While studying Deforestation and looking at The Amazon Rainforest, 4th Class completed an experiment where they made their own 'rainforest in a jar' to show how water can be recycled in this environment. The class were shocked to see how well their seeds grew in this environment.
Biodiversity 4th and 5th Class went on a trip to Fenit beach with Tash and Eoin from Sea Synergy Education to do a Sea Safari. We found so much biodiversity within such a small area, from shrimps to fish to crabs, seaweed, sea sponges, dog whelk, razor shells and learned so much. We learned that gastropods are single shells such a limpets, snail or dog whelk. Bi valve shells have two sides like oysters, clams, scallops,, razor clams etc. We learned that red rocks have iron in them and green rocks have copper in them.
Using Nature all around us
An uncle of some of our students, who also happens to be a woodturner came to visit 1st, 4th and 6th Class to talk to his nieces and nephew's classes about how he is uses nature in his work. We learned how to tell the age of a tree and about differetn insects such as the weevil-an insect that drills a hole into an acorn and plants its seed inside. A gall wasp lays its eggs in an oak flower and a mutation happens. We learned about fungi and epiphytes. All classes were really engrossed in everything Adrian spoke about and were fascinated to see some of his work .
Food dudes
We learned all about healthy eating when doing Food Dudes in class. Senior infants introduced new fruits and vegetables by using some of their five senses-touch the new food, smelling it, looking at it and eventually tasting it. Afterwards, the class used the seeds from the fruits and vegetables to plant their own vegetables/fruit garden.
