Theme: Living inMy LocalArea
1 Our NaturalEnvironment Subject: Geography Strand: Natural environments Strand Unit: The local natural environment Curriculum objectives
Skills
• Investigate and become familiar with some natural features in the local environment. • Observe and explore ways in which these features have affected the lives of plants, animals and humans. • Investigate the ways in which these features have been used by humans and the changes which have occurred as a result.
• A sense of place and space, using pictures, maps and globes, questioning, observing, recording and communicating, predicting
Key words • climate, coastline, ecosystem, environment, erosion, fauna, flora, glacier, landscape, tourist
FYI • A bog provides the perfect environment for preserving organic matter. The acidity of the peat and its lack of oxygen can mummify matter. • The oldest bog body, Cashel Man, was found in Cashel, Co. Laois in 2011. Radiocarbon dating places him at around 2000 BC (more than 600 years before Tutankhamun was born in Ancient Egypt). This was the early Bronze Age in Ireland, approximately 4,000 years ago. • Bogs are explored further in Chapter 53 – Peat.
Resources • Digital – interactive map of Ireland • Digital – video about coastal erosion at the Cliffs of Moher • Differentiation Toolkit DT 1 – Group Work Cards
Lesson • Introduce the key words and elicit suggested meanings. • Class brainstorming: What are ‘natural features’? Can you identify natural features in your locality? • Use the digital interactive map of Ireland to discover some interesting facts about prominent natural features in Ireland. Have the children seen any of these natural features before? • Do the children know of any natural features in their local area, such as rivers, streams, mountains, headlands, bogs, etc.? • Read through the case study with the children. Ask them if they think they would find these animals and plants in their local area. • Ask the children to describe the natural features at the Cliffs of Moher. How do they think the cliffs, caves and sea stack were formed? (What is erosion? How does it happen? What has it caused?) • Watch the video about coastal erosion at the Cliffs of Moher. • Ask the children what they think the Cliffs of Moher will look like 320 million years from now (preparation for Activity Book page 5, activity C).
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Explore with Me 3rd Class Sample.indd 2
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