We have materials relevant and appropriate to the primary cycle (ages 6-12).
Major aims within the social, personal and health education (SPHE) curriculum for primary level pupils include encouraging children to, "make informed decisions and choices about the social, personal and health dimensions of life both now and in the future" and begin to develop, "a sense of social responsibility, a commitment to active and participative citizenship."
With a sensitivity to the needs and moral and social development of this age group,we created a range of age-appropriate educational materials relevant to such issues.
For example, within educational units in strands entitled, "Myself," "Myself and Others," and "Myself and the Wider World," the broad objectives of the SPHE curriculum includes enabling children to "make decisions, solve problems and take appropriate actions in various personal, social and health contexts," to begin an awareness of the "various influences on choices and decisions" (such as social movements, businesses and advertising), to "begin to identify, review and evaluate the values and attitudes that are held by individuals and society," to "recognize that these affect thoughts and actions," and to "promote the values of a just and caring society."
Due to the age of primary level pupils,our materials focus on some very basic points that are relevant to human-nonhuman relations. These include getting children to understand that human beings are a type of animal, that humans use other animals in different ways, for example, as food, as pets, as clothing, and for the purpose of entertainment, that many animals have feelings, and we ask what represents "fairness" and "being fair" in our use and treatment of animals.
Throughout the primary curriculum there is a consistent developing theme about the issue of bullying. Psychologist and philosopher, Richard Ryder, considers whether we bully nonhuman animals in our use of them. By this means, it is possible to begin to encourage in children some very basic ethical thinking about our dealings with animals.
In the curriculum strand unit, "taking care of my body," designed for infant classes, pupils begin to discuss the qualities and categories of food such as fruits and vegetables, as well as thinking about ‘food that comes from animals."
Following the initial infant phases, in the first and second classes, the children are introduced to the concept of "the food pyramid," the need for dietary moderation and balance, the notion that some foods are unhealthy, while they continue to identify foods that are derived from plant and animal sources. Children are also introduced to issues in parent-child relations and, in the "growing and changing" strand unit, they are encouraged to "appreciate what is necessary in order to provide and care for new-born babies in both the animal and human world."
In the third and fourth classes, pupils' learning on food and nutrition becomes a little more complex. For example, they are expected to differentiate between a healthy and an unhealthy diet while, "recognize the wide choice of food available and categorize food into the four main food groups and their place on "the food pyramid.""
Some basic ethical issues are introduced in the making decisions strand unit when the children, "become aware of and think about choices and decisions that he/she makes every day." This involves exploring and discussing, "the factors that influence personal decisions and choices and the different levels of thought involved in making a decision."
Expertise in opening up this initial moral thoughts means that children can assess such issues in relation to human-nonhuman relations. We can provide an input in terms of curriculum requirements, such as the pupils' exploration of "personal wishes and desires," "values and beliefs," "social constraints," and "peer and media influences."
The curriculum provides for such ethical thinking when it states that children should, "learn and begin to devise a simple decision-making strategy," while "identifying the important facts and/or the moral questions" about problems. They should also consider, "the possible solutions and consequences," while thinking about pros and cons and reflecting on choices and decisions.
Students are to be encouraged to, "examine how justice, fairness and equality may or may not be exemplified in a community," and explore "discrimination against particular groups, racism, recognizing stereotyping of any kind and exploring how it can be counteracted."
The fifth and sixth classes look at a range of social forces that operate in society. For example, they should, "explore and learn to examine critically the factors and levels of thought that influence decisions and choices." They should assess the mix of "values and beliefs," "parental opinion," "social constraints," "peer and media influences" and "recognize that decisions have consequences and that not all people will make the same decisions all the time." This clearly allows for a basic discussion of the role of social movements in society. At this level, the ethical dimensions of the curriculum are more developed. As a general matter, the SPHE programme enables children to, "become aware of some of the prejudices and attitudes that fail to respect the dignity of others."
The curriculum document states, "As children learn to understand and practice equality, justice and fairness in school situations they will be enabled to challenge prejudice and discrimination as they experience it in their own lives both now and in the future."
"Children live in an age in which they are bombarded daily with information from a variety of sources. They are also under increasing commercial pressure where marketing techniques are employed widely to appeal to even the very youngest child. SPHE encourages children to become more discerning in their use of the media and to learn about and become aware of the techniques and strategies used in advertising and in the media in general."
Major aims within the social, personal and health education (SPHE) curriculum for primary level pupils include encouraging children to, "make informed decisions and choices about the social, personal and health dimensions of life both now and in the future" and begin to develop, "a sense of social responsibility, a commitment to active and participative citizenship."
With a sensitivity to the needs and moral and social development of this age group,we created a range of age-appropriate educational materials relevant to such issues.
For example, within educational units in strands entitled, "Myself," "Myself and Others," and "Myself and the Wider World," the broad objectives of the SPHE curriculum includes enabling children to "make decisions, solve problems and take appropriate actions in various personal, social and health contexts," to begin an awareness of the "various influences on choices and decisions" (such as social movements, businesses and advertising), to "begin to identify, review and evaluate the values and attitudes that are held by individuals and society," to "recognize that these affect thoughts and actions," and to "promote the values of a just and caring society."
Due to the age of primary level pupils,our materials focus on some very basic points that are relevant to human-nonhuman relations. These include getting children to understand that human beings are a type of animal, that humans use other animals in different ways, for example, as food, as pets, as clothing, and for the purpose of entertainment, that many animals have feelings, and we ask what represents "fairness" and "being fair" in our use and treatment of animals.
Throughout the primary curriculum there is a consistent developing theme about the issue of bullying. Psychologist and philosopher, Richard Ryder, considers whether we bully nonhuman animals in our use of them. By this means, it is possible to begin to encourage in children some very basic ethical thinking about our dealings with animals.
In the curriculum strand unit, "taking care of my body," designed for infant classes, pupils begin to discuss the qualities and categories of food such as fruits and vegetables, as well as thinking about ‘food that comes from animals."
Following the initial infant phases, in the first and second classes, the children are introduced to the concept of "the food pyramid," the need for dietary moderation and balance, the notion that some foods are unhealthy, while they continue to identify foods that are derived from plant and animal sources. Children are also introduced to issues in parent-child relations and, in the "growing and changing" strand unit, they are encouraged to "appreciate what is necessary in order to provide and care for new-born babies in both the animal and human world."
In the third and fourth classes, pupils' learning on food and nutrition becomes a little more complex. For example, they are expected to differentiate between a healthy and an unhealthy diet while, "recognize the wide choice of food available and categorize food into the four main food groups and their place on "the food pyramid.""
Some basic ethical issues are introduced in the making decisions strand unit when the children, "become aware of and think about choices and decisions that he/she makes every day." This involves exploring and discussing, "the factors that influence personal decisions and choices and the different levels of thought involved in making a decision."
Expertise in opening up this initial moral thoughts means that children can assess such issues in relation to human-nonhuman relations. We can provide an input in terms of curriculum requirements, such as the pupils' exploration of "personal wishes and desires," "values and beliefs," "social constraints," and "peer and media influences."
The curriculum provides for such ethical thinking when it states that children should, "learn and begin to devise a simple decision-making strategy," while "identifying the important facts and/or the moral questions" about problems. They should also consider, "the possible solutions and consequences," while thinking about pros and cons and reflecting on choices and decisions.
Students are to be encouraged to, "examine how justice, fairness and equality may or may not be exemplified in a community," and explore "discrimination against particular groups, racism, recognizing stereotyping of any kind and exploring how it can be counteracted."
The fifth and sixth classes look at a range of social forces that operate in society. For example, they should, "explore and learn to examine critically the factors and levels of thought that influence decisions and choices." They should assess the mix of "values and beliefs," "parental opinion," "social constraints," "peer and media influences" and "recognize that decisions have consequences and that not all people will make the same decisions all the time." This clearly allows for a basic discussion of the role of social movements in society. At this level, the ethical dimensions of the curriculum are more developed. As a general matter, the SPHE programme enables children to, "become aware of some of the prejudices and attitudes that fail to respect the dignity of others."
The curriculum document states, "As children learn to understand and practice equality, justice and fairness in school situations they will be enabled to challenge prejudice and discrimination as they experience it in their own lives both now and in the future."
"Children live in an age in which they are bombarded daily with information from a variety of sources. They are also under increasing commercial pressure where marketing techniques are employed widely to appeal to even the very youngest child. SPHE encourages children to become more discerning in their use of the media and to learn about and become aware of the techniques and strategies used in advertising and in the media in general."