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I think that the story of The Salmon of Knowledge is a perfect way to introduce a class to the industry of Aquaculture – many of the older classes will be familiar with it, while younger children enjoy hearing it for the first time. It hadn’t really occurred to me before this course jus how important the salmon was to Ireland, and how it can be connected to many different areas of the curriculum.
The ARC online lessons and resources on the BIM website are a fantastic way to bring real-world STEM learning into my 5th class. These lessons focus on aquaculture and seafood, which connects science, technology, engineering, and maths with everyday life and local communities. This makes STEM subjects more meaningful and interesting for my students. They like to hear real world stories and make comparisons to their own experiences of rural/farming life. Many of my students come from a farming background so it will be interesting to hear their views on how alike the two industries are. The hands-on activities and challenges, like designing a floating fish farm, encourage teamwork, creativity, and problem-solving skills.
My school is based about 1 hour from the sea, so students may not have easy access to the sea. The lessons found on the BIM website offer practical ways to explore marine science and sustainability through classroom activities. I can use the quizzes and reflection tools within the resources to track student progress and link this to our School Self-Evaluation (SSE) process. By including STEM goals school-wide, I can encourage and support other teachers and students in developing important STEM skills and build awareness of sustainability and local industry. The ARC resources would help make STEM learning fun, relevant, and inclusive for everyone.
I never even thought of industries like net repair/marketing/environmental scientists when thinking about the impact that Aquaculture could have on coastal communities. Great observation and something to consider mentioning in classes when teaching about this. I must remember to encourage my students to really think outside the box when considering this topic.
Ireland’s aquaculture farms are mostly located along the West coast because this area has a special geography that is not very good for traditional farming. The land there is rougher and less flat, so it is easier to use the coast for farming fish and shellfish instead. The West coast also has easy access to the sea, which is very important for aquaculture. Right now, Ireland uses about 65% of its land for farming, but as more people live here, we will need to find new ways to produce food. Aquaculture can help provide more food without needing more land.
Having year-round access to the coast means that tourism can happen all year and not just during the usual holiday times. This helps communities grow economically because visitors come more often. I also think food tourism is getting more popular. Many people share their food experiences on social media, and they want to know how their food is made and where it comes from. Eating locally sourced, homegrown, and ethically produced food is very important in food tourism now. This makes aquaculture even more valuable to local communities.I agree that making children aware that there are many different ways in which the sea/waterways are useful is important. Before I started module 1 I wouldn’t have said that it was something children would understand from Junior/Senior infants, but I’m beginning to see that there are tools out there that will start them off at a young age, which is super.
Next year, I will be teaching 5th class, and I am excited to include lessons about aquaculture. Learning about aquaculture is very important because it helps children understand where some of our food comes from, especially fish and other sea animals. It is very interesting to see how the four different social licensing projects by BIM support Ireland’s aquaculture industry. These projects show how people, communities, and businesses work together to keep the industry safe and healthy. I think it is also really cool for children to learn about the different life cycles of marine animals, like salmon, instead of only learning about land animals from traditional farming. This helps kids see the variety of life and understand the ocean better. Teaching aquaculture makes science fun and connects students to real-world jobs and nature. It also encourages them to care about our environment and the future of food.
I think this would be a great question for children to investigate. It is a very relevant topic, any young child I know is fascinated by returning the bottles – my own teenagers gather them up from grandparents to fund their treat nights. It would encourage them to see that it’s not just about getting money back but about making a positive impact on climate change.
We have been very fortunate in our school to have solar panels installed over the past year. I would get the children to investigate ‘How alternative energy sources can change the carbon footprint of our schools’
The children can look at how what our energy usage was historically and then compare it to more recently. They can also investigate if the panels are making surplus energy to our requirements and how this is benefitting the wider community. I think it would be a good idea for the children to create a visual display of just how much fossil fuels we not used – this could be put on display for the whole school to see – a physical display would make a far greater impact than a written piece.
As an additional task, I would get the class to investigate if there are alternative ways for our school community to reduce the energy usage in our school. Although we have plenty of green flags, is there a more practical way that we could be doing more.
Like you Orla, I was also shocked by how many satellites there were, and how frequently they were in our vicinity. I honestly thought that there were only a handful and for them to pass over Ireland, or near it was a rare occurrence. I have been proven wrong!
I downloaded one of the satellite tracker apps recommended as last year my first class studied the International Space station and they were fascinated by tracking it and checking if they would have an opportunity to spot it any night. Currently it is telling me that there are a few different satellites in the vicinity including
Cosmos1844 – This was a Soviet satellite, launched in 1987 from the Baikonur Cosmodome and its mass is 6000kg
SL-16 R/B – Owned by the Commonwealth of Independent States (former USSR), also from the Baikonur Cosmodome, which is known also as the Tyuratam Missile and Space Centre, based in Kazakhstan. It was first launched in July 1999.
SL-8 R/B – Another satellite owned by the Commonwealth of Independent States (former USSR), it was launched in December 1971 from Plesetsk Missile and Space Complex, Russia.
CZ-2C R/B – Launched in November 2004 from the Xichang Launch Facility in China, it is owned by the People’s Republic of China.
Astex 1 – Launched in October 1971, from the Air Force Western Test Range, California, it is owned by the United States.
I have the same class again going into Second Class, and I know that this tracker will be an invaluable tool to use in the classroom with them.
I think your idea to separate fact from fiction is a fantastic one. It would be a great activity to do across mixed age groups, helping the children to learn from one another. You are correct that children will look up to Greta, it seems that they understand and appreciate her stance on climate action far more than listening to a bunch of adults speaking from behind podiums or desks.
I thought the video HOME was a fantastic visually appealing piece. I found the soundtrack very calming and it really hit home how rapidly humans are having a negative effect on the planet. Even though the subject matter is very serious, the language was easy to understand. I would only use very select pieces of this video with an older class, as similar to other views expressed here I think some children may find the subject matter disturbing and a bit unsettling.
I think it would be important after discussing the issues surrounding climate change with older classes to make sure to introduce them to someone like Greta Thunberg and the work she is doing to help stop climate change. I think it counter balances the HOME video very well, as it demonstrates to children that they too can make a difference, that children all around the world can have an impact on what happens to their planet.Hi Conor, I like the idea of popping on coats in the classroom to feel how the greenhouse effect might feel for the earth, it’s a really simple but practical idea. It could be very effective, especially for younger children.
I think that the Paxi video is a very useful tool. It uses child friendly terms while also using enough scientific language to keep their interest. The examples given of what causes the increasing greenhouse effect and how children can help to slow it down/prevent it are very useful. I think that in the younger classes especially it is important for them to understand that small changes mean a lot, in the past I have taught children who were anxious about issues like this.
Activity 3 I think is more suited to the older classes as they are better able to understand the longevity/consequences of actions today on the future of the earth’s climate/greenhouse effect. I think it would be very useful to look at the start with something like the Paxi video, before moving on to the prediction tool and activity. With 5th/6th class it would help to consider their community and what the impact of global warming would have on their community.