1. Locations of schools
School site
Location
Maps-schools on maps
ASPECT
Cardinal points of direction-the compass
2. School Building
Outside schools-DESIGN
Architecture and school buildings
Outdoor environment-PLAY SPACES
Making plans and diagrams
Interpreting plans
School extensions
Inside a school-light and space
3. School Population
How big is my school?
Common school sizes
Population change and the affect on schools
Looking at census reports
Two schools in the past
4. Transport
Categories and types
Travel to school in the past and present
Advantages and disadvantages of various modes of school transport
Comparing modes
Quiz
School transport scheme-school buses
5. Green School
Green Flag awards
green school check
School environment survey
Are all plastics the same
Ringo
Reduce, reuse and recycle
Waste action pyramid
Unit Content Explained in Brief Section 1: Location of Schools
Examination of the location of schools begins with the child's own school. Observation of maps to find key aspects of the natural and built environment of a school. Vocabulary and concepts are developed. Children encounter residential and commercial building categories and learn about site, aspect and compass points. They consider what gives school play areas shelter.
Section 2: School Buildings
When was your school built? Examination of external features of a school building in the past. Children consider signs of weathering on old stone buildings. They study the architectural features of an older school building and compare this to a modern one. They examine the outdoor and indoor environment of some sample schools. Teachers would need to make sure children understand words such as gutters, gables, parapet, and façade. Children look at school play areas. They also learn to interpret and to draw diagrams and plans of school buildings. They are asked to design a school, keeping particular features and needs in mind. Children see an example of a school extension and consider new and modern school design.
Section 3: School Population
Examination of school size. Through interpreting graphs and tables children identify the most common school sizes in the past and present. They are introduced to the process of urbanization and consider how the rural areas are affected by it. Children have to weigh up the factors which have caused a move to towns and cities in Ireland. They also see how rural decline has adversely affected some schools. To see an example of how population change is recorded, they examine some figures from the census of 2002 and 2006. Children are invited to consider the affect of population change on schools.
Section 4: Journey to school
Children will be introduced to categories of transport and modes of transport and relate them to school travel. They will see different kinds of roadways in Ireland and see how these are shown on maps. Children reflect on their own means of travelling to school. They consider the advantages of disadvantages of different modes of school transport and consider its impact on the environment and the user. The final section on travel examines the school bus scheme and the routes that are travelled. They are asked to suggest ways of improving the school bus scheme.
Section 5: Green-Schools
This looks at the Green-Schools programme and how schools participate in it. They are asked to examine their own school and how they see the school environment in a positive or negative light. The topic of rubbish is introduced and children consider what happens to rubbish which is disposed of. They are encouraged to do some investigations into plastics. Children are asked to complete a waste action pyramid to show what they can do in school and at home to keep the local and wider environment in good condition.