Greenwave.iehttp://www.greenwave.ie
Participate in a nationwide project spotting the signs of spring.(Primary)
 | What is the site about?
The site is a central point of
data-collection and mapping to track the movement of spring across
Ireland. It is a nationwide science experiment encouraging students to
log their sightings of species including ash,
horse chestnut, hawthorn trees, the primrose, the swallow and frogspawn.
Students are also asked to record wind speed, rainfall and temperature.
All results are mapped onto the site in an attempt to see whether spring
moves from north to south or inland from coast to centre.
|
Why was it chosen as site of the week?It was chosen because:
- The site is visually engaging and a great means of active, investigative and project based learning
- It makes data-collection interesting, fun and rewarding, helping students relate Maths and Scicence to their everyday lives
- The site is easy to use and has many engaging features such as slider to see when the sightings were logged
- 2009 data relating to species, rainfall and temperature is also available
- Students have the opportunity to enter into a photo competition with great prizes to be won
- A gallery of images which may be filtered by country and species is presented
- Students will learn how to build an anemometer, a device to measure how
fast the wind is blowing
- A useful wallchart is available for download (PDF)
- A Gaeilge version of the site is also available
- Videos on how the season is progressing are presented
- By taking part in Greenwave schools earn credit towards the Discover
Primary Science Awards of Science Excellence.
How can it be used as an educational resource?As a means of recording data: The site may be used mainly in the contexts of the Science and Maths curricula for studying and recording when plants and animals react to warming and
lengthening days in spring.It may ablso be used for measuring rainfall, temperature and wind speed.
To improve higher order thinking skills: The site is ideal for investigative learning, data collection, data analysis and
conducting a comparative study using data from 2009. It also promotes key skills such as observing, classifying, recognising Patterns, Estimating and Measuring,
Recording and Communicating.
To discuss findings: Teachers can easily present and lead a discussion concerning the mapped data from a data projector or interactive whiteboard.
To motivate students: Students can get involved in uploading images of their sightings and data.
Curriculum MappingPrimary Science- Living Things - Plants and Animals
Primary Geography - Environmental Awareness and Care
Primary Maths - Measures, Data, Number, Understanding and Recalling, Communicating and Expressing, Applying and Problem-Solving