Seashore ‘Explorers’ Course Celebrates its Tenth Anniversary

This year, the ‘Explorers’ teacher training course for primary school teachers celebrated its tenth year, with courses held simultaneously in Galway, organised by the Marine Institute, the Galway Atlantaquaria and the Galway Education Centre, and in Dublin, organised by AquaTT, The National SEA LIFE Centre, Bray, and the Blackrock Education Centre.

This year both courses were supported by the Sea for Society Project.

National primary school teachers in Galway increased their knowledge of the ocean and its impact on our daily lives through a teacher training course run by the Marine Institute and Galway Atlantaquaria from 1-5 July 2015.

In Dublin, over twenty primary school teachers donned wellies and waterproofs at Sandycove Strand to gain firsthand experience of the seashore as an open air classroom for the SESE ‘Living Things’ curriculum strand to learn how animals and plants adapt to the drastically changing conditions effecting them as the tide rises and falls. 

Then, back at the SeaLife centre in Bray, they learned how the curriculum strand ‘Energy and Forces’ can be taught through examples of ‘buoyancy’ - such as lemonade bottle submarines and ice cube tray models of the RMS ‘Titanic’, peopled with modelling clay passengers in icy seas made from washing-up bowls.

Teachers in Dublin took part in the Explorers training course organised by AquaTT, The National SEA LIFE Centre Bray and the Blackrock Education Centre from 6-10 July 2015

The ‘History’ strand was demonstrated with Irish maritime heroes and heroines such as the pirate queen Gráinne Mhaol, Saint Brendan the Navigator and the father of the modern submarine John Phillip Holland. While those interested in applying a marine flavour to the ‘Geography’ strand  needed to look no further than Ireland’s 220 million acre undersea territory, with its submarine canyons, deepwater mountains and cold water coral reefs.

“It really is wonderful to see how teachers’ eyes are opened to the possibility of bringing a new dimension to their classes by the simple inclusion of marine themes to the existing curriculum,” said Dr John Joyce who led the Blackrock Course with marine biologist Cathy Maguire this year. “Even after ten years, the experience is as fresh as ever as the teachers realise the potential of the sea to entertain and educate – a lesson we’re sure will be passed on to their pupils in the years to come.”