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Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
This is a very interesting, important, current topic in our school and area. Our school is in a small village and many of the children live in and around the area. There are street lights and businesses in the area but no street lights near most of their houses. First I think that it is important to discuss as a class what they think artificial light and blue lights are. Then we would discuss the importance of natural light for ourselves and also for the environment. Many children get their mobile phones in 6th class in our school and it is very important to discuss the blue light that is emitted from these and their screens and how it affects their sleep patterns. We could look at how we can reduce the use of lights in the school and at home and implement a few changes. Opening blinds and curtains and letting the natural light in rather than turning on the lights is one change that they can make at home. Turning off lights in rooms that are not being used is another way to stop light pollution. Closing curtains at night is also a way to help stop light pollution and therefore not confuse animals and wildlife outside at night.Plan to observe the Moon – which phase of the Moon is best for observing in the morning from school? What dates will that be in 2024- 2025?
This is a lovely, interesting and practical activity for the children which also includes the child’s home in their homework if they choose to help them. In the first module I loved the idea of mapping the sun in the sky three times a day and keeping a record throughout the year. This goes hand in hand with this idea. We could look at Paxi and the moon first and discuss the phases of the moon.
The dates that the third quarter moon will be visible are october 6th, nov 4, dec 4, jan 3, feb 2, march 3rd. The children can observe these from home and early in the morning and document and draw what they have seen. They will then compare with the others in the classroom and make a chart, following the phases of the moon. Since our school is in the countryside, it should be easy for us to observe the moon in the morning at school and document our results.Using shadows instead of looking directly into the sky is a good idea and the pupils would love chasing their shadows too.
Plan how your students could “observe and record the positions of the sun when rising and setting and at different times of the day”
I think that this would be a lovely, practical and exciting fun activity for pupils to take part in. First we would discuss where our classroom and yard is facing – whether it is facing north, south, east or west. They can then go home and check which room that the sun rises in in the morning and where it is in the evening after school. We will then observe the time that it is coming in our window at school. After this, we will go out into the yard in the morning and note where the sun is in the sky followed by lunch time and again before going home. They will notice how it moves from East to West. They can do this in groups and keep a record of the time and where in the sky the sun is throughout the weeks and seasons. They can also take photos using their ipads of the the different positions of the sun throughout the week – maybe every friday in autumn, winter, spring and at the end of the school year and the compare the photos and graphs in June. This could then be presented at assembly to the whole school.A nature walk around the locality is a good idea and asking the children to write down what is working and what might need improving in the area .
Write a reflective piece on how sustainability is practiced in your local area and how you would engage your pupils to explore this further
Sustainability has become more and more evident in our school’s area in the past years. There is a strong anti-litter ethos in the area. There are many recycling bins visible and there are many clean up the area and the beaches days throughout the year. The local cafes use fairtrade products and we are also very fortunate to have seaweed aquaculture practiced here too. This leads to the seaweed being used by a local skincare company which is excellent for the community. The company harvests the wild organic seaweed and then uses it in products. The Seaweed Centre here in our area also uses the seaweed in the dining sector. As as school, we have the green and blue flags. We encourage children to walk or cycle to school as much as possible. Children from each class have the task of ensuring all lights and white boards are turned off when we leave the classroom. The school also uses compost bins. The local secondary school does not allow the use of single use plastic bottles.
I like the idea you have mentioned for a maths lesson. Calculating nutrition and portion sizes is important for children to understand from a young age.
This was an interesting and very practical module. It is important that children know and understand why certain foods are good for them and the benefits that in this case seafood can have for their developing brain. They will learn about omega 3, calcium and vitamins which work together. The eye spy activity mentioned is a simple but fun way for children to put their knowledge to use with their families in the supermarket. Learning what the various symbols mean on the foods is important as they can make a decision in the future themselves when they are out shopping for food. In the classroom, children can create dishes together using the foods mentioned in the videos. They can also create a menu and use it in drama and art class. Another very useful way of using this information is to do a class project on labels and symbols seen on seafood and then talk about it with the other classes at assembly.
Emma I like the idea of the saltwater experiment. Children would love this. I also agree that children will learn a lot about the benefits of eating seafood.
The materials, resources and amazing ideas available through the ARC will be so useful and convenient to use in the classroom and easily integrated into the STEM policy in our schools. The lessons are perfectly suited to children. Having the professor talking in the first lesson when discussing oysters and mussels not ‘muscles’ is a perfect way to keep children engaged and interested in the material. The well known salmon of knowledge lesson for history is perfectly connected to the life cycle of the salmon a which makes it more real and interesting for the children. The lesson showing the connection between astronauts and divers will also be so interesting for children. Having the quiz resources at the end of each of the lessons is ideal. We can assess the child’s knowledge of the lesson while also integrating technology to the plan. They could use their tablets in pairs or change it into a group quiz. There is also the possibility of asking the children to create their own quizzes for the class based on the lessons watched.
I agree that aquafarms can give an alternative sustainable alternative to meat and that these areas should indeed benefit, grow and prosper.
Many of our Aquafarms are located on the Western seaboard. The sheltered bays and inlets with clean water and the fjord at Killary are ideal for aquafarming. They are often located in isolated areas where employment opportunities might be limited and are therefore of huge importance to the area. Aquafarms create direct and indirect employment. Employment is created for the people who work on the farms; the people who create and repair the nets; the people who transport the seafood; the restaurants and shops that purchase the seafood and many many others. Through this local employment, money is then spent in the area and this helps with other industries. Infrastructure will be improved and cafes or seafood restaurants are also opened . These areas will also benefit from tourism all year round which again will create jobs for the local people. It is important that we educate children in the classroom about the importance of aquafarming and sustainability. We can do this through the mapping lesson shown in this module. They can explore where they think is suitable for salmon and shellfish farming and why.
I agree with you Stephen that the ARC would be a wonderful too for children and it would really help them connect and understand what Aquaculture really is and also how sustainable farming is important in Ireland and the world.
I teach 6th class in a school which is located directly across from the ocean. The tools introduced in this first module are wonderful resources for children. The videos are short and interesting which is important when trying to keep the child’s attention. The quizzes which are connected to each video could then be done as group work or pair work on their tablets in class. One of the quizzes is an interview that they can do at home asking a family member about their consumption of sea food. This would also be fun and interesting and as well as introducing others outside of school to the topic. Learning about Aquaculture and Social License is so important. In general, in my opinion, we do not eat enough seafood in Ireland even though we are an island. By learning about Aquaculture, children will be more aware of what resources we have in Ireland and promoting seafood might influence them and their families too if they talk about it at home. The ARC looks like an amazing resource for children. It looks like a fun thing to do. The chef’s project also looks interesting.