Category: Uncategorized

Sustainable Development Serial Day Task…

Annotated map of school grounds

The school in which I am placed in makes effective use of the surrounding land. The outdoor areas are large and have an even mix of grass and concrete. Similar to other schools, the playgrounds are segregated with primary one, two and three in one side of the school, and primary four, five, six and seven in the other. The map which I have annotated shows this segregation and also the size of the allocated grounds.

The general layout of the area is situated well, with an even mix of concrete and grass. The school grounds are kept pristine, with no drop of litter on the ground whatsoever. There are no set markings on the grounds or walls. Instead, each class is allocated a basket full of equipment such as; chalk, skipping ropes, rackets, balls etc. which children can take out to the playground but is there responsibility to keep safe i.e. when they are gone they are gone.

The school garden grows a variety of things ranging from flowers to garbage and is situated next to a play area surrounded in large willows. Upon chatting to some pupils, the general censuses is that they really like their school the way it is as it has a lot of space to play in and is very green. They also mentioned the multi-sports pitch, which is located directly beside the school, as a fun place to get together with friends and stay active.

Lower School.

I asked a group of primary threes’ and four’s about their take on sustainable education and none of them knew what I was asking. However, upon breaking down the question and asking about any eco-groups and recycling that goes on at school, I got some pretty interesting answers.

Once asked if there were any recycling bins, I got an excitable yes. When asking the children why recycling was important, I got “you get new stuff out of it”. Once asked if there were and litter picking ‘wardens’ I got a no, it’s only the janitor who does that kind of thing. I asked if any of the children were part of some eco-group, the only person who answered said that he was part of KET. However, when I asked him what that was he didn’t really know, he was just aware that it was something to do with keeping the environment clean.

I then moved on to ask them about different aspects of their school grounds, such as the logs surrounding the grass or the bird boxes on the trees and each individual believed that each were there to protect the pupils and the birds so that none of them got hurt.

In conclusion, I found that most of the children in the lower end of the school knew very little about sustainability or the reasons why certain things are put in place. However, each of them were eager to learn more and ask several questions.

Upper School.

The upper school however had a greater understanding of what sustainable development was and spoke animatedly on the topic. Most of the children that I spoke to were passionate about keeping their school and the surrounding area clean. A few of the individuals were involved in the protection of the school grounds, taking part in extra-curricular clubs such as ‘CET’. Unfortunately, the school no longer runs an eco-group due to the teacher who organised it leaving the school. Furthermore, each week two pupils from primary 7 are allocated ‘litter wardens’. This means that on a Friday afternoon during reward time, they walk around the school picking up any litter and tidy up the school grounds. I got the feeling that was not the best job to do as it meant on missing out on reward time but the pupils seemed to understand the importance of the task.

Teachers.

The teachers were more reluctant to engage with certain aspects of sustainable development. The school itself places high regard on literacy, numeracy and mathematics in a bid to close the attainment gap and so sustainable education is not a priority. However, there are encouraging wall displays and signposts situated around the school as well as clubs run by teachers at certain points in the year. Overall, for sustainable education not being a priority, aspects of it are embedded within everyday school life such as recycling bins and bird boxes.

Link to digimap:

http://digimap.edina.ac.uk/roam/aerial

Learning Log 5

This input has taught me a multitude of things. To begin with, I learnt how to plan an effective lesson regarding a practical activity. In small groups, we were instructed to create own anemometer. After this, we were to create our own lesson plan taking into consideration Curriculum for Excellence and practicality.

This task had developed my group working and problem-solving skills, each of which are important qualities to have in a teacher. I developed these skills through trial and error. Cooperatively was the word of the day. You were supposed to work together and consider other suggestions that may be applied. Flexibility and adaptability were also important today as you had to make the task your own, the instructions weren’t completely followed.

We had a guest lecturer come in from an East Ayrshire primary who taught us all about the incorporation of STEM in the class room. I really enjoyed this lecture as it is an area of the curriculum that I am passionate about. However, I am also apprehensive when teaching it. She advised us ways to start off topics and provided ideas as to how to start off topics. It reminded me of why I got into teaching, something that is extremely important round about this time of year.

I developed written and oral skills also as we had to lay out a clear plan of action, with signposts as to how you did and what you would do differently, as well as any specific considerations that must be taken into consideration with primary pupils.

I would like to research STEM more and how to incorporate aspects into daily lessons. It is becoming an increasing part of school curriculums with particular importance to the Curriculum for Excellence. It is something that I am going to need to teach and so I would rather be ready for what is inevitable going to come up.

I was absent the first week of Energy and so this learning log is based solely on week 10.

Learning Log 4

These past two weeks have focused around natural disasters, a topic that I am extremely interested in. To begin with, we looked at the political and economic aspects of natural disasters. We then moved on to look at the science behind certain disasters and how they have an impact on the world (see blog titled ‘Disasters’).

The tasks we did were both interesting and useful as each were linked in some way to teacher, whether that be how you would teach it or if you would teach it to a class, depending on age, maturity etc.

For our directed study task, in small groups we were to research a natural disaster and create a presentation collating all the relevant information that we found. My group researched hurricanes, tornados and typhoons. Each of these is some form of extreme weather and so any reading that we had to do was interesting as opposed to a hindrance. In our presentation, we were to include; definition and explanation of the disaster, mitigation strategies, facts and figures, preparation, recovery, response, teaching points, lesson ideas, E’s & O’s and a reference page. As this was a big workload, my group divided the tasks and worked together to create the PowerPoint.

I have developed several skills whilst taking part in these workshops and tasks. Skills include;

1.   Team work skills– the ability to work well with others and divide up tasks effectively.

2.    Investigative skills- the ability to research relevant topics.

3.    Reading and extraction skills- the ability to read through information and pick out the best parts.

4.    Presentation skills- the ability to create an eye-catching presentation.

5.    Speaking skills- the ability to project my voice to the whole section.

6.    Listening skills- the ability to listen to the other groups present.

7.    Confidence- I was not as nervous as I was last year to present in front of the section.

8.    Communication skills- the ability to share and receive information in a civilised and controlled manner.

 

The topic of disasters relates to primary teaching in several ways. In the news there are increasing coverage of natural disasters such as hurricane Irma, so you have the possibility to teach disasters as a stand-alone topic in the sense that the children are curious and want to know more. Or you could teach it as part of topic work. However, you need to be cautious of the information you give as you don’t want to scare the children. Therefore, you need to know your class before you decide what to do.

The relevant Experiences and Outcomes include:

·         I can describe the physical processes of a natural disaster and discuss its impact on people and the landscape. SOC 2-07

After all the inputs, I have decided that disasters is a potential choice for me to write about in my end of module assignment. It has a lot of information from reputable sources and is an interesting topic to discuss.

Useful links/resources:

•      Americares (n.d.) Emergency Programs [Online] available at: https://www.americares.org/en/what-we-do/emergency-programs/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMInKH7mNab1wIVRbcbCh1rYASvEAAYASAAEgJp0PD_BwE (Accessed 31st October)

•      a-z central.(n.d). How to prepare for a Typhoon. [Online]. Available: http://healthyliving.azcentral.com/how-to-prepare-for -a-typhoon-12124957.html (Accessed 31/10/17)

•      Beyond The Basics- Best Practises in Local Mitigation Planning. (n.d.) [Online] Available: http://mitigationguide.org/task-6/mitigation-actions/ [Accessed: 29/10/17]

•      C.N.N. (26th September 2017). 3 storms, 3 responses: Comparing Harvey, Irma and Maria. [Online] Available at: http://edition.cnn.com/2017/09/26/us/response-harvey-irma-maria/index.html  (Accessed 1st November 2017)

•      Department of Homeland Security.(n.d).Tornadoes. [Online]. Available: https//www.ready.gov/tornadoes  (Accessed 31/10/17)

•      Department of Homeland Security.(n.d). Hurricanes. [Online] Available: https//www.ready.gov/hurricanes (Accessed 31/10/17)

•      Middleton, N. (2003) The Global Casino (3rd Edition). [Online] Available:  https://www.dawsonera.com/readonline/9780203529249 [Accessed: 01/11/17].

•      National hurricane Center. (n.d). Hurricane Preparedness- Be Ready. [Online]. Available: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/prepare/ready.php (Accessed 31/10/17)

Disaters Presentation…

This week in sustainable development, we took part in microteaching. As a small group, we were to create a PowerPoint presentation on a chosen natural disaster and include within; definition and explanation of the disaster, mitigation strategies, facts and figures, preparation, recovery, response, teaching points, lesson ideas, E’s & O’s and a reference page.

My group presented on hurricanes, typhoons and tornados. The PowerPoint we created is linked below.

I really enjoyed this week as it allowed me to increase several necessary skills. These skills included;

1.    Groupwork skills- the ability to work well with others and divide up tasks effectively.

2.    Investigative skills- the ability to research relevant topics.

3.    Reading and extraction skills- the ability to read through information and pick out the best parts.

4.    Presentation skills- the ability to create an eye-catching presentation.

5.    Speaking skills- the ability to project my voice to the whole section.

6.    Listening skills- the ability to listen to the other groups present.

 

 

Disasters…

Disasters were the topic of discussion this week in Sustainable Development. In the workshops we looked at the political/economical aspects of natural disasters and the science behind them.

The first workshop was on the political/economical side of disasters. We looked at in detail the political nature of disasters, the governmental actions in relation to response and rebuilding, the role of international agencies in disaster relief and also how you would go about teaching disasters to children of a primary school age.

The topic of disasters is the one I am most interested in that is included in this module. However, before today I was only aware of the effects of disasters on both the population and the areas that were affected. The political side is something I had never considered.

Today I learned that a disaster is only a disaster if human society is impacted (social disruption, material damage and loss of life). Whereas before I thought that if there was for example a small hurricane, that would be classified as a disaster, no matter the affects that it had.

The most beneficial thing that I learned today however was how you would teach the topic of disasters to primary pupils. I was scared to teach somewhat controversial issues to children at such an early age as they may be affected by what has happened. Nevertheless, I now know not to shy away from disasters. There are so many things that can be done in a school, including but not limited to: fundraising, social subjects, topic work (weather) and simply just talking to the children about what is going on in the world. I’m aware also that images can be a powerful thing, but to use them you would have to provide local and global viewpoints, so that the child is getting the most out of the information. There is also the risk that your class may be more at risk to become anxious towards that sort of thing, so it is important to really know your class before you decide how deep to go into the topic.

I have developed several skills due to this workshop one of them being investigative. I have better investigative skills after looking at two case studies and picking out the differences which will help me as a student and future teacher as it is important to look at the full picture and be able to pick out the relevant pieces of information.

The science workshop was more practical than the first. There were several investigations placed around the class which we were to work through in small groups. Each investigation was different, ranging from making your own fossils to creating your own volcanic eruption.

Thanks to this workshop I am now able to group different disasters such as: hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, into four categories: metrological, biological, geological and hydrological.

This workshop was particularly helpful in relation to primary teaching as it was active learning which was for the most part doable in a classroom setting. Due to the work being so interesting it is likely that the pupils would be engaged and eager to learn.

I have developed several skills thanks to this workshop. My investigative and hypothesising skills have increased as I had to think about the outcome of most of the experiments. My ability to work in a group and share resources with my peers has also increased. Another thing that has developed for me would be my confidence in teaching the science behind disasters to a class. Upon completing each task and thinking about any risk assessment that would have to be considered, I can successfully say that I would happily stand in front of a class and teach them about disasters.

However, something that I still want to work on would be my note-taking skills as throughout the workshop I was to fixated on what was going on that I never took the time to write any of it down which may have a negative impact on my when I come to write my assignment.

 Relevant Experiences and Outcomes:

·         I can describe the physical processes of a natural disaster and discuss its impact on people and the landscape. (SOC 2-07b)

·         Having explored the landscape of my local area, I can describe the various ways in which land has been used. (SOC 1-13a)

·         By exploring a natural environment different from my own, I can discover how the physical features influence the variety of living things. (SOC 1-13b)

·         I can explain how the physical environment influences the ways in which people use land by comparing my local area with a contrasting area. (SOC 2-13a)

·         I have contributed to discussions of current scientific news items to help develop my awareness of science. (SCN 1-20a)

 

Learning Log 3

Interdependence. When two or more things rely on each other to survive. These past two weeks have opened up my mind to the importance of teaching interdependence in schools as before this module, I was ignorant towards the area and the issues.

We were given the opportunity to go to two very different farms; one was modernised and the other was organic. I was never one for going outdoors and playing around in the dirt, plus the slightest bad smell makes me gag but these trips have opened my mind to the ideas of farming and interdependence.

The first farm was called Strandhead and it was a completely different to what I expected. For one, the cows there are not allowed to go outside, they spend their whole lives stuck indoors. Another thing that stood out as being different was that every part of the farm was modernised. A machine made up the cow feed, another one delivered it (much like a hoover) and another one milked the cows. We were assured that the cows were all happy and everything that was being done was in their best interest and to be honest, nothing looked that bad. The idea of cows being mechanically milked however places unpleasant thoughts in my head that it would be painful and uncomfortable. The video below shows this fascinating process.

 

This farm was the one in which flagged up ethical issues. Beforehand I expected it to be very intense, with animals unhappy and in pain however I was pleasantly surprised. The pictures below show some of the farm and its animals, including calf’s

 

The second farm was called Mossgiel and it was a completely organic farm. This farm reminded me most of a farm, the cows were not stuck indoors, and it looked more rustic than the other one. The cows at this farm were fed a multitude of things, the most interesting being potatoes and seaweed. Apparently, the seaweed reduces the amount of methane that the cows produce and in turn helps to slow down climate change. The farmers here used the traditional method of milking by which the pump is placed on the cow’s udders my hands and then a machine milks the cow as opposed to the other process of being completely done by machine. The cows here were placed near their babies as a way to reduce both the stress of the calf’s and the mums. There was a place where the mums could come over and see their babies, lie down and bond with them. The calf’s at Mossgiel were also given their mums milk as that is the only way that they can build up their immune system at that age. Most dairy calf’s are given powdered milk as opposed to their mother’s milk as the cost of milk outweighs the cost of the powdered milk. Mossgiel supplies most of its product to cafes as their milk has the highest fat percentage allowing for baristas to create coffee designs that last the longest. You can also buy the product yourself by phoning them up and placing an order. We were lucky enough to be given tasters of the milk, which to me tasted just like cream. The pictures below show Mossgiel farm.

I can see how effective taking a class of children to farms would be. They would be getting first-hand knowledge of what goes on at a farm as well as the diverse ways in which they get their food. I found the trips to be very engaging and fun however with a class of young children you would have to be careful with any health and safety risks. We could just touch the cows and, so you would have to reiterate to the children either to not touch any of the animals or not to touch their face until after they have washed their hands.

The next thing that was covered in the interdependence topic was healthy oceans with reference to four aspects; industry and economical, biodiversity, community impact and political elements. In small groups, we were to read several websites and watch some clips whilst picking out points relating to each of the four aspects in order to make an infographic. This was a very fun and engaging task as it allowed me to use my investigative skills as well as my creative ones to make an eye-catching piece of work. The link to our infographic.https://create.piktochart.com/output/25412201-new-piktochart

This type of work would be a great lesson in an upper school class as asking the children to research a topic and then create a piece of work would encourage them to be creative and develop multiple skills.

I have learned a lot of new things relating to interdependence these past two weeks that I never knew before such as that technology is playing such a huge part in farming and also that seaweed can help to reduce gas emissions from cows. I have also learned how much money goes into fishing as well what is being done to make our oceans healthy again, things that before this topic I knew nothing about.

Climate Change: Learning Log 2

In the lecture this week, we looked at climate change and the effects that it has around the world. This was very interesting as ideas were shared on the ways in which you would approach teaching children about climate change. We looked at geographical maps that documented the ways in which climate change was effecting the ice caps as well as watching a clip of a man investigating the ways in which floods affect people and the environment. It was a very interesting lecture in terms of the facts that were given out.

The first workshop focused mostly on the weather aspect of climate change, with several practical experiments. We were stationed into six separate groups with a task to do at each station. However, before we started these tasks the full class had to fill out an activity sheet on a specific biome. My group were given a tundra (Northern Siberia) where we had to research; the type of land, the climate, temperature, weather, water, types of animals, plants, people and dangers. The task was that we were stranded in our designated biome with little resources and we had to describe how we would survive. Though this task was one of my favourites out of the whole workshop, to put it to use in a classroom there would need to be significant modifications such as; more time, a fact sheet, more precise instructions etc.

The next activity was creating a tornado in a jar. This was interesting as it was a simplistic version of how a real tornado is formed in real life. The materials needed was; a clear jar with lid, food dye, fairly liquid and a dropper. We were supposed to fill up the jars with water and add a few drops of fairly liquid and food dye then close the lid. Then the jar was swirled around in a circle to create the tornado. Unfortunately, I never got a video of this but this is something that would be worth doing in a class. It was a very engaging activity and would be effective when used in association with either the topic of climate change or weather.

Weather systems was the focus of the next activity. In our group, we had to fill a clear fish tank up with room temperature water and place a cup filled with hot water, red dye and two stones to weigh the cup down and a cup filled with cold water, blue dye and two stones to weigh the cup down at the same time. These two cups represented air front, the red standing for warm and the blue standing for cold. What was interesting about this was that both dyes and water temperature reacted differently when placed in the tank. The red dye stayed up the top and the blue dye sank to the bottom acting as a visual representation of the nature of weather fronts. The video below shows the results. The would again be an effective lesson when educating children on weather fronts.

DCII6421

Another activity was to create two identical snowflakes and scrunch one up into a ball then drop them down from the same height to see what one reached the bottom first. The pictures and video below show my work. This would be an effective way to teach children about either air resistance or the weather i.e. how different elements are formed and fall (hail and snow).

There was also an activity on the water system in the shape of a quiz which was a fun way to learn about what may be considered a boring topic.

The last activity related again to biomes. We were supposed to create our own animal based on the biome we picked and then write down a bunch of facts that make the animal suited to that environment. This would be an amazing task to do with children of any age as it is bringing in multiple skills including; researching, creating and construction.

Surprisingly our second input on climate change was focused on the political aspect. In small groups, we were handed several resources to look through/watch and decide what the most important for the thing we had been assigned. My group were told to look at climate change from the perspective of an elderly couple living in the suburbs of New Orleans. We were to look at each resource with them in mind, what they would need more than the rest. It was decided that the temperature would be the biggest issue for the couple. As climate change is happening, the earth is gradually getting warmer. This leads to not only increased sea levels from the ice caps melting but also can lead to infrastructure and health problems. Not to mention that natural disasters such as hurricanes thrive in warm air and when taking into consideration hurricane Catrina not that long ago we figured that this would be a priority. When deciding all of this we were looking at protocols such as the Kyoto and Montreal protocol and list what we believe the government can do to help the couple. This proved to be an effective way to get involved in the lesson as well as learn the right stuff. It improved our note taking, listening, writing and researching skills.

 The directed study task this week was to calculate our carbon footprint, watch a video clip called “Antarctica on the Edge” and read ‘Climate Challenge (Scotland) Act 2009’. As stated previously I thoroughly enjoyed calculating my own carbon footprint and can see why that is an important thing to do. The legislation however was not a very fun read, but again I see the importance in being able to name the main points of the Act when it comes to assignment time.  

Skills I have developed:

  • Working cooperatively
  • Researching
  • Recording
  • Reporting
  • Observing
  • Knowledge

Climate change relates to primary teaching in multiple ways. The most important (to me) is the fact that children are the future. If we don’t educate young people on the impacts and effects that climate change has on the world then there is little hope for it to be slowed down.

Part of the directed study task helped to emphasise this point to me. We were to find out our carbon footprint, which seems easy enough but it was rather daunting. Before this I thought I had a low carbon footprint but it turns out its 111%! If that is just one person who thought they were somewhat ‘healthy’ for the planet, what is an entire generations carbon footprint going to do? If they are educated early then that may lead them to adopt healthier habits which in turn may reduce the rate of climate change.

The clip “Antarctica on the Edge” was extremely eye opening. I was not aware of just how much damage is being done to the earth due to climate change and it was interesting to see the effects first hand. Watching something like this in a class would be a great activity as the children would be seeing how climate change is effecting the world possibly helping them to understand the importance of it.

This theme has enhanced my knowledge of climate change. Before the inputs, I thought climate change was only to do with the weather however I now know that there are multiple contributing factors that cause climate change as well as several different negative effects. After the inputs there were several unanswered questions flowing around my head and so I am going to do some further reading into the topic as a whole in order to educate myself more.

 The one area in which I was most interested in was the freak weather incidences that may or may not be a result of climate change. We watched a clip in the lecture of a man testing out how different things hold up in floods which was very interesting that I went home and watched the full video. This would be the type of video that would really get everyone’s attention and so I can see myself incorporating some things like this in future lessons.

Another area that I am interested in researching further is my carbon footprint. Pictured below is my carbon footprint as described by the WWF Website. This number shocked be as I thought my carbon footprint would be a lot smaller. I am planning to research ways in which I can reduce my carbon footprint and do my part to making the world a better place.

My Carbon Footprint.

Useful resources/links:

http://ozone.unep.org/en/treaties-and-decisions/montreal-protocol-substances-deplete-ozone-layer

https://www.cfr.org/interactives/crisis-guide-climate-change

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1SgmFa0r04

http://www.wri.org/resources/data-visualizations/carbon-emissions-past-present-and-future-interactive

http://www.climatehotmap.org/

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2009/12/contents

http://footprint.wwf.org.uk/?_ga=1.176985891.745195644.1442412124

The environment: Learning Log 1

In class, we looked at multiple things that are all part of the environment. We looked at plants and living things; how things grow, biodiversity and the structures of plants. We looked at planet earth; biodiversity and interdependence, energy sources and sustainability, processes of the plant and space. Lastly, we looked at the sustainability of the world.

Each workshop was extremely beneficial in reinforcing the notion of sustainability and why it should be taught in schools. My favourite part of the day was going on a sensory walk outside completely immersed in nature. For it to work you had to use all your senses (minus taste of course) and experience your surroundings like you’d never done before. It was amazing to see just how much of my environment I had blanked out for the past year. It was then discussed the ways in which you could incorporate this in to a lesson. What stood out to me most was the idea of sound graphs whereby you record a certain area at various times of the year and record whether there has been any change e.g. less bird noises, more traffic etc. This type of lesson could be done with topic work if you were doing something like the seasons as well as if you were learning about the environment.

The directed study task this week was to create a blog post on our own urban environment (can be seen in the previous post. We were encouraged to look at our environment in ways that we had never and really get out there and experience it. We were also to look at ways we could incorporate/develop a lesson on the environment to deliver it to a Primary 5 class.

 Skills that I have developed throughout the topic of the environment are:

  • Evaluation
  • Analysing
  • Researching
  • Observing
  • Reading
  • Listening

How does the environment relate to primary teaching?

The environment relates greatly to primary teaching. Within an educational context, it is important to teach young people about the environment and the damaging effects that certain thing have on it to try and make the world a better place and become more aware of their surrounding environment. Children are the future!

The Curriculum for Excellence experiences and outcomes that relate to this are:

  • 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)
  • I can consider the advantages and disadvantages of a proposed land use development and discuss the impact this may have on the community. (SOC 2-08b)
  • 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)

What has changed in my thinking?

Before starting this module, I had little to no knowledge on the environment, and what I did know was the basics taught from school. After both the lectures and workshops from last week and the directed study task from this week I can successfully say that I would be confident enough to teach a class about the environment and all the areas within it.

The word environment to me used to be synonymous with green places, forests, clean air, landscapes of vast areas etc. whereas now I am more aware that an individual’s environment can be many things, not just the stereotypical idea that comes to mind. The majority of the world’s population lives in cities (54%). That means that most people experience an urban environment in their daily lives. Unfortunately, that also means that cities need more energy to function and in turn will produce more pollution than that of the surrounding areas. A fact that I found to be very interesting was that 80% of gas and fuel emissions, which are the cause for global warming come from cities. That means that 46% of the world only produce 20% emissions. Therefore, to combat global warming, we could look into ways of making cities more sustainable and better places to live, rather than completely focusing on the whole world. To do this, governments would have to get the entire population to engage which may prove a challenge however the results would be extremely effective.

Useful Resources/Links:

My Urban Environment…

Irvine is an ancient burgh that has moved along with the times. It is situated on the north-west of Scotland and is only 26 miles from Glasgow. Irvine is known for several things including its rich heritage of shipbuilding. The overall area of Irvine can be described as; industrial, touristy, scenic, dirty, clean and so on depending on where you are. It is a diverse town that has links in retail, sport and history, not to mention the annual festival of Marymass. Irvine is also the largest settlement in North-Ayrshire, with over 39527 inhabitants.

My house is in one of the busiest parts of Irvine. Within walking distance there are; five major supermarkets, a beach, a theatre, a sports centre, a museum, two primary schools, a busy town centre, the Rivergate shopping centre, a library, a hospital, three churches, a train station and three fast-food chains. However, if you go a bit further you will also find several golf courses and a highly credited country park (Eglington).

The buildings in Irvine vary from old buildings that were built in the early 1900’s to modern buildings that have only been standing for a few years. For example, the town centre has mostly old buildings with a few modern structures. The more modern buildings tend to be more recreational where most of the housing structures tend to be older buildings. There are also a few high-rise flats which are somewhat new in terms of how long they have been built. The street in which I stay has only old flat-style buildings (four to a block) that were built in 1946. Whereas just across the road there are 3 separate new housing estates that were built in the past decade. There are also several factories in Irvine with Ardargh Glass being the most prominent.

This year, a new sports centre (The Portal) was just opened which serves as a place for individual to get together and stay active whilst also keeping out of trouble. There are several community centres that are all the hub of their communities which each offer a range of activities for all age groups and abilities.

There are a large number of entertainment spots in Irvine, with the likes of pubs, restaurants, and a theatre along with the previously mentioned sports centre and community centres. There is also a nightclub which is popular at the weekend.

In terms of education, there are 18 schools in Irvine, 2 secondary schools, 14 primary schools and 2 special needs schools (both primary and secondary). Cunningham house, which is the headquarters for North Ayrshire council is also located in Irvine. The high number of schools adds to the increase in traffic as well as population in Irvine.

There are diverse types of transport within Irvine. There is a railway station with frequent train, several buses that take you all over Ayrshire and there is also a tonne of traffic. To combat the large amount of traffic, park and ride schemes were made available however that has not seemed to have created a noticeable dent. The times in which there is the most traffic tends to be during the standard ‘rush hours’. During these times, the roads can become jammed and the air can become thick and dirty. There are many car parks in Irvine, including a four-level multi-storey so parking is generally not an issue unless it is the busy times of the year such as Christmas and summer.

Irvine is half industrial half scenic. There is a beautiful beach with a conjoined harbour and park. This is a cause of the spike in tourism throughout the summer as people come down to relax and have a good time. The Maritime Museum also highlights Irvine’s rich heritage in shipbuilding and proves to be a great day out for the family, not to mention it is near the beach and a great ice cream shop.

However, it is also quite dull in parts. This can be seen best when traveling by train as you can see several manufacturing lots and a lot of old, grey buildings.

In terms of ‘green spaces’ in Irvine, there are several however they are very sporadic. Where I stay there are large playing fields as well as a mini nature trail which serve as an excellent way to reduce stress and get into nature without having to travel. Eglington Country Park is an amazing nature reserve that emphasises the importance of sustainability and healthy living, which proves as an intellectual experience.

The air quality in Irvine is frighteningly low. According to the website ‘Air Quality in Scotland’, the air quality in Scotland is 3/10. This is due to the high population in Irvine as well as factors such as the build-up of cars.

Irvine is an area of Scotland that is forever evolving. Overall my urban environment is a rather pleasant place to live however it could be made better with changes to the amount of traffic and air pollution. Upon researching my town, I realised that I knew nothing about the vast history of Irvine. In my ignorance, I just assumed everything was just the way it was right now. A Daily Record article posted 30/09/14 (http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/gallery/pictures-facinating-images-old-irvine-4352241) helps to convey visually the changes seen in Irvine, especially compared to the photos posted down below.

Within a school situation, there are several different lessons that can be developed around the urban environment. In terms of a Primary 5 class, one lesson idea could be to have the class all write down the ways in which they get to school and how long it takes and create a table to act as a visual representation of the different types of transport used. From there you could go on to look at the website ‘Air Quality in Scotland’ and look at the air quality in the places where each individual lives. This could lead into a full lesson on the damaging effects transport can have on the environment and the strategies that can be used to combat the issues (SOC 2-09a & SOC 2-08a). This type of lesson could also link in with Health and Wellbeing as by looking at different alternatives to transport you could promote a healthier lifestyle through walking or cycling to school.

                                                     

Websites used:

https://www.education.gov.scot/Documents/social-studies-eo.pdf

www.scottishairquality.co.uk

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irvine,_North_Ayrshire

 

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/gallery/pictures-facinating-images-old-irvine-4352241

 

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