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I think this is a great way to investigate and engage the children. I really like the practical element and the emphasis of the children gaining confidence through the supportive environment.
As I work with young kids in the infant end I think I would frame the question “Trees help keep our Earth cool and provide us with air. What happens if lots of trees are cut down?’ I would also relate it to an area near our school.
I would explain to them that we are going to be detectives and look at some pictures and videos to see what happens when trees are removed.We would then use a mind map to brainstorm questions like ‘why do people cut down trees?’ and ‘what happens to animals whn the trees are cut down?’ ‘Does it make the earth warmer?’ I would visit a local park and record what they see. We would then record if it is cooler when in a tree flooded area in comparison to an area with fewer trees. We would then discuss what to are results tell us. What would happen if lots of trees were cut down. We could then compare google images and maps that show areas where lots of trees have been cut down and what has happened as a result.Hi Siobhan,
Im glad to see the tracker was easy to download and free for a week. Its interesting to hear how many satellites there are and how many had passed over Ireland recently. I think this is very exciting for the children to know in realtime the satellites are passing above us.
EO browser is a free online tool that lets you look at Satellite images of Earth. You can obtain many images and see how places on Earth change overtime like cities, rivers and farms. You can also pick a place and see how it looked on certain dates and compare images. You don’t have to have an account but I think you may have access to more features if you do sign up.
I would use this in the classroom by searching green sites of rivers near the school from different dates and compare and contrast how things have changed or stayed the same. I would also use it to explore big nature events with my class and again compare how it changed the landscape.
Hi Tara,
I really like your idea of using cross curricular links with SPHE to support deeper understanding for the children. I think this would prove really beneficial to them and highlight the personal and emotional side effects on us as a human race.
The film HOME is an extremely powerful and compelling compilation of beautiful images on out planet coupled with narration that pushed us to think outside the box and to what we are actually doing to our planet, our home. This alongside the Climate Aid 2020 video and the Greta Thunberg video provides a lot of though provoking imagery and questions. When using these in the classroom I would provide a little warning as to how some imagery is not the typical imagery we see or like to see of the world around us. I would not like to lead too much as I would be intrigued to see the thoughts of the children. I would facilitate the conversations and discussions around these videos to begin our topic. I would then encourage groups to calculate their carbon footprint and show ways that we can easily reduce it.
Yes I agree the framework is a great tool for teachers. It provides time to reflect on the lesson and ideas to implement in future lessons.
This activity is a great way to introduce the green house effect and how we play a part in it. The paxi video is informative and useful in introducing the topic. It is direct and informative in it explanation considering it is a very intricate topic. THe group work of calculating monthly temperatures is very engaging and having one group focus on high emissions and another on low emissions is a great way to spark conversation and further the learning process. I think it is a really engaging activity where many skills in the group will be pulled on. I think to use this in a junior classroom maybe a book or poster a longside the video and more of a discussion around the temperatures rather than using the tool would be effective.
Hi Colin,
I really like your idea of creating a weather bulletin. I think this is a lovely idea, especially if the whole school are working on the same topic and the younger classes could listen and here from the older classes recordings.
I think this activity is very apt and relevant to address those misconceptions children may have about weather and climate from the start. The resources and activities provided are very relevant to them. I like the idea in activity one of thinking back to past birthdays and remembering what the weather was like that day. To group them by month of birthday will consolidate even further how weather is the state of the atmosphere in a specific time. The second activity of being a weather detective is a lovely activity to put problem solving and practical skills to work. The conversation around where to place the thermometer and what elements will affect it will provide huge learning alone. In order to adapt it to younger classes I think they idea of setting up a thermometer and taken the temperature daily at the same time is lovely and simple and we can do comparisons of days using words such a hotter, cooler, warmer etc. We may also be able to brainstorm what other type of weather we can measure getting our ideas from looking out the window.
I really like this question Colm. I actually found it quite hard to think of a clear and concise question but your activity is very specific and appropriate. I will definitely try this next year. Thank you.
Question: How has climate change effected the mini-beasts or species present in our community?
I would start by doing a mind map with the class to see what knowledge we already have about mini-beasts in our area. Using the Climate detective research model we would investigate mini-beasts present in our school garden and community. We would log and record the species and mini-beasts present. Using the planner the class can explore the effects that climate has had on species in our area over a period of time. Students can use their research to compare against past research and recordings. They can then draw from this the effect climate change has had on mini-beasts and species in a specific area. It might be easier to first research a more well known mini-beast/species that has had massive decline and then apply this to our own community. Some children may even have memories of more mini-beasts being present when they wee younger, or being able to find them easier in our garden.
Children could then make some posters and leaflets to show their research and with action points as how we can make a positive change and make a difference.
I downloaded the ‘Nose up high in the sky’ resource and I enjoyed exploring the different activities.
The first activity of exploring old weather proverbs I found to be an excellent starter into the overall topic. Not only is it fun to explore these proverbs with a classmate and family members, it is also really interesting to learn that proverbs managed to pinpoint different weather forecasts without the use of the technology we use today, which feeds in nicely to activity 2 of using our senses to observe and describe the weather. I think its really important to get across to children today that we can still rely on our senses and own feelings to determine things. Although they may not get a exact answer, generally they come very close. The ending of this activity to compare against an actual weather forecast could prove very rewarding and exciting for some groups.
Finally, I thought activity 3 brings all three activities together. It teaches children the skills of how to measure, the appropriate place to place things in order to get a clear, true reading. It also introduces how to properly record results. Overall I really enjoyed these activities and would love to use them in my classroom.Hi Enda,
I really enjoyed our role play idea. I think this is a great idea for children as it really helps them see all the different factors and discussions involved. Thank you for this idea.
I found the video home extremely interesting. It really makes a good point of showing us that the issue of climate change is all interlinked and is not only one countries issues or one countries issue more than another. It also makes a good point of showing the pressures that humanity have placed on the planet, alongside the natural pressures that have happened over time. I would use it to introduce climate change facts to my class but I would be mindful of focusing on some of the more positive parts. I did find the video quite hard hitting and effective at showing the more ugly side of climate change. I also found that the spectacular aerial imagery did show us how amazing the earth can be and we can use this to draw on what positive changes we can make to keep it spectacular. This video does tell us facts so I would use the video to introduce the facts to the children and then I would ask the to research what positive changes we are making in Ireland to join in in the fight against climate change.