SYNAPSES Evaluated Resources
On this page you can find all resources that have been identified and evaluated by the SYNAPSES consortium. Are you looking for resources specifically for you? Use the filtering system on the left.
For a description of the Aims and Learning Outomes (LO) refer to this page.
Schools go Green
This educational material consists of a multimedia Eco-Glossary based on small stories accompanied by a set of e-learning materials using audio-visual tools, like presentations for students, teacher handbooks and lesson plans. The learning material follows the whole school approach as it involves teachers, teacher educators, school leaders and researchers.
Challenge Based Learning Guide and Toolkit
This Guide to Challenge Based Learning and online toolkit are designed to introduce educators to this student-centred approach to learning in a real world, interdisciplinary way.
Fact-ivism and Community Action Planning
Students learn about data and pick a data point that inspires them to take action for the UN SDGs.The resource sets out to use the Global Goals as a catalyst for students in identifying a local community issue that they want to help solve, and create an action plan to get started.
The Energy House: A Project of the Energy Club at Isny Secondary School
Sustainable, energy-efficient, self-built – that’s three words to describe ‘The Energy House’ in the school garden at Isny High School. See how a motivated teacher and his students planned and constructed a building that is as sustainable and energy-efficient as possible.
Nature Lab Garden Lesson Plan
The purpose of this activity guide is to teach students the ecological functions found in any natural system and model how these functions are performed by a natural area like a garden.
Designing for Climate Action! A circular economy project
Designing for Climate Action is a Circular Economy Project resource that provides activities with resources and teacher slides to deliver a Design Thinking Project.
Baking Cupcakes – Sustainability Issues in Science Education
This activity engages students in baking cupcakes while analyzing the sustainability of key ingredients like cacao, vanilla, blueberries, or honey. Each group investigates their ingredient’s impact on people, planet, and prosperity, fostering awareness of environmental, social, and economic sustainability. Students then summarize their findings, connecting food choices to global sustainability.
Lapwing in the vegetable field – a Mystery Game
The “Lapwing” resource uses the Mystery Method to engage students in exploring the decline of lapwing populations. Through inquiry-based learning, students analyze ecological, social, and economic factors, fostering critical thinking, teamwork, and environmental awareness, while highlighting the human impact on biodiversity and the importance of sustainable solutions.
Inclusive science education and art
This resource links to a micro-credential course on inclusive science education and art through the Open-Ended scenario Framework.
Your Turn for the Teacher – Guide Book
The Your Turn guidebook is a step-by-step instruction for teachers (in training) to create and implement their own design projects for upper primary and lower secondary education.
SAILs Household Vs Natural Environment
The Household versus Natural Environment Strategies for Assessment of Inquiry Learning in Science (SAILS) inquiry and assessment unit focuses on the environmental implications of using cleaning agents. Students investigate the growth of cress in various conditions to determine the impact of household chemicals on the environment.
FoodShift Pathways: Open Learning Scenarios
Open Learning Scenarios (OLS) empower teachers to address food system sustainability by placing students at the center of learning. Using open schooling and living-lab methodologies, students collaborate with societal actors to co-create solutions for real-life community challenges. The resource includes 60 scenarios and 6 ready-to-use videos.
SEAI Energy In Action
This introductory resource is designed to support the teaching and learning of energy and sustainability with an inquiry approach to education. Along with the other resources in the series, it aims to enhance students’ scientific knowledge, skills and competencies, providing opportunities to consider and tackle future problems.
Google Earth Voyager
Google Earth’s Voyager is a showcase of interactive guided tours, quizzes, and layers that aim to help educate everyone about the world both near and far. This resource can used as a starting point to gain a global and place-based perspective of SC related challenges
Restless Earth
Explore Earth’s transformations through volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and tsunamis. Reflect on their impact, study their causes, and design a citizens’ alert program to raise awareness. Develop problem-solving, critical thinking, and collaboration skills while becoming active citizens prepared to protect your community.
Marine Litter: “Searching for the usual suspects …at my beach”
Within this resource, students will address the marine litter problem by exploring sustainable consumption, waste management, and its impact on marine ecosystems. Collaborating across different islands, they will develop solutions to raise community awareness and implement measures to effectively tackle marine litter, enhancing environmental stewardship and protecting marine health.
OTTERS – Citizen Science for Water Stewardship
The OTTERS project promotes ocean and freshwater care through citizen science. It empowers people to create campaigns, focusing on protecting ecosystems, eliminating pollution, and supporting a sustainable blue economy. OTTERS offers toolkits to help organize co-creation sessions, enabling teachers and students to engage in real-world problem-solving and scientific research.
Nature Lab Virtual Field Trip – Responsible Forest Management
The resource builds from a virtual field trip on the importance of forest management, through a series of lessons and activities to a project-based learning approach where student make their own forest dioramas.
Endangered lodgers: Discover the world of building breeders
The handbook outlines a Mystery Game teaching method focusing on endangered building-nesting species. It combines problem-solving and group work to foster critical thinking, with students solving mysteries about species’ habitat challenges. The approach enhances engagement, conservation awareness, and scientific inquiry through interactive and adaptable classroom activities.
Active Classroom Strategies
The Active Classroom Strategies presented by the Junior Cycle for Teachers service in Ireland are student-centred active teaching methodologies designed to support the development of key skills and competencies in students such as ‘Managing Information & Thinking’ and ‘Working with Others’.
