Science · 1st Class · Environmental Awareness and Care · Summer Term

What is Our Environment?

Let's explore the world right around us. We will discover what makes up our environment, including our classroom, school grounds, and home.

TL;DR:Let's explore our very own environment, the classroom, and become 'Tidy-Up Heroes'. We'll discover how looking after our shared space makes it a happier and safer place for everyone to learn and play.

• NCCA Curriculum Specifications
• NCCA: Primary Science - Strand: Environmental Awareness and Care

About This Topic

This topic, 'What is Our Environment?', is a foundational element within the Social, Environmental and Scientific Education (SESE) curriculum for First Class, specifically aligning with the 'Environmental Awareness and Care' strand. At this age, the concept of 'environment' is brought down to a tangible, personal level: the classroom, the school yard, and the home. The focus is not on abstract ecological principles but on fostering a sense of personal responsibility and care for the immediate, shared spaces that children inhabit daily. The learning should be active, collaborative, and directly relevant to their own experiences, establishing the principle that everyone has a role in maintaining a pleasant and functional environment.

By linking simple actions like tidying up to positive outcomes, such as being able to find toys easily or having a nice space to play, the topic also integrates key learning from the Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) curriculum. It helps children develop an understanding of how their actions affect others and themselves, exploring feelings associated with order and chaos. The goal is to cultivate positive habits and a community mindset, where caring for the environment begins with caring for the book corner, the art supplies, and the space under their own desk.

Key Questions

1. Identify three things that are part of your classroom environment.
2. Explain why it is nice to have a clean and tidy space to learn and play.
3. Compare the things you see inside the school with the things you see outside in the school garden.

Learning Objectives

• Identify at least two ways they can help to keep the classroom environment tidy.
• Describe what might happen if a shared space was never tidied.
• Articulate the difference in how they feel in a tidy space versus a messy one.
• Participate cooperatively in a group tidying activity.
• Contribute an idea to a class agreement about looking after their shared space.

Key Vocabulary

Environment	The place all around us, like our classroom, school, and home.
Tidy	When things are neat and in their proper place.
Responsibility	Having a job to do and making sure it gets done; looking after something.
Cooperate	To work together as a team to get something done.
Shared Space	A place that lots of people use together, like our classroom or the school yard.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

Tidying up is a grown-up's job.

What to Teach Instead

Everyone who uses a space helps to look after it. When we all do a little bit, the job gets done very quickly and we can all enjoy our lovely, tidy classroom.

Common Misconception

My small bit of mess doesn't matter.

What to Teach Instead

Every little piece of mess adds up to make a big mess. In the same way, every little bit of tidying, like picking up one crayon, helps a lot to make the whole room clean.

Common Misconception

Being tidy means you can't have fun and make a mess when you play.

What to Teach Instead

It's brilliant to make a mess when you are playing and being creative! Being tidy just means putting things back where they belong when you are finished, so they are safe and ready for the next person to use.

Active Learning Ideas

Outdoor Investigation Session

Tidy-Up Team Challenge

Divide the class into small teams and assign each a specific area of the classroom. Set a five-minute timer and challenge the teams to work together to make their area as tidy as possible, focusing on cooperation rather than speed.

10 min·Small Groups

Outdoor Investigation Session

Happy Place, Sad Place Sorting

Give pairs of children a set of laminated pictures showing both very tidy and very messy spaces (e.g., bedrooms, parks, classrooms). Ask them to sort the pictures into two piles, 'happy places' and 'sad places', and then discuss their reasons with the class.

15 min·Pairs

Outdoor Investigation Session

Our Classroom Charter

As a whole class, brainstorm a list of simple rules for keeping the classroom tidy. Write these on a large sheet of paper and have children draw pictures to illustrate each rule, creating a 'charter' to display on the wall.

20 min·Whole Class

Real-World Connections

• Keeping their own bedroom tidy at home.
• Putting litter in the bin at the local park or on the beach.
• Helping to set or clear the table for dinner with their family.
• Putting sports equipment back in the shed after playing in the garden or yard.
• Helping to put the shopping away in the presses and fridge.

Assessment Ideas

Quick Check

Teacher observation during daily tidy-up time, using a simple checklist to note pupils' participation, cooperation, and independence.

Exit Ticket

Use an 'exit ticket' where pupils draw one thing they did that day to help look after the classroom environment.

Quick Check

At the end of the day, pupils give a 'thumbs up, middle, or thumbs down' to show how well they think they helped to keep the classroom tidy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do we have to tidy up every single day?

We tidy up every day so the mess doesn't get too big and out of control. It means we can always find our things easily and we have a safe, clear space to learn and play in the next morning.

What if someone else made the mess?

In our classroom, we are a team. Sometimes we help tidy a mess we didn't make because that's a kind thing to do and it helps the whole team. Next time, someone might help you.

How can I get my child to tidy their toys at home?

Make it part of the routine and keep it positive. Use a 'tidy-up song', give them a five-minute warning before it's time to tidy, and give them small, specific jobs like, 'Can you put all the Lego in the red box?'. Praise their effort more than the final result.