Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
Teaching about the food pyramid and the importance of fish in our diets is an important aspect of the SPHE curriculum. The food pyramid presents fish in the category with meat, poultry, eggs, beans and nuts and recommends 2 servings per day of this food group. Fish and shellfood are protein rich foods. Protein is an essential macronutrient made out of amino acids and is necessary for muscle repair and growth and hormone regulation and forms part of skin, hair and nail structure. It is particularly useful to introduce pupils to learning about good fats using fish, as fats are often considered to be detrimental to health. Pupils can learn that fish including salmon in particular contain healthy Omega-3 fatty acids. The iron content of shellfish is heme iron which absorbs easier than plant based iron. Pupils can often be aware that Vitamin D comes from the sun but that it is important to maintain levels in the winter months and eating salmon is a great source for maintaining these levels.
I really like Joanne’s ideas for incorporating aquaculture into history lessons and I think it’s great that a class can visit the lifeboats, this could extend to more learning about the area and its relevance to aquaculture.
The ARC – Online Lessons and Resources provides a very useful tool for inquiry-based aquaculture and the application of this in the classroom is hugely relevant to the SESE subjects in particular. There is opportunity for integration across the STEM subjects, including science to include the teaching of ecosystems and marine biology in aquaculture, coastal environments in geography, and problem solving including measures and data collection in maths. This aligns with the STEM Education policy statement for hands-on and real world investigation.
When working on the SSE, aquaculture can take a relevant part by the school implementing a Blue School initiative whereby a marine or aquaculture team can be formed in the same vein of the Green Schools committee. The school can examine classroom projects on marine life farmed in Ireland and its relevance to the local community or a nearby community and in particular, by inviting a member of the aquaculture community from any sector, to speak in the school.
Sinead refers to the significance of aquaculture as a sustainable source of food; this is relevant to the communities and businesses involved in the long term reliability of the industry and can be seen in the multi-generational involvement in fishing.
Aquaculture farms are mainly located along the west and south west coast of Ireland, incorporating Cork, Kerry, Clare, Galway, Mayo and Donegal. Employment, either directly or indirectly relating to these farms is hugely significant to the local economies. These farms include the farming of salmon, mussels, oysters and seaweed. Industrial activity can often be remote in these areas, therefore the employment of people directly as fishers and on trawlers along, moving it from farming to plate and those who are employed in the packaging and food service sector, make the aquaculture farms a central aspect of the local economy. There can often be a multi-generational and traditional aspect to fishing and fishing communities have relied on the sea for their livelihoods for many decades. Tourism is also promoted through aquaculture; events such as the Galway International Oyster Festival and tours and tastings in Kellys Oysters are important revenue for the localities.
I agree with Orla and Rachel, aquaculture is relevant to the SESE and SPHE curriculum and I agree that students would love to have fishermen and local chefs speak to them regarding the industry and their experiences.
Learning about Aquaculture and Social License enables students to learn about the economic, social and environmental implications of fishing. Students are afforded the opportunity to learn about the roles of different people within fishing, including the community, policy makers around ensuring the viability around aquaculture as an industry, scientists and the fishers themselves.
Sustainability is an important element of aquaculture and teaching and learning in the area of Social License allows pupils to learn about the various aspects of involvement of stakeholders and this is important to recognise in this area, along with becoming knowledgeable in how it functions in other aspects of society. Learning about community voice enables students to see the importance of decision making that is informed and whereby civic awareness is developed in a system that recognises the impact on the environment along with other social implications to become part of a wider community development process.
Climate change is evident and affecting in the locality through flooding and excessive rainfall, long spells of low temperatures in the winter months, poor grass growth, longer periods of heat spells in the summer months. Pupils can be invited to reflect on local climate change by recording weather patterns in the school environment, this can be done by recording weather with weather and temperature charts and examining the influence of weather and climate on the school’s ecosystem. We all can play a part in slowing climate change. I will continue to implement sustainable changes including walking or cycling instead of using the car; instead of buying new, looking at the options of buying second-hand or used and continuing to reduce, reuse and recycle. Examining SDGs in schools and implementing the Green Schools programme in a meaningful way are important to promoting changes for pupils as helpful to stopping the advancement of climate change.
The local community and resource centre is a great resource for refugee families who are availing of accommodation in the locality, and it provides access to housing support and legal advice along with further adult education opportunities. Establishing a buddy system in a classroom whereby pupils are paired with refugee pupils to help them to make friends and to become familiar with the classroom and school environment, and it gives the pupils more confidence in improving their language skills.
International days are a great way to welcome all families into the school community in a friendly and informal setting. All family members are invited to be part of the day and this helps build relationships and makes newcomers feel valued and accepted.
Schools can also review their policies to ensure that all pupils have access to resources and supports to help them reach their potential in school and that there are no barriers to education.I agree Seamus, providing EAL classes gives pupils the opportunity to practice their new language in a setting that may be less intimidating for them than a classroom setting and gives them a greater chance to participate fully in their classroom.
Your ideas for promoting SDG3 and wellbeing are great Fiona, using movement breaks and promoting good breathing and calming techniques all help pupil mental health.
The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) that I think can be most affecting for pupils is Goal 13: Climate Action. Climate change is of relevance to pupils at both a local and global level. The UN states that every person, in every country in every continent will be impacted in some shape or form by climate change and pupils in our schools can be considered as being impacted by climate change. In the locality this can take the form of air pollution particularly when a school is in an urban setting and this is particularly affecting to pupils with any underlying health conditions, but also to all pupils as a factor that can affect physical and mental health. Global warming is affecting to pupils as they witness rising temperatures and harsher winters. Participating in school wide initiatives to promote sustainability and lower emissions e.g. sustainable transport to school including walking and cycling encourages pupils to support SDGs.
I agree that referring to how footballers cry is a good way to make pupils see that crying isn’t specific to either girls or boys. Ensuring that inclusive language is embedded in a school is also helpful to ensuring that all pupils are equal.
Gender stereotypes are often well established by the time pupils begin junior infants. This has been evident to me during Aistear when pupils at play will align with the toys and stationery that have been designated to them; girls will play with dolls and teddy bears whilst the boys will lean towards cars and trucks. Pupils can in turn point out that others are playing with a toy that they shouldn’t be playing with, meaning that the colour etc. doesn’t suit their gender. From what I have seen, I think boys can come under more pressure than girls to play with toys that are seen as specific to them. Schools have the opportunity to explore gender and challenging stereotypes through development education and allow pupils the opportunity to express themselves and afford them chances to play with different toys and toys and stationery that are in a range of colours.
‘The Role of Global Citizens in Today’s World’ (2021) explores the importance of global citizenship in establishing a more equitable and sustainable world. It refers to how the world’s citizens are essential to addressing the global challenges of climate change, inequality, and human rights abuses. The paper places a lot of emphasis on the role of education in developing global citizens who are informed, empathetic, and proactive in contributing to positive global change.
Development Education is necessary for preparing pupils to be informed, empathetic, and proactive citizens of the world. By including development education into several areas in the curriculum, schools can effectively promote global citizenship. This is particularly relevant in geography and science and the school’s Green Schools programme. Professional development is important alongside teacher collaboration and will further embed development education into the school’s culture, ensuring that pupils are equipped with the knowledge of addressing the issues of sustainability and justice.
