The Environment

 

The first two weeks were focused on learning about the environment. This included learning about the environment in general and also about our urban environment. In the lecture we learned about sustainability and why this is important for our environment and. We also learned about the benefits of teaching sustainability in a classroom setting to children. Sustainability is when we try to use the resources we have at a balanced level or reasonable rate. “The goal of sustainable development is to enable all people throughout the world to satisfy their basic needs and enjoy a better quality of life without compromising the quality of life of future generations.”

(Scottish Government, 2010, p. 4)

Sustainability is important to help our global eco systems and help improve our living standards for the future. If we are not sustainable enough we will not be able to carry on living using the amount of resources, we are using currently. “The disproportionate overuse of resources by industrialised nations has raised living standards in many countries but at a huge cost to the health of the Earth’s living systems”

(Scottish Government, 2012, p.6)

 

There are many benefits to sustainability/sustainable development. This includes health benefits, better use of resources, environmental improvements, relevant education etc.

 

Workshop 1

In the first workshop, we were outside and exploring the Japanese garden which is in the university grounds. In this workshop we were asked to take identify different trees and leafs in our environment and take tree and leaf rubbings. We were then carrying out some activities which involved analysing snails and looking at food chains. These activities were very fun and engaging. I also felt a bit more informed about the environment and how some of the environment around us works in harmony with each other such as the animals in the environment.

Workshop 2

In this workshop we were outside for the two hours. I particularly enjoyed this activity as I was learning a bit more about the environment that I was normally exposed to. For example, I didn’t realise that there were many different types of lichen and to start with I didn’t actually know there was a name for it. I liked looking for different types of leaves, trees and animals as it was quite relaxing to just have a wander around during our sensory walk and enjoy the space and environment we were working in. It was also very nice to be outside learning rather than in a classroom all day.

 

 

In general, we learned more about the environment we live in by having an opportunity to learn outside. On a personal level over the two weeks, I have learned more about my environment as I have been paying more attention to what I can see around me. I have noticed more things in my environment such as different types of trees, animals and birds etc. For example, I have noticed that there are different trees such as, birch trees, cherry blossom trees and elm trees in my area, whereas before, I wouldn’t have paid much attention to this. I have found this topic very interesting and eye opening as it has allowed me to engage much more with my own environment and actually allow myself to experience the nature that is around me instead of immediately disregarding my environment because it is considered drear with not many good things about it. Before I started this module, I never really appreciated the environment and never really thought that there was anything exciting or great about it but I have now begun to change my perspective on this.

 

During these two weeks, I have allowed myself to be more engaged with my environment and what is in it. I have begun to notice what is around me more and have been trying to appreciate what is there more. I have also realised how important this kind of learning will be for children in a primary school as it is very important for them to learn about the outdoors, even if this is just going for a walk around the school grounds. This also relates to primary education as activities like this could be used for all ages and will keep children engaged and focussed on what they are learning, perhaps without even realising they are learning. It will also give children a better insight and more appreciation to their environment.

 

References

Scottish Government (2010) Learning for Change Report. Edinburgh: Scottish Government

Scottish Government (2012) Learning for Sustainability: The  Report of the One Planet Schools Working Group. Edinburgh: Scottish Government

 

 

Useful resources for learning/primary teaching

Woodland trust website

Stevenston is a town which makes up an area called ‘The Three Towns’. This is made up of Stevenston,Ardrossan and Saltcoats. I live in stevenston and so will mainly focus on that in this post but I will refer to the other two towns at some points aswell.

Stevenston is situated on the west coast of Scotland and has a population of 135900 people (2016 census). In Stevenston/The Three Towns there are mainly roads which are main roads leading to other surrounding towns/by passes and retail parks. There are not many green spaces except from a few parks and fields but the fields are directly next to main roads, are private land or are being turned into new houses. However, there are a lot of beaches in my environment. I really like the fact that there are a lot of beaches because it provides a place to have a bit of peace when you need it rather than the noise coming from the roads and busy streets.

The houses in my environment are mostly semi detached/ detached or four in a block flats. I live in a four in a block flat which I don’t really like about my area because of the noise from other neighbours/surrounding houses. Most buildings in the area are very close together and are mainly very old, however,recently there has been some renovation work on some old buildings and there is currently some new houses/buildings under construction near/in green spaces. This is related to the Peri-urban space.

The main modes of transport in my area are buses,trains and walking. I would say, based on personal experience that most people use cars and buses on an every day basis. This causes some problems due to heavy road traffic especially in the mornings and evenings. Buses are often extremely late and roads are often so busy it’s almost impossible to cross roads at certain times of the day. However, when running according to schedule, the buses and trains are very frequent and useful to get to certain places such as Glasgow and Edinburgh as there are direct trains/bus links to these places. Walking is also a regular mode of transport for many people in The Three Towns. I think this is because of the poverty in the area as many people cannot afford to drive or have never had the opportunity to learn how to drive. This is a benefit to the environment as his reduces air pollution. The air pollution in North  Ayrshire is considered low, at a rating of 3.

There are a lot ofwork places and a variety of community places and shops in my area. There are many chain shops such as supermarket and clothing stores but there are also many indeoendent businesses such as takeaway hops, hairdressers, dairy farms(in surrounding areas) and pubs. In terms of community spaces, there are 12 primary schools and 3 secondary schools,  3 community centres which provide clubs such as brownies and scouts. Finally, there are some but not many recreational sites. This includes a golf course,libraries and a leisure centre. I wouldn’t say there are many job opportunities in my environment in terms of jobs that allow you to move forward in a career. It is also very hard to find a job as most buisnesses are independent and do not require many staff. In the other hand there isn’t a lot of communication in the environment through these businesses and schools because there are a lot of people using the same facilities.

As you can see from the images above, there is a variety of land such as buildings and businesses but there is some green spaces. The problem is, a lot of the green spaces cannot be accessed as it is private land.

Ted Talk

1) Urbanisation can be seen to have impacted the world in a negative light due to violence and crime,extensively in south countries such as Mexico and African Countries. This could be due to growth in these countries at a rapid speed. I also gathered from watching the ted talk that this could be due to age,gender,lack of structure in life and life experiences. For example. Life expectancy is lower in a lot of urbanised countries that are associated with being violent. Life experiences could also encourage violence and crime in urban areas as a lot of people in these areas have lost parents at a young age,had a lack of education, are related to gang culture and have had experiences with alcohol and drugs in early life due to parents or self exposure to these substances.

2) I think urbanisation has increased dramatically because of the need for more affordable living costs I think that a lot of people move to urban areas rather than rural areas because of living costs and convenience. I believe that many people can afford to buy or rent a house more easily as living costs are more affordable in urban areas bacuase of smaller houses which then reduces the cost of living expenses such as gas and electricity as there isn’t a need to spend as much on a space that may not be needed. Also, there is more convenience of more shops and supermarkets etc in an urban environment that a rural environment and so money would be saved on travelling and cheaper shopping. It is also more convenient to get to places such as neighbouring cities or certain places in an urban area rather than a rural area.

3) EU policies are trying to encourage countries/cities to become more sustainably efficient by using what resources there country/area has to offer. In doing this countries are co-operating with EU policies and are contributing towards the goal of the Europe 2020 Strategy.

P5 Urban Environments Task

In terms of planning an activity for a P5 class, I would perhaps develop it into a term topic. But for an initial lesson/day lessons. I would take the class out on a walk around there environment, such as the surrounding areas around the school and ask them to list the things they like/dislike about their environment, what they notice,I.e, smells, textures, what they see etc.

After this, I would then get them to research or provide them some materials about the history of their town and environment and get them to explore the differences and consistencies in the materials. They would then be asked to write a short story/draw a picture about what they saw/are surprised at etc. This way they are learning about the history’s of their environment and realising that the environment around them is always changing.

As a term topics, I could follow on I could also ask what they see whilst coming to school/how they get to school etc. And then carry on by teaching them about population, air pollution and other activities related to environment and so on.

I can compare and contrast a society in the past with my own and contribute to a discussion of the similarities and differences.

SOC 2-04a

Having explored my local area, I can present information on different places to live, work and relax and interesting places to visit.

SOC 2-10a

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

Resources used

http://www.scottishairquality.co.uk/

http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/HTMLDocs/dvc134_c/index.html

Google maps satellite view

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