Oceans of learning online
Now that the school term has started again, the Marine Institute's Oceans of Learning series offers downloadable resources, videos and interactive activities for children doing their school work from home.
Patricia Orme, director of corporate services with the Marine Institute, said: “Increasing awareness of the value and opportunities of the ocean is a key strategic initiative of the Marine Institute and through outreach events such as SeaFest, Ireland's national maritime festival, and our Explorers Educational Programme, we aim to promote our ocean wealth and increase ocean literacy.
“Building on these outreach and educational activities, our online learning resources make it easier for those of all ages to engage with our ocean and learn at home.”
Children can discover the importance of Ireland's marine research vessels, the RV Celtic Explorer and RV Celtic Voyager, in the Oceans of Learning series, and can navigate a range of marine topics through the Marine Institute's awareness campaign, Exploring Our Marine, learning about weather buoys, phytoplankton, deep-sea species and Ireland's ocean economy, with facts on everything from shipping and seafood to sharks and shipwrecks.
Ms. Orme added: “Our Explorers Education Programme also offers lesson plans about the ocean for teachers, parents and primary school children to use while they are doing their school work from home.
“We have also developed and supported film and media productions, including the documentary series, Ireland's Deep Atlantic, which features in online classroom resources for junior cycle students and explores sustainable development, the impact on the environment, the 'Real Map of Ireland' and the importance of our ocean territory.”
Splash into oceans of learning by visiting the Marine Institute's website (www.marine.ie), while video clips from the documentary are also available from the RTÉ Learn website. Follow the Marine Institute on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for regular updates on the learning resources available.