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Module 5:
Research question: What is the impact of costal erosion, caused by climate change on animal and human habitats?
I thought that a research project/ question based on coastal erosion would grasp the interest of the children in my school/class as I teach in a coastal school. Use of a mind map/KWL or Mentimeter would help gauge what children already know about the topic in order to tailor teaching and learning at the correct level. I particularly like using KWL’s for the purpose of the ‘W’, using the children’s responses to the ‘W’ enables me as a teacher to facilitate learning that the children are interested in. Exploring evidence such as maps and photos from then/ now to see visible changes in the coast line would be interesting. Speaking to some local historians/ inviting some speakers in from the local area would help peak children’s interest in a topic that effects their community.
Links to coastal erosion could be then explored on a global scale, drawing comparisons between local coastal erosion and it occurring in other parts of the world. This could be a great project for the kids to do in groups/ pairs, comparing coastal erosion around the world.I really like the idea of exploring urban development. The area I teach in, like many, is experiencing a huge surge in housing development and influx of people. It is changing from a a quiet coastal town to a much more urbanised area, so looking at uban development would be very topical and relatable in my school
<p style=”text-align: left;”>I also liked the scope for literacy integration using the weather proverbs. There are so many I am unfamiliar with and I am sure the same would be said of the children. It could be nice to include EAL learners and their families, by inviting them to send in any weatehr phrases/ proverbs from their country of origin and make comparisions to the ones we use regularly.</p>
Module 4:
Nose up in the Sky:
I have actually used this resource in my class before and found it to be a really nice, enjoyable lesson. I used it with 2nd class boys, but the lesson is very adaptable for more senior/ junior learners. I didn’t use the weather proverbs aspect of the lesson due to time constraints but I think, when teaching this lesson again, I would allow time in my literacy planning to integrate this. We made rain gauges as part of the lesson, I don’t think this was challenging enough for the ability within my class and I wished I had made the wind speed tool. However, it is fantastic that the resource gives 2 ideas for hands on learning so that the teacher can select one that suits their learners best, or even better, pupils could pick from the 2 options as resourcing for this lesson is very easy. I did find the worksheets that come with the lesson a bit laborious and the boys didn’t like them. I think they really just wanted to start the hands on aspects of the lesson. When I teach this again I think I would use a much simpler worksheet to record measuring weather with our senses like this twinkl one: https://www.twinkl.com/resource/au-t-3746-five-senses-field-walk-worksheetModule 3:
This documentary was really well made, and I think it would appeal to senior learners as it is very visual. I like how the visual aspect of the video makes it assessable to all learners within the class including EAL pupils etc. I think it touched on all aspects of climate change very well, however as quite a long video, I would select one area of climate change in the video to focus on and just watch that as I would find it hard to justify that the children sit and watch something for that duration of time, especially as the new PC framework advocates so much for active/ hands on learning.
I noted that another participant mentioned eco anxiety, and this would be a big concern for me. I think as teachers, we need to be cognisant not to scare pupils. For this reason I think I would actually use the Paxi video from module 2 to teach climate change. I liked how it focused on small changes that children can make in a very child friendly way. This video, although useful, may negatively impact on children prone to anxiety, so I think I would give this one a miss if I felt my class would worry about climate change.
I did like the carbon footprint tool in this module, again very child friendly. I think I would sent the questions home with the pupils first as some of the questions I struggled with myself as a home owner (which I really should know!). Again, the tool is a nice way of helping pupils focus on small changes they can make.I really like your ideas for cross curricular teaching using Home as a stimulus. I am a big fan of thematic teaching in the Junior classes, and this is a great example of how to do the same thing in the senior classes
Module 2:
As many other participants have already outlined, the children will already know a little about climate change as it is such a prevalent topic in news etc. at the moment. I think starting with a Mentimeter task on climate change to get an idea of the prior knowledge the children have would be great. Then, using this video to support teaching and learning, as it is a really child friendly video! I have used some of the Paxi videos in my class before and the children really like them. I think this one does a great job of explaining climate change/ the greenhouse effect in a child friendly way. I really liked how at the end the video focuses on small changes the children can make. This could be supported with ‘Guzzlers Big Book of Energy’, which also focuses on changes the children can make. We are a great school, so I think a nice lesson would be linking in with the Green Schools Committee as a class, to perhaps promote a whole school imitative such as bike/walk/ scoot to school week.
At the start of the module I thought perhaps the topic of climate change might be mostly suited to senior classes, but this video has really got me thinking of how the topic can be taught in younger classes too. I liked the TEAL tool and it would be a great way of using Ipads in the class to promote pair work and digital learning. I think it is most suited to more senior learners, I think giving the children task cards and exploration of the tool would help guide learningI too really liked the Paxi video. I have used some of this ESA kids video in my class with 2nd class and they really liked them. Very age approproate and visual. I think an introduction to a lesson as you said is a great way to introduce the topic.
Hi Gemma,
I too liked the idea of using weather proverbs, a lovely nice literacy lesson. I felt too, that some of the videos in the module wouldn’t quite suit the primary classroom and that I might need to source some more age appropriate ones. Peekaboo kidz on youtube have some nice videos depending on the topic you are covering
STEM in my classroom/ in my school is continuing to be an area that is developing. Like many schools we lack the resources and training to really feel that we are doing the kids justice. However as most of us are young teachers I can see STEM evolving as time goes on. I have undertaken some CPD in the area over the past 2 years with Oide and completed the ESERO summer course on space in Junior classes, I am much more confident with the idea of STEM and facilitating STEM exploration in my class. As outlined in the paper as central to STEM, active learning and much more hands on tasks are becoming common in my classroom
I really liked both of the resources for review in this module. We currently have a weather station in our school, which I don’t think I have made much use of. This module has some lovely tasks to support the use of this resource. I had 2nd class last year and I really liked some of the home made weather tools we saw in this module, the boys would have loved making these to add to the school weather station!
Weather detectives links nicely with the first resources and I think they complement each other well. Again the opportunity to make their own weather instruments makes learning about weather much more playful. I like the opportunities this resource provides for outdoor learning too. I will be in SET this year, so, as of yet, I don’t know my learners and what will be appropriate for them.I think overall this module has provided some really nice ideas for use in the classroom to support STEM and associated skills. I hope in the next few modules there are some videos of STEM in action in Irish classrooms.
