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Sustainability is definitely becoming more significant in my local community and this can be seen in the many initiatives being rolled out including the new green-ways and cycle paths that are being created as well as posters in the local primary school advertising to ‘Walk on Wednesdays’ which encourages the parents, staff and children to walk to school weekly.
I definitely notice an increase in people relying to renewable energy too as there are numerous homes and businesses with solar panels on their roofs.My local village also takes part in the SuperValu Tidy Towns Competition which encourages members of our local community, both young and old to get involved in the clean up and planting of flowers in our village.
Recycling facilities are also widely available, with bottle banks, compost bins, and local campaigns educating households on waste reduction and proper disposal.
There is also a huge initiative to cut-down on single-use plastic with multiple bottle recycling deposits scattered around our town for people to earn back on recycling their plastic or cans.
Michaela, you’ve made some great points regarding sustainability in a school environment. I really like the idea of a ‘green ambassador’ to promote sustainable practices in the school.I also definitely think that making a class eco-map would be very effective as well as identifying green spaces and wildlife areas.
Teaching children about the nutrition of food (including seafood) from a young age is very important. I would definitely apply this in my classroom as the children in my school are provided with hot lunches and it is therefore very important that children can play a part in decision-making when it comes to the foods that they put into their bodies and knowing the benefits that certain foods have to offer. It is also important that children are aware of where their food comes from and the process that it takes to get it from the sea to their plates.The children’s families could also play a role in the teaching and learning about healthy eating as they can be encouraged to cook fish dishes with the teacher sending home the recipes for the children to try out with their families, or cooking classes in school in which the parents are allowed to visit the school and cook healthy meals with the children.
Teaching children about the food pyramid and the benefits of fish in their diets is a very important element of the SPHE curriculum. Children have a right to know about how they can look after their bodies and feel the best version of themselves. Learning about the vitamins, amino acids and minerals found in seafood and their benefits to the various body parts would support healthy habits as well as the SPHE curriculum.Lisa you make some great points about how children should be aware of how salmon is good brain food and fish in general is very good for their overall growth and wellbeing. Children should definitely be educated on healthy eating and sustainable food choices. I really like the idea of connecting nutrition with real-world issues and personal choices for the children to help them make informed decisions.
The lessons and resources provided by The Arc most definitely align with the STEM Education Policy statement and would certainly integrate unto my SSE Process. An example of a way in which I could apply the concepts and skills in my own teaching practices is by teaching the children mapping skills which would help them with spatial thinking and teach them how to identify and analyse features of the natural environment. The children could learn to evaluate how the geography of an area and its natural landmarks can contribute to identify problems and therefore discover solutions. They could also learn how to identify beaches, inlets, bays and islands. The fact that the ARC provide online mapping lesson plans that can be done in the classroom makes it a very useful tool which definitely would link in well to the STEM Education Policy Statement. Another idea which would link in well to the SESE curriculum would be teaching the children about aquaculture and it’s benefits to the local communities. The children can examine the different jobs created by aquaculture and if possible, the teacher could invite in a guest speaker who works for the aquaculture industry. This would bring it to life for the students as they would learn about real life scenarios and the role of somebody in the Aquaculture industry. Opportunities such as this or perhaps a visit from The ARC itself would definitely encourage more teachers to enhance the STEM experience and quality of learning for the pupils in their classes.
Tommy I agree that the online lessons and resources developed for the Arc really convey just how engaging STEM education can be when it is related to real world scenarios. I would also be very likely to use some of the many hands-on activities with my class this coming school year as I also feel it would encourage collaborative learning and curiosity amongst my students.
The location of aquaculture farms in Ireland contribute socio-economically to coastal communities as they can create local employments and more job creation. Jobs can be made available in the farming, processing and logistics. These jobs are useful to the local community especially in rural areas where there are less corporate jobs etc. available than in bigger cities.
The fact that Ireland is an island means that there is lots of opportunity for aquaculture to be carried out in the various coastal counties and towns e.g. Mayo, Galway, Donegal, Clare and Kerry. The location of aquaculture farms in Ireland also provide support for Small Enterprises as there are many family-run small businesses that can arise from the existence of aquaculture. It also also for sustainability in the community as regular income from aquaculture helps coastal communities to become more independent and less reliant on other businesses or imports.I agree with your statements Michaela that Ireland’s aquaculture sector benefits from a uniquely advantageous position, thanks to its long and varied coastline that provides optimal conditions for farming a wide range of marine species.
It is true that aquaculture farms not only strengthen food security but also revitalize Ireland’s coastal communities, supporting sustainability.Clodagh I agree with you as despite living by the sea, I was completely unaware of the aquaculture industry in Ireland. I love fish, particularly salmon and have found it so interesting to learn about how salmon is farmed in Ireland. I definitely feel that this is a very important lesson for children as it helps them become more aware of how their food gets from the sea to their plate and may make them more appreciative of their environment and the world around them. I also agree that it is important that children consider the impact of aquaculture on biodiversity and the world around them.
Tools such as the Aquaculture Remote Classroom would work (the ARC) would be very beneficial to the students in my school and particularly those in the Senior classes. It provides a 4-hour interactive workshop which I feel would definitely stimulate the interest of the children, as well as webinars which would keep the children engaged. These tools would definitely benefit the children in my school as they live quite close to the sea and would therefore be able to relate to . We would also be able to go on a whole-class nature walk to the seaside after completing the webinars and workshops in order to help the children link their classroom learning to real life places and engage in an active learning experience.
Social Licence would also be useful in the teaching of the senior students in my school as it would link to the ‘Living in the Local Environment’ area of the Geography curriculum and allow for the children to realise that people in the community can have involvement in how businesses and industries work. It connects children with the world around them.This is a great idea Sarah,
I love the fact that you incorporated art, drama and music into your lesson. It sounds like a very creative and interesting activity.
George Halpin was a civil engineer and lighthouse builder that designed many of the features of Dublin Port. He also built the first Bull bridge, erecting it in 1819 in order to allow for the construction of the stone wall.
I would use George Halpin as inspiration for a Science Investigation in class by bringing the children on a walk of Dublin Bay to pick out some of the features built by Halpin. We would compare the materials and features used in the building of the lighthouses and the bridges. The children could take some photos on their iPads which could later be shared on the IWB.
The children would then be allowed to choose between a lighthouse or a bridge and create their own design of one. They will incorporate elements of Science included light and materials as well as areas of Maths including length and weight.
Robert, this is a brilliant activity. I love how you have incorporated Mathematical activities including Money, Weight and Time. This is a great example of STEM in the classroom.
Using the Wooden Bridge in Clontarf as a lesson stimulus, I would bring my class on a coastal walk down to view it, stand on it and cross over it. We would then watch as the cars cross the single-lane bridge. We would look at the materials used to build it and take some photos to share on the IWB in class.
The children would then be given a range of materials including lollipop sticks, books (for the bridge to balance on), sellotape, glue, scissors and card…etc. They would work in pairs to investigate and come up with a way to make a bridge that can balance in a whole-class challenge. The children would then put some coins on the bridge in the hope that it would balance.
To conclude the lesson, the teacher will ask questions about the children’s bridges. The children will be allowed to visit their friend’s bridges and experiment with them,
The Identification Tool that I used was: the ‘Wildflowers of Ireland’ website ( https://www.wildflowersofireland.net/ )
The location was: a park in North County Dublin.
The plants that I identified were: The Creeping Buttercup, Himalayan Honeysuckle, Japanese Rose and Giant-Rhubarb.I would getting my class involved in Citizen Science by integrating a local citizen science project into a STEM by taking a class trip to St Anne’s Park in Dublin and visiting the Rose Gardens there. The children would identify the plants in pairs using an identification app or card. Before we visit the park, I would teach the children how to identify the plants and match them with the image or description on their identification card or website. Upon returning from the trip, we would collect our data as a whole class on the IWB. We would use some higher-order and lower-order questioning about our collected data. The children would display their findings on posters around the classroom.This lesson links to many areas of the curriculum including Science (Plants and Animals), Maths (Representing Data) and P.E. (Outdoor and Adventure Activities). The posters would be displayed on the wall for a number of weeks for the children to observe.
