Looking Outside the Circle: Circle Time for SPHE Curriculum Strand: Myself and the Wider World

• Are you a busy classroom teacher?
• Are you interested in developing children’s democratic and citizenship skills?
• Do you find you have little time to plan SPHE?
• Would you like to explore the circle time method in your classroom?
• Would you like interesting and relevant material for your literacy lessons?

If so, Looking Outside the Circle: Circle Time for SPHE Curriculum Strand Myself and the Wider World will tick all those boxes! This resource has been developing by a leading teacher educator in SPHE (Dr. Bernie Collins) and is practical and accessible to help you to develop children’s social, democratic and citizenship skills.

The resource at a glance:

• Contains detailed lesson plans for all class levels in Irish primary schools from Infants to 6th Class
• Covers all the content objectives in the Wider World strand of the SPHE Curriculum
• Activities are innovative and fun for children
• Contains activity sheets and other original resources for each class level
• It is the first Irish circle time resource which is directly linked to Irish curricula – but the materials may be adapted for any classroom situation even if children are not in a circle.

In an increasingly globalised world, Looking Outside the Circle will engage children with wider world issues while promoting a cooperative and esteeming classroom environment. It encourages children to get involved in their school, local and wider communities and to be proactive in upholding their rights and those of others. It teaches them to be media literate and socially responsible. Take a look at the sample pages (click on red eyes logo above) to see how this resource can support you in implementing the wider world strand of the SPHE Curriculum in your class.

About the Author:

Dr. Bernie Collins has lectured in Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) in St. Patrick’s College, Dublin for the last twenty years. Bernie was a primary school teacher and brings a practical and effective focus to her work. She has many years’ experience with the practice of circle time in Ireland, and has researched the positive aspects of the method with practising primary school teachers. Bernie was the National Coordinator for the Walk Tall Programme, and has recently been involved in its revision. She has also been a leader in other projects such as All Together Now! (a resource for tackling homophobic and transphobic bullying in primary schools). Her most recent publication Looking Outside the Circle builds on her research into circle time and makes a significant contribution to the promotion of circle time and SPHE in Irish primary schools.

Author: Dr. Bernie Collins

Age Suitability: Primary

Extent: A4 - 146 Pages - Full colour throughout

Code: SPD-2763

Published: 2015