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The obvious signs of climate change at a local level would have to be the inconsistent weather during the year especially during seasons that would usually have predicatable weather patterns. We are seeing warmer Winters compared to the past. We are also seeing hotter summers with record breaking temperatures becoming an annual event. This may all seem great and we all enjoy warmer weather but there is a knock on effect involving the agriculture sector which is a key driving force for the Irish Economy. The inconsistent and changing weather is making growing crops and raising livestock more problematic. Excessive rainfall during the year along with storms is affecting crop production also. This is putting a strain on the agriculture sector which in turn puts on a strain on the livelihood of farmers. Some actions that could be done at school level could be ensuring that a Green Schools Committee is in place and that they put initiatives in place that promotes the importance of recycling. The school could also set up a return schemes in the school that could promote the importance of returning plastic bottles and cans. The money could then go towards new equipment in the school for extra curricular activities. Children could undertake upcycling projects. They could involve the local community to get involved by dontating old products that the children could in turn upcycle.
The Local Authority Team in Co Longford was set up to help international protection applicants and refugees become settled into their new communities. They provide a direct contact for new arrivals, helping them with any problems they might have when dealing with public services. They provide information on services like childcare and healthcare. They also aim to improve their ability to live independently, job training, education, and apprenticeships. Schools coudl organise a multi cultural day that welcomes and celebrates all nationalities in the local community. This would provide an opportunity to make everyone in the community feel welcome to the area.
I agree the zero waste at lunch time is a great idea. It really gets the children thinking about ways they can reduce waste. I can see this being a very effective practice that most schools could at least try.
The SDG that I would choose to focus on is Climate Action (13). The topic of Climate Action is something the children are able to relate to because it affects them both at a local level as well as a global level. I teach in a rural school where a lot of livelihoods are farming based so the children are able to connect to the importance of climate change. They understand that the unpredictable weather affects their methods of production which in turns affects their every day lives. This can help them to become more aware of other climate changes such as droughts and rising sea levels that affects others on a global setting. This shows the children that everyone is affected by climate change even and that everyone experiences different problems.
Linking development education to SSE can be done at class level by student projects as well as interviews with their parents, neighbours and wider community. It can be done on a whole school level by ensuring there is a Green Schools Committee. Teachers can also dedicate a Croke Park hour to ensure everyone has a clear understanding of the importance of promoting development education in the school.
Hi Alison,
The past pupil coming back to the school was a great idea and would have given the children the opportunity to see that anyone can become a professional soccer player.
Gender stereotypes can shape the opinions children have on others and themselves included. In my own classroom experience I see it on a regualar basis. I teach 5th class and this previous year was a predominantly sport driven class. The boys in the class especially were very into sport and had a massive interest. One moment that stuck with me was when we were discussing what sporting events would be on during the summer. They mentioned the Gaa finals and I went on to mention the Women’s Uefa European Championship. The response was “Women’s football isn’t that important”. This mentality at such a young age is one that has been previously passed down or learned through certain online behaviours and opinions. These opinions can shape children’s understanding and perspectives for the rest of their lives. By having discussions with children that talk about people and jobs and the traditional views people may already have can open their eyes to a different perspective. Talking about role such as female construction workers or male make up artist’s will help broaden their perspectives.
I think it is imperative that these issues are addressed from an early stage to prevent issues further down the line. Children need to be encouraged that both men and women can do the same jobs, sports and roles and both deserve an equal level of respect.Hi Orlaith,
I liked your idea of the school garden to teach about sustainability. I could see that being really successful.
The paper provides a clear reminder of the world we live in today and the role each one of us has. I like how the paper introduces children to topics such as clinate challeneges and global inequalities because I feel these are topics that involve everyone no matter what age or background. It allows chidren to develop a sense of empathy and understanding of the world around them. It also teaches the importance of being resilient. I would incorporate this into my teaching by introducing topics such as migration and human rights. The pupils would work in small groups and investigate local and global case studies on the above topics. This would open up discussions on the similarities or differences on migration and human rights in their own community and communities around the world. I’d encourage whole school involvement by presenting a croke park hour to bring colleagues up to speed with the importance of global citizenship. I would then try and organise a multi cultural day in the school that would showcase the different nationalities in the school.
Design Your Own Dark Sky Space in the classroom: This would be a great way of getting children interested in light pollution and the preserving of natural nightscapes. I would divide the children into small groups so they could research different dark sky places around the world to give them an idea of the initiative. I would then encourage the children to pick an area within or near the school to turn into a dark sky place. Children could then create posters and digital presentations that discuss the importance of natural nightscapes. Each group could then present their findings to the rest of the class and in turn there would be bank of knowledge and resources about reducing light pollution and hownto preserve the night sky.
In my school we are very lucky to avail of a wide area of space where exploring biodiversity is very accessible. We have an area of wildflowers where they can thrive undisturbed. We are in the process of creating a bug hotel which is a whole school project. This really fosters childrens ability into exploring the environment around them which in turn makes them become more aware of biodiversity. I feel the children respect the whole school projects or initiatives carried out by them more because they have a sense of responsibility attached to them. I also think by creating these whole school approaches it increases the children’s chances of carrying this interest forward.
My school is a mix of rural and urban with the majority of the school population living in a built up town. However, there is a percentage of the school that lives in the country side. The night skies seen here ar very different at times due to the excess street lighting in the town. This is a shame because I genuinely feel they are missing out on some real natural beauty. A nice project could involve the children recording the night sky either using report writing or pictures and then compare this in the classroom the following day. This could provide a nice insight into the difference of natural light and excess light that can be in a built up area. This in turn could spark debate for change in the local area to help improve light pollution in towns.
Using the Stellarium software would be a brilliant way for children to learn about different constellations. The children coulr be split into pairs or small groups depending on the access to ICT. The pairs or small groups would be given different counties or cities where they can access and view the different constellations. They can then compare the similarities or differences with the constellations of other groups. The children can the discuss and try to identify the constellations that were learned in class such as Orion. The pairs or groups will then be encouraged to report back to the class with their findings to ensure full participation and engagement.
