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I really like all the ideas your school has in place. The oyster farm sounds like a great learning opportunity for the children, especially seeing how things are recycled and reused. I also love the idea of the costume, Christmas jumper and uniform swaps as simple ways to reduce waste.
Sustainability is something I have seen through my own family and where I grew up. I lived in Innishannon, but my dad has a farm in Kilbrittain, which is close to the coast. I have lots of happy memories of spending time there, especially going fishing off the rocks and going out in a small boat with my dad. We would catch fish such as mackerel and pollock and bring them home to eat and sometimes put some in the freezer. This taught me from a young age to appreciate the sea and not take it for granted.
As a 3rd class teacher, I would like to bring this experience into the classroom. I could talk to pupils about where food comes from and why it is important to protect our seas and wildlife. We could learn about recycling, reducing waste and looking after local habitats. Pupils could also investigate ways our school can become more sustainable, such as reducing food waste, planting flowers and using less plastic. I think using real-life examples would help children understand that small actions can make a difference.
I was similar growing up and didn’t think much about the benefits of seafood. I agree that it is a great topic to bring into the classroom and helps children learn about healthy eating and where their food comes from.
Learning about the nutrition of seafood has helped me understand how good seafood can be as part of a healthy diet. It is a good source of protein, omega-3, vitamins and minerals. These are important for children’s growth, brain development and overall health.
As a 3rd class teacher, I could use this topic to teach children about healthy eating in a simple and interesting way. We could look at different types of seafood, such as salmon, cod and prawns, and talk about where they come from. I love seafood myself, so I would love to give my pupils the opportunity to try different types of seafood, where possible, and widen their palates and experiences. Some children may not get the chance to try different seafood at home.
This topic could link with Science, Geography, Maths and SPHE. We could make simple charts about the different types of seafood we try and talk about their nutritional benefits. We could also look at Ireland’s coastline and how fishing and aquaculture provide food for people. I think this is a fun way to teach children about healthy choices and where our food comes from.
I really like your ideas. I agree that STEM can easily be included in everyday lessons instead of being taught on its own. I also like the focus on children trying things, making mistakes and learning from them. The ARC resources give lots of simple ideas that could be used across the school.
As a 3rd class teacher, I found the ARC online lessons and resources a great way to bring STEM into the classroom in a fun and practical way. I liked that the activities encourage children to ask questions, try things out, solve problems and learn from their mistakes. At this age, I think hands-on activities are a great way to keep children interested and involved.
I could use the resources for simple experiments, building activities and investigations where the children work together and share their ideas. They could collect simple information, make predictions and talk about what they found out. I could also use digital tools such as tablets to research topics and record their work.
As our school is looking at STEM, I think these resources could be useful across all classes. Teachers could share ideas and activities and build STEM skills as children move through the school. This would also support our SSE by helping us look at how STEM is being used across the school and how we can improve it.I really like your ideas, especially as your school is focusing on STEM next year. I think the ARC resources would be a great way to get children working together and solving real-life problems. I also like the idea of building STEM skills from the younger classes right through to 6th class.
I enjoyed reading your post. I agree that using local examples and maps is a great way to help children understand the importance of the sea. It also helps them see how it supports people, jobs and local communities.
Reflecting on the location of aquaculture farms in Ireland has helped me understand the important role they play in supporting coastal communities. Aquaculture farms are mainly found along Ireland’s west and southwest coasts, where there are sheltered bays and clean waters that are ideal for growing fish and shellfish.
Growing up in Kilbrittain, Co. Cork, I have always enjoyed spending time by the sea. One of my favourite summer memories is going fishing off the rocks with my dad. Living so close to the coast gave me an appreciation for the sea from a young age, and this module helped me understand how important it is for local communities and jobs.
Aquaculture provides employment for people working in fish farming, seafood processing, transport and local businesses. It also supports restaurants and tourism by providing fresh local seafood. Learning about aquaculture has shown me that it is not just about producing food. It also helps keep coastal communities alive while encouraging people to care for and protect our marine environment for future generations.
I really like your ideas. Using stories, videos and art is a great way to teach younger children about the sea and looking after the environment. I also agree that using simple language makes it much easier for infant children to understand.
As a teacher in a DEIS school in Cork City, I think it is important to help children learn about the sea and why it is important, even though many of them do not get to visit the beach very often. The nearest beach is about 45 minutes away, and many of the families in our school do not have access to a car, so some children have very little experience of the coast.
I would use the videos, pictures and classroom activities to help bring the topic to life. We could talk about where our seafood comes from, look at simple maps of Cork, and learn about sea life through stories, art and play-based activities. As I will be teaching Early Start, I would keep the learning simple and focus on looking after nature, sharing spaces and being kind to the environment. These activities would help children build an appreciation for the sea and understand that everyone has a role in caring for it, even if they do not visit it regularly.
I like how you included real examples, especially how the recent weather has made climate change feel more real for children. I also think the idea of walking or cycling to school is a great way to show pupils that small changes can make a big difference.
Climate change is something that children are beginning to notice in their everyday lives. A good example is the recent heat wave in Ireland. Many children have never experienced weather this hot before, so it is a good way to start conversations about climate change and how it affects people, animals and nature. We have also seen more heavy rain and flooding in recent years.
In my classroom, I would encourage pupils to learn about climate change by looking at things happening around them. We could keep a weather diary, talk about ways to reduce waste and look at how we can save energy in school.
Three actions we could take are planting flowers or trees, reducing food waste and remembering to turn off lights and devices when they are not being used. These are simple actions that children can take at school and at home.
The Development Education modules also fit well with School Self-Evaluation . They encourage schools to think about ways to become more environmentally friendly. As a school, we could set simple goals like reducing waste, saving energy and getting pupils involved in making our school a greener place. This helps children see that everyone can play a part in looking after the environment.