The lesson plan are invaluable for teaching about nature's cycles and they reinforce learnings through activities in nature.
The Climate Action Resource Kit for primary schools is designed to empower educators and engage young minds in the critical topic of climate action. We understand the importance of equipping today’s youth with the knowledge and tools they need to make a positive impact on our planet.
Lesson plan series
The lessons with corresponding videos on Climate Change, explain natural cycles, the atmosphere, the carbon cycle, and the water cycle, emphasizing the interconnectedness of life.
The first video introduces balance as key to understanding how natural systems sustain life, with later lessons helping children grasp the importance of equilibrium in processes like the carbon and water cycles. Teachers are encouraged to integrate videos and activities, adjusting for class needs, with younger students advised to study the water cycle before the carbon cycle for better relatability.
When discussing climate change, it's crucial to acknowledge and validate children's feelings, teach age-appropriate facts, and inspire them to take meaningful action, while focusing on positive, hopeful stories and spending time outdoors.
Lesson 1: What is climate change
The lesson focuses on teaching balance and its importance in both physical activities and the natural world. Students engage in activities like balancing objects and their own bodies to explore the concept of balance.
The climate change video explain the balance in relation to natural cycles, such as the life cycles of animals and plants. The lesson encourages students to identify factors that keep cycles in balance (e.g., stable habitats) and those that disrupt them (e.g., habitat destruction).
The idea of interconnection between cycles is reinforced through group activities, where students link cycles and explore how disruptions affect the whole system. Key vocabulary includes terms like balance, cycles, equilibrium, and climate change.
Lesson 2: Our atmosphere
The lesson on "Our Atmosphere" introduces key concepts about the Earth's atmosphere, its composition, and its role in sustaining life. Through experiments and discussions, students explore air pressure, the balance of gases, and the Greenhouse Gas Effect. Simple activities, like squeezing a plastic bottle and covering a thermometer with cling film, demonstrate how atmospheric pressure works and how greenhouse gases trap heat. The lesson emphasizes the atmosphere's protective role and highlights carbon dioxide's contribution to global warming. Students are encouraged to reflect on reducing carbon emissions and make a class carbon pledge.
Lesson 3: The carbon cycle
The lesson on the carbon cycle introduces students to carbon's role as a vital element in all living things and its continuous cycling through the environment.
Students explore how carbon is present in various materials and learn about the carbon cycle through experiments, video content, and discussions. The lesson explains how plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen, while animals breathe in oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. However, the burning of fossil fuels has disrupted this balance, increasing carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere.
Students also engage in role-play and brainstorming activities to better understand and communicate the carbon cycle and its impact.
Lesson 4: The water cycle
The lesson on the water cycle explains how water moves through various stages: evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection. Through experiments, students observe water molecules escaping into the air from a wet cloth and condensation forming on a jar. Using maps and visual aids, students explore local water sources and understand how the water cycle operates globally. The lesson includes discussions, drawings, and a video that breaks down each step of the cycle. Students create a drama or comic strip to depict the water cycle and learn key vocabulary such as condensation, transpiration, and groundwater. Key takeaways include the interconnectedness of natural cycles and water's vital role in sustaining life.
Instructional video for teachers
To ensure that educators are well-prepared to use our resource kit effectively, we provide a instructional video featuring Susan Adams from Education for Sustainability. Susan offers valuable insights and tips on how to make the most of our kit in the classroom.
Resource kit animated video series
Our unique resource kit features an animated video series narrated by the renowned science communicator, Dr. Niamh Shaw. Dr. Shaw’s expertise and passion for science communication shine through in these captivating videos. With her guidance, complex concepts related to climate change, the carbon cycle, and the Earth’s atmosphere are presented in a way that is accessible and engaging for young learners.
Why choose our resource kit?
- Expert narration: Dr. Niamh Shaw’s expertise as a science communicator ensures that students receive a high-quality educational experience.
- Engaging lesson plan: Our lesson plans incorporate dynamic activities that make learning about climate action both fun and informative.
- Curriculum-aligned: The kit has been designed to align seamlessly with primary school curriculum standards, making it an excellent fit for your classroom.
The Antarctic workshop series
We are thrilled to announce an exciting addition to our Climate action resource kit for primary schools: The Antarctic workshop series with Dr. Niamh Shaw! This unique opportunity allows your students to connect with a true explorer, scientist, and ESA Champion for Space Education. Dr. Niamh Shaw is embarking on a remarkable mission to the Antarctic as part of a global leadership program focused on climate change. And she wants your school to be a part of her journey!
Workshop highlights
Pre-mission workshop
- Date and time: early November
- Overview: Join Dr. Niamh Shaw for an exclusive online workshop before she departs for the Antarctic. In this session, she will share her insights and knowledge gained from space exploration, her upcoming Antarctic mission, and her previous expedition to the Kalahari Desert in Africa.
- Topics covered: This workshop will cover key primary science curriculum topics, including environmental awareness and care, heat, living things, and materials and change.
Video blogs from Antarctica
Scheduled video blogs: Throughout her Antarctic mission, Dr. Niamh Shaw will share a series of video blogs highlighting her experiences of life in extreme conditions and the fascinating experiments being conducted in this unique environment.
Experiential learning: These video blogs will serve as an immersive educational tool, allowing your students to witness first-hand the challenges and wonders of Antarctic exploration.
Post-Mission Workshop:
- Date and time: December
- Overview: After returning from her Antarctic adventures, Dr. Niamh Shaw will reconnect with your students in a second online workshop. This session will provide a unique opportunity to learn about her experiences, discoveries, and the importance of climate change mitigation in the Antarctic region.
- Topics covered: The post-mission workshop will further explore primary science curriculum topics related to climate change and environmental science.
About Dr. Niamh Shaw
- Dr. Niamh Shaw is an award-winning science communicator, explorer, and engineer with a passion for sharing her knowledge of science, space, and our planet. She has been recognized by the European Space Agency as Ireland’s first ‘ESA Champion in Education.’
- Niamh’s expertise extends to her work as a science writer for The Irish Times and as the host of ‘Space Hub’ on RTE’s Home School Hub during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Her dedication to science engagement has taken her on expeditions around the world, including the Kalahari Desert in Botswana, Africa.
- Niamh is one of 93 women participating in the Homeward Bound Projects, a global leadership program championing female scientists and engineers while exploring innovative ways to communicate climate change.
Join the adventure
- These exclusive workshop sessions are made possible for your region through the generous support of Laois County Council, who are sponsored Niamh’s Antarctic expedition.
- Dr. Niamh Shaw invites your school to join her on this educational and inspiring expedition, sharing her adventures and knowledge of this unique experience.
Dr Niamh Shaw's Antarctic Voyage 2024
Partnering with Laois County Council and the Laois Education Centre, Dr. Niamh Shaw created the ‘Antarctic Project’ for Laois schools. This programme includes online workshops and classroom activities showcasing her experiences and experiments in Antarctica. Schools can still engage by watching the recorded videos and using the accompanying resource kit:
1. Getting There
2. Animals of Antarctica
3. Antarctica: Living in Harmony