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Hi Sinead,
I really like your idea of the children investigating the impact of litter on marine ecosystems, it is a very practical and important way for them to see the impact that they can have on their local environment in a positive way. Taking part in local beach clean ups with their families and community allows for them to bring the learning home and be part of a wider community initiative to live in a more environmentally friendly way.
Within my local area sustainability is practiced using a variety of different ways. Local biodiversity conservation is practiced in the local park with riverbank conservation to support aquatic eco zones, different species of birds are protected and there is a woodland management plan in place. This could be brought into the classroom by bringing the children on nature walks to look at the local flora and fauna and exploring the various sources of aquatic life in the area, namely rivers and canals.
We also have a very strong tidy towns association and tradition within our town. Encouraging the children to participate in initiatives such as Litter Pickers and the Green Schools programme in school both highlights and reinforces the importance of sustainability within our community.
The deposit return scheme is also a great way to encourage children to recycle. By collecting bottles that may be left around the school the children can collect them and aim to save the bottle collection money to buy resources that they would like in the school, such as new sports equipment.
Hi Karolina,
I like your idea of the children keeping a journal to record how much seafood they are eating. It is always good for children to reflect on their eating habits as it helps them to build healthy habits for the future. Using practical activities like ‘I Spy’ makes learning about seafood fun and engaging for them in a real life situation.
Exploring the food pyramid and the different food types in each group is a very important thing to introduce to the children before branching off and exploring specific food groups such as fish. A cross curricular approach using area STEM, the language curriculum and wellbeing enable children to learn about the food pyramid in a fun and hands-on way. Learning about the nutritional benefits of fish is very important as many children may not be offered fish as an option at home, therefore using ideas such as eye spy in the supermarket is a good way for them to learn and also pass on what they have learned to their families. If facilities allow in school a fish cooking lesson for the children could be run, highlighting the nutritional benefits including the long list of vitamins, minerals and amino acids in fish, iron in muscles and shellfish and vitamin D in salmon. Shopping for fish in the local supermarket or if lucky enough in the local fish shop, looking at and understanding the packaging and cooking/tasting the fish in school. For younger children the story of the Salmon of Knowledge is a great introduction to the magic that fish has to offer. Setting up a fish market play area in a junior classroom and encouraging role play of buying and selling fish is also a nice way for younger children to explore the topic.
Hi Jessica,
I really like your idea of using local examples of aquaculture – you are lucky to be by the sea! The connections that they can make to their own environment and community may encourage older children to pursue a career in the area. I was amazed at all the different opportunities available. As part of the SSE guiding and supporting teachers to plan more inquiry based lessons and monitor pupil engagement would be very beneficial to all.
The ARC resources are an excellent way of introducing children to aquaculture and benefits it has to communities around the country. They are engaging and allow for practical real world activities to integrate into STEM. Geography and science activities could include mapping, learning about different fish and marine life, nutrition of seafood and the history of aquaculture around the world and in Ireland. Children love project work and the ARC resources are fantastic to encourage critical thinking and problem solving skills. The resources also support the STEM Education Policy Statement by promoting cross-curricular learning through hands-on investigations and the use of technology. They encourage children to think about their fishing community if they live near the sea and they give other children around the country the opportunity to see what aquaculture is and why the sea is so important to our economy and communities. On a broader school level STEM can be embedded through the SSE process, which gives schools the opportunity to guide their students education in a way that is reflective to their backgrounds and meaningful to their real-world experiences.
Hi Tara,
I also gained a greater understanding of the location of aquaculture farms around the coast and the importance of mapping to ensure the best and most sustainable areas are used. It is great to see the number of careers that can come from aquaculture and the variety of skills needed to make it successful in an area. It allows many people with lots of different skill sets to become part of a community, which in turn allows for socio economic development.
I agree there are lots of opportunities for learning within the SESE curriculum and STEM.
Ireland’s location in relation to the Gulf Stream and North Atlantic Drift makes for an ideal climate for aquaculture. We are lucky to have sheltered inlets, estuaries and Killary fjord which all allow us to harvest some of the best oysters, mussels and salmon stock in the world. The west coast of Ireland is where these aquaculture activities predominantly take place due to the temperate climate, shelter from the very harsh sea weather conditions and the semidiurnal tides which can be predicted each day. Aquaculture is essential for coastal communities and retaining populations within them. With huge numbers of young people choosing to leave coastal and rural areas for cities and emigration, it is essential that we highlight the benefits of staying and working in aquaculture. If people choose to stay there is a knock on effect with businesses, schools, sporting organisations and social development in an area. Opportunities are there to develop careers in areas such as aquafarming, mapping and sustainability to ensure a better and greener future for the next generations.
Hi Carrie,
I agree it that learning about aquaculture in an area that isn’t heavily influenced by the sea is a great way of getting students to use their critical thinking skills. Learning the value of social license and developing an understanding and appreciation of our marine farmers along side agricultural farmers would be very interesting to childen especially those from a farming background. The ARC looks like a fantastic resource that would be highly valuable in engaging childrens learning about aquaculture.
Working in an urban Deis school not located close to the sea, I feel that it is important that our students are introduced to the importance of aquaculture to our country and develop an understanding as to what it is. Having previously used the Greenschools Sea Keepers Project my eyes were opened to the huge interest and fascination the children have with the sea. As many of our students may not get the opportunity to visit the coast and see marine life up close, I think the ARC is a fantastic resource that gives all children to explore our countries vast marine life and allow them to explore the underwater world. Learning about social license helps school students understand that successful fish farming depends on both government support and funding but also the input of the fish farmers and their communities to promote their work and produce.