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Hi Naomi, I enjoyed reading how your class linked up with the Tidy Town’s Committee and Men’s Shed groups. I can imagine that was very beneficial for their learning and allowed them to engage in active learning and inquiry-based learning that relates to them personally. I think that it is so important that the children get to experience things like this and I would like to introduce my class to aquaculture in a similar approach.
Aquaculture sustainability in my local area of Dublin is mainly seen through Bord Iascaigh Mhara which is based near me in Dun Laoghaire and it is important as a centre for marine search, training and industry support. Sea farming is seen as a sustainable food option as it can improve food production and security and helps to keep our waters clean while maintaining a low carbon footprint. Sea farming also has to coexist with other sustainable aquaculture such as shipping, recreation and renewable energy in Dublin and all around Ireland. Visiting the sea at Dun Laoghaire would be a great opportunity for students to witness aquaculture in person and being so close to BIM provide them with an insight into the balance between aquaculture, sea farming and sustainability. The children could engage in a project based on sustainability in Dublin and Ireland in relation to aquaculture, including inquiry based learning and using their creativity and problem-solving skills to suggest ways they could further make sustainable choices when buying seafood.
Hi Seán, I also love the idea of a seafood tasting, with all the precautions you have mentioned. Children love the novelty of doing something different in school and getting to try a variety of seafood would definitely encourage those who haven’t tried it before. You could also encourage them to try a new type of seafood at home for dinner and report on it in class the next day.
The food pyramid is a topic referred to often throughout the school day. We teach about the food pyramid in science but it is also particularly important in SPHE, in encouraging children to eat healthy foods to support themselves. With the new introduction of hot meals in schools, teachers are continuously referring to the food pyramid and the importance of vitamins, protein, carbohydrates and healthy fats. Seafood contains vitamin A, vitamin D, omega 3, iron, zinc, calcium, magnesium and potassium and is a protein referred to as brain food. There are so many nutritional benefits to eating seafood, some of which I am reminding myself of throughout this course! The resource ‘Eye Spy’ provided by this course will be a great way to teach the benefits of seafood to my class. As teachers, we should encourage our students to eat more seafood and to reflect on where they are purchasing their fish and whether it is sustainable.
Hi Laura,
Thank you for sharing your creative outlook and lesson ideas in relation to the ARC resources and sea-farming. I enjoyed reading your creation of lessons for younger classes and belive the children would gain so much from these ideas!
I agree that there is a huge potential for integration with other subjects but also so much to discover within Science and STEM.
Christina
After discovering the ARC resources, I am sure that the videos and abundance of information available would be very beneficial for my individual class but also on a whole-school level. The resources undoubtedly use active learning and inquiry based learning, collaboration and creativity, all of which we are focusing on for our School Self Evaluation for STEM this coming year. As a whole school priority, there would be a need for collaboration and consistent approaches across all classes and the ARC resources allow this by making their resources accessible to a range of class groups. With integration being a huge part of the New Primary Curriculum, I see plenty of opportunity to integrate ‘sea-farming’ and the ARC resources and sea with other subjects. An example would include a literacy lesson where children could write a diary entry for a day in the life of a sea farmer after watching the ARC videos on sea farming jobs.
Hi Luke, that is great to know that you have used the resources and found they work well with 6th class as I will be teaching 6th next year too. Our school is also focusing on STEM and I am looking forward to integrating this course into this subject and others next year.
Learning about aquaculture in Ireland so far in this course has helped me understand how important it is to many coastal communities. I knew that fish and shellfish were farmed in Ireland, but I did not fully appreciate the degree to which the industry contributes to local economies and people’s livelihoods. I learned that aquaculture farms are mainly located in coastal counties because these areas have clean waters and sheltered bays that provide ideal conditions for aquafarming.
What stood out to me most was the positive impact aquaculture has on rural communities. I realised that these farms create employment for local people in farming, transport, and other related businesses. They also support local shops, restaurants, and tourism, helping to keep small coastal communities going. It demonstrates how one industry can benefit many different people and businesses. This would be a great curriculum link in the classroom and children in my school would benefit from learning more about aqua farming and the impact it has on so many people in coastal Ireland.It would be very beneficial to have an introduction to aquaculture in my school. We are in Dublin and some of the children would have very little experience of aquaculture and would know very little about how seafood is farmed. The ARC looks like such a valuable resource for schools and it is amazing that it can come and set up at the school. It is so important that children are introduced to topics such as sea farming and sustainability in the world we live in today. The BIM Social License Programmes is also an important service that shows children that they can access jobs in the industry. Programmes such as ‘Next Generation Oyster Producers’ could further give the children an insight into a future in the industry. This topic could be integrated into History, Geography and Science easily and I think our fifth and sixth class would benefit from experiencing an insight into this
Hi Ellen,
I agree with your point that we don’t utilise what is already available to us! I had not heard of the ARC programme and I would be very keen to introduce it to my school as they may not have experience of aquaculture before. I as a teacher would also benefit from learning more on the topic!
