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I agree, alternative ways to show their learning is very important im the class. My pupils love making old fashioned posters!!
Is Listowel experiencing more flooding than it used to? (5th class in North Kerry)
Two years ago, Listowel experienced serious flooding around the River Feale, and many houses were destroyed. The damage was significant and many residents around the area of the Bridge Road had to find alternative accommodation for some time. Many families were either directly or indirectly affected. This caused a lot of upset in the town. Children in the school still talk about it, so I think this would be a good topic to cover in class.
Investigate areas near the River Feale.
Examine flood maps, local newspaper reports, and residents’ experiences.
Ask:
Why do people say winters are wetter now?
Has the River Feale always flooded like this?
Why are there more storms on the news?
We would use local photos from archives to show:the River Feale
local parks
school grounds
streets after heavy rain
farmland nearbyAsk:
What do you notice?
What might happen here during very heavy rain?
What clues can you see?We would use maps to identify:
flood-prone areas
green spaces
rivers
busy roads
school
parksHowever, I would stress, that it’s important that the pupils investigate during the lesson as Climate Investigators for knowledge, not to scare them, as some might be concerned it could happen again.
I had no idea that satellites had such an impact on everyday things at home! Interesting information!
I specifically checked which satellites passed over my home town, and these 5 were what I found.
1) The International Space Station. It has been running scientific experiments, supporting astronauts, observing Earth and testing technology.
2) Sentinel 1-A. Even at night, it monitors Ireland’s coastline for flooding, landslides and coastal movement.
3) Sentinel 2 A. This has been using high resolution cameras to photograph farmland, forests, lakes and checking on environmental changes.
4) NOAA-20. This has been collecting information on weather, sea surface temperatures and atmospheric measurements.
5). EIRSAT-1. Demonstrating Irish-built space technology, communicating with ground stations, and detecting gamma-ray bursts from deep space while orbiting Earth.I agree with you, it is important that we show the effects of climate change in our own local environments so the children can see first hand what’s happening. The concept of polar icecaps melting thousands of miles away sometimes seems more like a movie than real life!
The PAX video was very good and I feel it was appropriate for primary school children. It is fun to look at and the animation is of a good standard. It is informative, and to the point. The graphics are good at demonstrating the effects of the green house gases, in particular the little arrows, that would be a great way to show how the gases travel around the world and how they can’t escape our atmosphere.
I think activity 3 is good, however, I would start with a KWL wall, to get the children’s previous knowledge on climate change. I would ensure that the children know the words such as paleoclimatologist etc before we teach the lesson. Having looked through the other lessons, I think they would be aimed for the older classes, I think some of them have language that might be quite difficult for some children. I also think I might have to prepare alternative worksheets for children with EAL and SEN, as the activities could be a little tough for some. I would get the children working in groups for some of the activities and they can do self and peer assessment during the lessons.I agree with you, it is important that we show the effects of climate change in our own local environments so the children can see first hand what’s happening. The concept of polar icecaps melting thousands of miles away sometimes seems more like a movie than real life!
Yann Arthus-Bertrand’s documentary Home highlights several important climate change concepts that are suitable for teaching fifth-class pupils. First, it explains that burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, trapping heat and causing the Earth to warm. This can be demonstrated through simple classroom experiments about the greenhouse effect. Second, the film shows how melting glaciers and polar ice contribute to rising sea levels, which threaten coastal communities and wildlife. Pupils can investigate this through maps and discussions about places vulnerable to flooding. Third, Home emphasises the importance of forests, particularly rainforests, as they absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen. Deforestation reduces this natural protection against climate change while destroying habitats for plants and animals. These three ideas encourage pupils to understand the causes and effects of climate change and inspire them to consider positive actions they can take to care for the environment.
I will be using this across the curriculum also, as a 5th class teacher, the pupils enjoy analysing and recording our weather and comparing it to weather across the globe also. As we live on the west coast, we enjoy tracking storms on windy.com
In Unravelling STEM: Beyond the Acronym of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (Liston, 2018), STEM is described as a holistic approach to education that brings together the four disciplines in meaningful ways rather than teaching them separately. Liston emphasises the importance of inquiry-based learning, where pupils develop critical thinking, creativity, communication and collaboration through engaging with real-life challenges. In a fifth-class classroom in Ireland, this is reflected in hands-on, pupil-led activities that encourage exploration and teamwork.
Studying the weather provides an ideal context for integrated STEM learning. Pupils can create a simple weather station using instruments such as a thermometer, rain gauge, wind vane and anemometer to monitor daily weather conditions. They collect, organise and interpret data, display their results using charts and graphs, and compare their observations with forecasts from Met Éireann. This approach strengthens scientific understanding, numeracy, digital skills and cooperative learning while demonstrating how STEM can be applied to everyday experiences.
The Sustainable Development Goal I would focus on would be climate change. We learned in our local area that climate change is real, and can affect us in the locality and not just internationally. We would focus primarily on the weather and how it had changed on a local level (Priority Action Area 5: Accelerating Local Action) and research how. We will look at the increase in storms in Ireland, how it impacts their education, schools closing, loss of electricity/water. We will look at ways to prevent the destruction of houses, planning permissions, building on flood plains etc.
We will research all of this in our locality and discuss how we can make changes locally. We will look at Greta Thunberg, and look back at the clips from the news when students took to the streets to protest on the inaction of governments on climate change. We are a primary school, we will brain storm as to how we can make a difference. The changed we can make closer to home, recycling, reducing the use of electricity, park and stride, walking to school, fast fashion etc. We will revisit our Green Flag, and research if there are any other initiatives that we can do to earn any more flags for the school.
I will be encouraging the children to explain to their parents that we are Global Citizens and we make changes that can affect us all.
I agree with all 3 of your ways of attempting to slow down climate change. I did not think of energy consumption. We are always careful to turn off the light at home, but by teaching a lesson on this, we could educate other families to do the same.
Climate change has severely impacted our local area. Last year, there was a flash flood in the town and 70 houses had to be evacuated. The river burst its bank, something that had not happened in 50 years. There was extensive damage done to homes and businesses. The local people all came together to help, and donations were made to help people repair the damage to their properties and replace their belongings. The sad thing about it is, there is no way of telling if this will happen again and homes will most likely not be insured for future events.
The 3 things I could do to help prevent climate change is to continue to recycle to the best of our ability. To separate plastics, glass and organic from rubbish and to minimise the black bin. I will also do my best to reuse and donate clothing. I will swap my children’s clothes with friends and we can share clothes between families. Anything we don’t use, we will donate to shelters and charities. We will not buy poor quality cheap clothing that does not last and can easily be ruined. Lastly, I will educate my own children and the children in my school on the importance of biodiversity. I will share with them my knowledge of the importance of pollinators and their role in nature. I will teach them about the impact of climate change on the creatures on the planet.
I will teach the pupils lessons on the above ways to help prevent climate change. We will continue to revisit the importance of recycling and revise how to use the bins in school. We will research fast fashion and the landfills the clothes end up in. We will also research our local wildlife and how the current crisis is impacting it.