The Marine Institute’s Explorers Education Programme continues to offer a range of ocean themed resources for parents and children to support their stay-at-home learning, which includes lots of cross-curricular activities and online spot prizes.
“We are delighted to continue the ‘Meet the Explorers team’ initiative where children can learn more about the ocean. Based on ocean concepts including how the Earth is one big ocean, how the ocean influences our weather, to how the ocean supports a great diversity of life; these themes cover a range of lessons, activities and fun experiments that children can take part in and complete at home,” explained Cushla Dromgool-Regan, Education Strategic Manager, Camden Education Trust.
This latest materials are based on the theme ‘theocean is largely unexplored’ which was inspired by Mervyn Horgan’s favourite fact; that the modern submarine was developed by an Irish engineer, John Phillip Holland, who was born in County Clare in 1841.
Mervyn Horgan, Manager of Lifetime Lab, has been working with the Explorers Education Programme with his team, carrying out workshops and projects with primary schools in Cork for over 10 years. “The enthusiasm that children show learning about submarine’s and the marine historical personality John Phillip Holland, is great to see. The children really enjoy the fun science experiments investigating how vessels can sink and float and designing their own futuristic submarine,” he said.
Throughout the month of May, children are encouraged to use the materials on www.explorers.ie and create a story, artwork, write a letter or produce a short film about a futuristic machine that could be used to explore the ocean. Parents can share their children’s work on the Explorers online social media platforms, tagging #ExplorersAtHome. Each week the posts will go into a draw to win weekly Explorer spot prizes including a variety of books, posters, postcards and more.
Dr Paul Connolly, CEO of the Marine Institute, welcomed the continued efforts of the education and outreach teams that work with the Explorers Education Programme saying, “With many of our education partners unable to visit schools or have children visit their centres, we are delighted the ‘Meet the Explorers Team’ education initiatives online, are generating a huge interest with parents and children at home. Ireland has continued to be a leader in marine research and development and the ocean provides us with a wealth of opportunities. It is key that we start at home by sharing the importance of learning about the influence our ocean has on us and the influence we have on the ocean.”
For updates, competitions, spot prize winners and sharing content, follow Explorers social media channels at https://www.facebook.com/ExplorersMarineEducation
