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Our school is a DEIS Plus school in Clondalkin and we are always looking for ways to make our school a greener and more sustainable place. One of the most exciting projects we have been involved in recently was a partnership with Amazon, who helped us plant native Irish trees and shrubs around the perimeter of the school. This has made our grounds more attractive while also creating habitats for birds, insects and other wildlife.
We are also hoping to expand our outdoor learning opportunities. We have applied to Google for support to develop an outdoor classroom where children can learn through nature and hands-on experiences. As part of this project, we are exploring the possibility of creating a pond or small water feature to attract wildlife and encourage biodiversity within our school grounds.
These projects give our pupils the opportunity to learn about sustainability in a real and meaningful way. They can see first-hand how caring for the environment helps wildlife and improves our local community. We hope these initiatives will encourage our children to become responsible and environmentally aware citizens in the future.<div>I like how you’ve focused on practical, everyday actions that are so suitable for a Senior Infants classroom. The ideas around reusing materials for Aistear, planting flowers and vegetables, and encouraging children to save water and electricity are all lovely ways to make sustainability meaningful for young learners.</div>
https://vimeo.com/529435506?fl=pl&fe=sh
This is also a great video for nutrition of seafood and has a piece about the salmon of knowledge. Seafood and fishing was a huge part of our ancient culture , myth and legend. It was of huge importance to people in the past.
Module 4 has been very interesting and has highlighted the many benefits of seafood as a source of nutrition. I learned that seafood is an excellent source of high-quality protein, which is essential for growth, tissue repair, and overall body function. It is also rich in important vitamins and minerals such as vitamin D, vitamin B12, iodine, selenium, and zinc. Oily fish, including salmon, mackerel, and sardines, are particularly beneficial as they contain omega-3 fatty acids, which support brain development, cognitive function, and heart health.
This knowledge is very relevant to my role as a teacher. It is important that children develop an understanding of healthy eating habits from a young age so that they can make informed food choices throughout their lives. In the classroom, I would introduce the topic by showing pupils a variety of foods, including seafood such as salmon. I would encourage them to brainstorm which foods they believe are the healthiest and explain the reasons for their choices. This would allow me to assess their prior knowledge and challenge any misconceptions they may have.
Following this discussion, the class could carry out an investigation into the nutritional content of different foods. Pupils could compare foods using nutrition labels, create healthy meal plans, and explore the food pyramid. Cross-curricular links could also be made with Science, SPHE, and Geography by examining where seafood comes from, its nutritional benefits, and the importance of sustainable fishing practices.I also think the clean-up initiative could be a lovely lesson for younger classes.We could visit the school yard and collect and sort the litter into categories (plastic, paper, metal, etc.). Maths skills could be developed by graphing the types of litter. Discuss which materials might end up in rivers or the sea and how they could affect fish, mussels and other marine life. I am on the green schools committee and we are targeting waste management next year so this would link well,
Module 3 : The ARC lessons gave me lots of ideas for making STEM more hands-on and meaningful for children. I liked how the lessons use real-life topics such as aquaculture, healthy eating and sustainability to get pupils thinking and asking questions. Instead of simply learning facts, children are encouraged to investigate, discuss and solve problems together
In my own classroom, I would like to use more inquiry-based learning where pupils explore a question and discover answers for themselves. This fits well with STEM which promotes curiosity, problem-solving, creativity and learning across different subject areas. an example of an ARC-inspired lesson I could use with a 2nd class would be “How can we grow mussels safely?” After watching part of the ARC aquaculture lesson, children could work in groups to design a simple mussel farm using recycled materials such as straws, string and cardboard. They would discuss what mussels need to survive, predict which design would work best and explain their thinking to the class. This would link Science, Engineering, Maths and oral language skills while encouraging teamwork and creativity.When I think about aquaculture farms in Ireland, it makes sense that most of them are located along the coast, especially on the west coast in places like Galway, Mayo, Donegal, and Cork. These areas have clean water, sheltered bays, and the right conditions for growing fish and shellfish such as salmon, mussels, and oysters.
I think aquaculture is really important for coastal communities because it provides jobs in areas where employment opportunities can sometimes be limited. People can work directly on the farms or in related industries such as processing, transport, equipment supply, and maintenance. This helps keep money circulating within local communities and supports small businesses.
Another benefit is that aquaculture helps people stay and work in their local area rather than having to move elsewhere to find employment. This is especially important for rural coastal communities that might otherwise struggle with keeping young people in the area. It also helps maintain Ireland’s strong connection to the sea and supports traditional skills that have been passed down through generations which is so culturally important.
Overall, I believe aquaculture makes a valuable contribution to both local communities and the wider Irish economy. As long as it is managed in a sustainable way that protects the environment, it can continue to provide jobs, support local businesses, and help coastal communities thrive.Hi, just reading you reply and I decided to check out the link you sent. The Taste the Atlantic – a seafood journey is a really nice visual. It could easily be adapted for the classroom.
I didn’t know anything about abalone and that they are native to Ireland. There are some facinatating facts and children would be interested to learn about them as was I.
They are also a highly-prized shellfish delicacy. Due to over exploitation in wild fisheries, they have become scarce in most countries around the world. The farmed species in Ireland were introduced in the 1980’s and are
now farmed commercially in select locations along the ‘Taste the Atlantic – Seafood Journey’ route.In my SET classroom, I would teach aquaculture and the life cycle of a salmon through a multi-sensory, inclusive, and hands-on approach. I would begin by introducing aquaculture as the farming of fish and shellfish, using photographs, short videos, visual supports, and simple key vocabulary. Children would explore sensory trays containing water, stones, seaweed, shells, and toy fish to develop understanding through touch and play. I would use BIM’s Aquaculture Remote Classroom (ARC) and use their virtual reality resources. Teaching the concept of social licence is challenging but perhaps we could use the example of getting a class pet fish. Lots of work could be done on what is important for caring for the fish and how we keep it’s environment clean etc. It links very well with the concept of social licence and fish farms are similar. They need the trust of local people. If they look after the fish, protect the environment, and keep the water clean, communities are more likely to support them.
Hi, I live in dublin and rarely visit the sea. I think with traffic, it feels like a trek. I spent alot of time on the waterford coast as a child and recently went back on a Summer holiday after covid. I was surprised to find alot less sea life in rock pools and on rocks. I also remember mackrel fishing using a line as a kid.
Activity Set: Rockets
I am teaching junior infants in September and I think that rockets are of huge interest to the little ones. I would start my lesson by reading the book “The way back home”. Oliver Jeffers is an excellent author and it’s a great opportunity to integrate with literacy.Children will be prompted to think about ways to get home from space and travel in space. Once we have introduced the topic of rockets, I will show them some real rockets and I will also show them a video of a rocket launching.
The children will make a rocket using paper- they will design and make rockets using colours.
Then children will watch me make a rocket mouse and we will compare two launches and pick the best. The children will predict before we carry out the experiment. We will predict, investigate and complete an experiment called Rocket Mice and see which rocket mice will go the biggest distance.I will then help the children explore this in small groups and they can feedback which rocket was better.
Children will design and colour a rocket.
Children will make a 3d rocket in junk art as part of Aistear.
We will do an acrostic poem for the word rocket.
We will also do a word map for rockets.Hi Sinéad, thanks for posting all the ideas Re integration. The alien counting ideas are a nice way to vary the learning for the children.
Activity : where do you live – Esero 5.
I liked the lesson where do you live and would try it with my junior infant class next year. I liked the idea of providing the children with images of houses as a starting point following a dicusiion on what a home is. Some preparation could be stories like the three little pigs.
Once the children have chosen a house we could discuss why the house needs certain features to provide shelter in the weather.
As a follow up activity children will make 3d models. I will have a lego table, a playdough table, a table with blocks and art materials as a prompt but children they will be free to use whatever they want.
I like the idea of using a simplified version of this lesson https://esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/edu/PR37_Moon_shelter.pdf
I think it would be fun to extend the theme by coming up with ideas for shelter on the moon.
