invite community members like farmers to share their experiences. Using cross-curricular links through SESE, SPHE, and English, pupils could document and present their findings through projects, stories, and presentations.
Three actions we could take as a class to make a difference would be:
-Starting a school garden with pollinator-friendly plants
-Organising a “walk or bike to school” week to reduce car use-Leading a waste-reduction initiative to cut down on plastic use in lunchboxes.
Finally, the Development Education modules in this course have shown me how global issues can be made real and relevant through local action. For School Self-Evaluation (SSE), this could link to wellbeing, pupil voice, or active citizenship targets. By embedding development education into school life, we can reflect on whether our teaching is helping children become more informed, responsible, and empowered to take action on issues like climate change. It’s about giving them the tools and confidence to realise that they can make a difference in their community and in the wider world.
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Living in coastal Dublin, the effects of climate change are becoming harder to ignore. Rising sea levels, coastal erosion, and heavier rainfall have led to flooding in low-lying areas and damage along our beaches. For the young people I have taught, this growing awareness brings not only concern but also huge climate anxiety.
In the classroom, I see this as an opportunity to explore local climate issues through discussion, critical thinking, and creative projects. By focusing on what we can do, rather than what we can’t control, we can help children move from anxiety to action.
Three actions we would take include:
Partnering with a local coastal conservation group to learn about and support biodiversity protection along the shore.
A project about shopping sustainably, including a class trip to a charity shop to learn about the circular economy, and reducing textile waste.
An investigation into food miles, where students examine the origins of their lunches and consider the environmental impact of transporting food across the globe.These projects empower students with knowledge, give them a voice, and show them that even small steps can make a meaningful difference—locally and globally. -
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I live on the coast and our local beach is being swept away by changing tides. The dunes are being swept away and some houses are in danger of falling in to the sea. Tides and currents change over time and what is happening locally may not directly be related to climate change I think it is a useful entry point to the power of the sea and how difficult it is to stop rising sea levels – especially on a small island at the edge of an ocean. The children can see first-hand the destructional power of the sea and it will help them to relate to places around the world that also experience coastal erosion. The local council has put in half measures to try to prevent this from happening. By half measures I mean that they have put in half the amount of “Seabees” that are needed across half the area and they have punt them in with huge spaces inbetween – so the ones they have installed are of little use. Children can be encouraged to write to local councillors and TDs to highlight the issue. Parents can be engaged as well to make it an issue to protect the natural resource we have on our doorstep.
Actions
The school has recycling /compost bins but it would be good if their use was monitored in the classroom.
The school could collect plastic bottles to raise money for the school and ensure that any plastic bottles are recycled (most children have reusable bottles anyway).
We can also look into the grant for solar panels – they can generate electricity for the school and help reduce the bills – particularly in the summer when there is no one using electricity in the buildings.
In terms of the school self-evaluation I think that this whole topic of development education is something that would tie in very well to the very strong Eco Schools programme which runs in the school. Many of the topics are similar and the additional units on Gender and Migration would be a welcome addition to the programme.
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Locally the past storms have caused serious damage to structures and trees. There have also been increased flooding in areas and on the other hand farmers can experience very dry periods of weather earlier and earlier in the year which in turn effects the production and harvesting of crops and the generation of grass growth for animals. Three actions we could consider could be to monitor the use of electricity in our school and extend this to pupils’ home as well, conserving energy where possible. Enforce our recycling policy of reduce, reuse and recycle by organizing groups to monitor it in school. The third action could be to plant a school organic garden with native trees and a wildflower patch to attract bees and insects to support biodiversity. Encourage the children to find other ways to control pests rather than using chemicals in the garden. Development Education fosters inclusion and empathy, supporting a positive school culture. Whole-school projects can link directly to an SSE’s focus on leadership and collaborative practice, it also supports SSE by promoting active learning, global citizenship, and wellbeing. It encourages pupils to think critically about real world issues which enhances learning and classroom engagement.
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In Ireland, although the weather has always been changeable, we’re seeing more signs of climate change with milder winters, more flooding, and warmer spring/summer seasons. While it’s important to understand the global picture, I think it’s even more important not to overwhelm children with the scale of the problem. In our classrooms, the focus should be on what we can do locally to make a positive difference.
We could explore changes we notice in our own environment: seasonal shifts, local weather, or wildlife, and then tie that into simple, hands-on activities. Weather diaries, nature walks, and planting projects are all ways that could get pupils thinking and learning in a hands on way.
Our school is lucky to have a very active Parent Guardian Association, and a Gardening Committee has been set up. They work with our Green Schools Committee to make sure we have plenty of growing projects all year round. Three key actions we focus on are reducing classroom waste, planting for biodiversity, and encouraging walking or cycling to school.
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I plan to bring the learning from this course into my school by building on child-led initiatives that promote awareness and positive action in our community. Pupils could explore a Sustainable Development Goal and lead small projects such as creating posters, presenting to peers, or writing letters to local representatives. These activities would help to give children a sense of ownership and show them how their voices and actions matter. This could also feed into our SSE by supporting key areas such as Wellbeing, Student Voice, and Active Citizenship. Embedding global citizenship education into SPHE, SESE, and across the curriculum would help us to meet our SSE targets in a meaningful way, while also nurturing empathy, critical thinking, and social responsibility in our pupils.
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Climate change is very tangible here in Cork. Recent storms brought significant heavy rainfall, causing floods in Midleton. I am also writing this in the midst of heatwave, another feature of climate change, one which I recall happening at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020 and again previously 2018. In 2018, I also remember well the massive amount of snowfall with Storm Emma, the like I had never witnessed in Ireland in all my life. The city is now facing more frequent floods, heatwaves and droughts. Extreme weather is set to become more and more frequent and it is important for children to examine and understand this.
Classroom ideas:
Community data project: students map local flood hotspots and compare with historical data—linking maps from Cork City Council’s flood plans.Weather journal: pupils log rainfall, temperatures, local wildlife sightings over term and then explore patterns. They may tie into Met Éireann forecasts and local experiences.
Action campaigns: challenge students to brainstorm three school‑level actions (e.g. adding more green spaces, harvesting rainwater, promoting walking/cycling/scooting) and run these as mini awareness events across the whole school community e.g. make posters, speak with the PGA, compose an Aladdin message for the staff or parents
Three actions we can take:
- Promote active travel and public transport use.
- Green up our school grounds by planting trees, installing rain gardens and water-absorbing surfaces.
- Advocate for home energy savings (led by pupils sending tips home).
Linking to School Self‑Evaluation (SSE):
SSE surveys can assess staff and student awareness of climate issues, gauge uptake of active travel and benchmark participation in sustainability projects. Global learning and Development Education can be integrated into curriculum planning, linking local action to global citizenship.-
Hi Christina,
You have detailed the local impact of climate change in Cork, one which unfortunatekly is being replicated acroos Ireland, and the importance of helping students understand it. Ideas, like mapping flood zones, keeping weather journals, and running school-wide action campaigns as you’ve listed, are practical and engaging ways in incraese awareness in your class. They connect well with DE and support students in linking local experiences to global issues. Also, as noted such activities align with SSE by encouraging reflection on climate awareness and sustainability practices.
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Climate change is already impacting our local area through increased rainfall, more frequent flooding, and noticeable changes in local biodiversity. Trees are flowering earlier, and pollinator numbers are declining. These subtle but significant changes provide real, tangible learning opportunities for pupils. In my classroom, I would begin with a nature walk around the school to observe local environmental changes, followed by discussions using images, data, and news articles. Pupils would record their observations in climate journals and explore the science behind what they see.
To inspire action, I would involve them in three key projects:
Creating a school biodiversity garden to support local wildlife.
Reducing energy use by leading a “Switch It Off” campaign.
Writing letters to local representatives asking for more climate-friendly policies.
These activities empower children to be part of the solution while developing critical thinking, empathy, and agency.
Development Education & SSE:
Development Education supports SSE by embedding global citizenship, critical reflection, and student voice into teaching and learning—promoting whole-school improvement through meaningful, values-based acti-
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Hi Helen I also like the idea of writing letters to local representatives. There are so many cross-curricular links with an activity like this. Children could write about the issues they are passionate about within climate change and hopefully it would be possibly to get a rep back in to give them feedback on their letters.
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Climate change is undoubtedly impacting our local area. From catastrophic storms to harmful impacts on wildlife, it is clear that (continued) action is needed. Three actions that I believe would make the world a better place and slow down climate change are:
1. Reduce, reuse. recycle – In our classroom, we teach the children about using the appropriate bin for their rubbish (i.e. waste, recycling and compost). We engage in activities with the children that allow them to learn the ‘why’ behind the various bins and the benefits of separating our rubbish.
2. Energy consumption – Children are conscious of leaving lights on or taps running, however, they are often not sure on why we shouldn’t do this. I teach the children how electricity is produced, how we can reduce this or produce it using sustainable methods. Similarly, I teach the children about the value of water, how many countries suffer from droughts and why water conservation is important.
3. Planting – Giving the children the necessary skills and knowledge to plant trees, flowers and vegetables, not only reduces the need to buy produce from shops but also benefits our wildlife and environment. -
In our school we experienced first hand a water shortage this year. We actually had to close the school for a few days and when we returned the water was discoloured. It was a horrible experience for all of us but brought home the reality of rising temperatures and unpredictable weather patterns.
I think the following actions are easy to implement would show the children that we can all do our bit to support climate action
Reduce energy usage – We have a ‘green team’ in school who check classrooms at lunch for any electronics left running. They also check all internal and external doors are closed to limit heat loss during colder months.
Use public transport – I arrived at this decision by accident last year after I fractured my wrist and couldn’t drive for a few weeks. I am lucky enough to live on a regular bus route but had never used the service until then. It really opened my eyes to how often I had been clogging up the road in my car for short journeys.
Also, for a day trip this year we took 6th class to a local beach on the public bus. It cost 75c per child each way! A huge saving versus hiring a private bus and a great saving on fuel usage.
Buy second hand – Over consumption is everywhere today. Good quality books, games and household items are available in charity shops. They are generally great value and it promotes a circular economy.
With regard to SSE, it is our duty to reflect on our current practices and culture in our schools, and gather evidence if necessary eg, electricity usage from bills. There are many initiatives that can be followed to help schools deal with the climate crisis, the Green Schools programme is a great resource. Schools need to prioritise climate action as part of both explicit teaching and how school staff model the usage of resources in our schools.
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I agree with the idea of looking at electicity usage using bills etc. We always thought our electricity usage was average for a school our size, however when we got our solar panels installed we were told that our energy consumption was well above the average compared to similarly sized schools. The monitoring panel that was installed with our panels provides us with lots of data on our energy produciton and consumption and has actually really opened our eyes into our previous over consumption of energy and electricity.
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Reflect on how Climate Change is impacting on your own local area and how you would engage your pupils to explore this further. Suggest three actions that you can do to make the world a better place and slow down climate change.
Firstly I would try to help the children in as many activities as the can to help deal with climate change.
It would be a good idea to set up a Green Flag Committee. Firstly they would tackle waste in the school. The would measure how much waste was going out, attempt to reduce it and then reflect on the reduction.Secondly the would attempt to reduce water usage. This can be done by inserting water hippos in the toilets and having push taps installed in all the bathrooms and classrooms.
Energy usage can be reduced by having children become monitors in the school to ensure that light switches and appliances were turned off when not in use. Sensor lights can also be installed to make the school more energy efficient.
The school can reflect on how much the have reduced the energy usage and waste in the school. Children can reflect and discuss with each other on how to make the school more energy efficient.
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Climate change has severely impacted our local area. Last year, there was a flash flood in the town and 70 houses had to be evacuated. The river burst its bank, something that had not happened in 50 years. There was extensive damage done to homes and businesses. The local people all came together to help, and donations were made to help people repair the damage to their properties and replace their belongings. The sad thing about it is, there is no way of telling if this will happen again and homes will most likely not be insured for future events.
The 3 things I could do to help prevent climate change is to continue to recycle to the best of our ability. To separate plastics, glass and organic from rubbish and to minimise the black bin. I will also do my best to reuse and donate clothing. I will swap my children’s clothes with friends and we can share clothes between families. Anything we don’t use, we will donate to shelters and charities. We will not buy poor quality cheap clothing that does not last and can easily be ruined. Lastly, I will educate my own children and the children in my school on the importance of biodiversity. I will share with them my knowledge of the importance of pollinators and their role in nature. I will teach them about the impact of climate change on the creatures on the planet.
I will teach the pupils lessons on the above ways to help prevent climate change. We will continue to revisit the importance of recycling and revise how to use the bins in school. We will research fast fashion and the landfills the clothes end up in. We will also research our local wildlife and how the current crisis is impacting it. -
Reflecting on Climate Change in Dublin City and Classroom Engagement
Living and teaching in Dublin City, it’s impossible to ignore the impacts of climate change on our environment and infrastructure. Increased flooding, rising sea levels along the coast, and more frequent extreme weather events have become part of daily life. these young students in our junior schools have experienced school closures and delayed opening due to these recent extreme weather events. The students are living the experience and to have local starting points to engage pupils in climate education is vital for everyone’s future.
In the classroom, I would begin with an inquiry-based project titled “How is Climate Change Affecting Our City?”. Since I work in a junior school after introducing the topic and I’d invite a guest speaker from Dublin City Council’s climate action team to talk about local initiatives. Search our school grounds for a good space for a ‘bee garden’ . Together, we would identify three key actions that are practically possible and will actually make a difference:
1. Reducing single-use plastics and encouraging reusable alternatives.
2. Promoting cycling or public transport to reduce car emissions.
3. Supporting biodiversity by planting pollinator-friendly species in school garden.
These activities not only raise awareness but also empower students to take local action with global impact. I know these are not new and ground breaking initiatives I have suggested however they are very engaging real life examples for our youngest junior school students can understand, meaningfully engage with and practically work on (at home and in school). It creates a wonderful simple foundation that I have no doubt will stand to them going forward.
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Hi Louise,
When you wrote that your ideas weren’t ground breaking initiatives I had the thought ‘why reinvent the wheel’. I outlined similar ideas in my own forum post as I’m sure many others did and will. As you have said, they are simple but effective and most importantly engaging ways of empowering and educating our students and nuturing global citizenship.
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Development Education and SSE Reflection:
The Development Education modules in this course offer rich material to feed into our School Self-Evaluation (SSE) processes. In particular, they support domains such as Learner Outcomes, Student Voice, and Teaching and Learning. Encouraging pupils to become active, informed global citizens aligns with SSE goals around holistic learning and wellbeing. By incorporating Development Education into our planning and classroom practice, we’re not only meeting curriculum goals but also building a school culture that values justice, sustainability, and participation—core to the SSE ethos. -
Thank you for sharing your post — I found your suggestions both practical and impactful, especially in how they empower children to take small but meaningful steps in tackling climate change. Teaching pupils the why behind recycling and energy conservation makes such a difference. It’s one thing to ask children to turn off lights or separate rubbish, but when they understand the wider environmental impact, their behaviour becomes more intentional and lasting.
I also really liked your focus on planting. It’s such a hands-on activity, and children not only enjoy it but also gain a deeper appreciation for nature and sustainability. Activities like these may seem simple, but they lay the foundation for lifelong awareness and responsible action.
My own suggestions were not far off yours – keeping it simple is key with my junior classes. It is genuinely putting more thought into the what, why and how’s our everyday actions impact climate change that make this generation think more carefully and be more environmental conscience than we ever were during our school years.
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Climate change is effecting our local area causing more extreme weather conditions. Coastal towns like Bantry and Skibbereen in West Cork have seen increased flooding due to this. Local businesses and homes are damaged because of this. On the opposite end of the spectrum we are experiencing higher temperatures than before and the waters are becoming warming impacting marine life and the plants and animals are under stress due to the changing temperatures and rain patterns. It is having an impact on agriculture as well.
Ways to engage pupils in this topic includes project work exploring how climate is impacting our local coastline and sea levels as well as the local agricultural industry. Talk to local fishermen and farmers. Investigate outdoors as a class tracking temperature and rainfall. Have a climate committee in school and a climate action week.
Actions that schools and students can take to slow down climate change include, reduce resuse and recycle. Planting more trees and creating more biodeiversity. Reduce energy usage in school turning off lights and devices and having cycle or walk to school days where possible.
The modules learnt about development education in this course would support my schools SSE plan under the following areas, Wellbeing – empathy, global citizenship, and inclusivity. Student Voice – empowering pupils to speak out on important global issues. Teaching and Learning – encouraging cross-curricular learning. Inclusion –Respecting diversity and understanding cultural differences
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Totally agree, unfortunately, we’re seeing the effects of climate change more and more. You’ve highlighted what’s happening in West Cork, but it’s really a nationwide issue. I’m originally from the west myself, and the changes you’ve described are definitely being echoed there too.
The classroom activities you’re planning are really active and practical. Talking to locals and tracking weather are powerful ways for pupils to understand what climate change actually means for their own communities.
And to finish, the school actions you’ve mentioned are excellent, especially how you’ve tied DE into wellbeing, student voice, and inclusion.
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Climate change is causing more extreme weather in my local area. Just thinking of this year alone we went from the school being closed for four days to reopening (for those who weren’t still nowed in) to having to close again for Storm Éowyn. The area I live in wasn’t among the worst hit thankfully but yet we were hit with power outages, fallen trees and damage to buildings. Across the last few years I have seen badly flooded and waterlogged fields in areas where I would never have witnessed this before. And yet summer rainfall is dropping causing droughts at other times during summer months. Crop growth and livestock are both impacted by climate change and this is particularly relevant to my school as we are located in a rural area with many farming families.
I feel that pupils are really interested in the topic of climate change and want to learn more about it. One thing I have done before and which I hope to do again this year is a diy weather station containing a wind vane, rain gauge, anenometer and thermometer. The children love observing, measuring and recording the information received in the station and it makes them very aware of changes in the weather.
A second way to engage pupils, which has been mentioned by many people here already, is the setting up of a school garden. This could be divided into areas with an area for growing edible plants and vegetables and a pollinator garden. The importance of planting trees should also be emphasised. This year we were looking enough to get apple trees for the school via the Veolia Orchards for Schools initiative. The pupils loved working together to try to choose the best places for planting- they were testing which areas got water logged, which were too exposed etc.
Like many schools we are part of the Green Schools programme and as part of this we have really been focusing on our waste reduction, recyling and composting. We have pupils in each class assigned to monitor the bins and pupils record what waste they are putting in the bin by marking checklists. We also have energy monitors whose job it its to ensure that lights and devices are switched off when their class leaves the classroom for breaks, PE, at the end of the day etc.
With regards to SSE the modules in this course really support what we are trying to do in terms of wellbeing and inclusion. Also student voice is such an important part of our SSE and it is vital to include pupils on issues related to citizenship, inclusion, equality and climate change. Having students be part of committees such as the Green Schools Committee and Student Council gives students a voice and a chance to really give their input into how our school deals with all these areas.
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Hi Nicola,
It’s clear from your detailed reply that you’re already doing great work to help pupils understand and respond to climate change. I particularly liked your idea of a DIY weather station, it’s a brilliant way to build observation and data skills. It reminded me of a project I was involved in years ago with the Raspberry Pi Foundation. That version required more tech support but offered increased functionality and opportunities to collaborate with other schools. More at Build a weather station with a web dashboard
I’m also a huge advocate for the Green Schools programme, and it’s evident your whole school is equally invested. The roles you’ve outlined for pupils, like bin and energy monitors, are excellent for fostering responsibility and encouraging student voice. Supporting pupil-led Green Schools Committees and Student Councils ensures students have a real say in how your school addresses climate issues, which is empowering.
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Hi Nicola. It was very interesting to read how climate change has impacted you living in a rural area. I suppose living in the city we were slightly sheltered from the greatest impacts so far. We only had 1 day closure due to weather.
I found your ideas to make the world a better place very useful. I really liked the idea of setting up weather stations. It is something I looking forward to doing the next school year.
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In Mallow, climate change is beginning to show its effects through increased rainfall, flooding along the River Blackwater, and unpredictable seasonal patterns. Local farmers are already feeling the pressure, as changing weather affects crop cycles and livestock care. These real-world signs offer teaching moments that help children understand that climate change isn’t just happening in distant places—it’s happening right here in our community.
In the classroom, I would start by using local news stories and maps to show how Mallow has been affected by flooding over the past few years. Pupils could interview older relatives or community members to gather oral histories on how the environment has changed. This would lead to a project titled “Our Climate, Our Town”, combining science, geography, and storytelling.
To inspire action, I would introduce three achievable steps:
1. Reduce plastic use in school through eco-friendly lunch practices.
2. Encourage children to walk or cycle to school where possible.
3. Start a school garden to promote biodiversity and carbon absorption.
By connecting local issues with global goals, students can see their power as change-makers and develop a lasting respect for the environment.
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Climate change is already affecting Cork in ways we can see around us—heavier rainfall, more flooding, and changes in local wildlife and plant life. These changes may feel big and far away to 3rd class students, but we can help them understand how our own actions connect to the wider world. One way to explore this is by discussing local weather patterns, looking at photos or news stories about Cork’s floods, and encouraging children to think about how nature is changing.
In class, we can take three simple actions:
Start a “Green Classroom” challenge—reduce waste, recycle properly, and turn off lights when not in use.
Plant pollinator-friendly flowers or herbs in pots or a small school garden to support biodiversity.
Walk or cycle to school days to reduce car use.
By linking small, everyday actions to big issues like climate change, students learn that they can help make the world a better, cleaner place—starting right where they are.
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Climate change has become very noticeable in our area over recent years. We are seeing more heavy rain, flooding in local roads and parks, and unusually warm periods in early spring and late autumn. These unpredictable patterns are affecting local wildlife, farming and even how safe it is for children to get to school.
In my classroom, I would start by discussing these local changes with pupils, asking them what they have noticed themselves and how it has affected their families. We could create weather diaries, track rainfall and temperatures over a term, and compare them with data from previous years. Bringing in guest speakers, like local farmers or environmental volunteers, would help children see that climate change impacts everyone.
Three actions we could take as a class to slow down climate change are:
Reduce Waste: Set up a recycling and composting station and have pupils act as monitors.
Save Energy: Create an “Energy Heroes” team to check lights, computers and heating are turned off when not needed.
Promote Green Travel: Organise “Walk or Cycle to School” weeks to reduce car use.
The Development Education modules connect well to School Self-Evaluation by helping us focus on sustainability, global citizenship and pupil voice. Embedding this learning into our SSE will make our school more aware, active and responsible in tackling climate challenges.
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Climate change has caused more frequent heavy rainfall in my local area leading to flooding of roads etc. Storms like Storm Éowyn have disrupted school days, damaged property and resulted in inaccessible roads due to fallen trees and damaged power lines. These consequences of climate change provide opportunities for meaningful classroom discussions that connect global climate issues with local experiences. I would begin with local observations—photographs of flooded areas in our vicinity, data on weather changes, or news stories about community responses to climate events. I would then use project- based learning where students could research, and present their findings. In conjunction with the Green Schools Committee we could introduce a variety of initiatives to help combat climate change: school garden, waste reduction, walk and cycle to school etc. Development Education modules help to develop critical thinking skills, empathy, and global awareness. Through School Self-Evaluation, we can reflect on how these modules are explored in our teaching and learning, helping us to improve our practice.
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Hi Aideen,
It’s great to see how you’re connecting the impacts of climate change in your local area with learning opportunities in the classroom. Starting with local observations like photographs, weather data, and news stories, as outlined is a powerful way to make global issues feel relevant for pupils.
Your plan to use project-based learning and collaborate with the Green Schools Committee is an excellent approach. Initiatives like waste reduction, walk/cycle to school, and a school garden not only promote sustainability but also give pupils a sense of agency and ownership.
To build on this, one idea you might consider is involving pupils in a community climate action project, possibly working with local groups to design posters, host a climate awareness day, or even contribute ideas to local planning. This could help them understand how their voices can influence change beyond the classroom.
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I agree Aideen when Storms like Storm Éowyn occur and disrupt school days and damage property it provides the perfect platform to discuss climate issues as they can relate to it more personally as it is having a direct impact on their life at that time making it more topical and meaningful hopefully inspiring them to more creative in coming up with ideas and putting them into action.
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Your post clearly shows how climate change is already affecting your area. I like how you link local events with classroom learning. Using photos and real stories makes it real for students. The Green Schools actions are great ways to get pupils involved and thinking about real solutions. Well done!
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I feel that climate change is becoming more visible through hotter summers and heavier rainfall. This year our local park became waterlogged. This affected many local people, it affected my students as it was harder for us to access the park and to play outdoors safely there and I feel this will become a larger issue over time if action is not taken.
To explore this further with my students, I would engage them through:
1. Outdoor investigations. I would observe local weather patterns with them and record it in their project copies
2. Creative projects. I would ask them to design posters and maybe write poems about how climate change is affecting our environment
3. Class discussions and storytelling. I would read picture books to the class to help them to connect climate change issues with their own lives and encourage empathy and responsibility for them to take action.
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Climate change is starting to affect Kilkenny with more frequent heavy rainfall, flooding, and unusual weather patterns that impact farming, wildlife, and daily life. To engage 6th class pupils in exploring this further, I would encourage them to observe and document local weather changes, interview older residents about how the climate has changed over time, and explore how this affects their community. Three actions we can take to help slow down climate change include: reducing waste, saving energy, and planting more trees. In the classroom, students can run a “waste-free lunch” week, create posters or videos on energy-saving tips for home and school, and start a mini tree-planting or school garden project. These hands-on activities help students feel empowered and see the real impact of their efforts.
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Climate change is having a real effect on our local area. We’ve seen heavier rainfall, more flooding, and unusual weather patterns. Local farmers are noticing changes in growing seasons, and our green spaces are affected by storms and high winds. These changes are hard to ignore.
To help pupils explore this, I would start by linking lessons to what’s happening locally—nature walks, recording weather patterns, and discussing what they see around them. Pupils could research how climate change is affecting animals, plants, and people nearby. We can also connect with local groups working on climate action or take part in school garden projects.
Three simple actions we can take to help:
Use less electricity—turn off lights and devices when not needed.
Recycle and reuse more—cut down on plastic and waste.
Walk or cycle instead of using cars when possible.
Small actions can make a big difference. -
Teaching in Kilmore West near the Northside Shopping Centre, I’ve noticed more frequent downpours and surface flooding in our local area, particularly around the housing estates where many of our pupils live. These downpours have also limited the time children can spend outside during the winter months, with our school yard regularly flooding, something that’s become noticeably more frequent in recent years. These changes clearly reflect the wider impacts of climate change, which we explored in Module 5, such as extreme rainfall events and their effect on both people and the environment. To engage my class in learning about this local impact, I’d plan a lesson based around a visit to Stardust Memorial Park, just minutes from the school. While there, pupils could observe wildlife, document weather conditions, and reflect on how rising temperatures and flooding might affect their community. Linking the experience to SESE and SPHE, we could focus on wellbeing, nature appreciation, and personal responsibility. Pupils could become ‘green ambassadors’, take part in local litter clean-ups, and write letters to local councillors about protecting green spaces. We could also incorporate the newly opened playground beside the school into our learning, encouraging students to take ownership and responsibility for its upkeep as part of caring for their environment. This hands-on, local approach would make the concept of climate change more relevant and real to them. In doing so, I hope to help them see that while climate change is a global issue, they have a role to play here in their own community, starting with the spaces they know and use every day.
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I really like how you’re connecting climate change to something very real and visible for your pupils, like the flooding near their homes and in the school yard. It’s so important for children to see that climate change isn’t just something happening far away, but something that affects their daily lives.
Your idea to use Stardust Memorial Park as a learning space is brilliant. It gives children a chance to connect with nature while also developing awareness and empathy for their local environment. I also love the idea of linking the lessons to wellbeing and SPHE – it makes the learning more meaningful and personal.
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Unfortunately Cork is already feeling the effects of climate change. There has been increased flooding from intensified storms like Storm Babet and rising sea levels up to 40 cm since the 19th century. Summers are hotter altough we haven’t seen it yet this year!! Winters have had stronger winds and more frequent flooding .
An interesting study for my class would be investigating local impacts such as comparing historic sea levels at Cork harbour or exploring Tramore Valley Park’s role in flood resilience. I would hope to use resources like the “Superhero Climate Change” toolkit or An Taisce’s Climate Smart game as part of these activities. I would also help students to connect with local EPA workshops on flood risk or local biodiversity mapping.
Three actions I could take:
1. Become more active in the Green School’s Commitee
2. Organise a gardening group in the school to help make our school more biodiverse.
3. Promote low‑carbon commuting by facilitating walking bus days or car pooling days
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Hi Barbara,
I agree 100% about Cork already experiencing the effects of Climate change. Born and raised in Cork, it has been remarkable how much the weather has changed. As a county it is often under yellow/ orange weather warnings for rain, wind. Flooding has become a regular thing with places like Midleton and Mallow experiencing the damage caused to the local community.
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Living in Killarney, we are surrounded by natural beauty – lakes, mountains, forests – but even here, we can see signs that climate change is affecting our local environment. Over the past few years, we’ve noticed more extreme weather, heavier rainfall, and longer dry spells. These changes can harm local wildlife, damage crops, and even affect tourism, which is so important to the Killarney area. In places like the Killarney National Park, warmer temperatures can also put stress on native species and increase the risk of wildfires.
As a teacher, I believe it’s essential to help pupils see that climate change isn’t just a distant problem – it’s happening here in Munster too. I would begin by exploring local changes in weather and biodiversity with them. We could take nature walks, monitor seasonal changes, and learn from groups like the Killarney National Park Education Centre or community projects such as the KASI Garden, which promotes sustainable, organic growing.
To help slow down climate change and make a positive difference, here are three actions we could take:
Grow our own food – even in small school gardens or window boxes, to reduce the carbon footprint of transporting food.
Reduce waste – especially single-use plastics, and start a school-wide recycling or composting initiative.
Take local action – write to our local council about sustainable transport, or join in local clean-up days.
By connecting global issues to our own surroundings, we can empower pupils to believe that their actions – no matter how small – can make the world a better place. -
In recent years Cork is facing its own climate challenges, often experiencing heavier rainfall and flooding and damaging storms.
Cork’s city is often vulnerable to flooding from the River Lee, with storms in recent years such as Storm Babet and Storm Eowyn causing major disruptions and devastating impact on the local community.
Three Initiatives that I can that I can introduce to my own classroom to are as follows;
Assign students to monitor lights, computers, and whiteboards—ensuring they’re turned off when not in use.
Encourage students to create posters on climate change and display them around the school .
WOW – Encourage students to walk/cycle to school on Wednesday. Illustrating to the students that walking is great for the environment by reducing the number of cars at the school gate, reducing congestion, air pollution and road safety issues.
Implementing these actions would be a great way of incorporating them into the school SSE. -
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Climate change is becoming more visible in our local areas, irrespective of the countries we come from, through heavier rainfall, unpredictable weather, and rising temperatures. These changes are affecting farming, biodiversity, and even how children travel to school safely. To help my pupils explore this, I would begin by connecting local observations with global events, showing them that climate change is a shared challenge with unequal impacts.
A powerful example is the 2022 floods in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, where extreme rainfall led to a humanitarian crisis. 19 113 households with 128 743 people were affected by the loss of infrastructure, homes, crops, livestock, and jobs. Furthermore, 435 people lost their lives and 80 remain missing. Many of the lives lost were students who walked to school and were washed away while crossing rivers. This shows how climate change hits vulnerable communities hardest, making the issue more real and urgent for students.
To engage pupils, I would use map work, news clips, art, and story writing to explore the causes and effects of such events. We’d also focus on solutions. Three actions we can take to slow climate change include:
Reducing waste and reusing materials
Planting trees and protecting green spaces
Using less energy and choosing sustainable transport
These simple steps can empower pupils to be part of the solution. -
Climate change is having a major effect on my local area. Over recent years we have seen an increase in flooding and there has been an increase in storm damage to the town. This year the sports complex roof completely collapsed due to an extreme amount of snowfall in a short period of time. We are also having a lot of school closures due to storms and snow days. This never happened when I was a child.
In terms of SSE, our school needs to evaluate what they are doing to help stop this climate crisis. We need to encourage different initiatives throughout the school. We recently installed a return bottle bank in our school to encourage pupils to recycle their plastic bottles. Other ideas like this also need to be included. It is also a priority to ensure that our children are being taught about this pressing issue and encouraged to make change.
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In recent years, I’ve noticed the effects of climate change becoming more visible in our local area. In Ireland, winters feel wetter and stormier, and summers are becoming more unpredictable—oscillating between long dry spells and sudden heavy rain. These shifts impact farming, local biodiversity, and even school life, with more weather-related disruptions and concerns about outdoor learning spaces.
In the classroom, I would start by encouraging pupils to observe these changes in their own environment. We could create a “Local Climate Log,” where children record weather patterns, changes in plant life, or litter washed in by storms. This real-world connection helps them understand that climate change isn’t just happening “somewhere else.”
Together, we would explore three key actions to make a difference:
Reduce plastic use – e.g., bring reusable bottles and lunch containers.
Plant trees and pollinator-friendly plants in school grounds.
Walk or cycle more often and learn about low-carbon transport.
By linking local observations to global goals like SDG 13 (Climate Action), pupils learn they are not powerless. Using storytelling, art, project-based learning and collaboration with local environmental groups, we can help them become confident, curious, and proactive climate citizens—now and in the future. -
Climate Change is becoming more and more prominent each year in Dublin. We see more extreme weather patterns such as storms, flooding and winds in the winter and much higher temperatures during the summertime. There have been numerous occasions where schools have had closures due to flooding, adverse weather conditions and snow and this is becoming more regular as time goes on. This impacts our local environment and also the education of our students.
I would begin by having the students in my classroom complete an energy use ‘audit’ in our school. Firstly identifying all of the ways in which we are wasting energy in the school and the coming up with proactive ways in which they could help to combat this. I would take the children into our local community to see if we can observe any impacts of Climate Change in the direct area. We would use resources such as photographic artefacts and google maps to identify any changes that have occurred in the area recently.
Firstly I would have my class create a biodiversity friendly area in our school garden (as suggested on the Green Schools website) where we allow nature to take control and for the space to be given a chance to go wild, we would plant trees and create log piles and possibly a small pond. This is a very proactive and child led way for the children to have an area they can regularly visit to observe how they are working towards combating climate change.
My class would create posters and a school-wide initiative where each class competes against each other to reduce their energy usage across the course of a week. At an assembly at the end of the week, each class could present the ways in which they reduced their energy usage.
We would start a ‘waste free’ lunch campaign to reduce the level of food waste in our classroom. The children could create a presentation and talk to the principal about why this would be a great school-wide initiative.
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Hi again Aishling,
You’ve outlined a comprehensive and practical approach to engaging your pupils with climate action. The combination of school-based audits, local observation, and hands-on projects like the biodiversity garden and waste-free lunch campaign encourages both awareness and responsibility.
I also like your focus on pupil-led initiatives and inter-class collaboration as it’s a great way to foster ownership and community engagement. One suggestion to build on this would be to involve families by sharing student findings or progress through the school newsletter or other home-school communication channels This will help extend the impact beyond the classroom and reinforce learning at home.
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Climate change impacts on my area of Lucan Co. Dublin are Increased flood risk, increased heatwaves and extreme weather. Heatwaves pose health risks for young children and older people. More severe storms such as Storm Eowyn cause power outages, risk to life and damage to infrastructure.
Some actions that could be taken by our students, school, local community to make the world a better place and slow down climate change are…
- to support community woodland planting projects, plant some more trees on the school grounds and develop a school garden. Tees absorb C02, cool neighbourhoods, manage surface water and improve air quality. Take part in The Green Schools Flag
- Encourage walking, cycling or public transport to help reduce traffic emissions and improve air quality. We introduced a WOW initiative in our school where children are encourage to Walk on Wednesdays to school to win points for their class.
- Have classroom discussion, school assemblies, research projects highlighting climate impacts in the local area e.g. flood risk map, recent storm damage etc. and engage with South Dublin County Councils Climate Action Plan 2024-2029.
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I agree Aisling that by planting more trees we can cool air temperature, offer shade and encourage wildlife. This is particularly important as we begin to experience more and more heatwaves. In built up areas of cities and towns these can have devasting consequences for young and old alike and tree planting is a achievable part of the solution.
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Living in Cavan, it’s hard not to notice how climate change is starting to affect our local area. We’re getting heavier rainfall more often, which leads to flooding in places that never used to flood before. Winters are milder, and summers seem more unpredictable, which affects farming and nature in general. These changes can feel far away when we hear about climate change in the news, but they’re happening right here at home too.
In the classroom, I’d start by getting pupils talking about what they’ve noticed—maybe floods near their homes, changes in what’s growing in gardens, or how often we get weather warnings. I’d encourage them to ask questions and explore what’s really going on. We could keep weather diaries, do small science experiments, and maybe even invite a local farmer or climate expert to chat with the class.
As for actions, I’d focus on three simple things we could do together: cutting down on waste (especially plastic), planting trees in our small school garden, and encouraging walking or cycling to school where possible. These steps might seem small, but they help pupils feel like they’re part of the solution
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It is clear that the ongoing and substitutable effects of climate change are having a direct impact on my local area similar to what we have witnessed at a national and international level. The increasing number of storms for instance as well as other extreme weather conditions. Last year, storm Éowyn caused significant damage in my area with a number of fallen trees causing severe damage as well as a death on a main road within 10 miles from where I live.
It is clear that Climate Change is being discussed in pockets directly and indirectly at school as well as being documented in different ways however there is a need to deliver concise information to children as well as adults on the impacts and the progression of change over time. This may in some ways increase anxiety around world issues but it is necessary in order to see change. One teacher mentions the ‘Climate change – a worldwide view’ video. This is vital and very important that good quality material is included in quality first teaching. We need to hook children into the idea by presenting it as What we can do to make a difference in the world rather than the fear concept in order to be as proactive as possible.
Some actions that can be taken at school and community level are the reduction of waste, transportation change and the demand of action from local authorities. We need to minimise waste by reducing what we use and recycling consistently as well as shopping responsibly for what we need rather than what we want. Also cooking and planning food meals at home can be a way to reduce food waste as well as using leftovers for lunch! Showing children how clothes can be altered and mended is a great way to support buying less. Also showing how clothes can be sold e.g. Vinted App, as well as other items such as books. By choosing other methods of transport such as cycling or walking can help to slow down climate change. Car pooling in schools is also a great option for teachers to try. Speaking to or writing to local representatives to advocate change shows how important it is to have your voice heard.
The School Self Evaluation process looks at what can be done in school to encourage and improve best practice. This help motivate staff to take action and identify areas of improvement. Development Education can be part of the process using SMART goals schools can use a structured framework for achieving objectives.
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Climate change is having an increasingly noticeable impact on County Kildare and its communities. Rising temperatures, unpredictable weather patterns, and heavier rainfall are already being felt. Areas near the River Liffey and other waterways are seeing more frequent floods due to heavier and more intense rainfall. Native plants and animals are under threat as ecosystems change. As a largely rural county, unpredictable growing seasons and extreme weather events are affecting farming, a key part of Kildare’s economy and identity.
To help my pupils explore climate change I would have my students complete a project about the impact of climate change on Kildare. They could research its effect on farming, local wildlife, or even historical landmarks at risk of weathering and flooding. We could also organise a local climate action day or invite a speaker from an environmental group in Kildare.
3 actions to help slow down climate change include would be to encourage my pupils to reduce single-use plastics, recycle, and compost. I would model these myself and set as an example to my class. As a school community we would encourage “walk to school” days to reduce emissions and promote health. Finally we could organise tree-planting activities and get the children immersed in the school garden while also highlighting the importance of tree planting to climate change.
Regarding SSE, our school must assess its efforts to combat the climate crisis. It is essential to promote various initiatives across the school. Recently, we have renovated our school garden and planted lots of extra flowers and trees. Additional concepts of this nature should also be incorporated. Furthermore, it is crucial to guarantee that our children receive education on this urgent matter and are inspired to effect change.
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Climate change is a becoming a huge problem, not just in far off lands but also in our own country. In my own county which is on the west coast, we are already seeing the impact of coastal erosion which is having a detrimental effect on homes built on or near the coast. Some of these homes are at huge risk of collapsing into the ocean because of the erosion of the cliff edges. The local beach near me is suffering greatly when high tides come in. The road is being completely washed away meaning that the county council are having to repair the road in to the beach car park on an annual basis. Six years ago, my own local area was left devastated when heavy rains fell one Sunday evening in the month of May. The impact was so severe that homeowners have not been able to move back into their homes due to the flooding incurred from the local river. The town park was completely destroyed, though fortunately that involved a huge rebuilding effort which came to fruition two years ago.
Some of the actions that our pupils could take is to get them to educate their parents to reduce the amount of waste used in the homes; encourage parents to allow their children to walk and cycle to school daily; arrange for car-pooling for parents that live that little bit further from school; ensure that all families are aware that green, blue and brown bins are availed of to make sure everyone buys into it; encourage parents to use charity for both disposing of and buying items of clothing.
In our school, regarding SSE, we must continue (as staff) to promote the initiatives that we already do and add on more. We definitely could encourage more parents to walk their children to school. We recently bought a poly tunnel with the idea of growing our own vegetables and fruit. Another idea I have in mind is ‘rewilding’ some of our grass areas.
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Climate change has a huge impact on our lives today. In my local area, the most impactful change the climate has caused has been the weather. The extreme weather includes high levels of rainfall and strong winds. The high levels rainfall have caused the local river to overflow, flood and block roads. Similarly, the strong winds have caused trees to fall down blocking roads and taking out electricity wires. These adverse weather conditions affected our local communities for days and took months to reverse.
In the classroom, I would encourage the children in my class to take action against climate change by raising awareness and highlighting the importance of taking action now. Placing emphasis on green team activities such as recycling, water checks and picker pals the children in the school can take small actions to make a big change.
Regarding school self evaluation, I would liaise with my colleagues to ensure we work together to create initiatives so that we can achieve change as a whole school.
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Hi Leanne,
Thanks for sharing the first hand experience the children in your school have of the impact of extreme climate conditions on our local areas. The damage that can be caused to local areas from extreme weather conditions, both directly and indirectly, can often be overlooked and quickly forgotten. As you have said, working together with those in your school to put clear and actionable targets in place is so important in this regard. Having everyone on board can ensure consistency in messaging and can ensure that the key principles underpinning the improvement plan are permeating all aspects of school life.
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Storm Éowyn, which hit Ireland in January of this year, was one of the most vivid examples of climate change for our children in schools, bringing damaging winds, heavy rain, coastal flooding and power outages, some of which lasted for weeks on end depending where you were in the country. They had days off for safety and this is something that rarely happened in the past. This highlighted the serious impactful nature of climate change for our children and families.
Though climate change is unequal worldwide with some of the poorest people on the planet suffering its effects the most, we can use our experience of storms and coastal flooding to springboard that conversation in our classrooms. Though children may be often overwhelmed when considering the role they can play to reduce climate change, small positive and actionable steps help reduce anxiety in young children and they can see that they, in a small way, can have a big impact.
Three ways we can help are: the reduction of waste in our immediate school environment, including water conservation, planting a wildflower garden to attract bees and insects for pollination and or trees to reduce CO2 emissions and shopping locally when possible to mitigate the effects of emissions also.
We recently have had a new build and the amount of waste meant a huge impact on landfill. Prior to the move teachers and students undertook to reduce, reuse and recycle as much as possible by reusing, donating and recycling ie games and books to local charities, paper waste separated and recycled and shelving and storage units that could not be reused in the new building were donated to other members of the school community. Children become satisfied that they are taking positive steps to be part of the solution.
For SSE staff and management need to reflect on how they can have a meaningful impact in the day to day life of the school. We should target specific areas for improvement like specific green schools initiatives. As a school in receipt of Hot Lunches we see first hand a lot of waste. I think Food and Biodiversity is a natural progression and we should consider ways to grow our own and reduce waste. 25% of the world’s freshwater supply is used to grow food that is never eaten which is a shocking statistic. The water used to produce the food wasted could be used by 9 billion people at around 200 litres per person per day. Children begin see by not wasting food, how this has a direct impact on this statistic and they are tackling the problem directly.-
I completely agree that Storm Éowyn brought climate change into sharp focus for our pupils, especially through their lived experience of school closures and local damage. These tangible impacts create powerful opportunities for learning, and as you rightly pointed out, they can be used as an entry point into wider global conversations about climate justice.
I also appreciate how you framed the importance of empowering children through manageable, positive actions. It’s true that young learners can feel overwhelmed by the scale of the climate crisis, but your examples—such as reducing school waste and reusing classroom materials during a school move—clearly show that every small action counts.
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You can really see the effects of climate change around Fingal these days. There’s way more sudden heavy rain and local flooding, and the coast around places like Portmarnock and Sutton is definitely starting to change. People talk about how the weather just isn’t what it used to be — it’s all over the place.
In class, I’d get the kids chatting about what they’ve noticed themselves — like flooded roads, really hot days in summer, or storms that feel stronger than before. We’d keep it local and simple, maybe look at photos or recent news stories. Once they see it’s happening right where they live, they start to care more.
Some small actions we could take:
Work more closely with the school’s Green Team on energy saving and recycling.
Do a clean-up in the school grounds or nearby.
Put more emphasis on “Walk on Wednesdays” to cut down on school-run car use. -
Climate change is having visible impacts on Wexford’s coastline. Erosion is evident, especially in places like Rosslare and Courtown. Sea levels are rising and low lying areas are more liable to flooding every year affecting homes and businesses.
Storms are also more frequent and more severe in recent years affecting transport and homes. There are also more droughts in the summer affecting farming.
Pupils could explore climate change more through monitoring weather patterns over similar periods of time and record their findings.
Going on field trips to coastal areas around Wexford to observe erosions for themselves would make them more aware of them impact of climate change.
Taking part in Wexford’s Tidy Town’s competitions would be helpful and increate the sense of citizenship, encouraging children to take pride in their local area -creating posters to be put up in local shops/ planting flowers / trees, picking up litter, etc.
A guest speaker could be invited into the school highlighting the effects of climate change and listing ideas of what the children can do to help reduce the effects.
As part of SSE, the Green school team could assign a month each year to revisiting the green schools initiatives such as litter, energy, water, travel, biodiversity along with climate action.
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Climate change is no longer a distant problem it’s something we’re feeling more and more in our own communities. In our local area, the signs are becoming harder to ignore. We’ve seen more frequent and intense storms, unexpected flooding, and longer dry spells that impact both farming and water supply. Even our biodiversity is changing, with certain plants and animals appearing earlier or disappearing altogether. These small shifts are reminders that our environment is fragile and deeply connected to global systems.
In the classroom, I would encourage pupils to explore climate change through real life examples keeping a weather journal, mapping local environmental changes, or even interviewing older family members about how the climate has changed in their lifetimes. These activities make the issue feel closer to home and more personal.
Three meaningful actions we can all take are: reducing our waste (especially single-use plastics), choosing more sustainable transport like walking or cycling, and planting trees or native plants to support biodiversity and absorb carbon. These small changes, when multiplied across a community, can genuinely help slow the pace of climate change and make our world a healthier place to live.
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Climate change is seriously affecting my school’s local area. Storm Debi in November caused major damage to houses and shops and some businesses had to close as a result of the damage. Our school grounds also got badly hit during this storm and many of the trees around the school fell. As a result our school path was blocked meaning we had no access to the pitches which the pupils would go to at lunch time and use for training.
I would get the pupils to explore the effects of climate change further by looking at Storm Debi and the effects it had on our school. I will get the pupils to look at other storms that we had over the last few years and what effects or damage they caused. We will explore what was different about storm Debi and what effects it had on our school community.
Three actions:
Once a week pupils and teachers should try to walk, cycle or car pool to school.Energy conservation in the school. Laptops and lights are constantly left on and plugged in in classrooms when they are not being used. Getting teachers to assign a different pupil each week to be in charge of monitoring when we actually need the lights on in the classroom and making sure devices are only plugged in when necessary.
Reuse paper- I find a lot of pupils ask for a page to draw/doodle on and then I see this page on the floor or in the bin with one small thing on it. I want to make pupils conscious of their single use of paper and start to re-use paper instead of automatically throwing it out.
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HI Gabrielle,
hanks for sharing your experience here. It is shocking to hear of the devastating impact of the winter storms on your school grounds. While this is an awful event to happen, it certainly provides a real-life context for the children when they are exploring these issues. It is often not until something directly affects us that we begin to feel the need to tack action seriously – this is certainly the case in your school. The ideas you have shared are all great in terms of the children in the school being able to make small, but tangible steps to say they are doing something to help the situation.
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In my local area, the impact of climate change is becoming increasingly visible. We’ve experienced more extreme weather patterns in recent years – heavier rainfall, unexpected storms, and unusually long dry periods, all of which have affected local farming and daily routines. These changes provide a real-world context for meaningful classroom discussions around climate change.
To engage pupils, I would start by encouraging them to observe and record local weather patterns, perhaps keeping a class weather journal. We would then explore why these changes are happening, using age-appropriate videos and stories to explain climate change in an accessible way. I’d also invite local environmental speakers or community gardeners to talk to the class.
Three actions we would focus on are: Reducing waste by reusing and recycling in the classroom and at home. Creating a small class garden to learn about food sustainability.Organising a “walk or cycle to school” week to reduce car emissions.
These simple, local actions help children see that they can be part of the solution. By linking our learning to the Sustainable Development Goals and our school’s Green Flag initiatives, we can support our School Self-Evaluation (SSE) goals related to wellbeing, environment, and active citizenship. Empowering pupils through real action helps them to understand that they have a voice and role in protecting the planet.-
It’s interesting how you focus on connecting local weather changes to classroom activities. The weather journal and talks by local experts help pupils understand climate change. Simple actions like recycling, a class garden, and walking or cycling to school make a real difference. Thanks for sharing these practical ideas!
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The obvious signs of climate change at a local level would have to be the inconsistent weather during the year especially during seasons that would usually have predicatable weather patterns. We are seeing warmer Winters compared to the past. We are also seeing hotter summers with record breaking temperatures becoming an annual event. This may all seem great and we all enjoy warmer weather but there is a knock on effect involving the agriculture sector which is a key driving force for the Irish Economy. The inconsistent and changing weather is making growing crops and raising livestock more problematic. Excessive rainfall during the year along with storms is affecting crop production also. This is putting a strain on the agriculture sector which in turn puts on a strain on the livelihood of farmers. Some actions that could be done at school level could be ensuring that a Green Schools Committee is in place and that they put initiatives in place that promotes the importance of recycling. The school could also set up a return schemes in the school that could promote the importance of returning plastic bottles and cans. The money could then go towards new equipment in the school for extra curricular activities. Children could undertake upcycling projects. They could involve the local community to get involved by dontating old products that the children could in turn upcycle.
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Hi Shane,
Thanks for your post. It’s interesting to hear how things that can be spun as a positive for some people and sectors can have such negative effects on other aspects of society and the economy. Agriculture is certainly something that is feeling the effects of climate change here – from hotter summers to flooding in winter, there is such an impact on livelihoods. This will be felt particularly in certain parts of the country. The undertaking of upcycling projects sounds fascinating and an initiative which could really get children involved in thinking about how we can be more sustainable in all aspects of our lives.
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Climate change is impacting my local area in many ways such as increased rainfall. This I believe will be particularly relevant to the children in my school as often it causes the road some students take to school to flood. Extreme weather events are also a particularly relevant impact of climate change, the children have first hand experience of with days off school due to storms in recent years. Warmer summers are noticeable to children and the rising sea temperatures and rainfall are causing endangerment of animals such as various species of sea birds. In my lessons I would get the children firstly to discuss and research and then come up with practical steps they can take to help improve climate change such as
Three actions we can do to make the world a better place are…1.Promote Recycling & Reduce Waste in your school and at home – bottle collecting project, junk couture upcycling, scrap art.
2. Encourage Active Travel: Walk/cycle to school initiatives such as Walk On Wednesday .
3. Energy Awareness: Turn off lights/devices, promote energy-saving habits – light monitor and other classroom roles to monitor energy usage.
In terms of SSE, it is important the school self assess how they are addressing climate change, it must be a whole school approach with initiatives and lessons that inform children in an age appropriate level of the climate change.Ass well as give them a voice and agency in terms of being active citizens and making a difference. -
Living in Dublin, the effects of climate change are increasingly visible: heavier rainfall leading to localised flooding, more frequent storms, rising sea levels threatening coastal areas, and shifts in seasonal patterns. These changes impact our communities—especially vulnerable groups like the elderly, low-income families, and newcomers such as refugees who may already face housing challenges.
In my classroom, I would engage pupils by starting with local, lived experiences. We’d map climate impacts they’ve noticed in their area—flooded streets, hotter summers, or changes in biodiversity. I’d incorporate cross-curricular learning: exploring climate data in geography, persuasive writing on climate justice in English, and sustainable innovation in science.
Three key actions we’d take as a class: Start a plastic-free week and audit school waste. Plant a pollinator-friendly garden to support biodiversity. Write letters to local councillors advocating for greener policies
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Hi Odhran,
I like your cross curricular approach to learning about the impact of climate change. By doing it this way, you could develop a scheme of work that would cover a number of weeks and it would ensure that children have a very sound and rounded understanding of the impacts of climate change.
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Living in Cork, the effects of climate change are becoming increasingly noticeable. We’ve seen more frequent and intense rainfall, resulting in flooding across the city and surrounding areas. Storms have become more damaging, and rising sea levels pose a growing risk to our coastal communities. These local issues provide a valuable teaching opportunity to help pupils connect global climate change to their own lives.
In the classroom, I would encourage pupils to explore how Cork is being impacted. We could carry out a school climate survey, investigate local weather patterns, or even invite a guest speaker from the Cork City Council’s Climate Action Unit. Linking this learning to subjects like Geography, Science, and SPHE allows pupils to understand the causes and consequences of climate change—and their role in tackling it.
Three actions I would promote are:
Reduce waste – setting up a school-wide composting and recycling programme.
Save energy – creating posters and teams to monitor and reduce electricity use in school.
Raise awareness – through classroom campaigns, art projects, or writing to local councillors about environmental concerns in Cork.
By empowering students to act locally, we help them realise they can be part of the solution—making Cork and the wider world a more sustainable place-
I liked how you linked climate change impacts in Cork to meaningful classroom action. You connect local flooding, storms and sea level rise to hands-on learning like surveys, weather investigations and guest speakers. The three actions of reducing waste, saving energy and raising awareness are practical and achievable, especially when pupils can see their results. Tying activities into Geography, Science and SPHE makes the topic cross curricular and relevant. Your approach clearly empowers students to see themselves as part of the solution.
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In my local area, the effects of climate change has been very prevalent in recent years. The number of storms has increased dramatically in recent years and the severity of these storms with increased winds and rain in particular have been very noticeable. Many areas of Cork have been subject to flooding as a result of these storm and Climate Change which has had an effect on many peoples livelihood. Temperatures have also increased a lot as the earth is now warmer which has resulted in warmer temperatures throughout the year. In Cork at present, a hose pipe ban is in place in order to preserve water due to the high temperatures and lack of rain in recent weeks.
In order to engage pupils in exploring this, I would encourage them to interview an older person in their lives and ask them to outline how the climate has changed since they were younger. I would ask the children to study weather trends from now and compare them to the weather from 10/ 20 years ago. I would ask them to research recent flooding scenarios and the effects this has had on local businesses and homeowners.
3 actions to make the world a better place:
Reduce Energy Consumption- use energy efficient lightbulbs, turn off switches when not in use, turn off lights/ laptops etc when leaving the classroomUse Public Transport- Try and reduce reliance on one off trips in the car and make use of public transport where possible. Alternatively walk. cycle to your destination.
Consumption- reduce, reuse, recycle where possible and shop and support local shops.
In the classroom I would set up Energy Monitors whose jobs is to ensure that all lights/ laptops etc are turned off when not in use and when leaving the classroom. I would also ask them to monitor how often lights. laptops etc are left on so that we can work to improve our use. I would ask at school level to ensure all lightbulbs being used in the school/ classroom are energy efficient.
In the classroom, I would encourage pupils to use public transport, cycle or walk to school where possible. I would set up a ‘Walk it Wednesday’ where pupils are asked to make an extra effort on a Wednesday to walk to school where possible.
In the classroom, I would encourage pupils to reduce, reuse and recycle all items in use in the classroom where possible. I would encourage my class to organise a swap it day whereby children bring in any items (toys, clothes etc) they no longer use and can swap it with an item they would like. I would ensure that children are aware of the recycling bin and ensure they are aware of how to recycle properly. I would bring the children to the local craft shop to explore the range of items available at a local level and encourage them to swap locally.
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Thanks for sharing your thoughts on climate change, Ciara. It’s clear that the local effects of climate change in your locality of Cork have really impacted local communities there, and you are making great efforts to connect those real-world issues with your own teaching. I like your ideas for engaging pupils because they make the issue relevant and personal. Having your class interview an older person to compare weather patterns over time is a great way to show the pupils that climate change isn’t just a distant concept but that it’s something that’s already part of their local history. Studying local flooding and its impact on the locality is also a powerful way to make this topic more relevant to the children in your class.
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Our local area has many lakes. Our drinking water supply comes from one of the lakes as it is a fresh water spring lake. In recent years, we have had more and more hose pipe warnings and more boiled water notices and a visible drop in the level of the lake as the drain on resources increases. I think a lesson plan starting point could look at old pictures of the lake and the level it used to be at. We could talk about how you used to be able to use the diving boards at all times and how that has changed and why. We could audit our own water use – looking at all the ways we use water in our homes. We could look at the amount of water needed for production. Then we could brainstorm ways to reduce water consumption and also general consumption. One useful lesson is to use a sink with a plug to show how much water we waste if we leave the tap running when we brush our teeth. Its visually strong. We can pledge to turn off taps when brushing and even showers when shampooing. We do clothes swaps and uniform swaps and it is good to link this to how much water is used in the production of clothes as many children don’t realise how much water is used for this. Last year we started to really push for re-useable water bottles in school and we will continue this process again next year. These are practical tangible actions so children don’t feel overwhelmed by climate change but can do something themselves.
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In Phibsboro, I’ve noticed the effects of climate change in small but visible ways, heavier rainfall causing local flooding, hotter summers affecting green spaces, and reduced biodiversity in our parks and gardens. I taught infants for the past couple of years and with infants, I would explore these changes through simple, hands-on activities they can relate to. For example, we could take nature walks around the Royal Canal or local parks to observe plants, birds, and insects, comparing what we see across the seasons. We could also focus on three simple steps: reducing waste (through recycling and reusing materials in art projects), planting pollinator-friendly flowers in our school garden, and saving energy by turning off lights and devices when not in use. These activities would be linked to stories, songs, and role-play to help pupils understand the “why” behind each action. By starting small and local, children can see how their choices make a difference in caring for our world.
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I love your ideas, especially the pollinator-friendly flowers, they’re perfect for a city school and help support local biodiversity. Linking nature walks, recycling projects, and energy saving to stories and role-play makes these concepts accessible for infants. Starting small and local is a brilliant way to help children see they can make a real difference.
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Living in the west of Ireland countryside, climate change is already affecting our local environment. We’ve seen more frequent heavy rainfall leading to flooding, storm Eowyn had devastating affects in it’s aftermath in my area. We have longer periods of wet ground making farming more difficult, and changing weather patterns that affect planting and harvesting. Many of my pupils come from farming backgrounds so these changes impact their families’ livelihoods.
I would build on the children’s own experiences, I’d encourage them to keep a “local climate diary” where they record weather changes over time, they could also interview older family members about how weather patterns have shifted. We could explore solutions farmers are trialling, such as planting cover crops.
Some of the actions we cpuld take would be to plant trees and hedgerows to absorb carbon and protect wildlife. Reduce single-use plastics in school and implement the no-waste initiative that so many schools are doing. We could also learn about and support sustainable farming practices as this is relevant to my school.
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Hi Luke, I completely agree with your points. Your examples of heavy rainfall, flooding, and storm impacts really highlight how climate change is already affecting rural communities. I love your idea of a “local climate diary” and involving older family members—this makes learning both personal and intergenerational. The focus on farming solutions like cover crops is so relevant for pupils from agricultural backgrounds and shows them that adaptation is possible. Your suggested actions—planting trees, reducing single-use plastics, and supporting sustainable farming—are practical, achievable steps that could make a real difference both locally and globally.
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Living in the west of Ireland countryside, climate change is already affecting our local environment. We’ve seen more frequent heavy rainfall leading to flooding, storm Eowyn had devastating affects in it’s aftermath in my area. We have longer periods of wet ground making farming more difficult, and changing weather patterns that affect planting and harvesting. Many of my pupils come from farming backgrounds so these changes impact their families’ livelihoods.
I would build on the children’s own experiences, I’d encourage them to keep a “local climate diary” where they record weather changes over time, they could also interview older family members about how weather patterns have shifted. We could explore solutions farmers are trialling, such as planting cover crops.
Some of the actions we could take would be to plant trees and hedgerows to absorb carbon and protect wildlife. Reduce single-use plastics in school and implement the no-waste initiative that so many schools are doing. We could also learn about and support sustainable farming practices as this is relevant to my school.
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I really like the idea of interviewing older family members regarding how weather patterns have shifted over time. This would allow the children to really see the impact which climate change and, therefore, changing weather can have in their own local areas and on the people in their families and communities. As well as this, it is a great way to link the curriculum areas of history and English with other subject areas such as Learn Together (Educate Together) and SPHE. I have discovered that children really respond well to active learning and meaningful homework. It also gives the opportunity to link their learning to home. This would be a great way to introduce and make families aware of what children are learning in school and carry on this discovery at home.
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In my local area in Cork, climate change is increasingly noticeable through unpredictable weather patterns, heavier rainfall, and more frequent flooding. This affects local farming, disrupts transport, and even impacts biodiversity in nearby rivers and fields. I would engage pupils by starting with a “climate detectives” project—collecting local weather observations, interviewing older residents about changes they’ve noticed, and researching how these link to global climate trends.
Three actions we could take in school to slow climate change:
Reduce waste – introduce a “zero waste” lunch policy and a recycling/composting station.
Plant native trees and pollinator-friendly plants – boosting biodiversity and carbon capture.
Lower our energy use – switching off devices and lights when not in use.Through project-based learning, students would present findings at assembly or to parents, empowering them to see that local action contributes to global solutions. This approach links learning to real-life impact.
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Reflect on how Climate Change is impacting on your own local area and how you would engage your pupils to explore this further. Suggest three actions that you can do to make the world a better place and slow down climate change.Post a reflective piece (150 words min) on how you would do this in your classroom to this forum as a reply to this post.Please also comment on at least one other participant’s post.Then, recollect on how the Development Education modules in this course can feed into School Self-Evaluation (SSE) at your school
There is no denying the obvious changes in our climate especially noticeable in the last few years. When I was reading further on this I found some interesting information on spunout.ie related to coastal erosion. If sea levels continue to rise, experts predict that cities and towns built in low-lying coastal areas like Cork, Dublin, Galway, Wexford and Limerick ( where I live ) will be most at risk.In class we could measure rainfall for a set period and compare against the national average for that time of year. Temperature changes, Food security and extreme weather events were other topics I read up on. Because we are living in a time when climate change is having a visible impact, small changes / actions in the class and school can have a positive impact as a collective e.g. giving weekly class jobs to pupils : turning off lights when we leave the class, turning off switches the the end of the day, keeping an eye to ensure rubbish is in the correct bin. ese activities teach responsibility and teamwork while showing how small actions make a big difference. The Development Education modules in this course tie into the School Self-Evaluation process through action in response to a worldwide problem. Understanding that our actions, no matter how small have a ripple effect on a universal level. -
Like many others, my local area has also undoubtedly seen the affects of climate change. Over the last number of years, there has been increased flooding in the river, which leads to damage of the homes of several students, as well as delays or blockages on roads around the local area. Most students do not remember a time when this was not a major problem in the local area. They respond well to discussions regarding these issues (e.g. storms occurring more often) and how they influence their lives.
As individuals, there are some actions we can do to slow down climate change. Firstly, reducing waste and water wastage is important. Secondly, counteracting climate change (e.g. planting more trees) is beneficial. And finally, raising awareness of climate change and this issue is also important.
I would incorporate these ideas into my classroom in a variety of ways. Children respond well to talk and discussion surrounding waste (e.g. school lunches). Circle times devoted to this area would be helpful, as well as physical goals and charts which the children can see. We can also make a difference in the school community, such as by planting trees, vegetables and flowers for pollinators in the school gardens, putting a positive angle on helping with climate change for children. Finally, I would encourage the children to be aware of the different protests and actions in the local area and cities which they can be a part of, to know that they can add their own voices to the awareness of climate change.
The Development Education modules on this course have allowed me to see that we can work with global issues at a local level. For example, teaching the students about global inequality, refugees, climate change, etc. and doing active lessons surrounding these issues give the children the critical thinking skills as well as knowledge to tackle these issues in their own lives. No matter how small the action, it makes some difference. Incorporating these modules into the school SSE opens up opportunities for this type of learning and discussions at all class levels.
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In my area in Dublin, the effects of climate change are already noticeable. Winters are warmer than before, and we often get heavy rains that sometimes flood streets and local parks. In class, I would ask my pupils to observe the weather around the school, record these changes, and talk about how warmer winters and heavy rain affect people, animals, and plants. We could do simple experiments on water collection, create posters about protecting the environment, or plan small projects like a school garden to see how plants respond to different weather.
Three actions I can take to help the planet are: use less single-use plastic, travel by bike or public transport, and turn off lights and devices when not in use.
In lessons, we could link this to other subjects: graph rainfall in Maths, write about weather changes in English, or make crafts using recycled materials. This helps pupils understand how climate change affects their local area and how they can make a difference.
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Climate change is impacting the weather, leading to extreme weather events such as storms and droughts, and has a knock of effect on locale agriculture, such as failed crops. This is turn leads to a reliance on agricultural imports, with an impact on climate change due to air miles.
In schools, we can implement simple measures to educate the children on climate responsibility, such as waste (reduce, reuse, recycle & composting), water conservation, the need for planting etc. Discrete and direct education on climate change is necessary, but instilling good habits in the children is essential in forming lifelong good habits, and has the benefit of reaching others in the childrens’ household. Children learn best by doing, after all. The green flag initiative is a constructive way to learn and put these habits into action. Furthermore, climate change lends itself well to integration and thematic teaching. There’s endless scope for teaching and learning in this area.
I’d love to see an effort to reduce plastic packing in the children’s lunchboxes (both from an environmental and healthy eating perspective) and agree with Clodagh’s suggestion of a “zero-waste” lunch policy.
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I completely agree reducing the plastic in lunch boxes and zero waste. In our school we are trying to tackle this with our Green Schools Committee. The committee members ran an awareness campaign of how to reduce plastic in lunch boxes (posters, presentations) and are acting as monitors in terms of what goes in the bin and there are posters reminding pupils to take their waste home.
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In Ireland clinate change can clearly be seen in our much warmer summers and the amount of extreme weather events we are having in the winter. In my own local area we have found a marked decrease in bees and other mini beasts. Previously our infant classes would have great fun on mini beast hunts but now they are lucky to find one thing.
TO help tacke climate change we have a very active Green School. We have installed bug hotels and had a visit from a biodiversity officer from our local council to see how we can help mini beasts. We also have walk to school Fridays, don’t let the drip drop water campaign, rubbish monitors and pickers. In June the Green School COmmittee held a fundraiser where pupils brought in their return bottles and cans.
We also are a Unicef Rights Respecting School. At the beginning of each school year each class creates a class charter based on the rights of the child and we link this to climate change.
All of this work is ongoing and has not been part of the formal SSE process. Having completed this course I think we as a school should use the SSE process to assess how we are doing, assess parents views and to have a plan of where we are going.-
Hi Naomi,
I love those ideas that your school has implented such as the bug hotels, the water campaign and walk to school Fridays. We have some of these initiatives in our school but I would definitely like to tackle some more biodiversity issues. I think that the children would be very enthusiastic and interested in the bug hotels as it is hands-on and child friendly.
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In my local area, the impacts of climate change are becoming more visible. We have been presented with extreme seasonal changes such as increased weather warnings and minor flooding along areas like the River Dodder. Summer heat has peaked, with extreme humidity. These changes impact daily life, from school activities to wildlife in local parks.
We can explore this through the S.E.S.E subjects. As a class we could conduct a weather analysis. They could record local weather over a month, observe how nearby parks and rivers are affected, or discuss how floods and storms impact people and animals in our community.
Three actions we could take to help slow down climate change are:
1. Turn off lights and devices when not in use.
2. Walk, cycle, or use public transport instead of cars.
3. Plant trees, care for school gardens, or clean up local green spaces -
With regards to Climate change impacting my local area in Tipperary, I’ve noticed a few things. We’re seeing more unpredictable weather patterns, like heavier rainfall and occasional flooding, which can affect local farming and infrastructure. Also, the growing seasons seem to be shifting, which are also impacting local agriculture.
If I were engaging pupils on this topic, I’d start with something relatable and hands-on. First, we could do a local weather and climate data project. Pupils could track daily weather conditions and compare them to historical averages to see if there are any noticeable changes over time.
Next, we could explore the impact on local biodiversity. We could take a field trip to a nearby natural area and observe how plant and animal life are being affected by changing temperatures and rainfall patterns. We could also invite local farmers or environmental experts to talk to the class about their experiences and perspectives.
Finally, to encourage action, we could brainstorm and implement a class project to reduce our carbon footprint, like starting a school garden, reducing waste, or promoting energy conservation at home and in school. This would make the issue feel more tangible and empower them to make a difference.
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Climate change is affecting Dublin in more ways than one. Currently in my area, there are a lot of new apartments being built (and a new primary and secondary school) which are very needed in terms of population and homelessness, however, the impact that it has on the environment is a negative one.
Children will be encouraged to think about what ways they can help the environment both in school and outside of school. Students can work with the Green Schools committee to come up with ideas within the school a way to take action and support planting projects (especially within the new schools) to create a place for wildlife and biodiversity.
Children can take on a whole school project where they research climate change, come up with ideas that others can implement and create posters to hang around the school to make others aware. They can use platforms such as assembly’s or newsletters to get their message out into the wider community.
Lastly, children will be exposed to a number of books that address climate change. Children can work with different classes, sharing these stories and creating an activity for the class to take part in. For e.g. the book by Ann Terreros-Martin “Can you see the stars tonight”. This book is about a young girl who helps combat light pollution to help the Puffins make their way home. This book can be read to an infants class and then the infants children can discuss how they can be better at turning lights off . They will create posters or colour in posters to take home. This creates a strong home/school link and encourages change and discussion outside of school.
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Climate change is impacting my own local area and areas all across Ireland in various ways. As of late we are more susceptible to adverse weather conditions like heatwaves, storms and flash flooding. The average temperatures have risen and are continuing to rise. To engage my students in this topic we could discuss climate change and brainstorm ways that we can help protect our world against climate change.
Three actions we could do in school to make the world a better place and slow down climate change is continuing to reduce, reuse and recycle. Our school is a green school and we have a green schools committee who ensure that all recycling, waste and compost are in the correct bins. We are very proud of the work we have done to ensure we are a green flag school. Secondly we could try promote walking or cycling to school if possible or even car pooling for people living in close proximity to each other. Lastly we could concentrate on energy conservation is school like only turning on lighting and heating if necessary, turning off lights when we are leaving the room, keeping the windows closed when the heating is on, monitoring our use of water etc. For school self evaluation purposes schools need to consider what they are doing to help slow down climate change, plans need to be put in place and both staff and students need to implement these changes consistently to do our part as global citizens. -
The impact of climate change and global warming on my local area can be seen in the increased frequency of weather events and patterns that used to be unusual. Recent summers have flip flopped between intense heat waves and hot, rainy periods. Winter has been very mild with occasional short cold snaps. The different flowers and birds to be seen at the ‘wrong’ time of year has been very noticeable in the last year in particular.
As regards actions to be taken in school to slow down climate change and make this world a better place:
– Bike to school/walking bus/facilitating shared lifts to school where needed. These initiatives reduce the use of fossil fuel and emissions from individual parents driving their children to school.
– Gardening: children learn about our reliance on the earth and nature.
– Reduce electricity: turning off unnecessary lights, turn off devices when not in use etc.
– Recycling bins in all classrooms.
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On a local level I have noticed changes in the seasonal cycle of trees and plants.I think there are less bees in my garden each year. There are also very few nocturnal moths. I used to have frogs in my garden but I havent seen one in years now. There has been more coastal erosion and I have seen large sand hills disappear after heavy storms. Although welcome there has been far less frosty or icy mornings We have had a water shortage all summer.
I think it is important to teach children to be aware of consumption at an early age. A lot of old fashioned habits were practical and easy to apply. Closing doors when the heat is on, not wasting material, only taking what you will use. I get the children to gather up all unused art materials and have scrap boxes of paper, material and odds and ends. I teach children to only put out a little paint at a time and to mix colours or look to a neighbour. Drawing paper comes from recycled photocopied paper. Each year I plant pollinating flowers in class for the children to take home.
I like the idea of class energy and recycling monitors. Showing the children the water cycle, how our water is treated and the water shortages in other countries helps children be more aware of water usage. Showing the children images of deforestation in the rainforests really makes an impact and they have a greater appreciation of where our paper comes from.
I loved the idea of bringing people in from the community to involve the children in recycling and upcycling projects.
Biodiversity is a topic that children really engage with. Planting for biodiversity, native plants, trees and hedgerows, school ponds are all practical hands on activities that children enjoy. Teaching children about seasonal produce, where food is being imported from, clothes mountains and their impacts in the environment and the countries they are being imported to will help them make more conscious and informed choices as adult consumers. As a school we could try to reduce car engine idling at drop off and collection times by getting the children to remind their parents to turn off engines. Encouraging children to look after and keep their school materials. Over the years I have really noticed the throwaway or just get another one habit increase. Encouraging children to photograph and share changes or activities they are doing at home eg picking beach litter or waterbutts would help promote a sense of community and togetherness. These could be displayed in a central part of the school. -
On a local level, I have seen climate change have a direct impact on my town. In 2017, there was a huge flood. This was never seen before. It was due to extremely heavy rainfall with water running down from the Slieve Blooms and our local river oweness and barrow not being able to cope with the water levels. Both rivers burst their banks and homes and businesses were destroyed. It had a devastating impact on local residents, businesses including creches, restaurants and shops but also emergency services trying to help the situation.
8 years on and the town is still pleading with the local COCO to get funds in place to prevent further damage from happening if there was to be another storm or heavy downfall.
In class, we could use the three R’s – reduce, reuse and recycle. Holding art projects or junk couture to make it fun for the children.
Children could collect their return bottles and cans and donate to the school.
Finally, Children could if possible at home and school, leave wild patches for local bees and insects.
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Hi Niamh, I couldn’t agree more about the throwaway habits of adults and children alike. There is always a new fad be it water bottles, designer shoes or jackets etc. As a nation we are much more materialistic but these trends are often short lived and then we are pressured to buy the next shiny new object. It’s so important to teach about sustainability and how trends can influence us to buy things we don’t necessarily need.
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In Tallaght were I am currently teaching, we can already see some of the effects of climate change happening. There have been more days of heavy rain, leading to local flooding in areas like the Dodder Valley and Sean Walsh Park. Summers are getting hotter, and the weather is becoming more unusual and harder to predict. These changes affect our everyday lives, from how we get to school to how wildlife and plants grow in our parks and green spaces.
In my class to help students understand what’s happening locally, I would start with simple activities – like keeping weather diaries, watching RTÉ weather reports, or walking around nearby parks to look for signs of change in nature. I would also use digital tools like Google Earth and climate maps to explore how sea levels and temperatures are rising, and what that means for places like Tallaght and Dublin.
As a class, we would take the following three positive actions to help our environment:
· Organise “Walk or Cycle to School” days to help cut down on car pollution.
· Launch a waste-free lunch campaign with posters to encourage less plastic and rubbish.
· Plant native wildflowers and pollinator-friendly plants in pots or beds. We have a small garden space and invite parents and/or grandparents in to help us manage it, therefore there’s buy in from the children.
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Hi Máirín,
Great ideas you have mentioned. I love the idea of getting parents and grandparents involved, both as a motivation for children and also to ensure the information and learning does not stay in the school building but spread into the community.
I think encouraging children to travel in a more eco-friendly way is so important. In my own school, lots of families live very locally and still drive to school in spite of heavy traffic congestion. Even encouraging people to park up and walk a bit further would be a huge help to all and ease the stress in the mornings, as well as encourage healthy habits-scooting/walking etc.
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In Dublin in recent years, we have the seen the effects of climate change through increased flooding and other extreme weather events (storms/extended heat waves/colder winters), a decrease in air quality and a threat of higher-than-average increases in sea levels.
I would introduce pupils to the project on the SFI website where young people have created ‘smart’ pebbles to track coastal erosion. I think this would spark conversation and creativity among pupils.
3 actions we could work on with pupils to slow down climate change would be:
1. Promote and encourage ‘car free’ days to reduce the carbon emissions we are producing in the local area. Pupils could create posters and track and graph each class’ alternative transport to measure success of the campaign
2. A school community tree planting campaign to build knowledge and understanding around the importance of green spaces and trees to promote cleaner air.
3. Develop a Climate Club at school with children that are interested in developing more climate-friendly practices in the school and local area.-
Hi Grace,
Thanks for your post. I think it highlights the diversity of climate related problems throughout our small country, and how this translate to a much wider global scale. Air quality is certainly an issue in our biggest cities, and is something that is mirrored in large cities across the world. Raising awareness around the pollution of cars is important – it’s interesting to see the congestion charges in London and how these are tiered depending on your proximity to the city centre – however, I suppose improvements to public transport need to be made before it is feasible to introduce something similar here.
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Living and teaching in Dublin, I have seen the effects of climate change more and more over the last while. The heavy rain and sudden storms have caused flooding on roads and housing estates, while at the same time we also experience unusual warm weather and even drought warnings. Just last week, parts of the west coast of Ireland had thunder and lightning storms while here in the east it was dry and sunny. These extremes would be noticeable to children, who often arrive to school talking about the crazy weather. I see this as an entry point for teaching about climate change.
In my classroom, I would explore climate change through discussion, storybooks, simple experiments, and local news reports. Three things I could do in the classroom with the students are:
Reducing energy waste in the classroom (turning off lights, unplugging chargers).
Starting a green team with recycling and litter-picking around the classroom or on yard.
Do a survey on how many children walk or drive to school and encourage the students to walk to school.
In terms of School Self-Evaluation (SSE), Development Education modules feed directly into the themes of Wellbeing, Environment, and Pupil Voice. Climate action projects provide evidence of active, engaged learning, while also encouraging cross-curricular planning (SESE, SPHE, English, and Art). Collecting pupil reflections on how they feel about climate change and their role in taking action could also become valuable qualitative data for SSE.
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As a teacher in Lucan, I have noticed how climate change is starting to shape our local environment, from heavier rainfall leading to flooding along the River Liffey and the Griffeen, to stronger storms that bring disruption and damage to trees and community spaces. I feel it is important to help pupils see that climate change is not just a distant issue but something already affecting their own area. To explore this further, I would encourage them to observe changes in local parks and rivers, keep weather logs, and reflect on how extreme weather impacts families and communities around them. These activities give students a chance to connect learning in the classroom to real-life experiences while developing critical awareness and responsibility. In terms of action, I believe we can make a difference by cutting down on single-use plastics in school, planting trees and flowers that support wildlife, and making energy-saving habits part of our daily routine. Even simple steps like these show pupils that they can play a role in protecting the planet and slowing climate change.
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Hi Isobel, I really enjoyed reading your post and how you connected climate change to local examples in Lucan. The flooding along the River Liffey and Griffeen, as well as stronger storms, make it clear to pupils that climate change is already affecting their community. I particularly liked your ideas of keeping weather logs and observing local parks and rivers. These activities give pupils a practical, child-centred way to connect classroom learning with real-life experiences. Your suggested actions—reducing single-use plastics, planting trees and flowers, and adopting energy-saving habits—are achievable and empowering, showing pupils that small steps can make a meaningful difference.
Reflecting on the Development Education modules from this course, I can see how they support School Self-Evaluation (SSE). The modules encourage teachers to embed global citizenship, sustainability, and inclusion across the curriculum. By exploring themes such as inequality, migration, gender, and climate change, pupils develop empathy, critical thinking, and responsibility. This provides tangible evidence for SSE, showing how well children are engaging with these values and skills. Many of the strategies also connect to the Digital Learning Plan, as they use online tools and collaborative resources. Overall, the modules help schools reflect on current practice, identify areas for growth, and ensure teaching prepares children to engage meaningfully with the wider world.
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In my local area, the effects of climate change can already be seen in more frequent flooding, changing weather patterns, and pressure on local agriculture. These visible changes provide a valuable starting point for pupils to realise that climate change is not just a global issue, but something that directly impacts their own community. In the classroom, I would encourage children to explore these local examples by observing seasonal changes, discussing news reports, and connecting their observations to global trends.
To make the learning meaningful, I would use cross-curricular projects such as investigating our school’s energy use, designing posters to raise awareness, or creating nature-friendly spaces through gardening. Pupils could also research how other communities are responding to climate challenges, allowing them to compare and reflect.
Three concrete actions we could take together are: reducing waste through recycling and reusing materials, conserving energy in school and at home, and supporting biodiversity by planting trees or wildflowers. These empower pupils to see themselves as agents of positive change.
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