Children's experience of science should lead to an informed appreciation of the environments that they encounter.Pupils should develop an awareness of the interdependencies of natural environments, plants and animals (including humans) in local, national and global contexts. Much of this work will be achieved by the children as they explore the strands and strand units of the geography and science curricula.
Both programmes emphasise the need for the pupils to develop an understanding of the impact of human activity on the environment. It is important that the exploration of natural and physical environments should foster positive environmental action and encourage children to develop a commitment to sustainable life-styles. Through the exploration of environmental issues children should be imbued with a sense of personal and community responsibility as custodians of the Earth.
Helping children to develop their ideas about environmental issues and cultivating attitudes of environmental care can be achieved using a variety of methods and approaches. Some of these methods are delineated in the guidance material provided for history, geography and SPHE. However, specific methods that may be used in science include:
Visits and field trips to areas undergoing change
Children can be encouraged to appreciate how humans can affect their environment through visits and field trips to areas that are changing. These could include:
- a field that is becoming a building site
- a river that is being drained or whose course is being altered
- a derelict area being converted into an industrial centre
- mountain land being planted with conifers
- a telecommunications aerial being erected on a hillside or roadside
- fields whose size is being increased through the removal of hedgerows.
The sites visited should help children develop a balanced understanding that human influences on local and natural environments are widespread, in rural as well as urban areas. Children can make annotated drawings of the areas visited. Follow-up visits can help them record the changes and developments observed in the area over an extended period.
Interviews
Children can invite an older person who has lived in the locality to come and talk to them about changes that have occurred. Guidance on approaches to interviews is given in the Teacher Guidelines for SESE: History (p. 78-80) Books, photographs and old newspapers can supplement this work.
Participation in local environmental projects
Projects to improve the environment may already be under way in the locality. These projects may include the restoration of a historic site, the clearing of a canal, the construction of a park or the renovation of houses in the area. Children should become aware of these initiatives, and visits to the site to view the work in progress should be arranged. It may also be possible for the children to become involved in the project. The principal, parents and board of management should be informed and their permission sought for the involvement of pupils in such a project. It may also be possible for people involved in the environmental project to visit the school and talk to the children about their work.
Participation in environmental projects based in the school environment
Children will be interested in many environmental issues, such as waste and recycling, energy conservation and pollution. These issues may stimulate them to become involved in some schoolbased projects, which might include
- recycling paper, cans, glass or other materials
- anti-litter and anti-waste campaigns
- conserving resources such as water, heat and other forms of energy
- composting waste.
Involvement in environmental projects should help children to appreciate the need to protect environments and conserve non-renewable resources.
Children should be encouraged to participate in projects to enhance the school and its environs. These might include
- planning and creating a school garden
- creating a wildlife area
- planting trees.
Assuming responsibility for the care of these habitats will help children to explore the concept of custodianship.
Exploring environmental issues
Helping children to become aware of local or national environmental issues will involve them in
- visiting (where possible) the area affected by the issue
- using secondary sources, such as posters, photographs, newspapers, videos and environmental cartoons, to become aware of the issue
- obtaining evidence about the issue or problem through interviews
- simulating (where possible) tests to observe the effects of the problem, for example observing the effects of water pollution on plants, testing the effects of deforestation on soil, smearing leaves with Vaseline to observe the effects of air pollution
- interviewing people involved in the issue to assess their differing viewpoints.