Prior to the inputs on Disasters, my knowledge was limited. Although I was aware of different types of disaster and the effects they can have in terms of mortality rates and mass destruction, I was unaware of the impact humans have on natural disasters and role of the government. However, from the classes I am now aware of the important roles government agencies and charities play before during and after a disaster.

By comparing the two case studies of earthquakes hitting Japan and Haiti I was able to develop my understanding of the political involvement in natural disasters. I was already aware that Japan was a better developed country than Haiti but many of the information from the case studies came a s a surprise to me. The level of preparation in Japan was significantly higher than that of Haiti, as well as the aid received from other countries because Japan are allied with more countries than Haiti. This left Haiti relying heavily on charities and volunteers. Before the case studies I simply believed that the Haiti earthquake was a bigger earthquake although having evaluated these case studies I was able to develop my critical analysis skills. In addition to this, the graphs used throughout the case studies encouraged me to develop my interpretation skills.

We then discussed how we might teach natural disasters. When educating children about natural disasters, it is important to be sensitive and aware of the material we show pupils. Rather than focusing on the death toll and the mass destruction, the focus would be on preventative measures, recovery and the disasters themselves. This could be done by inviting guest speakers from aid charities to speak to the class. In addition to this, the topic of disaster would best be covered at the second level as younger children might find the topic too upsetting.

The second week of learning about natural disasters required us to plan a microteaching lesson. From the presentation task I developed many skills, most noticeably, patience. For our microteaching task, I gave myself the task of creating a paper mache volcano in order to carry out an experiment of making the volcano ‘erupt’. However, during the group presentation the experiment did not work. Having the patience and understanding that not everything will go to plan all of the time, I attempted the experiment again and thankfully it was successful. When creating the volcano, I was also able to develop my art skills. The microteaching task also helped me develop critical analysis skills. I found that many of the articles I looked at were not academic and so I had to look through them in detail in order to understand what could be used in our presentation.

The microteaching session itself also enhanced a number of my skills. For example, my confidence when speaking in front of others. This is an important skill to develop as a learner and transfer to my teaching. Effective Communication is one of the four capacities of the Curriculum for Excellence (Scottish Executive, 2004), thus it is vital that pupils develop their confidence throughout their school career.

Reference List:

Scottish Executive (2004) A Curriculum for Excellence: The Curriculum Review Group. [Online] Available: http://www.gov.scot/Resource/Doc/26800/0023690.pdf  [Accessed 1 November 2017].

Prior to the lecture I was aware of what climate change was having studied Geography in school but had never paid much attention to how I contribute to it and how it might affect me. In the lecture, we were shown how our planet has changed over the years (increase in temperature and decrease in ice cover) as well as how it is recorded and the effects it can have on the likes of agriculture and sea level.

The first workshop was very active and included a series of experiments. One of the first experiments we tired was making a tornado in a jar. This was done by filling a jar with water and adding food colouring and washing up liquid. The container was then swirled in a circle for a while and once stopped, it was clear the see what looked like a tornado. The aim of the experiment was to understand how real tornados are made – cold and warm air combining and spinning. Another activity involved having two plastic cups: one filled with cold water, pebbles and blue food colouring. The other with warm water, red food colouring and pebbles. Both cups were then put into a large tub of room temperature water. It was interesting to see that watch the red water rise to the top of the tub whilst the blue water sank to the bottom. I found these experiments amongst others to be very engaging and this workshop helped me understand ways in which climate change can be taught in the primary school using a cross-curricular approach.

In the second workshop, we looked at politics and global warming. I had not considered how much of an impact politics can have on global warming. However, after this workshop and the directed study task I now recognise the type policies being implemented by the government to reduce our carbon footprint and, ultimately, slow down global warming.

Through the tasks from last week and the directed study task I can now see how global warming can be taught in the primary school and how a cross-curricular approach can be used to link global warming to other subject areas. In addition to this, I have identified experiences and outcomes which could link learning to relevant curriculum areas.

I can consider ways of looking after my school or community and can encourage others to care for their environment. SOC 1-08a

I can discuss the environmental impact of human activity and suggest ways in which we can live in a more environmentally responsible way. SOC 2-08a

Having explored the ways journeys can be made, I can consider the advantages and disadvantages of different forms of transport, discussing their impact on the environment. SOC 2-09a

I can investigate the relationship between climate and weather to be able to understand the causes of weather patterns within a selected climate zone. SOC 3-12a

This topic has changed how I view climate change by allowing me to evaluate the impact I have on climate change. I think I will now be more conscious of my decisions as I know that even though my actions may be small they can influence others and therefore have a large impact. I have also learned ways in which I can teach this in the classroom.