Social & Environmental Education — History & Geography
At Scoil Chlochair Mhuire, we want children to understand the world they live in, where they come from, how places work and how their community connects to wider Irish and global stories.
Social and Environmental Education (SEE) makes that happen, and living in Carrigtwohill gives us a uniquely rich starting point.
Under the new Primary Curriculum Framework (2023), Social and Environmental Education brings together History, Geography and Education about Religions and Beliefs (ERB). It contributes to children's understanding of the interconnected historical, geographical and societal dimensions of life, supporting their awareness and appreciation of the world around them.
Two key concepts, "Working as a Historian" and "Working as a Geographer", underpin all learning across every stage, developing children's ability to ask questions, examine evidence, and think critically about the world.
In History, children explore the past through stories, artefacts, photographs and local evidence. Carrigtwohill itself is a place of deep historical significance and we make full use of that. Barryscourt Castle, on our doorstep, is one of the finest examples of a tower house castle in Munster, with a story stretching back to the medieval Roche family. It brings history to life in a way no textbook can.
In Geography, children explore both the human and natural environment around them. The rich natural landscape of East Cork, its estuaries, farmland, and wildlife habitats, gives children a living classroom right outside the school gates. Children make sense of their surroundings and the wider world by developing geographical skills as they explore the natural and human elements of local and wider environments.
We believe curious children make engaged citizens. With so much history and natural wonder on our doorstep, SSE at Scoil Chlochair Mhuire is never short of inspiration.