Tellus the story of farming
Tellus, a teaching pack to educate primary school children on agriculture, narrates the mission of four European astronauts who want to start a farm on a recently discovered planet.
They explore livestock and arable farming, fruit and vegetable growing, fishing and forestry.
The initiative was instigated by CEJA, the European Young Farmers Association, and was brought to fruition with the help of Irish partners Agri Aware and Macra na Feirme.
It incorporates full colour teaching manuals, cartoons, worksheets and a web site, http://www.ceja.educagri.fr/
Tellus is available in all 15 member states in the 11 official EU languages.
Education and Science Minister Noel Dempsey launched the initiative in Dublin yesterday with Rose of Tralee Tamara Gervasoni.
Minister Dempsey said he was extremely impressed by the range of information, the suggested learning activities and the teaching approaches in Tellus.
"There is considerable potential in the material for primary school teachers in raising awareness among their pupils of the place of agriculture in the lives of the European family,” he said.
Agri Aware Chairman Mike Magan said the pack is a very impressive teaching tool for learning about Ireland's place in the European agriculture industry.
He said Agri Aware was delighted to see the project to fulfilment after several years of hard work. Macra na Feirme president Seamus Phelan said it is extremely important the next generation of young people, many of whom are not directly involved in farming, has an awareness of the importance of agriculture to the Irish economy.
He said they need a clear idea of how food is produced.
