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INTRODUCTORY TEXT TO THE LESSON This video describes the geographical location of the initial site visit. It puts the rationale behind the project in context.
As part of the project, the students visited intertidal mudflats, close to the Shannon airport lagoon - an artificial saline lake that was constructed in the 1940s to prevent flooding at Shannon airport. The lagoon is the location for a diverse range of habitats, including salt marsh, reed beds and freshwater marsh. It has become a local biodiversity 'hotspot' and birding area.
The students observed different kinds of seeds during their studies of the area of natural interest. In particular, they observed the 'helicopter' seeds on the sycamore trees. They linked this with a local sculpture.
This led to a discussion about seed dispersal and germination. To link to man-made activities the students investigated the properties of 'copters' and linked this back to the dispersal and potential germination of seeds. This was linked to their Junior Certificate science curriculum.
The activitiy was used to promote fair-testing, prediction, hypothesis development and investigation, as well as data gathering and making deductions
The site visit was the trigger for development of a number of transferable skills..
