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The Energy Audit is brilliant idea and something that all of us should be doing amidst the rising energy costs and the overall cost of living. Children can make a real impact at home by developing energy saving habits which could lead to an overall better health and well being of all involved.
The sustainable development goal I chose is SDG 13: Climate action.
It is very evident today that climate change is affecting children’s education, health and over-all wellbeing here in Ireland but also globally. We face extreme weather, food insecurity, displacement (spain and france currently) along with water shortages/supply issues. Children and adults contented with structural damage to properties (storms last year), flooding, No electricity, chnages in biodiversity and growing fear of what the future will hold for us if this continues to worsen.
To encourage students to take action in support of this sustainable development goal and the ESD to 2030 Priority Action Area 5, I would focus on how we can make small but meaningful changes in school and at home. We could identify ways to reduce waste and energy use, Promote Reuse and Recycling, promote Biodiversity through active learning such as building bug hotels and planting trees and promote the use of sustainable transport. We could also continue to participate and support local initiatives such as sales involving preloved items, plants and locally produced food goods.
Development education aligns to SSE by promoting our students to be global citizens who are tuned in to the benefits of sustainability and feel like they have a voice and that their actions can make a difference both locally and globally. It is adapted as a whole school approach which is embedded in our policies and everyday practices making it a meaningful section of school improvement.Climate change is having a huge impact on our education systems all around the county. Storms, flooding, droughts are becoming more and more common with their impacts resulting in school closures and also effecting the home life of so many of our students. This year we were shut for a week due to no ESB in the school with some students having no ESB or water for nearly 10 days.
These events have already sparked discussions in class about climate change. We part take in initiatives such as water preservation and harvesting rainwater in our local community centre, recycling where we can and promoting local produce in the form of regular bake sales, christmas and spring fayre in the school. We are also located close to Bord na Mona wind farms who have regularly funded transport for us to attend events on Biodiversity in their centres which the children love.
This links to SSE in the area’s of Wellbeing, Development education/sustainability and Active learning.
I love the idea of promoting sustainable travel methods. This not only links to reduction in our carbon footprint but also encourages healthy habits leading to overall healthier children who will possibly be more inclined to engage with learning after some fresh air. Too many times I see children sitting in cars/buses engrossed in a screen waiting top come into school.
There are many national organisations offering refugee support services in this country.
– Irish refugee council: offers help and information in different languages on the international protection process, including providing legal representation, amd programmes on housing, employment, education, youth work and resettlement.
-Irish red cross: manages community sponsorship initiatives, integration, help finding accommodation and connects to local health and social services.
-Doras: provides free support, advocacy, and drop in advice for migrants and protection applicants.
-Crosscare migrant project: focuses on immigration queries, residency permissions and citizenship applications.
In school we can support refugees by educating the students about why people leave their home country, if appropriate showing videos about the lives of children in other countries. we could also set up food, clothing, books and old toy drives to support local provision centres.
The past year we also had migrants join our school. To help them to integrate we discussed their home country and the circumstances behind why people leave. The SET team prepared packs in the students native language and also gave a lesson to the classes the child would be part of – teaching basic greeting expressions in their language. We also used google to translate worksheets and set up a buddy system for the first 2 weeks to help the student to settle in and integrate. This ties back to our inclusion policy. Furthering this next year we hope to run a cultural event including a bake sale.
Your post was very informative and I too was unaware of all the different supports that are out there. Searching in my local area I was struggling to find organisations outside of the county council but it is great to see so many nationally.
I like the idea of head, heart, hands for younger classes who may not have the capacity to engage with the lessons from the module. I think the media often neglects the role that migrants have played in making our country better but rather focuses on the negative stories which does impact public perception on the topic and is evident in the opinion of some of the children in the senior classes at times.
I totally agree with the careful selection of the displays and teaching resources. Spending a little more time ensuring that equality has been considered when putting up displays or in case studies creates a welcoming environment and encourages confidence in students whose interests maybe don’t align with current gender stereotypes.
I think gender stereotypes are generally already embedded in children before they enter primary school and even preschool. From the moment a child is born the colour of the clothes is pink for girls or blue for boys, toy ad’s show girls playing with dolls and boys playing with footballs or bricks.
I have also noticed that certain extra curricular sports can be quite gender dominant- for example dance (ballet) seems to be very much a female sport, while rugby and boxing can often be considered and sport for boys (Akthough there has been a shift in these views in the last number of years) . It is worth noting however that for young children these extra curricular activities are predominantly influenced by those at home.
I think that in the classroom we can provide the children with opportunities to explore their likes and dislikes in a safe, non judgemental environment. We should continue to provide opportunities for all classes to experience activities that society perceives as gender specific. Gender equality topics should be embedded in various lessons allowing time for children to discuss and critically reflect on these issues.
Agree with all your points Claire. In particular about embedding Development awareness across the curriculum allowing students time to critically reflect and come up with solutions to some of the issues that arise in todays world. I feel encouraging and giving students time to look into these real world issues will develop young global citizens who will feel empowered to make a positive impact on the world in the future.
The Role of Global Citizens in Today’s World by Ehigie (2021)
My views of this article are of agreement with the idea that change starts with the ‘system of self’ and being a good global citizen. To change it only requires one person to notices that certain actions don’t align with the morals they have developed internally. Whether it has happened to them or to others it is important that young people develop an awareness of themselves and of the people around them, humanity is something we share and that we must compliment each other and work together.
I try to incorporate Development education into my everyday teaching by demonstrating we are all human, that our actions can impact and to be responsible and empathic towards one another in students everyday interactions. I would also incorporate development education in various lessons (SESE, English, Art etc.) by probing questions about the voices that we don’t hear, feelings felt that may not have been communicated in the story or picture. For whole school planning I feel it is important that students behave in a manner that considers the feelings of others around them. Also that different cultures are celebrated throghout the year.
For space week the theme would be incorporated into several lessons throughout the week as well as using some of the live resources available.
To start the week:
Space week would be introduced during circle time and we would start a mind map entitled Space which would be displayed and added to throughout the week. A short video linked to space would be shown each day or we would tune into some of the live videos available that week.
For English:
*A reading comprehension about Astronuats and space would be covered. (This is available in their workbook).
*Write a postcard from space.
For PE:
*The students would complete astronaut training obstacle course. climbing over and crawling under things, running jumping, squatting, bouncing a ball.
Drama:
*Students would watch the moon landing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbTaDOuSePk and in groups would create and role play their road trip to the moon and back again. They bring in their own objects to leave on the moon.
Maths:
*Students could practice addition/subtraction doing a colour by number worksheet with a space themed picture created or a code breaker message/ fact about space.
Gaeilge:
*Vocabulary on Weather and clothing could be discussed followed by animals in the cold and their adaptions.
Art/ Music:
*Recreation of starry starry night by Van Gogh with chalk done accompanied by looking at the words of the song starry starry night and listening to its melody.
*Lesson about Mars, Make the surface of mars out of red clay, make an alien that could live on mars.
* Learn about the planets in the solar system through song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ero4xNzqMQ
SSE:
*Create your own rockets – using string, straws and balloons. Add your own features and race them across the room. Discuss what features would help them travel faster/slower and why they are propelled forward.
Just for fun:
Have an space themed lunch, do a dress up day on the theme space.
The students in my class would love this lesson. I will definitely use this during space week this year. Showing the students a video of how real astronauts train for a mission before hand or after would create even more excitement.
I would do the lesson ‘what to wear combined with animals in the cold’ while also integrating some of the key words as Gaeilge for 1st and 2nd class.
I would start by discussing the weather in Ireland and in other parts of the world incorporating the words as Gaeilge into the discussion. We would then discuss the types of clothes to wear for each type of weather and the seasons that we are most likely to have these types of weather.
To follow this we would talk about animals in both hot and cold weather but concentrate on the cold weather animals linking in to the main location of the animals. Students would think about how they would keep warm in the cold such as wearing more clothes, and contrast this to how the animals can’t just put on an extra layer of clothing, we would then discuss how the animals have adapted in order to survive in the cold including the colour of their fur and feathers.
To assess the students learning they could complete a quiz or make a mind map of what they have learnt including the integration of Gaeilge.
A follow on the lesson could include some native animals in Ireland and how they have adapted to survive in their habitat.
