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Research question: How does plastic pollution affect marine ecosystems and contribute to climate change?
To investigate how plastic pollution affects marine ecosystems and contributes to climate change the children could start by researching the life cycle of plastic and how it ends up in the oceans. I would encourage kids to organise their investigation using the Climate Detectives research question planner. They could examine local sources of plastic waste in their homes and in the city. This investigation can include fieldwork like collecting their litter in nearby parks or streets, categorising the types of plastics found, and discussing how they might travel to waterways.
The children would develop research skills by gather data, teamwork skills during group work and critical thinking by connecting local pollution to global issues. They can also explore how micro plastics may impact marine life using online videos or virtual aquariums. They could then become agents within their own learning by identifying changes they can make, such as reducing plastic use and consider ways that Dublin could improve their waste management. By relating this global issue to their local environment, children will develop their sense of responsibility and empowerment to make positive changes within their community. Our school is also located close to a river and the canal, these would be excellent resources we could use during this investigation which the children could visit and observe the wildlife that use the waterways.
Option 3:
I engaged with the “Nose High Up in The Sky” resources and completed the pupil activities. I really enjoyed the resource and would definitely use it in my class. As I had 6th class this year I thought this activity was particularly useful and something my class would really enjoy. This activity is an excellent way to introduce children to the idea of remote observation of the Earth from space. There is a wide range of teaching methodologies used within the lesson. The children are constantly debated and engaging with purposeful reasoning skills within this lesson. By using the aerial photographs and photographs on earth the children will explore specific features of the aerial photos and the photos on earth, linking their previous knowledge to their new learning. The children would also be engaging with cooperative learning and would develop their communication skills.
Yann Arthus-Bertrand’s film “HOME” is a potent documentary that eloquently depicts the effects of human activity on the environment. It excellently shows how the issue of climate change does not fall at the feet of one country but it is an issue that is a global issue. It is an issue that involves clear communication and commitment across this world which is extremely difficult. This documentary was very touching in the sense that the viewer could visually see how we as humans are harming the earth.
When teaching about climate change I think it is very important to explore all aspects and perspectives, this allows for cross-curricular teaching, for example having debates or discussions about serious issues such as the Paris Agreement. Using visual aids such as the useful videos in the module helps children visually see the changes in the earth. Incorporating stories and storytelling would also work well with the younger ages so children can see how animals and people are affected by climate change, emphasising empathy and understanding. Using hands-on activities like explore in the other modules such as the thermometers will help the children further their understanding. Finally, I think it’s important that children engage in discussions on how they can help. This will foster critical thinking and allow for the children to become agents of their own actions.
I really enjoyed this module. It is an eye opening realisation that our generation and particularly the next generation need to be fully aware of and aware of the impact they can have on climate change. I think it is important that children understand what is happening in the world around them and understand what climate change actually means but I also think that it is pivotal that children can become agents in their own actions and understand that they have the ability to make small lifestyle changes which can positively combat climate change, this is a conversation that could be developed from activity three.
Activity three is a great way to further develop the children’s understanding of climate change. It will clearly show them how the temperature is changing over time. The Paxi video is a great way to develop their understanding of the topic of climate change without scaring them and creating a level of anxiety amongst the children. This is definitely a difficult topic to teach due to the underlying anxiety associated with climate change but this module and accompanying activities has equipped me with the skills and resources to effectively teach the topic of climate change.
Following my engagement with this module and with “Unravelling STEM: Beyond the acronym of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics” it is evident the vast opportunities to engage with cross-curricular activities such as science and maths. Within this module I was introduced to a wide range of resources which can be utilised in various ways within the classroom across all class levels. As I teach in the older end of the school and engaged with many hands-on, enquiry-based STEM activities this year it was enjoyable learning about the various adaptations that can be used when teaching younger classes during this module. The resourced that I engaged with provided a in-depth and practical activities which I will definitely be using in future lessons.
During activity one, “Is it weather or climate?” I particularly liked the introduction as I think using the children’s birthdays is a great way to spark their interest in the topic of weather, it makes the lesson more personal and allowing the children to discuss the weather in groups or pairs would really encourage cooperative learning in the classroom. I also enjoyed the sorting activity, here the children could discuss their understanding on the difference between weather and climate, here, the children would be developing their oral language skills also and their reasoning skills.
Activity two, “Weather Detectives” is an excellent, hands-on means in which children can record and investigate the weather. I think it provides children with autonomy over their own learning and gives them a sense of responsibility in ensuring the temperature is not tampered with and retrieving accurate readings each day. Noting their own results will aid them in their understanding of weather and it will also help them explore the difference between weather in the present moment and how this differs from climate.