A primary school education programme aiming to reconnect Irish children with their farming and food roots has been relaunched this week. Agri Aware, supported by the Department of Agriculture has launched its revitalised ‘Dig In! Learning About Life on the Countryside’ resource aimed at primary school students.
A primary school education programme aiming to reconnect Irish children with their farming and food roots has been relaunched this week.
Agri Aware, supported by the Department of Agriculture has launched its revitalised ‘Dig In! Learning About Life on the Countryside’ resource aimed at primary school students.
The resource, which will be sent to all of Ireland’s 3,240 primary schools this week, contains modules that cover all aspects of Irish farming and food origin.
Agri Aware chairman Alan Jagoe said: “It has never been more important for Irish children to reconnect with farming and understand how their food is produced.
“From the history of farming in Ireland to biodiversity and the importance of food security, Dig In! brings to life all aspects of modern farming in a child friendly, innovative and educational way.”
Accessible for teachers
Agri Aware redeveloped its Dig In! resource first published in 2013, as it observed that Irish children are becoming more disconnected with how the food that ends up on their plates is produced.
Each module within the digital resource contains 20 lesson plans and corresponding activities. Each lesson plan is linked to strands of the English, maths, art, drama, science, geography and SPHE curriculum.
Schools will also receive a first of its kind Irish organic farming pull-out poster which highlights the growing involvement of Irish farmers in the sector in recent years.
Irish National Teachers Organisation president Mary Magner said: “In what has been a challenging year, Dig In! is a welcome high-quality resource to have to hand.
“While it is engaging for pupils, the fact that the lesson plans are complementary to other subjects means it is convenient and accessible for all teachers, no matter what their personal experience of farming may be.”
Recognise importance
Minister for State at the Department of Agriculture Pippa Hackett welcomed the launch of the revised educational resource.
“I would encourage teachers nationwide to incorporate this into their lesson plans and bring the positive story of Irish agriculture alive in classrooms. I am delighted that a special organic farming pull-out poster is included.
“Organic farming is a growing sector in Ireland and it is important for Irish children to recognise its importance from an early age.”
To learn more about Dig In!, teachers and families can follow @Agriaware on social media. To access a digital version of the resource, click here.
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