Welcome to another edition of the SFI Discover Primary Science and Maths e-newsletter! We hope that you have been enjoying your STEM learning this year. This week is Biodiversity Week and we love seeing what fantastic activities you have been getting up to with your class! Keep tagging us on our twitter @DPSM_Activites or Facebook @DPSMprogramme so that we can share your great work with our community!
Programme Updates
DPSM/ESERO Continuous Professional Development
Looking for a way to create excitement around STEM in your school, while also building teacher confidence and collaboration? Registration for the DPSM/ESERO continuous professional development (CPD) programme for 2022/2023 opens this June and offers a great way to operate a whole school approach to engaging with STEM learning in a fun and interactive manner. We also offer STEM education workshops for individual teachers through your local education centre. For details on what’s involved and how to register please visit our website.
SFI Discover Science and Maths Award 2021/2022
As usual, the week of the Awards assessments was extremely busy in Science Foundation Ireland! We were delighted to see so many entries for the SFI Discover Science and Maths Awards and were blown away by the fantastic STEM work being carried out in schools all across the country!
Our panel of adjudicators spent a week going through all the logs of evidence and were extremely impressed by the quality and variety of STEM work included in the submissions this year. We are already looking forward to next year’s Awards! Applicants can expect to receive a notification of the award outcome by June 2022.
Schools that achieved a Plaque of STEM should receive their plaque by Thursday 16 June 2022. Please note, if you have not received your plaque by this date, please contact the plaque company directly (Paul Kennedy: [email protected]).
The DPSM Awards Ceremony will take place virtually on 17 June 2022. Check our website for updates.
STEM Weeks
Biodiversity Week
Biodiversity Week is running this week until 22nd May 2022. Explore the rich variety of life in Ireland with a host of wonderful events and activities for the whole family. This year join in with the 10th annual Biodiversity Photographer of the Year competition, a weekend Bioblitz and Scavenger Hunt, and events every day on all things wildlife in Ireland! Events will be both in person and virtual, so everyone can take part. Browse the website or follow us on social media to find out more!
ESERO Ireland
ESERO Ireland Summer Courses for Primary Teachers
This year we have a varied selection of summer courses with partners like Discover Primary Science & Maths at SFI, MTU Blackrock Castle Observatory and The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). Not only is there a choice of different courses course but also a choice of delivery method. We have three online asynchronous courses which are available from 4th to 19th July and in partnership with the SEAI we have a face to face course from 4th to 8th July in Airfield Estate, Dundrum, Dublin 14.
All of our summer courses have been approved by the Department of Education and applicants who complete the course will be eligible for EPV days.
Courses include the ones listed below.
STEAMING Through Dark Skies and Biodiversity with ESERO
It’s surprising how few people have ever seen a truly dark sky. Those living in large towns and cities can only see the glow of artificial light is visible overhead as a yellow hue. On a clear night in Ireland under a dark sky, you can see over 4,000 twinkling stars, planets such as Venus or Jupiter and even meteor showers and all with the unaided eye. This TeachNet course from ESERO Ireland and Discover Primary Science and Maths at Science Foundation Ireland, will explore how Dark Skies can be used as a theme to engage pupils in developing STEM skills, help them identify planets and stars, understand the moon, light pollution and climate problems that directly affect their community and identify possible solutions.
Ireland’s European Space Education & Resource (ESERO) and Discover Primary Science and Maths Awards (DPSM) offers you a unique opportunity to participate in our on-line summer course for teachers of 2nd to 6th classes. This course will give you the knowledge and confidence to teach students the difference between weather and climate using classroom resources from the European Space Agency (ESA). Causes and effects of climate change can be investigated in your classroom and you will be equipped to lead your students through The ESAs Climate Detectives project should you wish to.
This ESERO Ireland course, in partnership with MTU / BCO, is ideal for teachers of Junior Infants to 2nd Class. It uses space as a cross-curricular theme and aims to help teachers improve their understanding of and confidence in using a variety of space and STEM related activities and resources.
This course is an online version of the “Junior Rocket Scientists” course that was previously offered as a face-to-face course at Blackrock Castle Observatory and Lough Gur Heritage Centre between 2014 and 2019.
Climate Science Champions with DPSM/ESERO and SEAI
The course looks at the links between climate change and wellbeing by connecting children with the natural world and involving them in simple positive changes in school and at home. The course has links to SESE, with integration of other curriculum areas such as numeracy and literacy.
The course will make use of a range of resources from Discover Primary Science and Maths (DPSM), the European Space Education Resource Office (ESERO) and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI).
European Space Agency (ESA) Online Teacher Workshops
ESA Teach With Space Online Conference for Primary and Secondary Teachers
Register now for ESA Online Space Teacher Conference, taking place from 5 to 7 July 2022.
Over the course of three days, you will explore space by hearing from space experts; discover inspiring ways to use space as a context to teach STEM in your physical and virtual classrooms; experience demonstrations of our fun classroom activities; and enjoy social space-themed events and more!
ESERO Ireland has developed a "Teaching Climate Change” MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) in partnership with ESERO UK. This Free teacher CPD supports the teaching and learning of Climate Change for teachers of students aged 11 to 14 years. It’s a 3-module course which you can complete in your own time. Topics include "What is climate change?", "How is climate change measured?" and "How can we mitigate climate change?".
Discover Centres
The SFI Discover Centres offer accredited workshops and outreach programmes for primary schools on a range of STEM topics. The Centres support schools to engage in science education outside of the classroom in a curriculum relevant and inquiry-based way and provides opportunities to meet scientists and engineers from a range of disciplines. Schools can gain credit towards their Science Foundation Ireland Discover Science and Maths Awards by visiting a Centre. Updates on exciting upcoming STEM events are available from the SFI Discover Centres listed below.
Dublin Zoo
There are still some limited spaces available for primary tour season at Dublin Zoo. The primary programmes available are ‘African Adventurer’, ‘Rainforest Ranger’ and ‘Dinosaur Detectives’. There is also open availability for self-guided visits. Email [email protected] for information or to check availability.
Irish Peatland Conservation Council
Peatlands, a home for wildlife and the heart of Fenor village.
Join the Irish Peatland Conservation Council to celebrate Biodiversity week on 21 May for a FREE family friendly event from 11-1pm on Fenor Bog, Co. Waterford.
Fenor Bog is a Fen owned in partnership with the IPCC and MFDA, a local environmental community group in Fenor Co. Waterford. Explore the range of ecosystem services peatlands provide such as carbon sequestration, water storage, biodiversity, recreation and education as we walk along the boardwalk. Explore the mini-beasties that live within the pools of peatland habitats and one of the common amphibians found in Ireland. For more information, contact us at [email protected].
Global Action Plan
Global Action Plan is delighted to be running online and in-person events for Biodiversity week this year, which you can book on our eventbrite page.
The line up includes Big Top shows with whizzes, pops and booms from Mark the Science Guy, Science Magic from W5 of Belfast and “Airheads” from Eureka Edinburgh. Hands on workshops will be provided by the Royal Society of Chemistry, Learn it, Madlab and Bubbly Maths, SSPC and include activities such as making your own hand sanitiser and batteries. Analog Devices will feature interactive exhibits while walk about performances feature Inspirational Science, Number Ninjas and Science on Stilts. Activity stands will be provided by Lifetime Lab, Cell Explorers, Tyndall, INFANT, UCC Chemistry and many may more.
Cork Carnival of Science is a free, family, STEAM day out supported by Cork City Council and Science Foundation Ireland. See www.lifetimelab.ie for full details.
National Reptile Zoo
Biodiversity Week at the National Reptile Zoo!
Friday 13th to Sunday 22nd May
As part of this year's Biodiversity the National Reptile Zoo shines the spotlight on these fascinating creatures that share our island! Learn more about our native herpetofauna, their micro-habitats and where in Ireland to look out for them!
There are 5 species of reptiles and amphibians native to Ireland :
This June we will be launching our on-site lab, studio and learning hub!
With this facility, we plan to expand the possibilities of our ongoing education programmes, university collaborations and ex-situ research projects.
Schools planning for learning programs at the zoo can now engage with specific topics that explore our world of reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates at varied scales.
Learn about ecosystems, their physical and chemical parameters and build DIY tech to monitor our habitats. Learn about our creatures through taxonomy and microscopy. Use our Researcher Hub as a living laboratory for your classroom.
The Rediscovery Centre
Ready for Biodiversity Week? We offer engaging hands-on biodiversity workshops for primary schools and additional needs groups! Places are limited so contact us for more details.
Tours for Schools
Our Education Team offer workshops that are both fun and educational for schools tours at our education centre in Dublin. School Tour topics include Science, Waste, Space, Engineering and Forces.
Free Workshops
We also have a limited number workshops available under our STEM and Sustainability projects. This includes the delivery of FREE education workshops and teacher CPD for schools.
Primary Teachers Needed for Climate and Ocean Literacy Project
Dr Cliona Murphy and Dr Ben Mallon from the Institute of Education, DCU are working on a research networking project that is being funded by the Irish Research Council to develop a transnational network for collaboration on climate and ocean literacy through science education between Ireland and Mauritius.
Share your experiences of teaching about climate change (if any) and what kind of supports you think would be important to facilitate you teaching about Climate Change with them.
Get the latest Careers and Education information delivered to you every day!
We never share your email with anybody.
Students - please use your own personal email address here and not the one supplied by your school. For security reasons school emails block external messages.
