[Eimear Wallace]

The documentary Home offers a powerful and eye-opening depiction of humanity’s impact on Earth’s natural resources and the resulting devastation to plant and animal life. It highlights the intricate connections between climate, ecosystems, and biodiversity, emphasizing how human activity has disrupted this delicate balance. The film’s aerial imagery captures the beauty and fragility of diverse landscapes around the globe. Complemented by a dramatic and emotive musical score, the visuals leave a lasting impression.

To help my 4th class students understand climate change, I would start by showing brief, age-appropriate clips from the documentary, followed by guided class discussions to explore key ideas. I would incorporate my comprehension (Building bridges) strategies or predicting, de clunking and making connections in a station teaching lesson to analyse the clips. I’d connect the film’s content to topics like the difference between weather and climate, how we use energy, and the importance of sustainability. Hands-on activities could include collecting local weather data (such as temperature or rainfall), conducting simple experiments to demonstrate the greenhouse effect and CO₂’s role, and working on projects focused on practical ways to lower our carbon footprint.

[Eimear Wallace]

Hi Niamh I also think the idea of introducing role play while using the content from this activity is a great idea! Thanks for sharing!

[Eimear Wallace]

Activity 3 is an insightful resource that I can easily envision using with my 4th class in September. The accompanying video is clear, informative, and well-suited for visual learners, offering a comprehensive explanation of the topic. It also encourages active discussion and questioning, making it a great tool for classroom engagement. The TEAL model serves as a predictive tool for future temperatures, helping students understand how human actions can influence the planet and their future lives. After we engage with the video, we could use the TEAL tool to explore, in groups, predictions about future temperatures. This would allow the class to engage in group work with problem solving and we could show the data on various charts or scales. Pupils could work in groups to explore and present the effects of rising temperatures at local, national, and global scales. They could also evaluate each other’s findings and collaborate on an action project focused on ways to reduce the impact of climate change. This activity is flexible enough to allow for differentiation, catering to various learning needs. Overall, it’s a highly engaging way to get students thinking critically and meaningfully about climate-related issues.

[Eimear Wallace]

I agree with the cross curricular reference, always so important.

[Eimear Wallace]

STEM education in my 4th class classroom is hands-on, fun, and focused on developing problem-solving skills. Students learn by doing—whether it’s building simple structures, recording weather data, or using tablets for research.

It helps them understand real-world concepts through science, technology, engineering, and maths in an age-appropriate way. Most importantly, STEM encourages curiosity, teamwork, and confidence in trying out new ideas.

I would show the Ariane 6 first lift off video when learning about travelling to space and the first ever launch recorded. We could then do project work on rockets and building out own space shuttles. When learning about weather in Geography I would show my students the “Space safe Vigil” slide all about monitoring the weather and violent outbursts.

Setting Up a Weather Station for 4th Class Students- To help 4th class students understand the difference between weather and climate, I would set up a simple weather station in the schoolyard. Students would build basic tools like:

1.      A Rain Gauge – made from a plastic bottle to measure daily rainfall.

2.      A Wind Vane – using a straw and cardboard to show wind direction.

Each day, students would record the temperature, wind, and rainfall in a weather journal. After a few weeks, we would look for patterns and compare them to long-term climate data from a website like Met Éireann. This helps them see how weather is short-term, while climate is based on longer trends.

STEM Skills Used:

·         Science – observing and measuring natural elements.

·         Maths – recording data and creating simple graphs.

·         Engineering – designing and building instruments.

This activity encourages hands-on learning, teamwork, and critical thinking while making science fun and relevant.

[Author]

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