Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
Great question and investigation Sarah. I too loved and tried out the carbon footprint calculator from a previous module. It was very interesting so this would be great for parents, SNA’s, teachers, kids etc. to use.
The more practical and positive side to it is trying to agree to taking on small steps or changes that would reduce our carbon footprint. Children would love to take on small challenges such as recycling more, picking up litter, turning taps off etc. A home school link document could be sent to parents with encouraging ways they too could help the environment.
The research question that I propose is ‘How has climate change had an impact on weather conditions and temperatures in Ireland?
Activities:
1. Discuss climate change – what is understood by the term? Record information on whiteboard.
2. Discuss and think about Ireland’s weather. Design vocabulary maps to best describe our weather?
3. Talk about extreme/unusual weather conditions witnessed in Ireland over the last 10 years. Ask parents/grandparents/research local media/check for reports on climate events. Make links with local environmental authority. Begin researching.
4. At this point it would be a nice idea to invite a guest speaker to the classroom e.g. local environmentalists, meteorologists, or community members who have observed changes in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events to speak to the class.
6. Collect data – ground. Children may begin a 2 week observation of weather and record it on a daily log Children could build their own weather station and have it on the school grounds. After their investigation, children could present their research and findings to other classes throughout the school. A plan of action to reduce climate change could then be undertaken throughout the school. Everyone could make a pact to try to reduce their own carbon footprint in some small way.I agree with you Aine that teaching the children old weather proverbs is an engaging way to start this topic. I think this activity could be extended as a homework activity where students may ask their parents or grandparents about any known weather proverbs to them. This could be done as a whole class padlet or a seesaw activity. At the end I’m sure there would be a varied collection of weather proverbs and I think this is something that students would remember forever.
After downloading the resource ‘High Up in the sky’ and examining the teacher and pupil guides I feel this resource would be really useful in the classroom. Firstly, I would open up conversation around what Earth might look like from space. The children may have done some pre work on space stations and astronauts. They could draw their visualisations and then use this resource to analyse and understand the different images of Earth from space. I would show the students some images of the Earth taken from the ISS by astronauts. Children could then describe these in their best words.
I would then move onto getting the children to examine and match the photos with this resource. Again this would lead to some interesting observations and debates. The children would compare and contrast the photos taken on the ground of landscapes and match these to the pictures taken from space.
The next lesson would lead to children examining photos taken from satellites orbiting the earth. The children could match photos and think of advantages and disadvantages of using these photos.I think you have made a very valid point Michelle – this video is certainly pitched at the senior primary classes or even more so suited to secondary school age pupils. I would also keep in mind eco-anxiety as it is such a powerfully portrayed video. The photos are breathtaking so maybe discussion points around them would be more suited to the younger classes. Again you as teacher are best placed to decide which photos are more suitable to show your own class.
The video ‘Home’ by Yann Arthus Bertrand is so powerful and moving. Not only is the the message conveyed extremely well but the use of vivid imagery coneys the climate crisis and the effects humans are having on our planet. I think this video would work best shown in snippets to a 5th or 6th class and perhaps they could practise the skill of note taking to record the most important, scientific facts. Alternatively, the class could be divided into small groups and each group could watch certain sections of the video whilst taking notes and relating the important messages back to the whole class.
Some facts that caught my attention are that 4 billion years ago Earth came into existence but humans appeared only 200,000 years ago. It also then explicitly conveyed how humans have disrupted the balance which is essential to life. It really gives the scientific facts so well and you almost feel a shock factor which leads to feeling – we need to make a change and now is the time!!
I loved the phrase that Earth is a miracle and life remains a mystery. It relayed the profound effects that humans have on the environment – deforestation, pollution, exploitation of natural resources etc. It also relates to the theme to biodiversity and how we are all interconnected as the planet is our fragile ecosystem. I think after showing the children this video they could draw up a positive plan on how we could change/what actions we could take personally and globally? To conclude I think it might be a good idea to show the children the video 2019 Climate Action Plan – to see if they had thought of all/any of the ideas from it.I totally agree with you Grainne in eliciting prior knowledge from the children on the topic before beginning any teaching. This is always valuable and children learn so much in the process. Also it is a lovely idea to allow the children to use the TEAL resource on Ipads in small groups. This makes their learning more exploratory, engaging and rewarding as a whole.
The Paxi Video from this module all about the Greenhouse Effect was excellent. It explained the concept so clearly, used vivid imagery and perfectly pitched content for primary school children. The video was really engaging and I loved the summary points to conclude – a really nice recap. It was also so positive and relayed the correct message as in “You can make a difference”. I loved the way it continued to list ways each and every one of us can action on reducing the greenhouse effect. The tool for predicting future temperature across the globe was also very engaging. I think the senior classes in particular would understand this interactive tool the most and it really allows children to visualise the impact the greenhouse gases have globally.
To use these resources, I personally would find out what the class know about the “Greenhouse Effect” as in their previous knowledge – just to gauge their understanding. I might even put the class into groups to do a K,W,L on chart paper. Then I would show the Paxi video which explains the concept in such a fantastically engaging way. The class should open up discussion afterwards. Additionally, integrating one of the hands on experiments would further demonstrate the greenhouse effect. This would certainly consolidate their learning. Children could also respond to this activity by drawing a picture/diagram to show the positive and negative effects of Greenhouse Effect. Overall, I really feel that this activity is practical, hands on, interactive and engaging for pupils. I will definitely use this resource next year.
The Paxi Video from this module all about the Greenhouse Effect was excellent. It explained the concept so clearly, used vivid imagery and perfectly pitched content for primary school children. The video was really engaging and I loved the summary points to conclude – a really nice recap. It was also so positive and relayed the correct message as in “You can make a difference”. I loved the way it continued to list ways each and every one of us can action on reducing the greenhouse effect. The tool for predicting future temperature across the globe was also very engaging. I think the senior classes in particular would understand this interactive tool the most and it really allows children to visualise the impact the greenhouse gases have globally.
To use these resources, I personally would find out what the class know about the “Greenhouse Effect” as in their previous knowledge – just to gauge their understanding. I might even put the class into groups to do a K,W,L on chart paper. Then I would show the Paxi video which explains the concept in such a fantastically engaging way. The class should open up discussion afterwards. Additionally, integrating one of the hands-on experiment to demonstrate the greenhouse effect in a simple way could further solidify their understanding. For instance, using jars, thermometers, and heat lamps to show how heat is trapped could make the learning experience more comprehensive. Children could also respond to this activity by drawing a picture/diagram to show the positive and negative effects of Greenhouse Effect. Overall, I really feel that this activity is practical, hands on, interactive and engaging for pupils. I will definitely use this resource next year.
SSTEM in my classroom is when children are working together actively learning, testing, experimenting, problem solving, recording and critically thinking.
In using the resource to understand weather and climate, I would begin by opening up a whole class discussion on differences between weather and climate. Children could discuss the weather currently and use their senses in describing it. Using the children’s birthdays is a clever way to allow the children to make connections and to relate to the concept that weather is constantly changing. At the end of the lesson, it is important that children have a definition for weather and climate and can compare and contrast the two definitions. For older children they can be stretched further into discussion on climate zones. Perhaps the lovely video from this module could be shown to help consolidate this concept. The second activity on being a weather detective and measuring the temperature had some excellent practical pieces of information. I think it is important to firstly allow the pupils time to think about what factors they would consider when measuring air temperature. Whole class discussion could open up and check that pupils have thought about all the required elements. Tips on using the thermometer were very good in this activity and allowing the readings to be taken at the same time each day for a sustained period is very important. I think it would be a lovely idea to set up a school weather station. Children would learn so much from the process and STEM would be at the heart of their learning. Hopefully next year this will come into floriation in my own school.
T being a weather detective and measuring theI agree with you Gráinne. Both resources give practical hands on ideas on how to integrate STEM into the classroom. I love the way they are enquiry based and with lovely ready to go worksheets to incorporate group work, planning, critical thinking and scope to experiment. I too would love to set up a weather station in my school next year. I think the Green School Committee could organise this and give talks or presentations to each class about the various pieces of equipment and what/how they measure. I think some of the video links from this module could be shown to classes also. I’m looking forward to delving more into this topic next year.
