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Hi Stephanie, I agree that hands-on practices are a great way for children to learn and make sense of sustainability for themselves. I like your idea of visiting local initiatives where the children can get involved and see the work the volunteers do for themselves. It also creates a great connection between the school and the local community.
This module has highlighted how important sustainability is, especially as we are now beginning to see the effects of global warming with stories of extreme weather events like heatwaves, wildfires and droughts. This has a profound, irreversible effect on humans, wildlife and their habitats and plant life. In my local area, the Tidy Towns committee do great work by planting flower beds, litterpicking and encouraging the community to take care of their locality. This sets a good example for children to take small steps to leave their area better than they found it. My school has been taking part in Green Schools for the past few years with a focus on biodiversity. We are very lucky to have a school garden that the children have made a hedgehog house, leaf piles, bird houses and insect hotels for. It gives them a sense of responsibility and the Green School committee take it upon themselves to encourage their classmates to conserve energy, water and stop littering. These good habits can then be continued at home.
Hi Gráinne, I agree with what you said about how creating an awareness of different food sources such as seafood is very important even if the children might not currently consume them regularly. Exposing the children to food like this allows them to think critically, make informed choices and develop an awareness and appreciation for different diets and the environmental impact of food production in Ireland especially.
I found this module very interesting and was surprised to learn how nutritious seafood actually is especially how it is a complete protein with all 20 amino acids. I also found it interesting to look at the nutritional labels and see how low in calories and fat it is while still being high in protein. I noticed that some of the products shown were pre-cooked and would be so easy to prepare and I will definitely try to add some more seafood into my diet based on the knowledge gained in this module. This knowledge could be integrated with many subjects in the classroom such as Science, S.P.H.E, Maths when comparing the nutritional values and Literacy for topics such as persuasive writing. I think children would find it interesting and engaging especially the Eye Spy game and it is something that can inform decision making on healthy eating and sustainability as they grow up. Using supermarket brochures is always something I do when teaching about the food pyramid and if I were to do it again, I would put more of an emphasis on seafood as a protein source. I also liked the way the story of ‘The Salmon of Knowledge’ was used as a stimulus.
Hi, I agree that these lessons align very well with the STEM Education Policy Statement as they give children a chance to ask meaningful questions, work together, think critically and solve problems while also using digital tools to achieve this. As you said there are opportunities to extend the children’s learning while using these lessons as a starting point and to assess their prior knowledge of the topic.
The ARC online lessons provide opportunities for children to engage in active, enquiry-based lessons with an emphasis on assessment using a quiz at the end of each lesson. In my own classroom, I could apply these concepts by giving the children the opportunity to work collaboratively, solve problems and develop their critical thinking skills. There is potential to integrate this knowledge across other subjects while connecting it with real life examples that the children can relate to and make connections to. These lessons are also a good way to develop digital literacy and promote the use of ICT. STEM education can be addressed on a whole-school level using the SSE process by identifying what is working well and what needs to be improved, consulting with the stakeholders and encouraging collaboration among teachers to come up with targets that are then put into action and by monitoring and evaluating the results on pupils’ learning.
Hi Celine, I think you made an interesting point when you mentioned how tourism is so seasonal while aquaculture brings employment and revenue all year round.
I have to say that I never thought too deeply about the location of aquaculture farms until now but I find it really interesting that they are all based along the west coast of Ireland, a place that benefits from the proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and that is unsuitable for other types of farming due to the mountainous nature of the land. I thought it was interesting how these areas provide perfect natural conditions for different types of seafood. The aquaculture farms in these areas contribute socio-economically to the local area in various ways. It provides direct and indirect job opportunities, sustains population in rural areas, unites communities and families and leads to the creation of better infrastructure. I have noticed that some of these farms are family-run and have been established for generations by people who are used to these conditions and know what is expected when it comes to aquaculture.
Hi Triona, I agree that the videos would really appeal to and spark an interest in children who may not live near the sea. It also may be something they bear in mind while visiting the coast on their holidays or when eating seafood at home. I thought it was interesting when you said some children didn’t have much experience of cooking fish as this teaches important life skills for the future.
I found this module very interesting and I learned a lot of valuable information. I have no doubt that the children in my school would find this fascinating. It is wonderful to get an insight into where our food comes from and the work that goes in to getting it the consumer. I really enjoyed the videos on the lifecycle of the salmon in particular. It is also very interesting how oysters are playing a role in reef restoration and how there is an emphasis on sustainability. This is a hot topic in school at the moment and there are opportunities to integrate this topic with lots of subjects such as SESE, SPHE, English, Maths etc. The videos and interactive quizzes on the BIM website are a great way to introduce this topic to children as I’m sure lots of the children in my school would learn something new and find it very interesting and engaging.
Prepare a school project to collect Piseógs/Traditions/Stories of the Night. For Example: Dúchas Folklore Commission
I would begin by introducing the concept of folklore through simple, engaging storytelling, highlighting how these stories were passed by word of mouth from generation to generation. We would explore examples from the Dúchas Folklore Commission, using those from the local area and about common themes such as Halloween to spark curiosity. We would look at the similarities and differences between the handwriting then and now and how things have changed or stayed the same since. I’d explain what piseógs are (superstitions or old beliefs) and how traditions and night-time stories were passed down through generations. Together, we would create interview questions for family or community members to gather their own stories. I’d encourage children to record their findings through drawings, writing, or voice recordings and then share these stories in class and create a collective class book, video or display. This is something I did at school when I was younger and it is so nice to look back at.
Thanks for sharing such a comprehensive list Tanya. I like the way you included sculptures and photography as well. I will definitely make a note of these suggestions for future reference!
To help my class explore biodiversity in our local area, we’d start with a nature walk around the school grounds. We’d bring clipboards and other equipment to look for bugs, birds, flowers, and trees. On our return to class, we’d create a big wall display showing the different living things we found. We’d talk about how their importance and how they all need each other to survive.
Then we’d learn about light pollution. I’d ask, “What happens when there are too many lights at night?” We’d watch a short video showing how bright lights can confuse animals like birds, bats, or moths. I think it is something children need to be explicitly taught as I myself never realised how damaging light pollution is to animals, insects and even plants.
To finish, we’d make posters aimed at reducing light pollution by asking people to turn off outside lights when they’re not needed to help protect the amazing animals and plants living all around us.
Hi Chantelle, I agree with how we must think about nocturnal animals that are found in the school grounds, just because we can’t see them during the school day doesn’t mean they aren’t there. I like how you would make adaptations for bats and owls to have a safe space in the school grounds and I also like how you promote the children’s voice by giving them the responsibility to make changes.
Assemble an Earth Tube and one other planet tube – decorate in a suitable manner.
I have chosen this activity because I think it is a great way to explore weight and gravity across the solar system. Using the tubes gives the children the choice to decorate them how they wish and is a good way to integrate art along with other subjects. I like how they are a concrete way to compare the different planets to Earth. The children could use iPads to research these planets beforehand and their their findings by presenting them to the class and comparing their tubes with their classmates. I also like the way recyclable materials could be used to make these tubes.