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Hi Grainne, thank you so much for listing these initiatives. We are really hoping to aim for our Green School’s flag this school year, it is a great way to show children the impact of their ecological footprint. The idea of having the Green Schools committee is great for not only implementing the ideas of the school but also to give the children roles and responsibilities relating to sustainability.
I am hoping to share some of your other ideas with my staff as they seem like they would be of huge benefit to our school. Thank you.
Sustainability is topical in schools, homes and in the local environment.
Ireland recycles about 60% of drinks containers, but we need to reach 77% by 2025 and 90% in 2029 to meet our targets under the EU single plastics directive. We also need to reach 25% recycled plastic content in PET beverage bottles by December 2025 and 30% by December 2030. Ireland’s Deposit Scheme is a key concept to reach our EU recycling targets. Children are so invested in the Deposit Scheme as they can earn money for themselves or their school. This year our school rolled out a litter pick up which involved collecting bottles and cans, these were then recycled and the money was used for school fundraisers.
We are also aiming to get our Green Schools Flag this coming school year. Green-Schools’ mission is to protect planet Earth as it is our shared home to which we all belong. We are hoping to continue our litter pick up and incorporating that into our Green Schools targets. We also have a bring your litter home with you initiative which allows parents to see how much their child is eating and avoid waste. The Green School’s initiative is a great incentive for children to aim for a flag while becoming aware of their ecological footprint.
There are so many opportunities in the ARC lessons to integrate STEM education. Children love learning through experiments and by discussing the manner of harvesting oysters and mussels with dependence on low tide, this creates a wonderful opportunity for children to experiment in making tide pools to learning about the moon and tides.
Lesson 2 provides a great insight into the nutritional benefits of fish which can closely link in to STEM education. This can be brought about by studying the food pyramid with the children, recommended daily requirements and the importance of nutrients for children’s growing bodies.
Lesson 3 provides great examples to the children of caring for the equipment to ensure the best yields in farming. I feel as though the children would love to make their own nets which would really allow children to incorporate their STEM education – discussing what materials work better than others, how much they would need and how to mend nets if needed. The quality, temperature and health of the water is very important to marine biologists, there are many experiments that could be carried out on the school water to check out the quality.
Lesson 4 focuses on sustainability which is something linked closely with STEM. There are many opportunities for learning especially with case studies like Clare Island and exploring the concept of Origin Green and United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Many of these experiments could be carried out during science week and used as part of the SSE process throughout the school. It is great to see all the hard work that goes into aquaculture. I really feel the children would benefit hugely from these lessons with so many opportunities to integrate STEM.
Hi Catherine,
I really like how you have mentioned the importance of nutrition when playing sports. It is so important to fuel the body before engaging in sport. I myself play sport and as a teacher I can model which seafood I eat before training and matches along with the nutritional benefits that seafoods holds to make the child more aware of what they are eating before engaging in sports activities.
Hi Nicola,
I really liked your idea of hopping on board the Celtic Explorer. Some children may never experience boarding a boat or being on the water. This would be a fantastic experience for children along with a tour of the impressive Celtic Explorer.
I found this module to be very interesting and engaging. I myself have made it a goal to try and eat more seafood due to its many nutritional benefits. Last year with my class we looked at the food pyramid in detail. After engaging in the module, I am now fully aware of all the nutritional benefits of seafood which I wasn’t prior to this course. I really enjoyed the ‘Eye Spy’ activity. I think the teaching of identifying labels on seafood packaging would very beneficial to children. The children can go out to their local supermarkets and identify specific products that contain the MSC and ASC labels. The children could then compare and contrast the nutritional benefits of both a MSC and ASC products. I think it would be a lovely lesson if the class cooked homemade fish fingers. The first step would involve the children selecting a fish based its nutritional benefits which links to the food pyramid and S.P.H.E. The children would then be in charge of weighing out the correct amount of fish needed for the recipe which incorporates Mathematics. I could teach a lesson on how omega-3 fatty acids support heart health and brain function, emphasizing the benefits of including fish in their diets which could tie in with Science. After the activity the children could engage in a procedural writing activity outlining the steps they took to make the fish fingers which integrates English.
I live in the West Coast of Ireland and my father is a fishmonger and previously fished when I was younger. I have at first hand witnessed the steps involved from sea to fork. Many people are involved in these steps which provides an income for these people. In costal rural areas there are not as many job opportunities and many view the sea as a place where they can earn a living. I live near a fish farm too. The fish farm is located in close proximity to an Island. The fish farm provides vital job opportunities to the Island people. This allows the Islanders to take home a wage and continue to live on the Island. The opportunity of full-time employment means that families can move home and live on the Island. This has a knock-on effect on the island, as the fish farm is a large employer, it heavily contributes to the socioeconomic impact on the Island. Without this employment many Islanders may not be able to live where they were born and raised.
I really enjoyed module one. I come from a fishing community and know the importance that aquaculture can have on a small community in the West of Ireland. Last January I registered for the Aquaculture Remote classroom webinar. The children in my class were very engaged in the webinar and eager to learn more about how the sea is farmed. Most of the children came from a farming background and were really interested in aquaculture making comparisons to agriculture. I myself have worked on oyster farms and in shellfish factories when I was younger so I was able to share some stories with the children. I have a great interest in aquaculture and I would to develop a love for it in my classroom too. The resources provided at the end of the module are great and can aid the teaching of acquaculture in the classroom.
