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I teach in a small country school in Co.Meath. In the local area, sustainability is increasingly becoming a focal point of community initiatives and individual practices. Various strategies are employed to ensure a greener and more sustainable environment. These include: Green schools and picker pals.I have found that being part of the ‘Green Schools Initiative’ the school and its pupils are continuously looking for ways to help the environment. To keep the motivation high I use a multi-faceted approach such as:
• Interactive Workshops and Activities: Organize hands-on workshops where students can participate in activities like planting trees and creating compost bins. This practical engagement helps them grasp the concepts better.
• School Gardens: Establish a school garden where students can grow vegetables and flowers. This can teach them about plant life cycles, the importance of biodiversity, and sustainable agricultural practices.
• Field Trips: Arrange visits to local recycling centers, water treatment plants, and renewable energy installations. Seeing these operations firsthand can provide a deeper understanding of how sustainability is practiced on a larger scale.
• Sustainability Projects: Encourage students to undertake small projects, such as creating posters on how to conserve water, conducting energy audits at home, or initiating a recycling drive within the school. This empowers them to take ownership of sustainability practices.
• Integration into Curriculum: Embed sustainability topics into various subjects such as science, geography, and even art. This integrated approach ensures that sustainability is not seen as a separate topic but a core value in education.
Hopefully, we can inspire the next generation to be conscious of their environmental impact and proactive in promoting sustainable practices.Hi Michelle, I feel strongly that young children should be taught about sustainability and what they can do to help. Sometimes the children feel that they can’t make a difference but by encouraging them to make simple changes such as turning off lights/ not littering/ recycling etc it gives them the power. I find that if it starts in infants by the time they get to 6th they automatically work and think about sustainability.
Integrating knowledge about the nutrition of seafood into the primary classroom offers a multifaceted educational opportunity. By teaching children about seafood’s health benefits, we can promote lifelong healthy eating habits. This can be taught through a number of subjects in an enjoyable and interactive way such as:
Science:
• Pupils can learn about the different nutrients found in seafood and their benefits.
• Introducing children to different types of seafood through cooking demonstrations or tastings can broaden their palates and encourage them to try new foods. Simple recipes that children can help prepare at home could be shared to reinforce these lessons.
Geography
• Discussions on sustainable fishing practices and the environmental impact of seafood consumption.
• Exploring how different cultures incorporate seafood into their diets can enhance cultural awareness and appreciation. Pupils can learn about traditional seafood dishes from around the world, fostering a sense of global connectedness.
Art/ Language
• Art and creative writing projects centred on marine life and seafood nutrition can engage pupil’s imaginations and reinforce their learning. For example, pupils could create posters about the benefits of seafood or write stories featuring fish as characters.
By integrating seafood nutrition education into the primary curriculum, we can provide students with a holistic understanding of food, health, and the environment. This knowledge not only supports their physical well-being but also empowers them to make informed choices and develop a lifelong appreciation for nutritious foodsHi Sinead, I totally agree that we should focus on educating the pupils on healthy eating. I have always discussed the food pyramid and the importance of eating a well-balanced diet with my class. My school has a Healthy eating policy with both parents and pupils have signed up to it. Discussing food with pupils should focus on the health benefits of eating nutritious food so pupils can make an informed decision. My daughter was terrified to eat any sugar/ sweets as she took her teacher literally!!!! Encourage them to try new foods and not fear food.
I love your idea about writing to someone from aquaculture, they could have a debate about who they would invite and write out relevant questions. The topic of material would be very well covered in a different and interesting way, It would be great to keep the older classes focused if they were designing a wet suit instead of a coat!!
I totally agree that the Arc lessons are child and teacher friendly.I would use the online lessons and resources developed for the ARC at The ARC for teaching about healthy food.
I would start with the pupils working together to discuss the nutrients in fish. It would be very interesting to assess what they know about seafood. How many different types of seafood can they name? I would compile a list /graph of what types of fish they have tried.
They would have the opportunity to watch the video on The Nutrition of Seafood and then compare and discuss their findings. They would design a poster advertising the benefits of eating fish. They could also come up with a slogan about healthy eating.
The video on The Nutrition of Seafood is very clear and well presented. Pupils of different ages would enjoy illustrating the Salmon of Knowledge. They could write their own legend based on seafood.
There are endless possibilities with each of the ARC videos.
With the new maths curriculum being implemented from September, we are focusing on maths activities as part of our SSE. We feel that pupils are trying to solve maths problems in their minds so we will be helping the pupils to use equipment and tools when investigating and solving problemsAquaculture farms in Ireland are located along the country’s diverse coastline. These farms, situated in sheltered bays, estuaries, and coastal areas, benefit from the clean, nutrient-rich waters of the Atlantic Ocean.
The socio-economic contributions of aquaculture to coastal communities in Ireland are significant and multifaceted. Firstly, aquaculture provides vital employment opportunities in rural and remote areas where traditional fishing and agriculture might be in decline. Aquaculture not only helps to retain population in these regions but also supports local economies through direct and indirect job creation.
Additionally, aquaculture fosters economic diversification. Coastal communities traditionally dependent on fishing or tourism can achieve greater economic stability by integrating aquaculture into their local industries. This diversification can lead to a more resilient local economy, better able to withstand fluctuations in tourism or wild fish stocks. When I was a child, we would regularly fish for mackerel during the summer months and you would often swim by a shoal of them but last year the local fisher men said that they would be lucky to catch a handful!
For a map plotting activity in my class, I would break my class into 3 or 4 groups and give them
• Map of Ireland
• Outline of the Irish coast
• Google map pictures
• Access to google maps
• Pens/paper
• List of questions to answer
They will work in their groups to discuss suitable places to develop aquafarms. Why they think it is suitable/ are there coves/ beaches or villages nearby?
They will have to present their findings to the class and the other pupils can debate the findings.
This will be an excellent way for the pupils to explore the Irish coastline.I am delighted with the content of this course. I choose this course because I am the green school coordinator and next year we are focusing on global citizenship marine environment. I am from the south coast but live in the midlands and I was looking for child friendly, informative lessons and videos which I would be able to show classes throughout the school and I am not disappointed. The videos are clear and informative.
I feel that learning about Aquaculture will have a positive impact on school students and lessons from this course can be integrated across the curriculum. For SESE, pupils can learn about marine and freshwater ecosystems, understanding how different aquatic organisms live and interact. Teaching basic concepts of sustainability can help students grasp why it’s important to care for the environment. For example, explaining how overfishing harms the ocean and how aquaculture can help.
Incorporating these elements into the primary school curriculum can help young students develop a foundational understanding of aquaculture and social responsibility, fostering a lifelong appreciation for the environment and their role in protecting it.
I had never heard of the Aquaculture Remote Classroom. I will certainly be putting my school on the waiting list for the Arc . It would be an experience that the pupils would never forget.
