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I also loved the use of the word ‘Goldilocks’ for the weather. It’s even more appropriate this summer given the amount of rain and mixed conditions that we’ve experienced.
I totally agree the cinematic experience is amazing and would really peak the interest of the children.
In our school and wider local environment there are many different things happening to bring about sustainability in the community.
In our school environment there are couple of different initiatives ongoing. One of them is reusable bottles to reduce the use of single use plastics. 4th class conducted a survey on how many plastic bottles are thrown away in the school each week. This raised awareness amongst management who have now brought in water dispensers from which the children and staff can refill their bottles from. The also issued each child with a reusable bottle at the beginning of the year.
We have a green schools committee which manage a school garden, encouraging bees and pollination which are so important for the future of our food. The committee also organise litter picking in the locality an regularly remind the staff about keeping in the heat/turning off lights etc.
These are great ideas. It’s easy for us all to take for granted that the resources we have will always be there but it’s important to make children aware that unless we look after these finite resources they may become depleted.
I agree, I was also surprised just how nutritious fish really is. I love the idea suggested of teaching children to look at food labels. There are so many things added to food nowadays that awareness around this is an excellent way to be healthier and educated on what’s in our foods so they can then make an informed decision.
Nutrition in schools is heavily focused on increasing fruit and vegetable intake, at the bottom of the food pyramid, for example with programs like Food Dudes, However, protein sources of which we should be having 2 per day, are equally as important. When protein is discussed it’s often in relation to chicken, eggs and other meats. Many adults including children are unaware of the nutrient content in fish and how versatile it can be. Not only does fish provide protein but also goods fats and omega 3’s in salmon as well as iron (in Shellfish) vitamin D and the essential amino acids. These nutrients are essential for growing bones and muscles and as children get older especially in 5th and 6th class they are more self aware and want to know ways in which they can be fitter and in turn be a better runner, football player etc. Teaching them about nutrition in general and in such a nutrient dense food like seafood is a great tool they can use in their lives going forward.
Personally I found all the lesson plans really interesting. I particularly loved lesson two and the nutrition of seafood. However, all the lessons are very well linked. Healthy eating and the nutrients in seafood is an excellent topic to teach children and many people including adults and children alike wouldn’t know that oysters contain more iron than beef for example! The quizzes at the end are very child friendly also. This lesson could be used to teach many areas of the curriculum including History, English and Science. Our SSE plan included literacy and comprehension. It would be an excellent tool for teaching inferencing- oily fish, omega 3’s and the Salmon of Knowledge. The well known story of Tale of Fionn MacCumhail and the Salmon of knowledge used in this lesson would be ideal for this and incorporated into a science lesson on healthy eating and nutrition at the same time.
This is why its great to talk to other teachers and do courses like this for ideas. I love the Salmon of Knowledge but never considered using it to teach nutrition.
As I progressed through this module I couldn’t help but wonder how our ‘Goldilocks’ climate will change, and already is changing, over the years as a result of global warming and the effect this will have on agriculture in the future in Ireland. Especially with talk of the gulf stream changing, given how vital this is for our temperate climate. Aquaculture provides an income for many people in rural areas of Ireland where the land is less than favorable for other types of farming. I have seen this for myself in the west coast of Donegal where the land is rocky and the farms are small, however there are lots of fishing and aquaculture for example in Killybegs. The local community here relies on aquaculture for their income and would be financially devastated should anything happen to the industry. The same can be said for areas of Kerry and Mayo. I found the part of this module talking about the intertidal ones very interesting and I think this is a part that the children would love in particular.
These resources are fantastic to teach children about aquaculture and where the fish we eat comes from. This is new to me as I wasn’t aware that these resources existed. The aquaculture remote classroom is modern and interesting for students. It is especially suited to 5th and 6th class students. I can see how the cinematic experience and modern interior would draw children in. The ‘Taste the Atlantic’ trail could be incorporated into a school tour or educational trip to make it more meaningful for the children by meeting local aquaculture producers also. This would especially suit schools and teachers on the West coast. If the children had the opportunity to taste some fish along the way this would be amazing. Teaching children about where their food comes from and fish they can eat produced in Ireland is so beneficial especially when teaching this in conjunction with sustainability, importing and climate change.