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Hi Alison, I really enjoyed reading your post. I think the practical activities you suggested, such as building sand dunes and planting dune grasses, are a great way to help children understand climate change and feel that they can make a difference. I also like the link to Green Schools as it shows children that small actions in their own community can have a wider impact. The connection you made with SSE is also important, as these activities help promote pupil voice, responsibility and respect for the environment.
Climate change is something that children are becoming more aware of, and I think it is important that they understand how it affects both their own local area and the wider world. In my area, children can see examples through issues such as increased rainfall, flooding in some areas, changes in weather patterns and the impact on nature and wildlife.In my classroom, I would encourage pupils to explore climate change through discussion, projects and practical activities. We could look at our own school environment, carry out a waste or energy audit, plant flowers for pollinators or investigate ways we can reduce our impact on the world. I think children engage more when they feel they can take action rather than just learning about the problems. Three actions I would encourage are: 1. reducing waste 2. using less energy and 3.protecting nature by planting and caring for green spaces. Small changes can make children feel empowered and show them that everyone has a role to play. The Development Education modules link closely with SSE as they encourage schools to reflect on inclusion, sustainability and pupil voice. SSE can help us identify how we can improve our practices and create a whole-school approach to caring for our planet.
Hi Mel, I really enjoyed reading your post. I think the links you made between schools, sports clubs and the wider community are so important. I also love the idea of your Multicultural Day. It sounds like a great way for children to celebrate the different cultures within their school community while learning from each other.
After researching organisations in my local area, I found that Doras works with refugees, asylum seekers and migrants in Limerick, providing support with areas such as education, integration and settling into their new communities. It made me reflect on the important role schools can play in helping children understand different experiences and making everyone feel welcome. In my school , we could support refugees through simple actions such as celebrating different cultures, recognising the languages spoken in our school community, creating welcome activities for new pupils or working with local organisations. I think it is important that children see refugees as individuals with their own stories, talents and experiences, rather than only focusing on the challenges they may have faced.Development Education can help children develop empathy and challenge stereotypes. This also links with SSE, as schools can reflect on how inclusive their environment is and whether all pupils feel valued and represented.
Hi Aoife, The Step Forward game sounds like a great way to help children understand inequality and develop empathy. I agree that these topics need to be handled sensitively, as some children may have personal experiences connected to them. I also liked your point that children do not need to solve the world’s biggest problems on their own. Small actions within the school community can still make a real difference and help children feel that their voices matter. This links really well with Development Education and SSE through promoting inclusion, pupil voice and a sense of belonging.
One SDG that I think children can really relate to is SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production. I think this is a good topic for primary school because children can see examples of it in their everyday lives, such as recycling, food waste and the amount of rubbish we produce. I would encourage children in my class to look at small changes they can make rather than feeling that these are huge problems that they cannot solve. For example, we could look at how much waste we create in one week, discuss ways to reduce it, or come up with ideas for making our school more sustainable. I think children are more engaged when they feel they have a voice and that their actions actually matter. I think it would link well to Lesson 1 from the Plan resources comparing the different environments people live in e.g. shanty towns and the rubbish around them. Development Education helps children understand that while these actions happen locally, they can also have a wider impact globally. I think this links well with SSE as schools can reflect on how they promote sustainability, inclusion and pupil involvement. It is a great opportunity to see how we can encourage children to become more aware of the world around them and the role they can play in making positive changes.
Hi Aoife I really enjoyed reading your post. I think that drawing activity is such a simple but effective way of highlighting the stereotypes children can have without even realising it. It shows how much influence the media and the world around them can have on their thinking.I also like how you used it as a discussion rather than just telling the children they were wrong. Introducing them to female scientists and people from different backgrounds is a great way to challenge those ideas and broaden their view of what is possible. It’s a lovely reminder that small classroom activities can have a big impact on children’s confidence and aspirations.
After reflecting on gender stereotypes, I realised how early children begin to absorb ideas about what boys and girls “should” like or be good at. Even in primary school, I hear comments like “football is for boys” or “pink is for girls.” Although these comments are usually innocent, they show how stereotypes are already influencing children’s thinking. One situation I have noticed is during free play, where some children assume boys should choose construction toys and cars while girls choose dolls or arts and crafts. I like to ask open-ended questions such as, “Why do you think that?” This encourages children to reflect on their own assumptions. I think Development Education is a great way to challenge these stereotypes through discussion, questioning and stories that show a range of different role models. It also links well with School Self-Evaluation (SSE), as schools can reflect on whether their teaching, resources and classroom environment promote equality and inclusion. Helping children challenge stereotypes from a young age creates a more respectful and inclusive classroom for everyone.
Hi Kevin, I really enjoyed reading your post. I agree that children need to see themselves as part of a much bigger community, and I think that starts in the classroom. I also like your point about not reinventing the wheel! Having a shared bank of resources makes it so much easier for teachers to include Development Education in their planning. Your International Day sounds like a lovely idea. It must have been great for the children to celebrate the different cultures represented in the school and for families to feel included too.
After reading Ehigie’s article, I was reminded that Development Education is about much more than teaching children facts about global issues. It is about helping them to become kind, curious and responsible citizens who understand that their actions can have an impact on others. I think this fits really well with the new Primary Curriculum Framework, where children’s wellbeing, inclusion and active learning are so important.
In my own classroom, I would try to include Development Education through stories, class discussions and activities that encourage children to think about fairness, diversity and caring for the environment. It also links naturally with SPHE, Geography and Green Schools, so it doesn’t have to be an “extra” subject.
I also think Development Education works best when it is part of a whole-school approach. Sharing ideas and resources with colleagues, or planning activities together for events like World Children’s Day or Earth Day, could help make it part of everyday school life.
It also fits well with School Self-Evaluation (SSE). If we are reflecting on how we promote inclusion, pupil voice and active learning, then Development Education should be part of that conversation. It encourages us to look at how we are helping children develop empathy, respect and an understanding of the wider world.
Hi Valerie,
I really like how you’ve built the lesson up in a very structured way from free exploration with the balloons to a more controlled group investigation. The comparison between the random balloon movement and the guided “rocket” system is a great way to help children clearly understand how rockets move forward in a very visual and memorable way.Activity Set: Dancing Raisins – how would you use this in your classroom?
I would use the Dancing Raisins activity as a simple investigation in a SESE Science lesson on materials and change, or as an engaging demonstration during a class discussion on air and gases.I would begin by showing the children the raisins in water first so they can see that they naturally sink. I would then repeat the process using a freshly opened fizzy drink and ask the children to predict what might happen. This would encourage observation, questioning and discussion from the start.
As the raisins begin to “dance” up and down, I would pause the class and allow them to describe what they see and try to explain it in their own words. I would then introduce the idea of gas bubbles sticking to the raisins and making them float to the surface.
As a follow-up, I would link it to Maths by weighing the raisins before and after or recording observations in a simple table. Overall, I think it would be a very visual and memorable experiment that would really engage younger children.
Hi Olwyn, I really like how you’ve linked the lesson to both Maths and History in a very natural way. The idea of using a pictogram/bar chart is especially effective for junior classes as it makes the data very visual and accessible. The Aistear junk modelling task also sounds like a great hands-on extension that would encourage creativity and oral language.
Activity: Hands-on classroom activities – Animals in the Cold
I would use this activity as part of a SESE lesson on animals and their habitats, linking it to the theme of cold climates and how animals adapt to survive in extreme weather.I will start with a discussion about different types of weather, as it allows children to draw on their own experiences before introducing colder climates like the North and South Poles.
Using the photographs of the polar bear and penguin would help the children visualise real animals and prompt discussion about how they stay warm. I think the idea of linking their adaptations to a “coat they are always wearing” is a very child-friendly way of explaining insulation.
The Vaseline experiment with water would be a simple but effective way for children to see how a greasy layer can repel water. I can imagine this being a very memorable part of the lesson and leading to good discussion around how animals are adapted to their environment.
Overall, I think this would be a very engaging, hands-on lesson that supports curiosity and understanding in a very accessible way for young children.