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I have chosen SDG 13: Climate Action. Climate change is an issue that affects us all, and children are hearing about it more and more. There are many small changes we can make at a local level that help children feel empowered to act and make a difference. During science lessons, we can explore experiments that demonstrate the effects of melting ice caps and the greenhouse effect. We can take action by setting up a garden, coming up with ideas to save energy around the school, such as switching off lights and interactive whiteboards at lunchtime, picking up litter in the yard, and making posters to highlight these ideas to display around the school. Giving children the opportunity to take local action helps them feel empowered, builds a sense of responsibility and shows them that their choices can make a real difference in tackling climate change. It is important to nurture lifelong habits of sustainability and care for the environment at this early stage.
I like your idea of using books as a way to explore and challenge gender stereotypes with children. The book ‘Pink Is for Boys’ by Robb Pearlman is great story to get kids thinking about breaking down gender stereotypes.
Gender stereotypes in children can significantly influence how they see themselves and their potential. In the classroom, these stereotypes can have a profound impact on children’s self-esteem, academic performance, and motivation to participate fully in learning activities. I’ve observed gender stereotyping during play in my classroom. I’ve noticed that boys often dominate construction play, making it harder for girls to engage equally. This a reflection of the underlying gender stereotypes in play preferences and participation. These stereotypes can restrict girls’ opportunities to develop spatial skills and problem-solving skills.
Development Education encourages children to think critically and be able to recognise and question these gender stereotypes. The Plan International lessons in the teacher’s handbook provide excellent resources for teachers to address gender stereotypes effectively. Ensuring we as teachers create inclusive learning experiences that question traditional roles and promote equality is a crucial part of development education which will help to combat gender stereotypes.
I think the idea of using a CP session for Development Education is a great idea. We’ve had speakers in from Goal previously to do workshops with our pupils but running them for staff would be really beneficial too.
Ehigie’s paper explains that we need to teach students to be global citizens. This means helping them to learn how to deal with worldwide problems likes climate change, inequality and conflicts. Education has a huge role to play in helping children become more informed and have a better understanding of the role they can play to ensure we create a healthy future for our planet and it’s people. Development Education can feed into SSE by focusing on areas in geography, SPHE, History and Science. Schools have a very important role to play in ensuring that children are equipped to be global citizens who can think critically, act responsibly, and contribute meaningfully in an interconnected and interdependent world.
In our school, through the Green School initiative we looked at the Global Goals for Sustainable Development as a whole school. We worked as a school to come up with ideas as to how we could achieve some of these goals in our school community. We’ve had poster competitions, guest speakers and global days to make children more aware of the world in which they live.Activity: Rocket Mice
We’d start by reading the book ‘The Way Back Home’ by Oliver Jeffers and discuss ways we could help get the Martian back to the moon.
We’d explore rockets together by watching a video of a rocket launch here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lti6a_YYQl0 and looking at some pictures of different rockets. What’s the same or different about the rockets?
The children will then follow the instructions to make a mouse rocket in pairs. I’d supply a range of materials for the children to use to decorate their rockets.
We will then test out the rockets. Ask the children to take note of which rocket goes the highest.
Next will try shooting our rocket mice across the floor so we can measure which one went the furthest. Ask the children for ideas as to how we could measure this? Ruler, metre stick, string etc.
Have the children measure the distance using links. We can then record how far each rocket went by recording the number of links used on a record sheet. Before we launch our rockets have children record their prediction on a whiteboard.
Which mouse went the furthest? How do you know it went further? Why do you think it did?
Discuss ways we could make our rockets go further or not as far. Do we know anything that flies?
Give children the opportunity to make other flying objects during free play.
It sounds like the children would really enjoy these lessons Laura especially with the competitive aspect involved in measuring which space craft went the furthest.
I love the ‘Animals in the Cold’ lesson. I teach Junior Infants and we look at this topic every winter. The children really enjoy it. We trap polar animals in ice and have them free them during play time. We also set up a polar animal small world area. Adding in the ‘Animals in the Cold’ lesson would add another dimension to our theme. We normally just focus on penguins but I love the idea of comparing and contrasting the white animals in the North Pole with the dark animals in the South Pole. Using Vaseline to show how penguins and polar bears repel water is something the children would really enjoy. This would lead on nicely to the What Clothes to Wear lesson. The children could think about how the penguin and the polar bear repel water and then use this knowledge to find a suitable waterproof material for teddy’s raincoat.
Marvin and Milo is a super resource. Using the stories for role play activities is a great idea. Looking forward to trying this out in the coming year. Peg boards constellations is a lovely idea too.
I think children in Junior Infants would really enjoy the Design a Martian activity from the Space and Aliens activity set.
I’d begin by reading the story ‘The Way Back Home’ by Oliver Jeffers. Engage the children in a discussion about the Martian in the story. Have the children think about the following: I wonder what it’s like to live on Mars? Is it hot or cold?
Show the children the video ‘Meet the Mars Rovers’ to give the children the opportunity to see the Martian landscape. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujh-dtEvyIw What would a Martian need to survive in this landscape? What would this Martian look like?
From here the children will be challenged to design a Martian on their own or in pairs using 3D materials.
The children could record their model Martians in front of a green screen and we could add a suitable Martian landscape background to their videos.
As an extension the children could construct a vehicle that would bring their Martians back home.
The Smeds and the Smoos is one of my favourite picture books to use in Junior Infants. It is so useful for so many different topics. I often use it as a starter for colour mixing but I love you ideas of the children making their own Smeds and Smoos. This would be a very cute Junk Art activity during free play too.
I would chose the activity set based on the sun. There are so many lovely picture books that can be used as a trigger. The Rabbit, the Dark and the Biscuit Tin by Niocla O’ Byrne is always a class favourite. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhBhNaKZejE Or Day Monkey, Night Monkey by Julia Donaldson is a lovely story to introduce the topic of shadows.
I’d start by reading this story to the children. Night Monkey doesn’t know what shadows are. At this point of the story I’d staop and use this as a question to engage the children…I wonder what shadows are….
The children chat in groups and share their ideas with the class. I will record their ideas.
I’ll bring the children outside with some chalk, a piece of white paper and a free standing toy. The children can explore the shadows their bodies make in the playground. After a while they can trace around the shadow of their toy on the page to have as a record of their investigation.
Return to the classroom and ask the children why they think the shadows are dark? Do you always have a shadow? How do you think shadows are formed? Where is the light coming from?
Finish the story of Day Monkey, Night Monkey.
Show the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOIGOT88Aqc
I would chose the activity set based on the sun. There are so many lovely picture books that can be used as a trigger. The Rabbit, the Dark and the Biscuit Tin by Niocla O’ Byrne is always a class favourite. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhBhNaKZejE Or Day Monkey, Night Monkey by Julia Donaldson is a lovely story to introduce the topic of shadows.
I’d start by reading this story to the children. Night Monkey doesn’t know what shadows are. At this point of the story I’d staop and use this as a question to engage the children…I wonder what shadows are….
The children chat in groups and share their ideas with the class. I will record their ideas.
I’ll bring the children outside with some chalk, a piece of white paper and a free standing toy. The children can explore the shadows their bodies make in the playground. After a while they can trace around the shadow of their toy on the page to have as a record of their investigation.
Return to the classroom and ask the children why they think the shadows are dark? Do you always have a shadow? How do you think shadows are formed? Where is the light coming from?
Finish the story of Day Monkey, Night Monkey.
Show the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOIGOT88Aqc
This sounds great Saoirse. I love The Family of the Sun song. My own little boy was taught it in preschool a few years ago and he still remembers all the facts from it!
