[Siobhan Keane]

Question- How is climate change affecting Ireland, and what can we do to help?
I would begin by asking children what they already know about climate change and record their ideas on the board. As a class we would discuss the effects of climate change in Ireland, focusing on identifying it in our own lives. I would also put images on the whiteboard to support children who are unsure and to promote discussion. I would then divide the class into small groups and give each group a different aspect of climate change in Ireland to research, such as flooding, rising temperatures, changes to plants and wildlife, rising sea levels or transport emissions. Pupils would use age-appropriate resources, including photographs, graphs, short texts and videos, to identify what is happening, how climate change may be contributing to it and how it could affect people and the environment in Ireland. We are lucky to have access to laptops in the classroom, and I have noticed when children do their own research, they are more motivated and learn more. Project based inquiry is an enjoyable learning experience for the children. Each group would then discuss possible solutions and choose three actions that they believe could help reduce the impact of climate change. The could record their findings on paper or using PowerPoint. Finally, the groups would present their findings to the class, and we would return to the original research question to consider what evidence they had gathered. This would allow pupils to take an active role in the research process while developing their teamwork, communication, questioning and critical-thinking skills. As a follow-on lesson linking in with art, the children would create a poster of what we can do as a school to protect our environment. They could draw, write information or do an acrostic poem etc.

[Siobhan Keane]

Hi Leah,

I like the question you have chosen as is something every school can relate to and it is also revelant to the childrens home life. I also like how the children get to engae in active, inquiry based learning it makes the learning expierence a lot more meaninful for the childre. The use of group work is great to promote discussion and the children will learn lots from their peers.

[Siobhan Keane]

Hi Aoife,

Your post is very interesting to read as I didn’t realise how many satellites pass over Ireland and I didnt realise how much they contribute to daily life with all the information they collect. I found it diffcult to navigate the Satellite tracker app so I am glad I got an insight into different satellites from reading your post.

[Siobhan Keane]

I found the ESA ‘Nose High Up in the Sky’ resource to be an engaging and practical activity that encourages children to become active participants in their learning. The activities promote curiosity by allowing pupils to investigate, make observations, discuss their ideas and work collaboratively to reach conclusions. I particularly liked the hands-on approach, as children can explore concepts relating to space and flight rather than simply learning about them through discussion. The resource also provides opportunities to develop skills across different areas of the curriculum, including Science, Mathematics, English and Visual Arts. For example, pupils could record and compare their findings, explain their observations or design their own rockets. I think the activities could be easily adapted depending on the age and ability of the class, with younger pupils focusing on simple observations and older pupils completing more detailed investigations. The teacher can also assess learning through questioning, observation and discussion as pupils complete the activities. Overall, I would use this resource in my classroom as it encourages teamwork, problem-solving and independent thinking while making learning about space enjoyable and meaningful. Digital resources could also be incorporated to further develop pupils’ interest in the topic

[Siobhan Keane]

Hi James,

I really like the idea of involving parents and grandparents so the children get a first hand account from family members. Its also a lovely idea to have family invoulved to enhance the learning expiernce and as a follow on actiivty the children could work with their parents to create a climate action plan at home. Prehaps the children could bring in photos that their parents/grandparents have and idefity changes both positive and negative. This would also link in with a local history lesson.

[Siobhan Keane]

I found the HOME documentary to be quite thought provoking and eye opening to watch, with beautiful images and then contrasting images of the effects of human activity on the planet. I would introduce these climate change facts to pupils through a selection of appropriate clips and images from HOME, using these as a starting point for discussion and questioning. However, the documentary contains a large amount of information and would be too long to show in its entirety within a primary school classroom. Children have can only concentrate for short periods therefore short clips would be more beneficial for them. Some of the concepts and terminology, such as fossil fuels, biodiversity and the causes and effects of climate change, may also be too complex for younger pupils to fully understand. I would pick the most relevant facts and present them using simple, age-appropriate language and examples that pupils can relate to in their everyday lives.

The video of Gretha Thunberg was very insightful and her passion for climate action is very clear when she speaks. I think the children would learn lots from her and engage well with her speech as she has a great knowledge and her passion as a young person’s captures attention as she speaks. Its nice opportunity for the children to hear another voice rather than the teacher calling out facts, making it more meaningful. The children could note down 3 different things they didn’t know as they watch the video to prepare them for a discission after the clip. I would then divide the children into small groups, and they would be set with the challenge of writing a short report for newspaper. They would take on the role of a reporter, and I would provide them with a short template with space for writing and an image. They would have to create their own piece about climate change, and they would use what they have learned by watching the video to help them. The children would then have the opportunity to present their report to the class or share it around with their peers and read each other’s work. This could then form the basis of our class climate action plan and in turn support a whole school plan.

[Siobhan Keane]

Acitivity 3: I enjoyed activity 3 and I think it would work very well in the classroom. Instantly I was very impressed with the child friendly approach to the topic with the use of clear visuals and simple language. The alien introducing the topic also made it exciting and would capture the children’s attention. I would ensure the children have a good understanding of climate and weather by completing activity 1 and 2 prior to the lesson to assist their understanding of the topic. Children often have heard the phrase ‘climate change’ but do not understand what it is, exploring its meaning using relatable examples will enable the children to relate it to their lives. The TEAL Tool for predicting future temperatures is particularly useful as it introduces pupils to real scientific data while developing their digital literacy and critical-thinking skills. However significant time would be required to ensure they understand how to use the tool and how to interpret the data. This tool could stimulate a discussion about the future; how will the map change, why do they think that. In groups the children could discuss a climate action project, with focus on what we can do ourselves as sometimes the focus on the bigger picture can be overwhelming. One improvement would be identifying how climate change is affecting Ireland and our local area so children can see it in their lives as sometimes it can be an abstract concept when they can’t identify it in their own lives.

[Siobhan Keane]

Hi Ciara,

I really like the idea of presenting the weather in 20 years time with espically presenting both scenarios, good and bad. The children would really enjoy the freedom to use their imagination to explore the topic, its linking in with oral language and drama. It also gives the children more opportunities to use the lanugae in context to deepen their understanding of the terms.

[Siobhan Keane]

The article Unravelling STEM: Beyond the acronym of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, by Dr. Maeve Liston, was certainly thought-provoking. It encouraged me to consider the idea that STEM is not always fully integrated into our lessons. Although Science and Mathematics are commonly taught as separate subjects, Engineering and Technology can sometimes be overlooked. These subjects can, however, provide valuable opportunities for practical learning and can be incorporated into the classroom even within an already busy curriculum. This is also seen in the new curriculum framework in which the teacher provides the learning experience, but the children lead the inquiry in question by deciding how they will approach and solve problems. This supports their critical thinking skills and gives them a deeper understanding of the maths/science concepts.

Activity 1: I thought this was a useful activity for introducing the difference between weather and climate, particularly as children can sometimes use these terms interchangeably. I would start by asking the children to describe what the weather is like on the day of the lesson and record some of their observations, they could also draw what the weather is like and discuss what is their favourite type of weather and why. I would then introduce the meanings of both weather and climate, using images showing different locations, seasons and weather conditions to support their understanding. The children could then work with a partner to decide whether a selection of statements relate to weather or climate. I would encourage them to discuss their answers and explain how they reached their decisions. This would give me an opportunity to check their understanding and address any misconceptions that arise. As a follow-on activity, I would ask the children to write a few statements of their own, which could then be shared with the class for everyone to decide whether they describe weather or climate.

Activity 2: I really like the inquiry-based approach to this activity and as it is hands on it would enable the children to take ownership of their learning and make it more meaningful. It would be a challenge to ensure the temperature is taken at the same time everyday due to the busy nature of the classroom. The numeracy skills required to graph the data and calculate the average would have to be taught prior to the experiment, depending on the class level this would impact the time of year this could be carried out.

[Siobhan Keane]

Hi Gillian,

I really like your idea for the whole school approach by creating a weather station. Creating differnt weather stations would make the lesson a lot more meaningful and it would be a great idea to compare results and investiagte if there is a pattern between temperature and rain ect. It would be alot of work for one class group so it is very achievable with the whole school appproach. Infant class teachers could also use the data and adapt it by using images and early numernacy skills to teach about weather/seasons ect.

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