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Hi Shaun,
This is a fantastic idea and one I can identify clearly with as I am also teaching in an area that is not my own local area in Kildare. I like the idea of inviting a local scientist and historian in to the school to talk with the students. I feel an outside voice contributes to a new topic or activity really coming to life. It also ensures a new topic becomes realistic and has a human element to it. Children can ask direct questions in which an expert will have a deeper knowledge of than a teacher.
Hi Mary,
This is a fantastic idea. I really like your provocation at the beginning and the activity of looking at bridges from the past. Children love looking at older photographs and being able to compare then and now. Also, ensuring the children understand what the bridge actually needs is a great way to inspire critical thinking, teamwork and problem solving skills.
Hi Mary,
The aspect of your post that is most impressive is that you carry out this activity one/twice per month with your students. We have all had that Eureka moment to try an activity we have learned from a summer course but the difficulty is following it up by implementing it consistently. The idea of using a copy specifically for this outdoor activity is I feel a really great idea.
Hi Danielle,
I like the introduction to your topic. Straight away, you have related back to the personal and life experiences of the children. This captures and maintains the attention of the students straight away. The use of a key is a central part of developing their understanding. It also caters for visual learners in a much more time efficient and suitable way of showcasing their understanding. Asking the children questions such as ‘What was the hardest part?’ enabled them to self and peer assess also.
Hi Joan,
I like your cross-curricular focus in your teaching. I think it is easy to become overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the content that teachers have available to them. When we apply skills and concepts across our instruction in a range of teaching ideas we can improve our time management skills. The focus on developing critical thinking and problem solving skills is another focus of mine which I target each year.
My own research question in relation to a climate issue:
1. Research Question:
What is the impact of rising sea levels of the lives of humans and animals and how does it affect their living conditions?
The rise in sea levels can have profound effects on the lives of so many people locally, regionally, nationally and on a wider scale worldwide.2. What is the climate issue?
The issue is a rise in temperatures across the planet resulting in polar ice caps melting at an increasingly rapid rate and therein a knock-on effect having an impact on sea levels rising.
3. Why is it important?
It is incredibly important. Economically the Maldives is a tourist destination that relies on income from visiting tourists. These islands are in danger of disappearing due to rising sea levels.
4. Who is affected and how?
Human beings are affected as the rise in sea levels can impact on land e.g. Polders in Netherlands, low lying counties/regions such as Cork city, Clonmel, Blackwater village in Co. Wexford.
5. What data could you use or collect to investigate it?
Students could investigate mm of rainfall that are reported by Met Éireann each week. Further to this, analysis can be conducted using Google Earth of before and after aerial and satellite photographs.I was encouraged and enthused by the video Home from Module 3. I really felt it was a video that provided such a variety of interesting facts, information and views into the world we live in. There are so many aspects to this video that would be appealing to me as a teacher but also to the students I teach. I have always felt that the origins of life on earth provide older primary students with early entries into Biology, Chemistry and Geography of second level education. The impact on animals is usually a topic that has huge interest among students. The role of all species on Earth is clearly defined and the interlocking web which exists between humans and animals are intrinsically linked together. Children can clearly identify with this inn their research skills of animals that are endangered and unfortunately those that have become extinct. I believe children would also find low lying areas very interesting such as the Maldives. This would work very well in making comparisons to Cork city, Clonmel and other areas that have suffered from flooding. Videos in this section clearly highlight the role of human activity as well as the impact the earth has back on humans. We are all linked together!
I really enjoyed the Paxi video on Greenhouse gases. It was quite thought-provoking and I can see a number of ways in which I would incorporate this video into my teaching with my classes in the future. The video was very child-friendly but extremely informative in giving children an understanding of what causes the greenhouse gas effect. The impact of humans in factories, cars and using harmful gases is explained on a level that will suit children of a range of abilities.
I can envisage myself using Activity 3 as part of a larger scale Countries of the World Project. Aside from the traditional medium of students researching facts about a country, the class would focus in on the specifications of climate and weather using the tool for predicting future temperatures. In establishing roles as climate reporters, students are presented with the autonomy to choose a country or region of their own interest and really delve into how the climate has maintained consistency over a period of time and compare to the research of their peers of a country whose climate has been altered. This opens up an avenue for cause and effect – the role of human activity, greenhouse gases and global warming.
I thoroughly enjoyed engaging with Activity 3 from Module 2. There is such a vast array of skills which children are exposed to in this activity. Becoming paleoclimatologists sounds like such an abstract concept, however, when children work through the tasks associated with Activity 3 they are given a unique opportunity into how the history of climate and climate change has been adapting over decades. I would be hugely enthused about using this activity with my class. There is an excellent resource which was shared by RTE called ‘Will Ireland Survive 2050?’ This would provide an excellent method of comparing predictions made by Gerald Fleming, the infamous Weather Reporter and former meteorologist from Wexford. I feel this visual element would strengthen the children’s understanding of what the impacts of climate change were foreseen to be years ago and how our climate detective work can compare and contrast findings. A superb resource which the children will take a lot from.
Review the paper Unravelling STEM: Beyond the acronym of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (Liston 2018) and reflect on what STEM education looks like in your classroom.
Activity 1: Is it weather or climate:
This is fantastic activity as it clearly engages the children into discussing facts related to weather and climate as well as offering a forum to discuss the differences/similarities between both terms. I would tie this activity in with a Geography lesson focusing on a sense of place. Children could identify some of the locations mentioned on a map. They could also incorporate Google Maps – calculating the distance between Dublin and Bergen or Wexford and Oslo, for example.
I like the weather detective activity also. This would work well as part of teaching Data in senior classes where children explore coordinates, as well plotting information related to weather on a chart.I would make the following improvements/alterations to the activities to improve them further:
Green Schools team/Student Council or 6th class to trial the resources and then present their findings to the school at an assembly. This would act as peer tutoring and modelling for younger learners.The activity I have decided to do in this module is to download the app ‘Satellite Tracker.’
Five satellites that have passed Ireland recently:
1. International Space Station (ISS)
2. NOAA-18
3. Starlink
4. NOAA-19
5. NOAA-15Satellites generally have a mission which must be carried out when they are passing over a country. The Starlink satellite has an extremely important role in that it is attempting to provide global satellite internet coverage. A key mission here is to provide high speed internet access, something so many of us are unaware of when we question why is our internet so slow!
The ISS carries out a significant amount of scientific work on a daily basis which is of huge importance to human beings on earth.
The NOAA satellites have a significant impact in that they help determine weather readings such as temperature and storm forecasts. These have a significant impact on human life on a daily basis.
Hi Diarmaid,
I agree wholeheartedly with your assessment of the ESA resource ‘Nose High up in the Sky.’ In my experience, students always respond better to hands-on learning experiences. This fosters a deeper insight into their knowledge of the subject area being taught. Learning a new concept can be extremely abstract for young children and as such it is vital to bring new learning to life and relate it to the lives of children.
Hi Monica,
I agree with your enthusiasm about the production, ‘Home.’ It left a lasting impression on me also. I agree that the video would be best placed with a 3rd or 4th class group as the topics addressed could be pitched appropriately at this age group. I like the use of cross-curricular integration with the subject areas of Geography as this would enable children to extend and enrich their learning, thus also catering for children with high ability and higher-order thinking skills. You have some fantastic ideas here which I can definitely see myself using in future lessons.
Hi Siobhán,
You make a very valid point about how the Paxi video appeals to younger learners in particular the auditory and visual learners who would benefit most from this video. I am also impressed by your references to cross-curricular integration in geography and science. As educators we are always trying to manage the load of too much content being delivered. When the opportunity arises to blend learning between subjects it must be seized.
Hi Tara,
I am really impressed by the ideas you have suggested. The incorporation of the resources mentioned (Paxi’s video) and the use of TEAL will equip students with the necessary knowledge to support their prior understanding of greenhouse gases and the impact they can have on different aspects of the environment. I always like the idea of students creating a report and then presenting it to their peers. It offers opportunities for peer and self-assessment as well as developing oral language and presentation skills. Well done.