Birr Castle Earth & Science 1st year trip.

Borrisokane Community College introduced an annual Science trip for 1st years this year as part of the new Junior Science curriculum. The Science curriculum in conjunction with the new Junior Cycle programme has changed and now includes an Earth & Science module and encourages integration of technology through the learning experience. In light of this change and to develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of Earth Science all 1st year students travelled to Birr Castle on Thursday 10th November.

They visited the Science museum and experienced many areas of Science they had researched since September. They needed to peruse all the displays, engage with the interactive models and watch the video clips to obtain all the answers. Through a fun and interactive worksheet a deeper understanding and appreciation of the planets and universe was achieved. They also had access to the Pavilion where they completed some drawings and prepared movies using their iPads on an aspect of Earth & Science. In teams of no more than three students they had an assignment to complete where they had to create a movie clip or audio based power point on a relevant Earth & Science project. They recorded footage for their Science movie/presentation assignment during the day. They each took part in a guided tour of the castle grounds and museum and a horse and trap ride through the grounds and gardens. It was a highly successful trip and students expressed their great enjoyment of the day.

Photographer: Donncha Speight Burns – 1st year Student