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I agree Jane we need to be mindful and sensitive to showing what is she appropriate content and differentiate accordingly.
The video Home is a powerful video with beautiful imagery that strongly gets across the message that we need to focus not on what’s gone but what remains.Over half our forest still remain in the world. It highlights the fact that there are extremes in the world we live in. The video home highlights the fact that there are over 1 billion people starving in the world while the rest are overfed. It highlights the fact that we as humans are depleting what nature gives us.The imagery in this video is absolutely breathtaking and is definitely suitable for senior classes. I think I would begin by having a brainstorming whole class discussion about climate change ..try and elicit from the children what their understanding is and what they feel is happening in the world right now.We would then watch the video and afterwards I would get the children into small groups to discuss what they have seen and to try and focus more on the positive that was mentioned in the video to focus on what still remains not gone and what we can do to help slow climate change. Again even with a senior class, I think as young children the focus should be what they can do in their immediate environment. Turning off the tap ,reducing water consumption ,turning off the light switch ,turning off the television, walk to school or cycle to school ,recycle …all of these are within the grasp of even the youngest child. I think it’s very important that This will be the focus for young children.If they could grasp that the small things they do every day at school and at home will have an impact and help stabilise climate change. I would possibly briefly show the Greta Thornberg video just so that they can see young people have a voice and have the power to influence and change actions. However again I think the primary focus should be on what can we do every day small things to make a change. A follow-up activity might be trying the experiment that’s listed in module two ..the ice is melting.
I agree Fiona the temperature predicting tool is definitely something that is suited to the senior classes. The paxi video is excellent for the younger children and if they learned the basics about what they can do to help reduce carbon dioxide emissions I think it’s a lesson well taught!
Activity three involves predicting future temperatures which involves greenhouse gases. As I teach the younger children I would begin by having a whole class discussion on their understanding of what exactly a gas is. Is it something we can see? Is it something we can feel? Can we smell it? Can we touch it? do they know the names of any gases I would ask the children do they know the name of the gas that we all breathe in every day? Oxygen and when we breathe out, exhale ,do they know the name of the gas that we exhale ..carbon dioxide. I will continue then by saying we’re going to learn about carbon dioxide and that it’s making our planet a little too warm and this is not a good thing. It is happening too fast and we’re going to learn why. I would show the paxi video. I think this video is excellent especially for the younger children. It shows the natural greenhouse effect and how humans are contributing to the greenhouse effect and making the planet much warmer at a much faster pace. It also shows the children what we can do to help reduce the carbon dioxide being released into the air. I feel the temperature predicting ,the analysis of data, the comparison of data would be a little out of reach for the younger children. We might then get into small groups and talk about what we can do to help reduce carbon dioxide. Small things like walking to school, turn off the tap, save energy recycle turn off the television when it’s not being used are all extremely practical things that even a small child can learn and implement. I would encourage the children to draw the way that they think they could help reduce carbon oxide being released into the air once completed I would encourage the groups to report back to the class, show their drawings and reflect on what we have learned.
I agree with Grainne also having the weather station in a central location in the school with the green schools committee in charge is a great idea. The committee could report back to classes and show them how the weather station works.
Reading through the paper unravelling stem it is evident – barriers are removed and each subject area is intertwined. I found this very interesting as the paper clearly states that critical thinking and active learning are key components of stem education.Teaching children how to think and not what to think is a key component of stem education.Stem education in my classroom tries to embrace what has been said in this paper ..getting the children to plan, explore ,reflect.. how to make it better if it doesn’t go right,working in groups work as a team are all key components of stem education.
On review of the resources I found them to be of excellent benefit and something that I would definitely incorporate in my teaching. The weather station is a fantastic idea and I think to have it as somebody said at the front of the school is brilliant.To just realise the explanation – weather is a short time it’s what it looks like today but climate is over a long period of time measuring data .Just such a fantastic way to explain to especially small children the difference between weather and climate .Also the practical steps of using a thermometer correctly that it needs to be in a shaded area well ventilated area to give it about five minutes outside to adjust to the temperature.It’s something that can be done on a daily basis a weekly basis and a fantastic opportunity to incorporate all aspects of stem education It is something I will definitely use in the next year
I agree also Grainne and I think having the Green schools committee in charge of the weather station is a great idea!
Reading through the paper unravelling stem it is evident – barriers are removed and each subject area is intertwined. I found this very interesting as the paper clearly states that critical thinking and active learning are key components of stem education.Teaching children how to think and not what to think is a key component of stem education.Stem education in my classroom tries to embrace what has been said in this paper ..getting the children to plan, explore ,reflect.. how to make it better if it doesn’t go right,working in groups work as a team are all key components of stem educatio.
On review of the resources I found the to be of excellent benefit and something that I would definitely incorporate in my teaching. The weather station is a fantastic idea and I think to have it as somebody said at the front of the school is brilliant.To just realise the explanation – weather is a short time you .. it’s the way the day is today but climate is over a long period of time measuring data .Just such a fantastic way to explain to especially small children the difference between weather and climate .Also the practical steps of using a thermometer correctly that it needs to be in a shaded area well ventilated area give it about five minutes outside to adjust to the temperature.don’t It’s something that can be done on a daily basis a weekly basis and a fantastic opportunity to incorporate all aspects of stem education It is something I will definitely use in the next year
I agree Deirdre this is also a great lesson with huge scope to develop with the children. Great fun to be had too using figurines and torches!
I really liked the activity The Man in the Moon-Journey to the Moon as an activity that I would use in senior infants . I like how cross curricular this activity is integrating maths , art, literacy and more.
I would engage the children’s interest first in the moon by showing them a white paper circle exploring the shape as a full moon and crescent moon. What do the children think.. does it look like a moon?
I would explain that we are going to find out all about the moon and what it looks like.
I would ensure that I have all the art supplies needed laid out and tell the children they are going to make they’re own moon using any materials they like. I think before this I might ask them to work in pairs discussing what they could use to make their moon, they could then show their buddy what they did and used at the end of the session after teacher engagement and questions as to why they made their moon the way they did.. explaining the moon is a sphere that sometimes looks flat or crescent shaped.
I would then use the discussion sheet that goes with the moon rhyme. We would learn the moon rhyme and colour in the associated picture .
Lastly we would look at the figures in the moon worksheet and explore why it is that some people see figures or shapes on the moon. Explaining that some places on the moon are lighter and some are darker , the darker places make it look more like figures. Of course it will be clearly explIned to the children that there is no man in the moon and that our ideas are fantasy.
Hi Jane , I love this lesson and find the dinosaurs a great thing to engage the young children. I try something with them involving water.
An inquiry based lesson that I have used also involved dinosaurs linked to water and space!
We start by looking and talking about dinosaurs . Who knows any names or types of dinosaurs? What happened to the dinosaurs? Could they be frozen in ice?
We then investigate different theories behind what happened to them. At this stage we take 4 miniature toy dinosaurs and pop them into a small container of water and then into the freezer in the staff room overnight.
The following day we check on our dinosaurs and see if they’re frozen . Now how will we save them? At this stage the children discuss what would melt the ice and which method is faster. We put one container close to radiator , one on the window ,one on my desk etc..and watch. Obviously the one close the radiator melts first . The children discuss and see the heat melts the ice faster. The excitement during the day watching and keeping an eye is very entertaining!
After this we discuss could this have happened to the dinosaurs? We look at images of planet earth and how much is covered by water. We look at pictures of the Antarctic etc.We also discuss the names of other planets. Is there water on them? Could dinosaurs have survived on other planets? How and why/why not.
I also try to link a lesson like this to my art for the week. Children’s own paintings of dinosaurs or planet earth .