Teachers' Resources

An introduction to Irish hedgerows and their benefits with lesson plans and resources for primary schools developed by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council. 

Irish hedgerows stretch for an incredible 689,000km up and down the roads and fields of Ireland. This is the equivalent of wrapping around the earth 17 times!

A new free resource developed with support from Creative Ireland and Westmeath County Council called Seed Journeys. It includes illustrated stories and activity ideas for primary school children for connecting with nature through the lens of seeds, in English and Irish. 

Gairdín Mháire na mBláth is the latest offering from leading author-illustrator Tatyana Feeney. Beautifully illustrated, this book tells the heartwarming story of Máire na mBláth who, on noticing one day that there are no flowers planted in her local school, decides to share her gardening skills with the pupils. Between them, they plant a beautiful garden at the school.

A practical guide for teachers and other education practitioners who wish to bring nature, native habitats and biodiversity into the school grounds. The book aims to help with the planning, design, creation and use of an organic school garden with and for students.

An introduction to the ancient world of weaving and basket making including step-by-step instruction from Beth on how to weave a fish from willow or materials you might have at home.

A step by step tutorial showing you how to draw a biodiversity/habitat map of your garden so that you can record where different garden species are located.

Suited to children from 3rd to 6th classes.

An introduction to wild garlic as a native Irish herb that has been eaten in Ireland for thousands of year with a recipe for a delicious pesto.

Suited to children from 3rd to 6th class

This tutorial links a common wild plant, Charlock or Praiseach Bhuí to the Great Famine.

Suited to children from 4th to 6th class.

This tutorial will help students to discover and understand the hidden world of moths and their importance in maintaining a healthy environment.

Suited to children of all ages.

In this tutorial Maura demonstrates how oak gall ink is made and includes a simplified recipe which can be made from household vinegar.

Suited to children from 2nd to 6th classes.

Children are encouraged to examine the heritage significance of their immediate environment through familiar local landscape features.

Suited to children from 2nd to 4th class.

Kay's tutorial, filmed in a woodland, demonstrates how to build an insect hotel with materials found at home and in a garden or woodland.

Suited to children from 2nd to 6th class

Learn how to create a pitfall trap in your garden to catch live ground beetles and other invertebrates for a closer look.

Suited to children from 2nd to 6th class.

This tutorial shows children how to find nature (Woodlice) in their own back yard. Woodlice can be found in most outdoor locations.

Suited to children of all ages.

This tutorial encourages children to explore and record their local heritage by taking a walk locally and making a 3D map of what they have seen.

Suited to children of all ages.

Dale and Nathan show us how to construct a solitary bee hotel from materials you'll find at home.

Suited to children of all ages.

Niamh illustrates some plants from hedgerows: foxglove, herb robert, vetch, honeysuckle, nettles, gorse/ furze, hawthorn at stages of develeopment, decay and reseeding.

Suitable for children from 2nd to 6th class

Discover the natural resources growing near your own doorstep! Learn about sustainable plant fibres as we learn how to process nettles to make cordage.

Susanna demonstrates the story of wool from carding to spinning to dyeing and weaving.

Suitable for children from 1st to 6th class

Learning how to grow potatoes is a skill for life and a small step in increasing the sustainability of our everyday lives.

Suited to children from 3rd to 6th class.

Kay's tutorial, filmed in a garden, shows where to find different invertebrates, how to safely trap and identify them using a pitfall trap.

Suited to children of all ages.

This tutorial shows younger children a little about some of the typical species that can be found in rock pools at the rocky sea shore.

Suited to children from junior to 1st classes.

Legend has it that two different types of beetle once fought over a juicy slug, but all may not have been as it seemed. Learn about the ecology and anatomy of ground beetles and the devil's coach horse beetle.

Suited to children from 1st to 4th classes.