Primary School
This year’s Climate and Nature Summit will coincide with COP 29. The ISSN is delighted to present two video lessons and one animated video based on the theme of ‘Soil’. There are lesson notes to accompany the video ‘Soil: don’t treat me like dirt’ as well as a workbook on soil.
Soil is one of the earth’s most precious resources. In this lesson, Brigid Barry from Farming for Nature explores the importance of soil to our health and the health of our planet.
Go on a journey with artist and entomologist Nessa Darcy to explore the amazing underground world of ants. Don’t forget to have your paper and pencils ready so you can design your own colony.
Check out this beautiful animated video that looks at how farmers can support nature on their farm and why this is good for us all.
Scroll down for resources from previous Climate and Nature Summits.
Check out last year’s workshops!
Click on the image.
Monday October 16th: World Food day
DELIVERED BY: ISSN
DESCRIPTION: These videos introduce pupils to the world of food and farming. The junior video looks at where our food comes from while the senior video extends on this by looking at the concepts of the global diet and the global farm. In both videos we meet Kenneth Keavy from Green Earth Organics in Galway and Kylie Magner from Magner’s Farm in Tipperary who are producing food while also protecting nature and the soil.
RELEVANT SUBJECTS: SPHE | Science
MONDAY November 27th: COP 28 UN climate Change Conference
DELIVERED BY: ISSN
DESCRIPTION: This video will introduce pupils to the Conference of the Parties. COP 28 will be held in the United Arab Emirates and this video gives a brief background to the COP. We then go on to look at different climate actions and how to have climate conversations. There are two versions of this lesson available, one for junior classes and one for senior classes.
RELEVANT SUBJECTS: SPHE
WE NEED YOUR FEEDBACK! Please use this JAMBOARD to record some thoughts and feedback from your pupils.
Check out this PADLET for more resources to support your teaching about COP 28.
FRIDAY january 26th: International Day of Clean energy
DELIVERED BY: SEAI Schools
DESCRIPTION: The first video includes a read-aloud of Guzzler’s Party, an exciting story that introduces younger readers to climate change and climate actions that we can take. The second video looks at Climate SOS, a book suited to middle primary. Alan Nolan then takes us through the process of drawing characters from each of the books.
RELEVANT SUBJECTS: Science | English | Art
Thursday March 21 st: International Day of Forests
DELIVERED BY: Fighting Words with introduction by Manchán Magan
DESCRIPTION: Children have a lot to say about the environment, biodiversity and climate change. They want to express their concerns, explain the solutions they see, and share their knowledge. In this lesson, Fighting Words provide an opportunity for children to write creatively on any aspect of nature and the environment. Using tried and trusted story-making methodologies, Fighting Words present a video that will support students in their writing. Starting with a particular focus on writing about the natural world, ecosystems, and the planet, the video session will take the students on a story-writing journey.
Tá leagan Gaeilge le fáil freisin.
RELEVANT SUBJECTS: English | Gaeilge
Thursday March 21st: International Day of Forests
DELIVERED BY: Eoghan Daltun and ISSN
DESCRIPTION: Did you and your students know that Ireland is home to its own rainforest? Eoghan Daltun, a farmer on the Beara peninsula, Co. Cork is doing a fantastic job of conserving a native Atlantic temperate rainforest. Eoghan shares his own inspirational journey and his view that "we can't just view land as a resource to produce food for humans to eat. We have to see the land as something that produces all sorts of other things that we need, including functional ecosystems"
The first ten minutes of this video are suitable for all classes. From this point onwards, the content becomes more complex and is suitable for older pupils.
RELEVANT SUBJECTS: Science: Plants and Animals | Geography: Natural Environments (Features and People).