This is a website that is set up predominately for primary school teachers and students but is also teenage friendly. Teachers can view our lesson plans to prepare for their classes and use content from our curriculum too. Follow us on Twitter @TreeOfAKind1!
Our Objective:
We are "Tree of a Kind" , a group of transition year students with one objective. We want to raise the profile of climate change and energy efficiency amongst primary school children. How? After much discussion, research and debate we believe that a multi-curricular approach is the only way forward.
We want to "energise" the existing primary school curriculum with an infusion of science. We want the existing curriculum to embrace the importance of climate change and energy efficiency, we want a climate change and energy efficiency module incorporated into the curriculum using a multi-curricular approach. We will design lesson plans create resources to help teachers educate themselves on the science of climate change. The more you know the easier it is to adapt your lessons! Then we will trial the resources and lobby the leaders!
As teenagers we understand the dangers posed by climate change and although we may have good intentions with regard to energy efficiency we rarely on mass change our ways, lets be honest! To sustain sustainability and raise the profile of these issues we need to target our younger citizens. Children absorb information and assimilate behaviours and practices from an early age, our job is to ensure that they absorb the correct information and form appropriate behaviours. This is the reason for targeting primary school children from the age of seven upwards.
Campaigns such as the "Litterbug" and "Green cross Code" campaigns have been highly successful through the years, these campaigns have been a constant in the school lives of all Irish children and they spill into their home lives also, they influence adults! Children are often the best instigators of change!
The message of Climate Change should not be transient, it should be formative and permanent.
We want to "energise" the existing primary school curriculum with an infusion of science. We want the existing curriculum to embrace the importance of climate change and energy efficiency, we want a climate change and energy efficiency module incorporated into the curriculum using a multi-curricular approach. We will design lesson plans create resources to help teachers educate themselves on the science of climate change. The more you know the easier it is to adapt your lessons! Then we will trial the resources and lobby the leaders!
As teenagers we understand the dangers posed by climate change and although we may have good intentions with regard to energy efficiency we rarely on mass change our ways, lets be honest! To sustain sustainability and raise the profile of these issues we need to target our younger citizens. Children absorb information and assimilate behaviours and practices from an early age, our job is to ensure that they absorb the correct information and form appropriate behaviours. This is the reason for targeting primary school children from the age of seven upwards.
Campaigns such as the "Litterbug" and "Green cross Code" campaigns have been highly successful through the years, these campaigns have been a constant in the school lives of all Irish children and they spill into their home lives also, they influence adults! Children are often the best instigators of change!
The message of Climate Change should not be transient, it should be formative and permanent.
Our Understanding of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency
- Planet Earth is surrounded by a blanket of gases known as the "greenhouse" gases. Carbon dioxide and Methane gas are two examples.
- The blanket of green house gases acts as an insulator - it keeps the temperature of the planet warm enough to sustain life. This is the "Greenhouse Effect".
- The problem is, the "greenhouse effect" has been enhanced - it's insulating way too much!
- Since the advent of the Industrial Revolution man has been adding to the layer of greenhouse gases - burning fossil fuels to to power factories, homes & industries - burning fossil fuels to power our cars and transport in general.
- The burning of fossil fuels is adding too much carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.
- When the insulating blanket of greenhouse gases gets too thick, too much of the suns light energy gets absorbed as heat energy and the earths temperature rises!
- What's the problem with an increase in the earths temperature?
When the temperature of the earth rises:
1. Ice Caps melt -Ice on the earths surface acts like huge mirrors - reflecting the suns energy back into space.
- When these mirrors are no more, the dark oceans absorb the energy as heat.
- When ice melts sea levels rise, floods & destruction of land results - Displacing populations of people and animals.
2. The more CO2 you add the more the oceans absorb. This turns the oceans to acid - Death of The Oceans! 1 in 7 people depend on the sea life for food. Mass starvation will follow!
3. Increase in temperature means the oceans get warmer. This results in frequent, violent, unpredictable storms. New Orleans suffered Mass Destruction with Hurricane Katrina. More will follow!
4. As temperature increases climate changes. Wet areas will become dry, rivers will dry up and land will turn to desert.
- 2/3 Of the earths land masses are now at risk.
This is only the tip of the Iceberg!!!
For more information about Climate Change, please take a look at this video:
- Climate Change Basics - An american video suitable for any age range - young and old. It is a great introduction to the topic.
- Use it in class to stimulate and promote discussion.