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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.
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.
Nano Nangle is such an inspiration. It is so important that people have a safe and welcoming place to meet and to become part of the community.
Working in a school in Carrick on Shannon for over twenty years, I have witnessed many local initiatives to support and welcome new people to our community. Our school has had a major part in assisting with integration and welcoming many groups over the past two decades.
We have hosted a number of multicultural events in the past by inviting families to share food, music and dress from their cultures. These have been extremely successful in providing an opportunity for children to meet one another and for teachers and school staff to interact with parents in a social setting. We have made friends with many of the parents who now have grandchildren coming to our school. I recall visiting a Kurdish family in 2002 who arrived to the town from a refugee camp and who are now living in the community for over twenty years. Our school was hugely instrumental in welcoming and helping these people to settle in.
In the recent past the majority of new children coming to our school from outside of Ireland are Ukranian. On research for this module I have discovered some great local initiatives, which have been hugely successful. In 2024 two -thirds of our 70/80 Tidy Town volunteers were Ukranian refugees. In addition to this, the Tidy Towns are now working on a project with the Ukranian Community on a photography project. The project will involve using camera phones over a six week period to introduce the group to photographic methods and skills that will capture their own perspective of their day to day life while living in Carrick on Shannon. They will record their own experience through medium of photography. These will take the form of walking tours around the local area and places that are shared by all members of the community.
The above project is one which I would like to link to our curriculum planning for senior classes for the next school year. Sixth-class pupils could lead the project and work in mixed groups to develop an understanding and respect for one another’s culture and experiences. They could present their work to the other classes and to families on an open evening.
I agree that Climate Change is a very familiar and relevant issue for all children and that educating them to have a sense of ownership is key to helping making a true difference.
The topic I would like to focus on is SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production. I have had many years working as a Sixth Class teacher and I feel children of this age would really benefit from gaining awareness and realising their potential in making a difference in terms of consumption. It is highly relevant both locally and globally and is a topic which would lend itself to interesting group/project work. While children can sometimes become anxious and overwhelmed when faces with the challenges of today’s world, they can be empowered by their own small actions which I feel could be fuelled by such work in the classroom.
Many of the children in today’s Irish classrooms witness an inordinate amount of waste in school and at home. They need to be educated as to how much of the goods we consume are produced. Globally, they may not initially realise that children their own age in other countries work in unsafe conditions to produce cheap goods, or that pollution from overconsumption contributes to climate damage.
In order to develop children’s awareness and promote change in their habits regarding consumption, I would like to engage the class in a project based on fashion/clothing. They would work in groups based on specific tasks such as reading labels, identifying where the product was made, researching the company and the fairness of working conditions and sustainable practices as well as exploring how waste is dealt with. We could conclude the project with a fashion swap day where they could bring an item of clothing to swap or donate to the local charity shop. I think this would be an enjoyable way to raise awareness and develop interest in responsible consumption and production in the senior classes.
I agree Claire that as teachers we need to allow for plenty of discussion on how children perceive gender and roles associated. In doing this we can raise their awareness and challenge assumptions.
Gender stereotypes are very much in evidence from a very young age. This can begin to develop long before children come to school and can be hugely influenced by the home and by the beliefs and values of parents and others in their immediate environment. From clothing to toys to hobbies and interests, children are often already pursuing well defined paths based on gender.
Having taught in a large mixed school with children from many different backgrounds and ethnicities, I regularly observe gender stereotyping. One example is where some children continue to view cooking and housework as a “Woman’s Job” Boys from certain ethnic groups refuse to engage in activities such as dance, yoga or art, which they perceive to be more suited to girls. Another culture attending our school see much greater value in education for their male children, leading to a high level of absenteeism and a lack of motivation regarding their daughters. Such parental beliefs have enormous implications for student success.
In this module there was a lot of information which could be shared and discussed in the classroom to help combat gender stereotyping eg the child friendly poster on human rights and the clips at the beginning of the module on activism and advocacy before the Bejing declaration. Class discussion and debates in senior classes would be really beneficial in creating awareness and provoking curiosity and thought among students, helping to challenge beliefs and create change in this area.
I agree that there is an abundance of information for children in today’s world and this can be overwhelming. Many of our pupils have first hand information and understanding of the most horrific human injustices. We need to assist children to realise the impact of small actions and the importance of respect and empathy.
Development Education is vital in today’s classrooms and there is an enormous onus on us as educators to ensure it is an important part of our curriculum and is central to the ethos of our schools. We are in a privileged position to provide a safe and open environment where children can open their minds and develop their awareness of themselves as individuals within interconnected global systems. We must work on helping children to identify and develop values and empathy and help them develop a sense of responsibility towards others, realising that the injustices faced by others are of concern to all. I believe many of our children have an awareness of the challenges faced by others in their immediate environment and indeed on a global scale, but they must also be encouraged to realise their potential in having meaningful participation in bringing about change- the objective being developing their sense of a “common humanity”
Development Education can be discussed across the curriculum in subjects such as SPHE and SESE. Children can gain an understanding as to what they can do to be active global citizens. In our school we already participate in some initiatives such as Fair Trade. Having completed this module I would like to consider more opportunities for our pupils to reflect on and participate in further activities for discussion and action in this area.
I really like your ideas Colm. The school environment is a perfect resource and the idea of having visitors come to the school to view the children’s work is something which would give the project extra importance.
Module 5 answer
Research Question: How climate change is impacting on human health
The objective of this research project would be to encourage students to think and learn about the consequences of human actions on our planet and how that impacts on human health and wellbeing.
I would begin by initiating a discussion on our contribution to the greenhouse effect Children would work in small groups and brainstorm on individual and collective actions which can have an affect on our environment. Following on from this we would record findings as a class and subsequently begin research on the topic using I-pads.
It is likely that students would focus first on this question in terms of their immediate environment but my objective would be to get them to think on a more global scale as the people whose health is being harmed first and worst by the climate crisis are the people who contribute least to its causes, and who are least able to protect themselves and their families against it: people in low-income and disadvantaged countries and communities. With this in mind I would use the word map, in conjunction with videos and data from the WHO to raise children’s awareness of suffering due to climate change in badly affected areas. Main areas to focus on would be nutrition due to poor crops, mental health issues arising from trauma following floods, droughts etc, power outages and lack of water and hazards such as heat stroke and other diseases.
There is huge potential for investigative and project work based on this theme which I look forward to planning with my 6th class next year.
Conor, I too enjoyed this lesson and in particular the proverbs. Once again it demonstrates how easy the resource is to use and to integrate with other subject areas eg English, Geography and History.
The EO Browser is an incredibly user-friendly tool that provides access to a huge collection of satellite images which would be absolutely fascinating for young children to observe. Looking back on my own years in Primary School, I can only imagine how mind blowing this imagery must be. There are so many ways in which this could be used in the classroom from observing changes in the environment, to tracking natural disasters and monitoring happenings across the globe.
If I was to use this tool with my class, I would begin by guiding them through the tutorial to ensure they were comfortable and confident using it. After that I would use some of the images to get the children to enter into discussion in groups and encourage them to question and begin thinking about the issues. They could then begin to engage in research for a project. This would lend itself well to integration with Geography where they could identify a particular area and contrast images over time. With the EO Browser they have access to real world data which allows them hands on experience.
I agree that eco-anxiety is a very real issue for a lot of children. Therefore, it is really important that they be well prepared in terms of giving them tools such as the Circle of Control, which I mentioned I my post. Focusing on the positives and identifying small changes that can be made within the child’s immediate environment will also help.
