We have a range of materials relevant and appropriate to the senior cycle (ages 15-18).
Our materials are most obviously relevant to the Leaving Certificate (Applied) programme but we also cater for the Leaving Certificate (Established), the Transition Year and the Vocational programme. For example, teaching criteria within the LC (Established) programme includes Home Economics and issues such as
- Factors affecting food choices
- Current food habits and trends
- Maintaining a healthy body weight
- The Irish food industry
"Consumer studies" and "environmental awareness" are also important considerations, including, for example, consumer choices about "free-range" versus "battery" eggs. There is a range of views on such subjects. For example, animal welfarists emphasise the welfare advantages of free-range over battery or "factory farm" egg production, while animal rightists would criticise all animal use.
The LC (Established) programme in Home Economics also looks at the issue of diet and food requirements. This looks at issues such as
- bowel disease
- heart disease, and
All of these, including osteoporosis, are associated with the consumption of animal products. The module also looks at various food regimes such as
- lacto-vegetarian, and
The LC (Vocational).
The LC (Vocational) programme encourages students to meet "enterprising people" including those in "local voluntary organisations." Given the encouragement of students to engage with "enterprises other than commercial businesses," they have the opportunity through our organisation to meet with seasoned social movement organisers and those well versed in social movement theory.
The LC (Applied).
The LC (Applied) programme, "Aims to develop active citizens who have a sense of belonging to the local, national and global community, who have a capacity to gain access to information and structures, and an ability to fully participate in democratic society."
Student Tasks (STs) are used as a means of integrating courses, and schools support provide a Programme Co-ordinator who oversees the management and planning of STs.
The STs that are most relevant in terms of the expertise of Animal Education Outreach representatives and presenters are
· The Contemporary Issue Task
· The Practical Achievement Task
· The Personal Reflection Task
Promoting and developing "active citizenship," STs are practical activities including "the investigation of an issue," which may involve
- Performance of an action
- Provision of a service
- The staging of an event; and
- Personal reflection to "develop student confidence and self-esteem."
The Contemporary Issue Task.
Requires the student to conduct and complete an investigation into, and to take action in relation
- to, a contemporary issue of social significance in the local, national and/or global community…
- The investigation should help the student to develop her/his awareness and understanding of
- the different dimensions of the particular issue chosen e.g. social, political, civic, economic and
- cultural dimensions.
Students can choose topics that are of interest to them and should
- Conduct an investigation
- Develop skills of planning and recording
- Understanding an issue in greater depth
- Understand an issue in a broader context
- Undertake an action
- Develop skills of reflection and evaluation.
Animal Education Outreach are able to assist students meet required criteria, such as:
- The issue selected must be a contemporary issue of social significance.
- The issue may be local, national or global in scope.
- The issue must be linked to one or more of the key concepts and/or themes of the Social Education course e.g. equality, gender, health, relationships, conflict, law, community, democracy, development, social justice, human rights and responsibilities, active citizenship, forces/interests (media, pressure groups, lobbying).
- The student is expected to be able to make connections between the issue they are investigating and other related issues and contexts.
There is no doubt that human-animal relations pose a number of contemporary issues and these are indeed played out at all levels, local, national and global. Whether students are interested in animal rights, animal welfare, the environmental impact of agriculture, or health issues, Animal Education Outreach has relevant materials and speakers. Since issues such as "animal rights" and "animal welfare" may be covered at junior level, senior students can build on their earlier experiences and learning and look at these issues again in greater depth as part of this ST.
The Practical Achievement Task.
The Practical Achievement Task is undertaken over a three-month period. This ST is
- geared towards students gaining a strong sense of achievement and can include
- "undertaking an initiative."
We suggest that this initiative could be, for example, being vegan for a month, and/or organising a vegan fair or event, such as organising a film night or debate.
The Personal Reflection Task.
The Personal Reflection Task, as the name suggests, is a reflexive exercise the students engage in. They should ask themselves
- What was I like before this experience?
- What did I expect of this experience?
- What was the experience actually like?
- What have I learned about myself from this experience?
- How has this affected my outlook and plans for the future?