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Primary School Teacher’s Resource Third to Sixth Class/Primary 4 to Primary 7

Inside:L Letter from Nangiro in KenyaL Classroom activities and worksheetsL Ideas to act on Climate Change now!L Poster and artworkL Prayers for LentL Trócaire Better World Award

KenyaClimate Change

Tro,caire,s Lenten Campaign 2008

The focus of this year’s Lenten theme is Climate Change and the country profiled is Kenya.For Early Years and Junior Primary, we have produced a photo pack on Kenya which containsa set of 12 photos, stories, activities and curricular links for Junior Infants to 2nd class / P1 toP3 inclusive. It also links with the Religious Education Programme, Alive-O 1 to Alive-O 4inclusive. The Senior Primary booklet (Third to Sixth class / P4 to P7) looks at Climate Changeand its effect on developing countries with a particular focus on water. It also links withAlive-O 5 to Alive-O 8 inclusive. The materials contain background information for theteacher on climate change, activities and information around responses to water shortagesin Kenya, and suggestions for action. Also included are a Prayer Service and ideas for drama.

We suggest that the lessons and activities be taught as an integrated theme for Geographyand Science in your class for the four weeks of Lent. Most of the activities may be adaptedfor children in 3rd to 6th / P4 to P7 classes / Alive-O 5-8. Some of the content may also formpart of Religion lessons linking with Alive-O 5 to Alive-O 8 e.g. Nangiro’s story page 8 andthe circle time activity on page 5. We suggest that every child uses a document folder tokeep all his/her work from the booklet in one place.

We also suggest that you encourage your children to engage with the campaign element ofthis year’s theme. Activities to encourage children to think about and do something abouttheir own ‘carbon footprints’ are included in the pack. More information onthe campaign can be found at www.lent.ie.

We are again including the Trócaire Better World Award. Throughout thebooklet the graphic will suggest ideas for entries. See page 4 for details.

Where a number of teachers are using the resource in school, additionalcopies are available from Trócaire free of charge as well as versions asGaeilge.Contact Trócaire Cork at 021 4275622 email: corkinfo@trocaire.ieor Trócaire Belfast at 028 90808030 email: infoni@trocaire.ie

Give your name and school address and the number of copies of the resource required.

ContentsPage 3 Background information for teachers

Page 4 Trócaire Better World Award

Page 5 Introductory Activities

Page 6 Climate Change Worksheet

Page 7 Kenya

Page 8 Nangiro’s Story

Page 9 Earth Links Activity

Page 10 Energy Use Drawing

Page 11 Mapping Activity

Page 12 Case Studies from Kenya

Page 13 Classroom Survey

Page 14 Climate Change Quiz & What we can do

Page 15 Assembly/Prayer Service

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xAnswersPage 6: A1, B2, E3, D4, F5, C6. Page 14: 1. 20%. 2. True. 3. False, they last 10 times longer and use 1/5 less energy. 4.False - they could save €260 and enough CO2 to fill 680,000 balloons. 5. a year. 6. 30%. 7. 300%

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- Supportingcommunities in theirefforts to survive andadapt to climate change. This includes developing newfarming methods e.g.diversifying crops, usingterracing and digging irrigationchannels. It also includesdeveloping strategies which willprovide families with secure sources ofincome.

- Campaigning for international agreementsto prevent further global warming and forricher countries to provide money to helpdeveloping countries to adapt to the effectsof climate change.

Climate Change and AfricaAfrica is singled out as the continent likely to facesome of the worst impacts, through a combinationof the effects of climate but also because of thepeoples’ vulnerability, poverty and reliance onagriculture that is rain-fed.

While Africa’s climate has always been erratic, it isnow tending towards greater extremes andincreased unpredictability. Over the next fewdecades, climate change will produce vast changesin terms of drought and rainfall.

By 2050, it is estimated that:

m 350-600 million people in Africa will not haveaccess to sufficient water for their basic needs

m there will be a decline of 30% in wateravailability for many countries, including:Angola, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe, muchof North Africa and the Middle East, and muchof Brazil, Venezuela and Colombia

m the monsoon rainfall patterns in Asia willchange by 25%-100%. Fluctuations of just over10% are know to cause severe flooding ordrought

The confusing, uncertain and erratic patterns whichpeople are now beginning to experience werewitnessed by Trócaire staff in Kenya in July 2007.We met many farmers who no longer knew whento sow their precious and few seeds. Planning ismore and more difficult and security, both in termsof food and income, has become increasinglyuncertain. For those farmers, and many more, theimpact of climate change is affecting them today.This resource includes stories about farmers andnomads in Kenya and their struggle to find andconserve water and deal with the consequences ofclimate change.

Q. Why is Tro,caire campaigning

around Climate Change?A. There is an increasing awareness of the

implications of Climate Change. Countries suchas Kenya, Zambia and Bangladesh are alreadyfeeling its effects. One of the most disastrouseffects of climate change in developing countriesis the impact on water availability, predictabilityand quality.

Wet areas are becoming wetter and dry areasdrier, leading to more droughts andunpredictable rain patterns in many areas. Thishas a disastrous effect on the majority of peoplein Africa who rely on rain fed agriculture tosurvive. Seeds are washed away in heavy rainsand plants are wilting due to drought.

The people of the developing world who havedone least to cause the problem of ClimateChange are being worst affected. While richcountries continue to consume and use energylevels far beyond what is fair and sustainable,the greatest impact is being felt by the poorestpeople, who are least able to cope. As theenormous impact of climate change on the earthbecomes increasingly evident, Trócaire is drivenby the fact that the poorest communities arebeing forced to deal with these changes today.

Q. What can be done about it?A. Trócaire is supporting communities in:

- Water management: supporting irrigationsystems at household and community levels andsupporting water harvesting projects thatcapture rainwater to use during dry seasons.

- Preparedness: Supporting communities to lookat the risk of drought and how they might beready to respond.

Background notes for the Teacher‘Too much or too little rain can be a matter of life ordeath in Africa. At different times and in different placesacross the continent, climate change threatens both.’

Up in Smoke, October 2006

“Above all in our time, man has unhesitatinglydevastated wooded plains and valleys, polluted thewaters, deformed the earth’s habitat, made the airunbreathable, upset the hydrogeological andatmospheric systems, blighted green spaces,implemented uncontrolled forms of industrialization,humiliating — to use an image of Dante Alighieri(“Paradiso,” XXII, 151) — the earth, that flower-bed thatis our dwelling”.

Pope John Paul 11, Jan 17th 2001

LKenya

What to do:As the children undertake the activities, keeptheir work or record their activities forsubmitting to the Trócaire Better World Award.To help keep track of progress, ask children tofill in the Trócaire Better World Award posterwhich accompanies this pack.

World Water Day, held on March 22nd each year,could be a focus for the work carried out as youundertake the activities in the pack. In the leadup to World Water Day your class could:

m Organise a display of the informationgathered – results of surveys, projects onKenya, climate change promises etc. Inviteother classes and parents to view the display.

m Prepare a presentation for other classes onsome aspects of the theme e.g. Causes ofClimate Change, Effects of Climate Change,How we can save energy, Kenya etc.

m Carry out the science experiments for otherclasses.

m Cook some Kenyan food and share withothers. Go to http://kijabe.org/nutford/recipes.htmlfor recipes.

m Sing Kenyan songs and perform the Assemblyfor the rest of the school.

m Invite a speaker to talk about climate change.

m Invite the local newspaper to come andphotograph the display and activities.

Suggestions for entries:

m Take photos of the children working on theactivities.

m Send in posters,surveys, writtenwork, artwork, projects etc. If artworkor posters are too large to post,send in a photoinstead.

m Video childrendoing theactivities orpresentations.

…and help to StopClimate Change!

m Join the campaign. Go to www.lent.ie formore information on the campaign and findout how your class can take part.

m Join up to the ‘Green Schools’ project. If yourschool is already affiliated, a section onClimate Change has been added to thethemes as a way of consolidating the workdone.

m Write an article for your schoolwebsite/newsletter about Climate Change.

What schools will receive:

The members of a group who submit an entrywill each receive a Trócaire Better World Awardcertificate and a Trócaire Better World Awardsticker. In addition, there will be awards forgroups whose entries are of special merit. These special merit awards will include:

● An artefact from Kenya● A CD of music from Africa● A Fairtrade hamper

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Tro,caire Better World Award

The Trócaire Better World Award is a non-competitive award which recognises the workthat children and teachers put into exploring themes each year. It is also a way toencourage children to work together collaboratively as submissions must be

a group or whole class effort.

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Trócaire Better World Award Entry Form

School’s Name: ________________________________________________________________________________________

Class: ____________________________________ Teacher’s name: ____________________________________________

Names of children (use a separate sheet of necessary):

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Give a brief description of your entry:

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

School Address: ________________________________________________________________________________________

Email: _____________________________________________________ Telephone: ________________________________

Send your class or group entry to Trócaire, 9 Cook Street, Cork or Trócaire, 50 King Street, Belfast, BT1 6AD by Friday April 11th

2008. Mark your envelope Trócaire Better World Award.

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Circle Time Activity1. Invite the children to

imagine that they areholding the world in theirhands. Encourage them toimagine they are in spacelooking down at the world. Thefirst astronauts who saw the earthfrom space said it was like a ‘blue pearl’.Set the scene by describing the resources andbeauty of the earth. Explain that you are going to pass theimaginary world around, they must hold it very carefully andthink about the great things the earth provides. They mayshare their thoughts aloud if they wish.

2. Explain that over the next few weeks they will be learningabout a very important resource in the world – water.Encourage children to reflect for a few minutes about whatthey think of when they hear the word ‘water’. Talk themthrough some images – swimming, sailing, animals that live inwater, people, animals and plants using water to grow, alsofloods, hurricanes, storms, polluted water etc.

3. Encourage the children to think about issues in theenvironment they feel happy / sad about. Focus on water andthe environment. Invite them in turn to finish the sentences ‘Iam happy that ….’and ‘I am sad that…’. (e.g. I am sad thatwater gets polluted, I am happy that I have enough cleanwater’)

4. Explain that what we do in our country affects people in otherparts of the world. Ask children to name a country in theworld, and ask for 10 volunteers some from Europe, Africa, Asiaetc. They stand in the centre of the circle and join hands.Number off the children 1,2,1,2 … Ask all of the number 1s tolean inwards and ask the number 2s lean out until they arebalanced.

Song: Circle of Friends (Alive 0-5: T2, L7)

Discuss the balancing activity. Ask the rest of the class tosuggest how the countries represented bythe volunteers might rely on or beaffected by another country in the group.Make the link to how countries andpeople around the world rely oneach other and are affected by eachothers’ actions.

Follow up activity – On the other

hand…Invite the children to draw the outlines of their hands on A4 paperand fill in a ‘happy’ and ‘sad’ hand

Strand: Science Strand Unit: Environmental Awareness and Care(From www.fi.edu/tfi/activity/earth/earth-5.html)

Water Usage ActivityYou will need: dmagazines and newspapers To Do:1. Brainstorm all the uses of water. List the responses. Categorise

the answers into uses for cleaning, eating, leisure, farming.Divide the class into groups and encourage each group to cutout pictures from magazines or draw pictures showing how weuse water. These can then be used to make a display on wateruse. Use the information on household daily water usagebelow and place water drop sticker on the appropriatedrawing.

2. Daily household water usage

D Introductory Activities Make charts on A4 paper with the following informationfor children to bring home to calculate how much waterthey use. Toilet: 9 litres; Kettle filled: 1 litre; Sink filled: 4 litres;Shower: 35 litres; Bath: 80 litres; Washing machine: 95litres; Wash hands: 2 litres; Brush teeth: 1 litre;Dishwasher: 50 litres.

3. Talk about it:Imagine you had to spend 4 hours a day collecting thewater you need. Think of ways this might make youchange how you use water at home.

Follow up activities:1. Invite the children to think of ways they can save water.

Make small postcard sized signs to display beside sourcesof water as reminders – e.g. turn off the tap whilebrushing your teeth! Wash the art equipment in afull sink. Don’t leave the tap running! etc.

2. Read and discuss the information in the fact boxbelow. Write the information on posters withresults of household water usage survey to formpart of the display for World Earth Day.

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FACT

BO

X● Average daily water consumption in Ireland per is

148 litres per person.● Two-thirds of people in the world have less than 50

litres of water a day for all their needs.● Many women and girls in Africa spend 4 hours per

day collecting water.● A single toilet flush is more than most people in

developing countries use for drinking, washing andcooking

● By the year 2020, 75-250 million people in Africawill not have enough water to survive

Strand: Science Strand Unit: Environmental Awareness

Greenhouse effectTo introduce the children to Climate Change, watch thefollowing clips http://www.climatechallenge.gov.uk/multimedia/film5.html - a2-minute film to explain why climate change is happening andwhat it will mean.The following animations explain how the greenhouse effectworks:http://www.climatechallenge.gov.uk/multimedia/flashmovie.html, (3rd & 4th / P4 & P5) http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/on-line/energy/site/EIZInfogr9.asp (5th & 6th / P6 & P7)The worksheet on page 6 may be completed after viewingthese clips, or in place of them if Internet access in unavailable.

Experiment Materials needed: d2 thermometers,glass jar, clock or watch, lamp or access tosunny area.To do: Place thermometers in a sunny place.Wait about three minutes, then record thetemperature on both thermometers and also the time.Then place the glass jar over one thermometer. Every minute,for ten minutes, record the time and the temperature of boththermometers.Background informationThe air in the jar cannot circulate, so it gets warmer andwarmer. In the same way, sunlight passes through theatmosphere and warms the earth. The heat radiating from theearth is trapped by greenhouse gases.

Take photos and write up the experimentfor the World Water Day display. TBWA

Greenhouse Gases And Climate ChangeMatch the sentences to the drawings and put them in the correct order to find out what causesthe climate to change.

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Think about it!1. Why do you think Carbon Dioxide is

known as a ‘Greenhouse Gas’?2 Can you think of some ways of reducing the

amount of Greenhouse Gas in the air?3. Another activity that causes global warming

is cutting down trees. Look at the drawingand explain why.

In groups, drawpictures to

show how thegreenhouse

effect works.

E-mail Molly Cool withany questions you haveabout climate change atwww.primaryscience.ie

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1. Lights, computers, TVs, cookers,dishwashers and lots of other things,use electricity, which is supplied bypower stations.

2. Some power stations make electricity byburning coal, oil or gas. The more electricity weuse the more coal, oil or gas they burn.

3. Burning coal, oil or gas makes smoke thatcontains a gas called Carbon Dioxide or CO2.CO2 is a natural part of the air around earth. It islike a blanket that keeps the earth warm bykeeping in some of the heat from the sun.

4 The sun shines down on earth, and heatbounces back up into the air. Some of thisheat is stopped from escaping by the CO2 inthe air. This is a good thing because we wantthe earth to be nice and warm.

5. But as we use more and more electricity and burnmore oil to power cars, airplanes and other engines,more and more CO2 is sent into the air and makes theblanket stronger. This makes the earth get warmerand warmer, and causes ‘global warming’.

6. Warmer weather makes ice melt, sealevels rise and also causes floods,droughts and storms.

A

A

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C D

E F

CO2

(Carbon dioxide)

O2

(Oxygen)

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CO

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CO2

CO2

CO2CO

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CO2

O2

O2

O2

O2

O2

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Strand: GeographyStrand Unit: People and other lands - Kenya

Explain to the children that they will be learninghow people in Kenya are suffering because oflack of water due to climate change. Ask them tolocate Kenya in their atlases, draw an outline ofthe country and write in the bordering countriesand sea.

You will need:

dInformation from this booklet, access to thefollowing websites:

m http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/kids/hh/goplaces

m http://cybersleuth-kids.com/sleuth/Geography/Africa/Kenya/index.htm

m http://www.oxfam.org.uk/coolplanet/kidsweb/world/kenya/index.htm

To Do:1. Carry out a research project on Kenya under

the following headings:location, peoples that live there (perhapsfocus on the Turkana people), languages,clothes, play and pastimes, features of thenatural environment, foods and farming,homes and settlements, interrelationships ofthe lives of people and these features.

2. Find out about some famous Kenyans:

a) Wangari Muta Maathai see case study onpage 12 of this booklet andwww.greenbeltmovement.org

b) Moses Kiptanuic) Richard Leakeyd) Jomo Kenyattae) Ngugi Wa Thiong’o

From Kenya to IrelandRobby Oburu, now 19 years, moved to Irelandfrom Kenya with his family in 1994. Here hewrites of his impressions of Ireland at that time.This might lead to a discussion about peoplemoving to Ireland and how they may haveconnections to two places.

‘My first impressions of Ireland were that thecountryside was very beautiful and very green.You have to keep in mind that it was back in1994. A lot has changed now. Ireland has grown alot since then. The way of life was very relaxedand people never kept time. This is also the sameas in Kenya where people are very relaxed andare also bad time keepers. People in Ireland arevery nice and I enjoy their company. There are afew mean people but that is expected anywhereyou go in the world.

flP My favourite subjects in Primary School weregeography, but I really loved science. I played alot of soccer at school and in the summer I wasin Samba Soccer. Our school did many fundraising activities which were great fun. I enjoyedSkipathon and fundraising for a primary schoolin Malawi.

I love Kenya to bits and would like to go theremore often, but I would never move backbecause I feel like I’m at home now and plus allthe friends I have made here I couldn’t leavethem.’

Language:Learn some words and phrases in Kiswahili:

Habari yako? – How are you?

Nzuri sana, na wewe? – Very well, and you?

Siyo nzuri – Not so good

Mambo! – Things!

Safi! – Cool/clean!

Hodi! Hodi! – Can I come in?

Karibu – Welcome

Kwaheri – Goodbye

Asante – Thank you

Pole – Sorry

Hakuna matata – No worries

Jina lako nani? – What is your name?

Jina langu ni… – My name is ….

SongsListen to the Kenyan national anthem onhttp://complit.la.psu.edu/swahili/songs/anthem.html

Links with the Alive-0 series

Alive-0 5: T3, L4/L5: Follow Me / Love & Servethe Lord

Alive-0 6: T1, L1-4: Creation

Alive-0 7: T1, L9: The Garden Story

Alive-0 8: T1, L2: In Relation to God’s Creation;T3, L7: Kingdom Ecology

World Water Day, March 22nd

Display information about Kenya atyour World Water Day event. Askfor volunteers among your class toprepare some Kenyan food (withparental help!), display projects andsing Kenyan songs. Teach people someKiswahili phrases.

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their problems so that they can try to work them outtogether. The main problem they talk about is theweather and lack of rain. But even he cannot tell mewhy the weather has changed. He only knows thatthere will be even more difficult times ahead if thedrought continues. My father also works with a localgroup in the parish who distribute food when timesare really bad. He has to make sure that people whoare really in need get some maize flour and cookingoil.

I am proud to be a member of the Turkana tribe. Our people have been living here in this way for manyyears. Now because of the changing weather somepeople have had to move to the cities for work. Ourway of life is changing, but we will always be theTurkana people. You can see in the photographs someof the things that are important to us. I carry theekichoro and a stick with me wherever I go. I use theekichoro as a stool and also as a pillow when I sleep.You might think it looks uncomfortable, but it meansthat my head is lifted from the ground where theremight be scorpions and other insects ready to bite! Iuse the stick as a work tool and sometimes a weapon ifneeded. You might have noticed the many brightcolourful necklaces my grandmother wears. These arenot just for decoration, they can tell many things. Girlsstart to wear necklaces from an early age and thenumber of necklaces worn is added to as they growolder. They buy beads and make rope using palmleaves and make the necklace from them. The metalnecklace that my sister Mary wears is a sign that she isready to get married.

Let me tell you about my home. We have two smallhuts, a store for food and medicine, a pen to keep thegoats safe at night time and a small cooking area. Thehuts are made from reeds that come from the lake. Weusually sleep outside on camel or cow skin matsbecause it is too hot and there are too manymosquitoes in the hut.

I have heard that all of you listening to my story arenow at school. No-one in my family has ever gone toschool, although some of my friends do. I am too busyminding the goats. My sister spends her day fetchingwater, preparing food for the family and cleaning thehouse. My hope for the future is that I will be able tocontinue to live as a Turkana man. My father believesthe land will get drier and drier and life will getharder. But I hope that we will be able to find otherways of getting water and our way of life willcontinue.

From,

Ejoka!My name is Nangiro and I havebeen asked to tell you a littleabout myself and my life. I amabout 12 years old and I live withmy father, grandmother, mybrothers Philip and Peterand my sister Mary. My mother died last year. My grandmother and sister, who is18, look after the family now. We belong to a tribeof people called the Turkana people. The regionwhere we live in the northern part of Kenya is alsocalled Turkana. You can see from the photographsthat Turkana is a very dry and dusty place. It is veryhot all year round and we get very little rainfall.

My family are pastoralists. This means that we ownanimals. The land we live on is owned by thegovernment of Kenya so we are free to move aroundwith them to find food and water. Animals are veryimportant for our daily lives and culture. At themoment we own 40 goats. Our people used to owncamels and cows, but goats are tougher and surviveon less grass. They also manage to find some leavesto eat on bushes. These goats are everything to myfamily. It is my job to take care of them and makesure they have food and water.

I leave my home at 7am every morning and bring thegoats to find some bits of grass or bush to eat. If thegoats get enough to eat, they will give milk. Wedrink the milk and sell some goats to buy what weneed. On special occasions we eat goat’s meat.Looking after the goats is hard work because of thesun, sand and heat, but I am proud to have such aresponsible job to help my family.

We used to own more goats but there was a droughtlast year when no rain fell and some of the goatsdied. It was a very hard year for us. I spent longhours in the hot sun walking with the goats lookingfor grass for them, but only found dust and sand.There is a river about 1 km from my home, but thatdried up completely.

My father tells me that Turkana has always been dryland, but when he was the same age as me life wasbetter. There was enough rainfall and a lot moretrees growing which bore fruit for both people andanimals. The trees have long since died out. I learn alot from my father. He is a leader in the community.He calls everyone together to meet and talk about

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Questions:m How many people are in Nangiro’s family?

m Why do you think Nangiro says he is ‘about’ 12 years old? (Explain that in the Turkana culture birthdays are not celebratedas they are here. People may not receive birth certificates so maynot have official records of dates of birth).

m What do the family live on?

m Why do you think goats are suitable for the land in Turkana?

m What work does Nangiro do? Does he enjoy it? Does he goto school? Why not?

m What two things does Nangiro always carry with him? Canyou mime how they are used?

m How has life changed for the Turkana people sinceNangiro’s father was a boy?

m How is Nangiro’s life the same as yours? How is it different?

Nangiro,s Story

KNangiroAs Nangiro cannot read or write, thisstory was written based on an interviewwith Trócaire staff.

The car burnspetrol which releases

Carbon Dioxide intotheair.

Rains failin Kenya.

Thereare flashfloods in

Kenya

Earth Links Activity to show the causes and effects of climate change.ZTo do:Divide the class into groups of eight. Give each child a card from one of the chains below. Explainthat they have to form a chain so that each card follows on from the last. The first group tocorrectly form the chain is the winner.

Afterwards, explain that the activity showed the causes and effects of climate change. Ask if theyfound it easy or difficult to get the correct order. Why / why not? Did anything about the activitysurprise them? Explain that the actions described in the chains e.g. driving a car only have asignificant impact when millions of people also do them. Ask which end of the chain would theytry to change and how.

Follow up activity: Illustrate the chains.

Anne goes by car toher local school every

morning.

The car burnspetrol which releasesCarbon Dioxide into

the air.

Thetemperature rises

and makes theworld warmer.

Rains fail in Kenya.

Nangiro’s familyhave to sell some of

their goats.

Nangiro’sfamily have to

queue forfood.

RoyanneAir sells cheapflights at €8

each.

Jamie’s family decidethey need a sun holidayafter the wet summer in

Ireland.

A return flight fortwo from Ireland to

Lanzarotte releases moreCarbon Dioxide into theair than the average car

does in a year.

The Carbondioxide acts like a

greenhouse totrap the sun’s

heat.

Thetemperature rises

and makes theworld warmer.

The world’sclimate changes

leading to hurricanes,floods, droughts

especially indeveloping countries.

Thereare flashfloods inKenya.

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Samuel’s plants andseeds get washed away andthe soil loses its nutrients.

CHAIN 1

CHAIN 2

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The world’s climatechanges leading tohurricanes, floods,

droughts especially indeveloping countries.

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In Australia, therehas been a drought inparts of the country forthe past ten years.People have water todrink, but not enoughto water crops.

Kenya used to havedroughts every five or sixyears. Since 2000, therehave been droughtsnearly every year.Hundreds of thousandsof people who dependon rainfall to water theircrops have had to getfood aid to survive.

In 2007, England andIreland recorded thewettest summer sinceweather records began.

Egypt buys half of itsfood from othercountries because itdoesn’t have enoughwater to grow the foodthat is needed.

In Asia, most rivers comefrom the mountains anddepend on melted snow tokeep rivers flowing in drysummer months. Globalwarming will mean the snowwill melt earlier, the rivers willdry up earlier and the dryseason will last longer.

Farmers in Honduras in Central Americaused to depend on the rain that fellduring six months of the year. Now therains come together at one time, causingfloods and droughts.

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Cut out the boxes below and glue them onto the appropriate countries on the Carbon DioxideWorld Map

5th and 6TH class/P6 and P7 WorksheetD

Cut out the boxes below and glue them onto the appropriatecountries on the Water Shortage World Map

5th and 6TH class/P6 and P7 WorksheetD

The USA produces more Carbon Dioxide(CO2) than any other country in the world. This is because it is a very wealthy countryand most of the CO2 produced comes fromheating and cooling buildings and petrol forcars. America alone produces 25% of allgreenhouse gases, but is one of two countriesthat haven’t signed the Kyoto Agreement.Many countries signed the Kyoto agreementin order to try to cut down the amount ofgreenhouse gases they were producing andstop climate change.

Australia is the secondhighest producers of CO2.It is a very hot country anda lot of energy is spent onair conditioning. A lot ofthe electricity comes fromcheap coal.

Norwayproduces a lot ofCO2. It is a verycold country anda lot of energy isspent on centralheating.

Sweden is as cold as Norway, butnearly half of Sweden’s electricitycomes from renewable energy(wind turbines, solar panels etc.) sothey don’t burn coal, oil or gas.They also insulate their homes verywell, so heat doesn’t escape.

Ireland comes 5th in a listof countries which causeclimate pollution. Ifeveryone in the worldlived like the Irish, wewould need three earthsto survive.

Chad, in Africa, has thelowest CO2 emissions perperson of any country inthe world. It is a very poorcountry. Most energycomes from burning wood.

Kenya produces 0.2 metrictonnes of CO2 per person peryear compared to 20 metrictonnes produced by the USA.

Scientists believe that China willproduce more CO2 than any othercountry in the world in the next20 years. This is because one-fifthof the population of the worldlives there and there are manyfactories making goods that aresent to countries all over theworld. Think of all the things youown that have ‘Made in China’written on them!

Source: www.energysavingsecrets.co.uk

Source: www.whyfiles.org

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There was a small stream flowing through her farm thatused to flood and wash away seeds and plants. Smalldams were built along this stream which helps to stopthe land being washed away. Seberina’s harvest hasgrown from half a bag of maize to five full bags thisyear.

5. Silas, Juliate and their three daughters live on afarm. Over the last 10 years, because of changes inrainfall patterns, their crops have failed. Silas used toleave home to find paid work, and the farm suffered.Then he joined a group which helped him and otherfarmers to stay and work on their own farms. Silasplanted seeds last year, but nothing grew. He is going totry out new crops that will grow well with little water.

6. Alex works with a group called Caritas Tharaka whichhelps farmers. Over the last 10 years, because of changesin rainfall patterns, crops have failed. At first the groupgave food to people whose crops failed. Then theynoticed that farmers were leaving their farms to findpaid work and their farms were suffering. So Caritasstarted food-for-work programmes and encouragedfarmers to stay and work on their own farms. They havealso built dams to collect water from rivers, andencouraged farmers to try out new crops that will growwell with little water.

7. Wangari Maathai founded a group called the GreenBelt Movement (GBM) in Kenya in 1976. She had seenhow many trees were being cut down in Kenya. Whenheavy rains fell, soil got washed away because therewere no roots to anchor the soil in the ground. Becausethere were less trees, women had to travel further tocollect firewood. The GBM has helped people to plantalmost 20 million trees. Planting trees is good for theenvironment, it reduces the amount of carbon dioxidein the air, it stops soil from being washed away, and itmeans that women don’t have to spend so much timesearching for firewood.

1. Thomas is 8 years old. He lives in Naibor village inKenya with his family and their dog, Thompson. He isin class 3 in Ol Girgiri Primary school. Because ofwater shortages, the principal in the school put ingutters to catch rain water from the roofs and threelarge plastic tanks for storing the water. One is fordrinking, one for cooking and one is for the rest ofthe community to use. The principal says ‘When thereis no rain to fill the tanks, the pupils must bring intheir own water. When there is drought, the childrendon’t come to school, because they have to go withtheir animals to find water further away’.

2. Morris Mwangi is 15 yearsold. His favourite subject inschool is science because hebelieves you learn how tofarm properly throughlearning science. Morris’family lives on a 6 acre farm.His father says: ‘The drought is becoming worse everyyear, the amount of rain is getting less and shortereach year. But I have eyes, I have hands, I can work.’So he dug a pond which holds water to water theplants. He grows maize and beans that the familyeats. He also grows onions, tomatoes, snow peas andcabbages which he sells in the market. He plants inhollows so that the water doesn’t run off, and he usesa sprinkler head on the hosepipe when watering theplants so as not to waste any.

3. Elymas is 8 years old. He andhis family are members of theTurkana group of people inNorthern Kenya. The familyowns goats and chickens. Theyget water from a water tankand a local river. In times of drought, they have tofind other ways to make money, so they make basketsand charcoal to sell. People burn charcoal in stoves sothat they can cook food. To make charcoal, a tree ischopped into pieces about 1 metre long. They arestacked up and covered with green leaves and soil. Afire is started at the front of the pile and allowed toburn for 10 minutes. Then the front of the pile isclosed so that the fire burns slowly back through therest of the pile. This then burns without flames,smoking the wood. After about three days, it hasbecome charcoal. The charcoal is then put in bags andsold for about 100 shillings per bag. A loaf of breadcosts about 25 shillings.

4. Seberina Nkuru is a farmer and mother of twochildren. She says that the rains are unusually bad. Fora number of years she didn’t get many crops from herland, then she joined the Wendo group which helpsfarmers. With their help, Seberina built terraces alongthe slopes of her farm. This stops the rain pouring off.

Case Studies from KenyaStrand: Science

Strand Unit: Environmental Awareness and Care

Note for teacher:The following case studies are examples of how people inKenya have responded to the effects of climate change.

To do:a) Divide the class into groups of 3 or 4. Give each group

a paragraph to read. They may write the answers tothe questions on the back of the handout or in theircopies. They then feedback the information they havelearned to the rest of the class through improvising ashort drama, or in response to questions from teacheras TV reporter.

b) Through discussion, rate the responses. Questioncarefully to ensure they realise that response 3 isdamaging to the environment, as it involves cuttingdown trees.

X

Answer the questions:

What problems does the person have?

______________________________________________________

How have they tried to solve these problems?

______________________________________________________

P

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Classroom Survey

Lights

– Are lights left on unnecessarily? _____

– Is there someone in charge of turning off

lights at break times / home time? ______

If yes, who? _____________

– Are there energy efficient light bulbs

used? _________

Computers and Electrical Equipment

– Are all unused electrical equipment and

computers turned off when not in use / at

the end of the day? __________

– Is someone responsible for checking that

equipment is turned off? __________

– If yes, who? ____________

Windows and Doors

– Are windows and doors left open when

the heating is on? __________

– Are windows double glazed? ___________

– Are some windows and doors letting in

draughts? ____________

Heating

– Can you turn the heating up or down in

this room only? ____________

– Are corridors as warm as classrooms?

(They don’t need to be when people are

moving around) ____________

– Is the heating turned off half an hour

before the end of the school day?

__________

Recycling

– Is paper recycled? _________

– Is recycled paper used in the school?

___________

– Is the front and back of paper regularly

copied on? _________

Carry out a survey of your classroom and if possible of other classroomsin the school also.

Present your findings to the Principal. If yourschool is not part of the Green Schoolsproject, suggest that you might join.

How ‘green’ is your class?

Class__________ Room No.___________ Teacher_____________________

Survey carried out by ___________________________________________

�

q

Á

Suggestions for improvements:

_________________________________________

_________________________________________

_________________________________________

_________________________________________

_________________________________________

_________________________________________

_________________________________________

_________________________________________

_________________________________________

�

–

�

Other surveys you can try:How energy efficient is your home?Survey how teachers and students travelto school. Make a chart of your findings.

Use three different coloured markers to markyour suggestions as follows: Green – can bedone immediately with no cost. Blue – mighttake some time to plan and cost a little. Orange– might take a long time to plan and cost a lot.

What can we do about Climate Change?Read the cards below and decide on some activities you and your group or class can do:

Climate change quiz(Answers on page 2)

Select the correct answer for each of the following statements:

1. Up to ___ of energy in homes is wasted by keeping equipment on standby.

(2%, 20% or 30%)

2. If everyone boiled only the amount of water needed instead of filling the kettle to the top, it

would save enough electricity to run more than 3/4 of street lighting in the whole country.

True or false?

3. An energy efficient light bulb lasts 20 times longer and uses half as much electricity as a

standard light bulb. True or false?

4. An average household could save around €130 per year and save 1 tonne of CO2, enough to

fill 340,000 balloons, by using energy more efficiently. True or false?

5. A holidaymaker flying to Florida and back makes as much CO2 as the average motorist

produces in a week / a month / a year.

6. Food (growing, processing, transporting, throwing away) makes up about 3%, 12%, 30% of

our contribution to climate change.

7. Bottled water uses around 20/100/300 times more energy than tap water. (The energy is used

in packaging and transport).

14

N

I can reduce the amount of electricity I use by…

I can recycle more by…

I can tell people more about climate change by…

I can raise money for an organisation that is workingto find solutions by…

Tree of lifem Decide on some things you will promise to try. Write your promises on leaves and

make a large tree on which to display them. Invite other classes to add their prom-ises to the tree.

m Submit any promises related to transport to www.onesmallstep.ie for a chance towin prizes!

TBWA

15

Preparation: Ask each child to write aprayer about caring for the environmentto read out during the prayer service.Ask some volunteers to design a posterthat says ‘STOP CLIMATE CHANGE NOW!’

You will need:

d Copies of the promises that thechildren have made. (See p.14)Map of Africa with KenyahighlightedMicrophone/pretend microphoneCandleReflective music on tapeA bottle of Holy Water

Song: Alive-0 6: ‘Creation’ T1, L2 p.28 orAlive-O 8: ‘A Wonderful Gift’ p.264

Teacher: We come together today tothank God for the beautiful, amazinggift He has given us…the earth. He hasgiven us water, air, mountains, rivers,plants, animals, seas…life itself. We praytoday that people all over the world willtake good care of the earth and realise itis a treasure that we must respect.

Opening Prayer“God saw all he had made, and indeed,it was very good.Evening came and morning came: thesixth day.”(Genesis 1:31)

Teacher: In the Old Testament, theprophets warned about the dangers ofdestroying the earth. Let us listen to thewords of the prophet Joel:

ReadingIs not the food cut offBefore our eyes,Joy and gladnessFrom the house of God?

The seed shrivels under the clods,The store houses are desolate;The granaries are ruinedBecause the grain has failed.How the beasts groan!The herds of cattle are perplexedBecause there is no pasture for them,Even the flocks of sheep are dismayed(Joel 1:16-18)

DRAMANarrator 1: We have been learning aboutClimate Change and how it affectspeople around the world, especiallypeople in Kenya. Kenya is a country inAfrica (show map). We want to tell younow why we need to -

All: STOP CLIMATE CHANGE NOW!(Display poster)

Narrator 2: Scientists all over the worldnow agree that things that people doare making the world warmer. Electricityis made by burning coal, oil or gas.

When we burn these fuels we sendsomething called carbon dioxide into theair. This works like a blanket and trapsthe sun’s heat.

Child 1: That sounds good, wouldn’t it benice if we had some warm weather for achange?

Narrator 3: The problem is that as theclimate gets warmer the ice at the NorthPole and South Pole melts, it also meansmore bad storms, flooding, droughts andhurricanes.

Child 2: But that might not happen foryears…

Narrator 4: People are already beingaffected by it. Let’s go to our reporter inNorthern Kenya who is talking to somepeople about this problem.

Reporter: This is (child’s name) reportingfrom Kenya. (Turning to ‘Shelmilh’)Shelmilh and Samuel Mwangi, you andyour family live on a farm. Can you tellus your story?

Shelmilh: We used to know exactly whenthe rains would come. We knew when toplant and we hardly ever lost our crops.Back then, life was good and smooth,now life is more difficult. Years agothere used to be short time when no rainfell, now it is like one long drought allthe time.

Reporter: But you have worked hard tomake your farm work?

Samuel: Yes, I have eyes, I have hands, Ican work. I dug a pond myself whichholds water. My children water theplants using a hosepipe with a sprinkler.We have also tried to grow differenttypes of plants that need less water, andsome that we can sell in the market. Ihave learned a lot from the group Ijoined. They train us and help us to copewith this changing weather.

Reporter: (facing audience) So there youhave it, a story of hard work and survivalfrom Kenya.

Narrator 5: Thank you. That is just oneexample of how people are sufferingbecause of Climate Change. Two billionpeople who rely on farming may die ifnothing is done to help.

Child 3: What is being done to stop theworld from getting warmer?

Narrator 6: Over 170 countries aroundthe world have agreed to try to reducethe amount of carbon dioxide theyrelease into the air. Ireland was one ofthose countries but we are not keepingour promise. Ireland is the 5th worstpolluter in the world. If everyone in theworld lived the way we do, we would

need three earths to survive.

Narrator 7: It is not too late to dosomething about it. Remember we canall play a part in stopping ClimateChange. Here are some things we haveagreed to try;

(Children read out some promises theyhave made)

Narrator 8: We are going to spend a fewminutes thinking of all the things we usewater for, and remember what aprecious resource it is…think aboutNangiro and his family’s struggle forwater in Kenya.

Reflection: Psalm 104: 10-14 Praise ofGod the Creator.

You make springs gush forth in thevalleys; they flow between the hills, giving drink to every wild animal; thewild asses quench their thirst.By the streams the birds of the air havetheir habitation; they sing among thebranches. from your lofty abode you water themountains; the earth is satisfied with thefruit of your work.You cause the grass to grow for thecattle, and plants for people to use, tobring forth food from the earth.

Narrator 9: We bring a gift of HolyWater. We all make the sign of the crosswith Holy Water to remind ourselvesthat we are baptised into the family ofGod.

Narrator 10: Dear God, we thank you forthe gift of clean water. We pray for ourbrothers and sisters around the worldwho thirst for water.

All: God, refresh those who thirst.

(The children could read their ownprayers here also)

Closing PrayerCreator GodWe announce your goodness becauseIt is clearly visible in the heavensWhere there is the light of the sun,The heat of the sun,And the light of night.There are rain clouds…..

We have nothing except what you havegiven usYou are our shield, you protect us.You are our guard, you take care of us.You are our safety, all day….

We say thank you todayAnd tomorrow. And all days.We do not tire in giving thanks to you.Extracts from a Maasai prayer, Kenya

Song: Round the Earth (Alive-0 5 T2, L7)

f Assembly /Prayer Service

Our World Our History: The Maya of GuatemalaTrócaire 2004 €6.00/£4.00A resource for teachers for 3rd and 4th class. Containsactivities, colour photographs and children’sworksheets on the ancient civilisation of the Maya.

Our World Our History: Nomadism, Slavery andConflictTrócaire 2004 €6.00/£4.00A resource for teachers aimed at 5th and 6th class.Contains activities, photographs and worksheets.Topics covered include: the Atlantic slave trade,nomads of Somalia and Irish Travellers, wars in EastTimor and Vietnam.

Trócaire at Work: The Millennium DevelopmentGoals – Worksheets for 5th and 6th class / P6 andP7Trócaire 2004 FreeWorksheets profiling how projects supported byTrócaire are working towards achieving the MDGs.The nine worksheets provide a range of activitieslinked to the Primary curriculum.

Rafiki – CD RomTrócaire 1999 €10.00/£7.00Contains over 10 hours of games, stories, puzzlesand adventures which link children in Ireland withchildren in other parts of the world. Countriesfeatured include: India, Guatemala, Kenya, Braziland Rwanda. Rafiki is interactive and participatoryand linked directly to the aims and objectives of thePrimary Curriculum. Age 7+

The World in the Classroom – DevelopmentEducation in the Primary CurriculumPrimary School Development Education Project CDU,Mary Immaculate College €12.70/£9.00A resource for teachers exploring developmenteducation methodologies and identifyingopportunities for a development perspective in eachof the subject areas in the Primary Curriculum.

Homes and Families in Peru – Geographyresource for 3rd to 6th classTrócaire 2006 FreeIntegrating with the Geography Strand Unit, Peopleand Other Lands, this resource looks at the life ofthree families in Peru. Through activities, storiesand a set of 12 photos, the children will explore theclimate, language, culture, dress, food, education,transport and daily life in both urban and ruralsettings. They will explore issues such as theconcerns of the people, change and how it hascome about, the inequitable distribution ofresources and interdependence.

MapsTraidcraft, €12.00/£8.00Peter’s Projection Map (laminated) 85cmx60cm

Websites for further information

www.trocaire.ieTrócaire’s website contains stories, information andideas for taking action on the environment.

www.onesmallstep.ieInitiative to encourage people to help theenvironment by walking, cycling or using publictransport.

www.combatclimatechange.ie

www.climatechangewales.com

www.epa.gov/climatechange/kidsGreat activities and information for primary schools

www.oxfam.org.uk/education/resources/climate_chaosExcellent site with lesson plans and activities.

www.stopclimatechaos.ieSign the online petition to lobby the governmentto stop climate change

The following resources are available from Trócaire Resource Centres:

RESOURCE CENTRES

Written by Anne-Marie Kealy. Artwork by Olga Tiernan. Design and Print: Genprint. Printed on recycled paper.

DUBLIN

12 Cathedral St., Dublin 1.

Tel/Fax: (01) 874 3876

e-mail: resources@trocaire.ie

CORK

9 Cook St., Cork.

Tel: (021) 427 5622

Fax: (021) 427 1874

e-mail: corkinfo@trocaire.ie

BELFAST

50 King St., Belfast, BT1 6AD.

Tel: (028) 9080 8030

Fax: (028) 9080 8031

e-mail: infoni@trocaire.ie

MAYNOOTH

Maynooth, Co. Kildare.

Tel: (01) 629 3333

Fax: (01) 629 0661

e-mail: info@trocaire.ie

Trócaire, 2008