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The documentary HOME was both powerful and thought-provoking. The stunning aerial footage highlights the beauty of our planet while also showing the impact of deforestation, pollution, overconsumption, and climate change on people and ecosystems around the world. One of the key messages I took from the film is that everything on Earth is interconnected, and that the choices we make every day can have a significant impact on the environment. While the film presents some alarming realities, it also offers hope by showing that positive change is possible when individuals and communities work together.
The other video clips in this module complemented HOME by explaining the causes and effects of climate change in a clear and accessible way. Together, they reinforced the importance of sustainability, biodiversity, renewable energy, and reducing our carbon footprint. They also highlighted the responsibility we all have to care for our environment.
When teaching 5th and 6th class, I would introduce climate change through inquiry-based and collaborative learning. At this age, pupils are capable of engaging with more complex environmental issues and thinking critically about solutions. I would begin by discussing what they already know about climate change before using selected clips from HOME to encourage reflection and class discussion. Pupils could investigate topics such as renewable energy, biodiversity loss, plastic pollution, and the greenhouse effect through group research projects and presentations.
To make the learning meaningful, I would connect it to pupils’ own lives by carrying out practical activities such as conducting a classroom waste audit, creating a recycling campaign, monitoring energy use in the school, or participating in Green Schools initiatives. Cross-curricular links could be made with Science, Geography, SPHE, English, and Visual Arts, allowing pupils to explore climate change from different perspectives. For example, they could write persuasive letters about environmental issues, create posters promoting sustainable actions, or debate possible solutions to climate change.
Most importantly, I would focus on empowering pupils rather than creating anxiety. By encouraging critical thinking, problem-solving, and real-world action, I would help 5th and 6th class pupils understand that while climate change is a global challenge, their individual and collective actions can make a meaningful difference in protecting our shared home.
I really enjoyed reading your reflection. I thought your idea of using a play parachute to demonstrate the greenhouse effect was a creative and practical alternative to a greenhouse or polytunnel, making the concept much more accessible for younger pupils. I also liked how you linked the TEAL Climate Reporter tool to collaborative learning and encouraged pupils to connect climate change to their own local community. Your focus on taking positive actions, such as reducing waste and planting for pollinators, helps make the learning meaningful and empowering for children. These are great ideas that I could see myself adapting in my own classroom.
<p class=”isSelectedEnd”>I found Activity 3 to be engaging and highly relevant for senior primary pupils. The Paxi video provides a child-friendly introduction to the greenhouse effect and explains how greenhouse gases influence Earth’s climate in a clear and accessible way. I also found the future temperature prediction tool particularly effective as it allows pupils to explore how different choices can affect future global temperatures, making the concept of climate change more meaningful and evidence-based.</p>
<p class=”isSelectedEnd”>I would use this activity with my 5th and 6th Class as part of a cross-curricular STEM project. Pupils could first discuss the causes and effects of climate change before using the prediction tool to investigate different scenarios. They could record and analyse their findings, create graphs, compare predictions and present their conclusions to the class. This would develop scientific inquiry, mathematical data analysis, digital literacy and critical thinking skills.</p>
To extend the activity, I would link it to our school weather station by comparing local weather observations with long-term climate trends, reinforcing the difference between weather and climate. Pupils could also investigate ways our school can reduce its carbon footprint, such as reducing waste, conserving energy or encouraging active travel, and present their recommendations to the Green Schools Committee. One improvement would be to include more Irish case studies or examples of how climate change is affecting Ireland, making the learning even more relevant to pupils’ own experiences.I really enjoyed reading your reflection. I liked how you honestly identified the Engineering Design Process as an area you would like to develop further, as I had a similar takeaway from the module. Your ideas for using weather journals and building an anemometer are practical and engaging, and I particularly liked your suggestion of testing different cup sizes to encourage pupils to think like engineers. These activities would certainly make STEM learning meaningful and hands-on for children.
Liston (2018) highlights that effective STEM education goes beyond teaching subjects separately by engaging pupils in authentic, inquiry-based learning. The ESA activities, ‘Nose Up High in the Sky’ and ‘Weather vs Climate’, provide an excellent opportunity for this in 5th and 6th Class. I would establish a weather station in the school grounds where pupils measure and record daily temperature, rainfall, wind speed and direction, air pressure and cloud cover using weather instruments. Pupils could collect data over several months, use digital technology and spreadsheets to create graphs, identify patterns and compare local weather with national climate data. This would help them understand the difference between daily weather and long-term climate trends. The project develops scientific investigation, mathematical data analysis, technological skills through digital recording, and engineering by designing, building and maintaining the weather station. I would encourage whole-school participation by displaying weekly weather reports, involving younger classes in observations, and sharing findings through assemblies and the school website, fostering a collaborative STEM learning environment.