Acmhainní do Mhúinteoirí

In March 2025, the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan released a redesigned suite of lesson plans in collaboration with Laois County Council. These lesson plans are suitable for junior infants to 6th class and include a range of hands-on activities to help embed pollinator conservation in the classroom.

The story connects Ireland to faraway lands through the underlying narrative of changing climatic conditions and habitat loss across the globe. As creatures relocate to Puffin Rock, they uncover connections across species and habitats.
The relationships and artwork create an implicit emphasis on the wonder and value of each living form.

This book was produced in partnership by the Heritage Council and Cartoon Saloon, inspired by the engagement from the touring exhibition “Puffin Rock Habitats”.

LIFE IP Wild Atlantic Nature works with landowners and local communities to conserve and improve the quality of blanket bogs and associated habitats in the northwest of Ireland (https://www.wildatlanticnature...). The Heritage Council is one of several partners in the project and was tasked with the action to develop, and pilot test a schools’ programme in 2022. The aim would be to promote local awareness of the LIFE IP Wild Atlantic Nature project amongst schools and involve children in assessing a local blanket bog habitat using a scorecard. The hands-on, practical involvement would introduce children to the project and their local blanket bogs and build enthusiasm for blanket bogs generally - an enthusiasm which, it was hoped, they would share with their families, friends, and neighbours. The suite of resources were developed by the Irish Peatland Conservation Council and Aengus Kennedy (NatureNorthWest) with input from the project partners.

The ‘Brigid 1500’ school programme includes videos on making crosses; Bridóg dolls; harvesting rushes/reeds; pollinators and legends of St. Brigid. There's also lots of pdf resources with tales, colouring sheets and more.

The hedgerow toolkit includes lesson plans with information on curriculum links and integration, learning activities, objectives and outcomes along with resources such as a classroom wall poster and hedgerow plants identification sheet.

Participating children engaged in hands-on learning with the two artists and very open discussions around further opportunities for the travelling community in areas of filming, sound, lighting, traditional song, storytelling, performance, recording/archiving etc.

The learning outcomes included the development of important digital skills while exploring the importance of sharing and archiving the songs, language, customs & traditions which are passed onto the children from the older members of their families down through the generations.

The project was funded by the Heritage Council through the Heritage in Schools Summer Programme for 2022.

The ogham publication by Dr Nora White is part of the Heritage Council Our Ancient Landscapes series and follows on from the 2020 publication on prehistoric rock art. This latest publication features high quality colour illustrations from Ken Williams, the National Monuments Service, the National Museum of Ireland, the Discovery Programme and Dr Nora White.

Dr Nora White was Principal Investigator on the Ogham in 3D project (https://ogham.celt.dias.ie). She is currently a Postdoctoral researcher on the Irish Research Council/UK Arts and Humanities Research Council funded OG(H)AM project in the Department of Early Irish at Maynooth University. She has been a member of the Heritage Council’s Heritage in Schools panel since 2018 and has been leading the Knockboy church, Co Waterford, Adopt a Monument conservation project.

In this short video Éanna Ní Lamhna talks about bees, flowers, pollination and this book from the beautiful Vandeleur Walled Gardens in Kilrush.

Multi-user friendly children’s animations packed full of adventure and colourful characters. Seagull Seagull and The Very Long Room are designed to be enjoyed by everyone, including deaf audiences and audiences with low vision.

These animations were produced with funding from The Heritage Council.

Visit The Book of Kells to access these and other resources.

It demonstrates the huge possibilities of designing and developing the school grounds into a highly stimulating and interactive educational resource, with organic food production and biodiversity as its central themes.

The book has unlimited cross-curricular potential. It particularly ties in with Social, Environmental and Scientific Education (SESE), Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE), Wellbeing, Art, Languages, History and Maths.

It sets out practical projects on growing local food, creating biodiversity and native habitats in the school grounds, and encourages healthy eating, nature-based activities and getting students active.

Available to order from the following sites:

EPIC - the Irish Emigration Museum has developed a series of virtual educational experiences, from downloadable history-at-home packs to online workshops/lectures and informative videos. Look, learn, and create together with fun, engaging programmes for students of all ages.

See more at: https://epicchq.com/education/..

EPIC - the Irish Emigration Museum has developed a series of virtual educational experiences, from downloadable history-at-home packs to online workshops/lectures and informative videos. Look, learn, and create together with fun, engaging programmes for students of all ages.

See more at: https://epicchq.com/education/...

EPIC - the Irish Emigration Museum has developed a series of virtual educational experiences, from downloadable history-at-home packs to online workshops/lectures and informative videos. Look, learn, and create together with fun, engaging programmes for students of all ages.

See more at: https://epicchq.com/education/...

EPIC - the Irish Emigration Museum has developed a series of virtual educational experiences, from downloadable history-at-home packs to online workshops/lectures and informative videos. Look, learn, and create together with fun, engaging programmes for students of all ages.

See more at: https://epicchq.com/education/...

EPIC - the Irish Emigration Museum has developed a series of virtual educational experiences, from downloadable history-at-home packs to online workshops/lectures and informative videos. Look, learn, and create together with fun, engaging programmes for students of all ages.

See more at: https://epicchq.com/education/...

It is a natural fit with the SESE History curriculum as it covers many of the strands from Early Peoples and Ancient Societies, to Story, to Life, society, work, and culture in the past, and Continuity and Change over time. It engages children with assessing evidence, understanding chronology, and expanding communication skills under the Working as a Historian skills and concept development.

This project is a collaboration between academics from Dublin, Cambridge, Nottingham and London, with the assistance of Dublinia, the National Museum, Dublin City Council and the School of Irish Archaeology.