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I downloaded the ESA resource “Nose high up in the sky” and I found it very interesting completing the different activities. The different activities were well designed and very accessible to a broad range of children’s abilities but probably more suited to older classes. I feel children would interact and engage well with the activities. The first activity opens well as it appeals to the childrens prior knowledge by asking them of the weather proverbs they know of. This could also be a good opportunity for the children to ask parents and grandparents of weather proverbs they may also know of. There could then be a sharing session the following day.
The second activity used the senses to observe and describe the weather. I would imagine children would find this very enjoyable. Then there is an opportunity to compare these sensory observations with genuine weather forecasts.
Activity three, then is a good way to practice the learnings of activity one and two.
Question: How does pollution effect my local river?
Firstly use think, pair, share to gain access to the children’s prior knowledge of – Is the local river polluted?
– What could pollute a river
-How could plastic effect a river
-How long could plastic remain in a river
-How could you assess the level of pollution in a river.
After talk and discussion of all of the above topics to establish prior knowledge, the children would then undergo research as part of group work. The research would involve internet research on ipads, asking parents at home, reading books, and watching videos.
Once this research has been carried out, each group can explain what they found to all of the other groups. The groups will have the opportunity to add notes to their own research, of new information that they learned from other groups.
Eventually this could lead to a class trip to the local river to carry out a river survey to assess the pollution in the river.
I would absolutely utilize some of the clips from the fascinating documentary Home to teach students about climate change and its effects on the environment. The amazing video clearly illustrates the effects of global warming. The rate at which the damage has been done and the possibility that it will get worse are particularly concerning. This video, in my opinion, would be a great starting point for group discussions on the subject in school. I think these topics could overwhelm children and it is important to keep this into consideration when teaching. One way to combat this would be to stay positive about the efforts being made to combat climate change. The Greta thunberg video would also appeal a lot to many children as they already are aware of her.
I very much enjoyed activity 3 and I could definitely see myself using this with my class. In my opinion, activity 3 is a useful teaching tool for helping students understand the dynamics of climate change. By watching the video, students gain an understanding of the role that greenhouse gases play in global warming and the potential effects that this could have on future temperatures. To improve this activity in the classroom, I would incorporate hands-on components where students use simulations or climate modeling tools to predict future temperature scenarios based on various emission scenarios. Students can see how greenhouse gases will affect future temperatures by using the tealtool.earth tool. This hands-on approach not only makes the learning process more engaging, but it also helps students comprehend the practical implications of climate change.
I liked going through the ESA resources. The lessons on “Nose up in the Sky” and the concepts for teaching weather and climate were both very helpful, teacher-friendly, and would undoubtedly be entertaining for students in my class.
The fact that these recourses are available in nine various languages is excellent considering the modern day classroom.
The lesson on weather proverbs in “Nose up in the Sky” was excellent. I see myself using it with my first class. It will be a great addition to language lessons. I found the list of 22 proverbs a great addition. In particular I liked the proverb “Seagull seagull sit on the sand, it is never good weather when your on land” as you can really visualize the proverb and I think this would appeal well to children. I find proverbs a great way of learning as the children will remember the proverbs for years to come. There is also great scope for learning from parents and grandparents proverbs.