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Hi Laura,
I enjoyed reading your post about cross-curricular learning especially within SESE. It’s an area we are hoping to focus on in September so I will have knowledge, resources and the ARC classroom to share with my colleagues.
Hi Margaret,
I completely agree that local groups like Tidy Towns do tremendous work. We also have the Sea Scouts here and the many young children who are members are regularly involved in litter picks and beach clean ups, not to mention the fun they have on the water also!
I too have read The Salmon of Knowledge many times with various classes I’ve had but have never expanded on the idea of salmon, omega 3 and brain development. This is something I will definitely bring into my lessons next year.
Was delighted to read your post Orla as I too teach 1st class, well 1st/2nd. We have not had the ARC at our school, but it is definitely something I think would be so worthwhile for pupils. It was good to read that many of the ideas can be simplified and brought down to an age-appropriate level through play-based and activity-based learning, suitable for my age group.
It’s a very good point Karolina about how the sea provides so many opportunities, not just fish. I too have seen many small local businesses starting up where I live which include seaweed baths, food products and beauty products.
Where I live on the Inishowen Peninsula in Donegal sustainability is practiced through community-led green energy initiatives, regenerative coastal farming, and community groups like the Inishowen Rivers Trust, which actively protect local waterways and wild salmon populations. The beautiful landscapes like Malin Head and Stroove beach are very wild and untouched. A local field trip would be an excellent opportunity to engage pupils.
For my 1st and 2nd Class primary pupils I would bring it down to the local level. Some ideas that might work – Adopt a River water guardians, connect students directly to the work of the Inishowen Rivers Trust. Leave no trace beach clean up on one of the local beaches. Daily classroom activities which are already in practice – waste and water tracker, energy/light monitors, green schools activities, recycle and reuse, Picker Pals.
Hi Frances,
I like your ideas for the 3 lessons above. I usually teach 1st and 2nd class and have found that nutrition of seafood module 4 could be integrated very easily across the SPHE, Science and maths curriculum. Some ideas that would work for me are: SPHE Use the Healthy Ireland Food Pyramid to show where seafood sits. Pupils can analyze their own lunches or design a balanced dinner plate, discovering how replacing processed meats with a portion of oily fish boosts their nutrient intake. Science (The Human Body & Food Chains): Lessons to explore how the human brain uses omega-3 fats to build pathways. Pupils can also investigate marine food chains to learn how fish absorb these healthy nutrients from smaller marine organisms like algae. Mathematics (Data & Fractions): Conduct a survey of favorite seafoods, transforming the results into bar charts or pie charts. Students can also practice reading food labels, comparing the protein or salt content of fresh fish versus processed fish fingers.
Hi Claire
I really enjoyed reading your response on Module 3.
I found module 3 very insightful with lots of practical ideas to take back to school in September. I will take my new understanding of Aquaculture and share it with my colleagues at a staff meeting. I will encourage the use of the ARC online lessons and resources in all classes. It would be great to establish a Marine or Aquaculture Team in our school and look at the possibility of obtaining a Blue Schools Award. Pick a local aquaculture producer to visit and discuss some direct and indirect jobs that stem from the aquaculture producer, along with their importance in our local community. I think a visit from The ARC is a must for next year .
STEM runs right across the whole curriculum; it enables the pupils to have a greater understanding of their own world. It is not only about content knowledge it has to be grounded in meaningful context which leads to better learning and improves the quality of education – central to the SEE process.
Completely agree with you Claire, its vital for small rural areas, money is been spent in these areas, jobs created and just having people around brings life back into these communities.
The strategic location of aquaculture farms along Ireland’s coastline, from Donegal along the western sea board, represents a vital intersection of geography, economy, and community survival. I live in peripheral and rural county and aquaculture thrives here. Because these regions are geographically remote, we suffer from poor land infrastructure, limited connectivity, and a lack of traditional manufacturing jobs.
Socio-economically, aquaculture acts as a baseline lifeline for the area I live in. While global urbanization drives younger people away from coastal towns, marine farming provides localized, stable employment that spans multiple skill levels.
Integrating this topic into the primary curriculum gives pupils immediate, real-world context for how human activity adapts to the natural environment. However, in the classroom we must address the balance that has be achieved with tourism, traditional fisheries, sea swimming alongside aquaculture farms.
I am a teacher working in a rural school in north Donegal. We are surrounded by beautiful beaches and the sea. The Greencastle fishery school is on our doorstep. Many of the children are not aware of what is in their local environment – so many oyster farms and people working in the fishing industry. I would like the knowledge to engage children with what surrounds them in their local area at sea.