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ASSIGNMENT
Review the paper Unravelling STEM: Beyond the acronym of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (Liston 2018) and reflect on what STEM education looks like in your classroom.
Download the Weather and Climate resource.
Open the teacher guide and pupil worksheet for activity 1 & 2
Activity 1: Is it weather or climate?
Activity 2: Weather Detectives
Carry out activities 1 and 2 and complete the pupil worksheets.Provide your feedback on these activities and how you could use them with your class.
Make reference to anything you think could be improved or added to the activities.Post your response (150 words minimum) as a reply to this post.
Please also comment on at least one other participant’s post.
Use of AI Tools: Our facilitators occasionally observe that course reflections may be generated with the assistance of AI tools. While AI can be a helpful support for drafting ideas or exploring different ways to express your thinking, it is essential that your forum posts reflect your own understanding and engagement with the course content. This is in line with the Department of Education and Youth’s Summer Course guidelines.
Before posting to the forum, we encourage you to take a moment to review your contributions and, if necessary, revise them to ensure they are appropriate and authentically your own. -
Liston’s (2018) Unravelling STEM: Beyond the Acronym of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths argues that STEM should be viewed as an integrated approach to learning rather than four separate subjects. The paper highlights the importance of inquiry, problem-solving, creativity, collaboration, and authentic real-world contexts that encourage children to make meaningful connections across disciplines. It also emphasises that effective STEM teaching develops critical thinking and supports learners in applying knowledge to practical situations.
In my classroom, STEM is reflected through hands-on, child-centred activities that encourage exploration and teamwork. Children investigate scientific concepts, use simple technologies, design and build solutions, and apply mathematical thinking during play and project-based learning. For example, they might construct bridges using recycled materials, measure and compare their designs, and discuss how to improve them. These experiences promote curiosity, resilience, and communication while integrating the four STEM disciplines in meaningful ways. Reflecting on Liston’s paper, I recognise the value of intentionally planning integrated STEM experiences that foster both creativity and deeper understanding.
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Dolores I love doing various design and make tasks with the children. I recently took part in a pilot programme for the draft STE curriculum and we followed the engineering process. It worked well with even children as young as 1st class. We focused on using empathy as our strating point to create the problem and it really opened up the ideas for solving problems and creating new designs and prototypes for the children. It was all child led and the children were very invested in their work.
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Sean, I really do like the idea of using empathy as the starting point for the design process. Great idea. True enough, encouraging children to first understand and think about the needs of others can lead to much more meaningful problem-solving and creative ideas in so many different domains, so valid. I totally agree that giving children ownership of the process makes them much more invested in their learning. We’ve all seen this across the board in many a lesson / school initiative.
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Hi Dolores,
I really enjoyed reading your post and agree with your point that STEM is most effective when it is taught as an integrated approach rather than as four separate subjects. Your example of children designing and building bridges using recycled materials clearly demonstrates how science, technology, engineering, and mathematics can naturally come together through meaningful, hands-on learning. It also highlights how children develop important skills such as collaboration, communication, and resilience while solving authentic problems.
Your reflection on the importance of intentional planning particularly resonated with me. While child-led exploration is essential, carefully designed activities can ensure that learning outcomes across all STEM areas are achieved without limiting children’s creativity. I believe this balance between structured guidance and open-ended exploration is key to successful STEM education. Overall, your post highlights how integrated STEM experiences can nurture curiosity, confidence, and problem solving skills that children will benefit from both inside and outside the classroom.
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Hi Dolores,
Welcome to the course, and thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts on Module 1.
It is great to see that the key messages from Liston’s paper resonated with you, particularly the idea that STEM should be understood as an integrated approach rather than as separate subject areas. Your classroom example of designing and testing bridges using recycled materials captures this very well, as it naturally brings together the Engineering Design Process with science, maths and technology.
I also like how this activity encourages the development of important skills such as creativity, problem-solving and collaboration, all of which Liston highlights as central to meaningful STEM experiences.
I hope you continue to find the rest of the course helpful in sparking further ideas for STEM learning in your classroom.
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After reading Liston (2018), I have a better understanding that authentic STEM is much more than teaching Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics as separate subjects. Effective STEM integrates all four areas through meaningful, real-world activities that encourage creativity, collaboration, critical thinking and problem-solving.
As a 4th class teacher, I aim to provide hands-on learning opportunities where pupils work together, investigate questions and make connections across the curriculum. I found Activities 1 and 2 to be practical, engaging and suitable for my class. Activity 1 clearly helps pupils understand the difference between weather and climate through discussion and simple examples. Activity 2 encourages children to become “Weather Detectives” by collecting and recording weather data, while naturally integrating Mathematics through measuring, graphing and interpreting results.
I would use these activities as part of a cross-curricular unit linking Science, Geography and Mathematics. My pupils would also enjoy comparing their weather recordings with those from other parts of Ireland and around the world.
One improvement would be to include a simple engineering challenge, such as designing and building rain gauge. This would strengthen the engineering aspect of STEM, which Liston identifies as central to authentic STEM learning.
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Hi Katie,
Welcome to the course. Thanks for sharing your reflections on Liston’s paper. I really like how you have connected this to creativity, collaboration, critical thinking and problem-solving, as these are so central to effective STEM practice.
Your approach with 4th class sounds very engaging. Your suggestion of adding an engineering challenge, such as designing and building a rain gauge, is excellent. It would strengthen the Engineering Design Process and give pupils the chance to design, test, improve and reflect on their work, which links very well with Liston’s understanding of authentic STEM learning.
I hope you enjoy the other modules.
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Hi Katie,
I love the idea of your class comparing their weather findings with children in other parts of Ireland and around the world. One thing I found fascinating as a child was how the weather could be so different, even between one town and the next so I’m sure doing this comparison would really spark the childrens’ interest.
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Katie, I really like your idea of adding on an engineering aspect to the lesson. It makes the lesson more hands on and you would not require too many resources to build the rain gauge. Pupils could easily gather a bottle and bring in to school and this will allow for more than one gauge to be made. Linking in with maths, pupils can link it to averages, capacity etc. Doing this will also highlight the importance of using maths in the real world and linking it to their own lives.
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I really like your focus on authentic STEM Katie and making meaningful links across the curriculum. Comparing weather data from different locations is a brilliant idea and would really broaden pupils’ understanding. I also agree that adding a simple engineering challenge, such as building a rain gauge, would make the learning even more engaging.
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Delores I am inspired by your small STEN projects you conduct in your classroom. I feel a little overwhelmed as to how maths can be be included in project work but I see for you it can be in comparing the size or measurement of one groups bridge to another. If this is not what you meant I apologise. But of course Construction involves 3D Shapes which is a maths strand.
I also like how you say you make an intentional plan to incorporate all elements of STEN.
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Dolores
I completely agree with your post and Liston’s paper putting the emphasis on STEM being much more than simply teaching science, technology, engineering and mathematics alongside one another.
In my classroom of nine-year-olds, the children love building with Lego, wooden blocks and junk materials. I regularly provide opportunities for free exploration, construction and design challenges, and these activities encourage creativity, collaboration and problem-solving. However, after completing this module, I realise that while these experiences develop valuable skills, they are not always authentic STEM learning. I need to plan more structured activities that begin with a meaningful problem, encourage children to design, test and improve their ideas, and explicitly integrate science, mathematics and technology. This approach will make our construction activities more purposeful and better reflect the characteristics of authentic STEM education described by Liston.
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Having completed both activities 1 and 2, I found them to be engaging and appropriate for primary school. Also keeping in mind the need for differentiation in all classrooms is required. It will help the pupils to think critically about the differences between weather and climate while developing numerous skills.
The activities help to incorporate stem through recording weather data. Weather apps could be used to compare forecasts and predictions. I think these activities could be used well as a link with science, geography and maths. I would help my students to reflect on the weather and the climate, the changing patterns.
The activities were fun and with adaption can be used with all pupils in classrooms.
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In her paper, Liston explains what STEM teaching is in and also gives compelling reasons for using the STEM approach, citing Jolly (2017) as she lists seven ways in which the STEM approach encourages children to think more critically and scientifically.
In my classroom, we carried out a STEM project involving designing and making a bird feeder. We talked about local birds and how we might encourage them to come and stay in our school garden. We discussed what materials we might use and used a basic design of a milk/juice carton. There was a lot of trial and error in discovering how we would hang the bird houses up securely, designing a door, where to lacte them etc.
Weather VS Climate activities
Before beginning Activity 1, I would teach the children about the difference between weather and climate in terms of definition, and show them some different climates using maps, globes, internet photographs, places they have been on holiday.
In Activity 2, I would measure the temperature over a month during winter, and then again in summer.
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I agree, especially about the vocabulary. Spending a bit of time on the key words beforehand would make a big difference. I also like your idea of pairing pupils up on the computers, as it would encourage plenty of discussion and sharing of ideas. Buddying younger classes with older pupils is a great suggestion too and would make the activity much more accessible.
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Having browsed through the paper by Liston (2018) on exploding the acronym of STEM, the key point that stands out for me is that STEM is more than just 4 separate subjects, but rather something that can be integrated into all subject areas. I suppose that is one of the key concepts of the new primary curriculum – to treat nothing in isolation – language impacts maths, maths impacts art and music etc. Everything is inter-connected.
In my own class, I try to find opportunities for STEM in as many areas as possible. I find it is particularly relevant in history, where advances in technology can be looked at very easily – the Industrial Revolution being a very clear example of this. However, engineering and science also play a huge part in art activities – the design and make strand of the Science curriculum being a case in point. There are so many opportunities to make connections across the curriculum that treating STEM in isolation seems rather daft.
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Liston’s article argues that authentic STEM education goes beyond teaching Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics as separate subjects. Instead, these subjects should be integrated through meaningful, real-world challenges that encourage creativity, collaboration, communication and critical thinking. I completly agrees with this and try to focus on this with my first class. In a first-class classroom, learning is active, engaging and student-centred. Children are encouraged to ask questions, investigate problems, test ideas and learn from mistakes. Rather than simply memorising facts, they apply their knowledge to solve authentic problems using the Engineering Design Process. This develops not only subject knowledge but also important life skills such as resilience, teamwork and decision-making. They really enjoy working as a team.Liston’s emphasis on real-world learning also supports effective classroom practice. A first-class teacher creates opportunities for pupils to make connections between what they learn in school and everyday life. For example, instead of completing isolated science experiments, children might work together to design and build a bridge, create a water filter or develop a solution to an environmental issue. These activities naturally combine science, mathematics, technology and engineering in meaningful ways. Planning is key when approaching these lesson and encouraging the childen to inquire, problem-solve and reflect must be . This ensures that pupils develop a deep understanding of concepts rather than completing disconnected activities.
Overall, Liston’s article demonstrates that STEM learning is purposeful and relevant to children’s lives. By providing authentic challenges and encouraging collaboration, creativity and critical thinking, we can help children develop the knowledge, skills and confidence needed for success both in school and in the wider world. -
I agree with you Bernie. I find that when children are given a real problem to solve, they’re much more engaged in the learning. I also like your point about teamwork. I’ve found that when children work together, they often come up with ideas that they wouldn’t have thought of on their own. It makes the learning much more meaningful and enjoyable for them.
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Hi Bernie, I agree with your point about STEM being most effective when it is connected to real-world learning. I also find that pupils are much more engaged when they are working together to solve a problem rather than completing isolated tasks. The emphasis on collaboration and learning from mistakes is really important, as it helps children build confidence and resilience. I particularly liked your example of using design challenges, as these activities naturally bring together different areas of STEM while keeping learning meaningful and enjoyable for pupils.
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Hi Dolores, I really liked your point about STEM being integrated rather than taught as separate subjects. Your example of children designing and improving bridges clearly shows how science, engineering, and maths can work together in a meaningful way. It also highlights the importance of creativity and problem-solving, which are key messages from Liston’s paper.
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Reading Unravelling STEM reminded me that STEM doesn’t have to be a separate subject or something that needs lots of expensive equipment. In my classroom, it’s about giving the children opportunities to explore, ask questions and learn by doing. Some of the best learning happens when the children are working together and talking about what they notice.
I enjoyed both of the ESA activities. Activity 1 is a lovely way to introduce the difference between weather and climate. For First Class, I would simplify some of the language and use more photographs and discussion before asking the children to sort the statements. I think they would really enjoy talking about today’s weather and comparing it to different times of the year.
Activity 2 was my favourite because it gets the children outside and gives them ownership of their learning. I could see us having two Weather Watchers each day who would check the temperature and record the weather using simple pictures and symbols. At the end of the week we could look back at our results together and chat about what we noticed. It would be a lovely way to bring Science and Maths together without the children even realising they’re doing STEM.
The only thing I would add is a few more ideas for younger classes. Some of the worksheets would need to be adapted for First Class, but that’s easily done. Overall, I thought the activities were practical, easy to follow and something I could genuinely see myself using in my classroom.
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Liston (2018) explains that STEM should not be viewed as four separate subjects but as a connected approach to teaching and learning. She emphasises that meaningful STEM experiences involve inquiry, creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and problem-solving through authentic, real-life contexts. These integrated experiences enable children to apply their knowledge across disciplines while developing important twenty-first-century skills such as communication, resilience, and innovation.
Reflecting on this reading, I can see how STEM is embedded in my own classroom through hands-on, play-based learning experiences. Children work collaboratively to investigate problems, design and create solutions, use simple technologies, and apply mathematical concepts during meaningful activities. For example, building structures from recycled materials encourages children to explore scientific ideas, test designs, measure outcomes, and evaluate improvements. This article has reinforced the importance of planning purposeful, integrated STEM activities that promote curiosity, creativity, and deeper understanding while helping children make meaningful connections between different areas of learning.
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I agree with the points made in Liston’s article which argue that true and meaningful STEM education is about more than teaching Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths as separate subjects. The only way children will learn to become critical thinkers who can attempt to navigate problem solving is by the integration of all of these subjects. Children need to be actively engaged in what they are learning and need to be given the time and space to question things. I try to focus on this with my own class. The planning of STEM lessons and putting the time into ensuring all is ready and available to students allows them the time and resources to question and figure things out for themselves. As Liston’s article explains, these are the types of learning environments we want and need to provide for our children.
I loved the videos shown in this module and could see how informative they would be for children of all ages. I loved the map with the zones of Koeppen’s Climate Classification. It was very clear and would definitely help with children’s understanding. -
Having read Unravelling STEM: Beyond the Acronym of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (Liston, 2018), it reinforced for me that effective STEM education is much more than teaching the four subjects separately. STEM should be integrated, inquiry-based and centred on developing children’s curiosity, creativity, critical thinking and problem-solving skills. In my classroom, I aim to provide opportunities for pupils to investigate real-life problems, collaborate with their peers and apply their learning across a range of curriculum areas. Activities such as STEM challenges, weather investigations and hands-on experiments encourage children to become active learners rather than passive recipients of information.
I completed Activities 1 and 2 from the Weather and Climate resource and found them to be engaging, practical and appropriate for primary pupils. Activity 1 clearly helped distinguish between weather and climate using simple examples and encouraged discussion, while Activity 2 allowed pupils to become “Weather Detectives” by observing and recording weather conditions. I particularly liked that the activities promoted scientific observation and data collection, while also providing opportunities to integrate Maths through graphing results and Geography through discussions about local weather patterns.
I would use these activities with my class as part of a cross-curricular Science and Geography unit. Pupils could create a class weather station and record daily observations over several weeks before comparing their findings with weather forecasts online. This would also provide opportunities to integrate Digital Technologies by using weather websites or apps to compare local observations with official weather data. Pupils could work collaboratively in small groups, discuss patterns they notice and present their findings to the class.
One improvement I would suggest would be to include an extension activity where pupils compare Ireland’s climate with another country using digital maps and climate graphs. This would encourage deeper thinking and strengthen links with Geography. It would also be beneficial to include differentiated recording sheets to support younger pupils and those with additional learning needs, as well as extension questions for more able pupils. Overall, I found both activities to be practical, engaging and well suited to developing pupils’ scientific enquiry skills while promoting curiosity about the world around them.
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Hi Cliona, I agree that the cross-curricular links are a real strength of these activities. I like your idea of setting up a class weather station, as it would make the learning more hands-on and meaningful for pupils. Comparing Ireland’s climate with another country would also be a great extension activity and could lead to some interesting discussions.
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Hi Cliona,
Thank you for sharing such a thoughtful and detailed reflection on Module 1. You have clearly captured one of the key messages from Liston’s paper: that STEM should be integrated, inquiry-based and connected to real-world learning. I really like how you link this to curiosity, creativity, collaboration and problem-solving, as these are central to meaningful STEM experiences.
It is great to hear that you found Activities 1 and 2 useful and adaptable to your class group. I also like your idea of creating a class weather station and comparing pupils’ observations with online forecasts. This could be strengthened even further by having pupils design or build simple weather instruments, bringing in the Engineering Design Process more explicitly. As some others have suggested in this group, a fun cross-curricular element could be introduced where students act out their own weather reporting as if on TV.
Your suggestions around differentiation and extension activities are excellent and would make the resource much more inclusive and adaptable.
Thanks for taking the time to respond, hope you enjoy the course.
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I can see some excellent responses to this reading and to the module. This module has given me a much deeper understanding of how to teach weather, climate, and STEM concepts in a way that is meaningful and engaging for children in a junior primary classroom. Before completing the module, I understood the basic difference between weather and climate, but I now have a much clearer understanding of how these concepts can be introduced through hands-on activities, observation, discussion, and play-based learning. The module also introduced me to a range of high-quality teaching resources, particularly the TeachNet/SFI Weather vs Climate resource and the European Space Agency (ESA) Teachers’ Corner, which provide practical, child-friendly activities that can easily be adapted for younger learners.
One of the key ideas I learned is the importance of helping children distinguish between weather, which changes from day to day, and climate, which describes weather patterns over a much longer period of time. Although climate can seem like an abstract concept for young children, the module demonstrated that it can be introduced through simple observations, stories, pictures, and comparisons. This approach supports the Primary Curriculum by encouraging children to become curious about the world around them while developing their observation and communication skills.
When I return to school, I am most likely to use the TeachNet/SFI Weather vs Climate resource as a starting point for lessons during science and geography. The activities are clearly explained and provide opportunities for children to observe, predict, record, and discuss weather conditions in ways that are appropriate for younger classes. I also intend to use the ESA Teachers’ Corner resources because they provide exciting links between Earth, weather, and space. The visual images, videos, and practical investigations will capture children’s interest and encourage them to ask questions about the natural world. The ESA resources also introduce children to real scientific work, helping them to understand that scientists use observations and technology to learn more about our planet.
In my junior classroom, I would use these resources in a practical and play-based way. For example, we could create a daily weather station where children observe the weather each morning and record whether it is sunny, cloudy, rainy, or windy using pictures and symbols. Over several weeks, we could create simple weather charts and discuss which types of weather occur most often. This would help children recognise patterns while developing early mathematical skills through counting, sorting, and creating pictograms. Children could also compare weather in different seasons using photographs, storybooks, and classroom discussions.
The resources also lend themselves well to cross-curricular learning, which is particularly valuable in the junior classes. During English lessons, children could read stories about different types of weather and develop vocabulary relating to seasons, clouds, rain, sunshine, and wind. They could write simple sentences or create class books describing their favourite type of weather. In Visual Arts, they could create weather collages, paint seasonal landscapes, or construct weather wheels. Music lessons could include songs about the seasons and weather, while drama activities could encourage children to act out different weather conditions using movement and expression. These integrated activities make learning enjoyable while reinforcing scientific concepts across different curriculum areas.
The digital resources highlighted throughout the module will also help to develop children’s digital literacy skills from an early age. Interactive videos, photographs from satellites, and simple online activities can introduce young children to technology as a tool for learning. Even at junior level, children can begin to understand that satellites in space help scientists observe the Earth and predict weather. While the scientific detail would need to be simplified, exposing children to these ideas encourages curiosity and introduces them to STEM careers in an age-appropriate way.Although I found the resources extremely useful, I do have a few considerations when implementing them in my own classroom. Some ESA activities are designed for older pupils, so I will need to adapt the language, instructions, and expectations to suit the developmental stage of Junior Infants, Senior Infants, or First and Second Class. I will also need to ensure that digital activities are balanced with hands-on experiences, as young children learn most effectively through active exploration and play. Time management may also be a factor, particularly when carrying out weather observations over several weeks, but these activities could easily become part of the daily classroom routine.
This module will strongly support our school’s School Self-Evaluation (SSE) process, particularly if our focus is on improving active learning, STEM education, or pupil engagement. The inquiry-based approach promoted throughout the resources encourages children to ask questions, make predictions, investigate, and reflect on their learning. These are key features of effective teaching and learning and align closely with the aims of the Primary Curriculum Framework. The activities also encourage collaboration, communication, and problem-solving, helping children to become confident and independent learners.The module also supports our school’s Digital Learning Plan by providing meaningful opportunities to integrate digital technologies into everyday classroom practice. Rather than using technology simply for entertainment, children use digital tools to observe, investigate, record information, and communicate their findings. Teachers can also use online resources, interactive whiteboards, digital photographs, and educational videos to enrich lessons and make abstract concepts more accessible for younger learners.
Overall, I found this module extremely valuable and practical. It has increased my confidence in teaching weather, climate, and STEM topics to junior primary pupils through engaging, age-appropriate activities.The TeachNet/SFI and ESA resources provide excellent support for inquiry-based learning and encourage children to become curious about the world around them. I look forward to incorporating these ideas into my classroom to promote scientific thinking, environmental awareness, and digital competence while supporting both our School Self-Evaluation priorities and our Digital Learning Plan.
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Hi Chloe,
Thanks for sharing your reflection on your own learning in this module.
As with all resources, it is important to adapt and modify them to suit the learners in our own classes. As you have mentioned, it is important to adapt and consider the vocabulary and terms used in the lesson for the junior classes in the school. You have also outlined a very comprehensive integrated plan for teaching about the weather and it incorporates lots of playful learning approaches. Thanks for sharing this.
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I really enjoyed reading your reflection. I agree that STEM is much more effective when it is taught as an integrated approach rather than as four separate subjects. Your example of children designing and building bridges using recycled materials is a great way to combine science, engineering and maths while encouraging creativity and teamwork.
I also liked your point about using real-world contexts, as I think children are much more engaged when they can see how their learning applies to everyday life. Liston’s paper really highlights the importance of inquiry and problem-solving, and your examples show how these skills can be developed naturally through hands-on activities. It has given me some ideas for incorporating more project-based STEM learning into my own classroom.
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Weather and Climate Activity 1:
With regard to the Weather or Climate resource and activities. I really liked activity one and feel it could be very useful in pairs as suggested or in small group work where the children make their own signs, one saying ‘weather’ and one saying ‘climate’. Then they could write down a few sentences each or cut them out from a printed copy , depending on ability and sort them onto the signs. This would also be nice to display their own work in the classroom after which I always find the children enjoy. On completing the tasks they could compare and contrast their responses with other groups and engage in some debate and defending their answers if needed. Activity 2 content seemed a bit more advanced for the age that I would be teaching but for the older classes allows for determining their understanding of the topic in a hands on way.
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Hi Seán, I think that is a lovely way of applying activity 1 to your class. I like how you differentiated for the different abilities in your class, challenging students to write their own sentences or cut out a printed copy, or even you could have copies with words missing and they add in their own. I also like how you allow for debate at the end of the lesson, thus bringing in other cross curricular areas!
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Lovely to read yourthoughts Seán. I have younger class also and could see myself doing activity one with my group, 2 would be for an older group I feel. Also it would be helpful to show the children some of the video clips from this module that explain weather and climate in a very engaging way. I showed them to my daughter who is in fourth class and she really enjoyed them,
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Hi Seán,
I agree that activity two seems more for older classes – I plan on giving it a try with my 5th class this coming year. I have taught in the junior end too and I love the sound of your lesson for activity one. Children do enjoy displaying their work and this activity suits itself to that perfectly. The children could also type their sentences out if they’re able to bring in some ICT skills too. -
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I really liked your idea of having pupils create their own weather and climate signs. It would make the activity more interactive and give them ownership of their learning. I also agree that displaying their work and encouraging discussion between groups would help deepen understanding and build confidence in explaining their thinking.
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I really enjoyed reading your reflection. I agree that Activity 1 lends itself very well to pair and small-group work. I particularly like your idea of having pupils create their own “Weather” and “Climate” signs, as it makes the activity more interactive and gives them ownership of their learning. Displaying their finished work is also a great way to reinforce the concepts and celebrate their efforts.</p>
I also agree that encouraging pupils to compare their answers and justify their thinking would promote valuable discussion and help develop their scientific reasoning skills. As you mentioned, Activity 2 may be more suitable for older pupils, but it could also be adapted for younger classes by simplifying the recording sheet or carrying out the investigation as a whole-class activity with teacher support. Overall, I think both activities provide excellent opportunities for inquiry-based learning and cross-curricular links with Geography, Maths and oral language.
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Liston argues that we are labelling almost anything as STEM at the moment. From my understanding if anything falls under the, science, technology, engineering or maths umbrella, we immediately move to label it as STEM. Instead she argues that true STEM is interdisciplinary and allows for innovation and critical thinking, while creating relevant learning experiences for students that inspire creativity, problem solving inquisitive thinking, and teamwork.
She poses a strong question, whether our students are actually participating in true, authentic STEM, or if they are just doing traditional science or technology activities.
I think Liston views engineering as the core concept in STEM. She sees engineering as the glue that holds the STEM concept together. Science and Math may pose a problem but it is through engineering that new technology can be created or used to solve a problem.
To be honest before reading this piece, I thought I did STEM properly but on reading this I think I fall into the category of doing one of the traditional activities in science, maths, engineering or technology and labelling it as STEM.
After reading this piece I will now try to remove the barriers and create a lesson that go past the teaching of general knowledge in a subject area to try to build critical thinking, more problem-solving and collaboration in the classroom.
I really like activity one as it create a discussion on weather and climate and by using dates that important to the children it immediately grabs their interests.
One part I would also use is children’s holidays. Young children love to talk about their holidays. I would ask them about the weather there and then lead onto whether it was the weather or climate.
Activity 2 immediately appears to be a good STEM lesson to me because it is interdisciplinary lesson which I can now see I need to do more of in the coming year.
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Hi Michael
Welcome to the course. It is great to hear that Maeve Liston’s paper has got you thinking about and reflecting on your own classroom practice and that you are thinking about ways to change your approach. I hope that this course will give you many more ideas for putting your thoughts into action in the classroom and lots of resources that can be adapted to provide ideas for interdisciplinary lessons. You will find this approach very useful when it comes to implementing the new STEM curriculum which values skills such as critical thinking, problem solving and collaboration.
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I agree with your interpretation of Liston’s ideas, Michael, and I share your vision of trying to do more authentic STEM lessons going forward. Our school has chosen STEM as its focus for this coming school year, and I will be teaching the Senior classes one day per week so I’m looking forward to being able to carry out some projects that will link Green Schools ideals, science, geography, maths, engineering. We have done some work on the local environment and weather folklore already, and I would hope to build on this foundation to expand the students’ knowledge and understanding of what climate is so that we can better understand climate change and what that means.
I agree also with the idea of including places the children have been on holiday – this makes the discussion more relevant to their own experiences.
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I am fully in agreement with you Michael in that I may have been ticking a STEM box rather than engaging in authentic STEM activities. Liston’s idea of engineering as the core concept is one I need to focus on when designing lessons and tasks for the children. Discovery and active learning that inspires their own thinking and the natural development of associated skills will be my priority focus.
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I can totally relate to your points here Michael about Liston’s paper.
I tend to be guilty of labelling things as “STEM” but in reality I am just teaching separate subjects e.g. maths, science, and focusing on the content knowledge rather than developing STEM skills.
This is a refreshing approach, and one I will be bringing to my classroom in September.
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Having read the paper Unravelling STEM: Beyond the acronym of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (Liston 2018) I found it interesting and enlightening that all four STEM subjects would be intermingled and integrated rather than taught in a stand alone fashion. It focused on the importance of challenging the children’s critical and creative thinking and innovation and provide opportunities for them to engage in this area. It has opened my eyes in particular when teaching maths, that I should be integrating this with the other STEM subjects rather than teaching it as a stand alone subject. This will also make it easier to make maths more real life and playful!
I really liked Activity 2: Weather Detectives. I thought this would be a great activity to do with 5th or 6th class. If I was to do it I think I would do it as an autumn, winter, spring, summer activity. I would pick mid September to mid October, Jan- Feb March- April and May to June and do it as a year long project mapping the temperature changes throughout the year. It would be great for the students to map it and see real world applications for graphs.
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Hi Sarah, I agree that Liston’s paper highlights the importance of integrating the STEM subjects rather than teaching them in isolation. I liked your point about making maths more meaningful and playful through real-life experiences, as children are often much more engaged when they can see the purpose of their learning.
I also like your idea of extending the Weather Detectives activity across the school year. It would help develop a deeper understanding of the mathematical concepts and scientific inquiry approach.
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Yes, I agree that integrating the STEM subjects helps pupils develop the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to solve real-world problems. Rather than teaching each subject in isolation, an integrated STEM approach encourages pupils to make connections between disciplines through inquiry, collaboration, and hands-on learning.
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Hi Sarah,
I really like your idea of turning Activity 2 into a year-long project. It would give pupils a much better understanding of weather patterns across the seasons instead of just looking at a short snapshot. I also think collecting and graphing their own data over time would make the Maths much more meaningful and help them see how it’s used in real life.
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One thing that really stuck with me was how STEM is far more effective if taught in an integrated way (Liston, 2018). I think when we integrate it makes a more real-life experience for children and it makes the learning more meaningful. Inquiry based learning and problem solving skills can be explored when we do this also.
I enjoyed Activity 1 “Is it weather, is it climate?” I thought it introduced everything well. The use of talk and discussion on the weather on their birthdays is great as it also allows for links to literacy in making connections to their real-life experiences. I could imagine my Senior Infant class comparing their birthdays and it would encourage them to think about how the weather changes. This could be expanded further by having a morning activity where we discuss the change in weather each day.
I felt Activity 2 Weather Detectives was very interesting. I like that the lessons can be adapted to suit the age of the particular class you are working with. It makes the resource so useful but also meaningful in how the whole school can explore the topic at the one time. I think for infants I would focus more on observation and the routine. We could use pictures and symbols to record the weather instead of the temperature reading. This would also be great for differentiation and I think they would really enjoy it. Most of the learning would probably happen through what we observe and then the follow-up discussions. It would also allow to introduce predicting the weather to the children. I think this would be so interesting because there was one day a few weeks ago in June where we actually had hailstones in school. This provoked so much discussion about the Irish weather and our climate. I think if we went with the daily routine of following the weather it would benefit their learning and also we could have a daily weather helped to ensure they keep their interest in the area each day too.
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I really liked your focus on adapting the activities for Senior Infants. Using pictures and symbols to record the weather is a great way to make learning accessible while encouraging observation and discussion. Your example of the unexpected hailstones shows how real-life experiences can spark curiosity and meaningful STEM learning.
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I absolutely agree. Sometimes it can be tricky to pair things back effectively for the infant classes, however it is important to remember that simple is powerful. I also love the focus on oral language and discussion. Often the emphasis can be on the written element, how classwork is recorded but there is such importance in giving adequate time to thought and discussion.
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Hi Eleanor
Welcome to the course and thanks for sharing your thoughts on the resources in this module. Using integration effectively can create more real life links and make learning more meaningful as you have mentioned.
As you have also said, the resources on weather in this module can be easily adapted for children. Using images and promoting vocabulary development specific to the weather can also be used across both English and Gaeilge to allow for integration. I really like that you are planning to use the weather to introduce the concept of prediction too as it makes clear links to the learner’s real life experiences. Thanks for sharing. I hope you enjoy the course.
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Hi Eleanor. Your reflections show such a genuine curiosity about how young children make sense of weather, and I love how you connect their real life experiences to meaningful STEM learning. The way you describe building routines, observation, and prediction really highlights how engaging this topic can be for infants and how naturally their interest grows when the learning feels close to their world. Thanks.
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I agree that the weather detectives activity is a very effective lesson that could be easily used at any level to engage pupils. I can also see it working well in a SET setting, possibly suiting some project style work for high achieving pupils where the learning outcomes could be differentiated to extend some learners.
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As I have 6th class I think the class would be well able for the three activities consecutively, I would definitely incorporate the videos explaining the zones throughout the world. The videos on explaining the weather terminology would explain the difference between weather and climate. I would place the class into groups and let them research images of different places on earth with different climates. The resources from ESA could be set up on google classroom for the students to research also. Activity 2 could easily be incorporated into Mathematics and this would really bring mathematics alive in the classroom as these recordings could not only be recorded in school but at home as part of their homework. Activity 3 would really suit 6th. Class and I would place the class into pairs to record their predictions.
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I really like the idea of using videos to introduce the different climate zones to a 6th class and then having the pupils research them in groups. Each group could be assigned a different climate zone to research using a country as an example, allowing them to compare climates and present their findings to the class. They could create a presentation using slides, photographs and other digital tools, which would provide a great opportunity to integrate digital technologies while developing their research and presentation skills.
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I really like how you’ve linked the three activities together and shown how they could be integrated across different subjects. The use of videos to explain climate zones and weather terminology is a great way to build pupils’ understanding before they begin the practical activities. I also think the research task using images and the ESA resources would encourage collaboration and help pupils make connections between different climates around the world.
I teach 4th class, so I would adapt some of these activities to suit the age and ability of my pupils. For example, I would use shorter videos with more teacher-led discussion to reinforce the difference between weather and climate. Instead of asking pupils to independently research a wide range of climates, I would provide a selection of images and simple fact cards for groups to explore together.
I also agree that the weather recording activity would make Mathematics much more meaningful. My class would enjoy collecting and graphing weather data both at school and at home, although I would simplify the recording sheets where needed. For the prediction activity, I would also use pairs, as discussing their ideas with a partner would build confidence and develop their scientific reasoning. Overall, these activities are engaging and could easily be adapted for different class levels.
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Hi Irene. I like the way you’ve planned such a rich sequence of learning for 6th Class, and it’s great to see how confidently you weave STEM, research and real world weather data together. The way you link the ESA resources with group work, maths recording and prediction shows how naturally older pupils can take ownership of the topic and explore climate in a deeper, more meaningful way.
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Unravelling STEM: Beyond the Acronym of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (Liston, 2018) argues that STEM education should be more than teaching science, technology, engineering, and mathematics as separate subjects. Instead, it should encourage integrated, real-world learning where students develop problem-solving, creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking skills.
In my classroom, STEM education involves providing hands-on, inquiry-based activities that encourage students to investigate problems, work collaboratively, and apply knowledge across different subject areas. I aim to create meaningful learning experiences that connect STEM concepts to everyday life, helping students build confidence, curiosity, and practical skills.
Module 1
I found so many resources in module one very helpful, and I will certainly be using them in my teaching next year, they offer great opportunities for children to advance their stem skills.
I found the videos that were provided, particularly useful when explaining the difference between weather and climate, very age-appropriate and user-friendly, and I think they would really appeal to primary school aged children. The ESA Nose up high in the sky resource is a great programme of work that could be used over the course of a few weeks. It not only incorporates developing the children’s stem skills, but also integrates with literacy, numeracy active and practical learning. It provides the children with many opportunities to get outside to create and record and interpret results from the weather station. I think creating the weather station is very appealing and the children would get great enjoyment from it, whilst learning at the same time.
Activity two – Weather Detectives
I really liked this resource because it allowed the children to get outdoors. It is great that they can come up with their own weather devices by making them themselves from every day materials. It also allows them to get outdoors checking the rain,gauge, the wind speed and also the temperature using a thermometer.Overall, I think the activities provided in module one have a great scope to be differentiated and altered slightly to suit many age groups. They not only provide opportunities for children to improve their stem skills also skills such as investigating monitoring, analyzing recording, interpreting, which is very important, especially for the older classes.
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Hi Edwina,
Welcome to the course and thank you for your feedback on the resources in this module. The resources provide a guide for different activities and can be easily adapted specific to the learners in your class. Creating a weather station allows for the development of skills such as those you have mentioned – investigation, recording etc. and also can be used to record real life data which is always engaging for pupils as they can use this data to create their own graphs and charts. I hope you enjoy the other modules.
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In my school we don’t have on overall weather station but I think this would be a great idea. The children from different classes could visit the school’s created weather station. In the past, with my class we have collected rainfall from outside our classroom window and measured how much has fallen over a period of time or recorded various temperatures. This would be particularly useful for activity 2 – weather detectives.
I enjoyed Activities 1 and 2 from the Weather and Climate resource. Is it Weather or Climate? helped reinforce the difference between short-term weather and long-term climate in a clear and engaging way. I liked the questions given such as – remembering what the weather was like on their birthday last year to this year to understand the difference that can happen on the same date. It gives them the opportunity to learn that weather refers to days/weeks and climate to years/decades. It is good that it can be extended for older classes to climate zones.
Weather Detectives encouraged observation, discussion and the use of evidence to support conclusions. Pupils could collect daily weather data from our weather station, compare results over time and present their findings using charts or digital tools, developing STEM skills across science, maths and technology. We have internal thermometers in our class and we could extend it by getting outdoor and indoor thermometers and comparing the differences and reasons.
One other improvement could be to include an extension activity where pupils compare their local weather data with another region or country to deepen their understanding of climate e.g pick a city in another country as a class and monitor their weather over a period of time and compare it to ours.
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Hi Amy,
Our school is the same we don’t have an overall weather station or section to even pull out resources in our “science press” which is funny really as we talk about the weather every… single… day. There are some very simple resources I plan on making and keeping this coming year and hopefully find a good spot for a rain gauge which will see plenty of action.
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Hi Amy,
Welcome to the course and thanks for sharing your thoughts on the resources in module one.
I really like your idea to compare the local weather data with a city in another country. While the learners are comparing weather data there is the opportunity to explore the climate in that area also and make connections between learning about these concepts with real life examples.
A weather station is a great resource, while I have made weather instruments with my class, we have yet to create a specific weather station that could be used by all pupils. Maybe that can be a project for the next school year.
I hope you enjoy the course.
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Unravelling STEM: Beyond the acronym of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (Liston 2018) is an interesting read and I agree that the buzz word STEM seems to be everywhere. When planning in my own classroom I always try to have all elements of STEM included in our activity but often it may only contain some elements. I like the idea of using Engineering Design Process (EDP) as a start point for future planning.
Lesson 1 : Is it weather or is it climate? I like this lesson. I would start with a KWL chart on what weather and climate is and see what knowledge they have. I like the ideas of using their birthday to figure out the differences between weather and climate.
Lesson 2: I like the use of the graph at the end to map out the results. Very visual for the end of the experiment and something that could be displayed and reported back to the school in assembly.
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Hi Amy and Michael,
This is such a simple idea that I had not thought off. It is also a case of look out the window, what is the weather like today. Perhaps this is down to teaching a younger class. Choosing a different country or giving my class the option to chose a different country would definitely peak interest and further embed the skills we are practicing.
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Liston’s (2018) Unravelling STEM: Beyond the Acronym of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths states that STEM activities and lessons use the Engineering Design Process (EDP) as a systematic, orderly, open-ended way of approaching problems and designing solutions for those problems.
This paper reminded me of Leonardo da Vinci’s revolutionary drawings and designs in science and engineering, which were later invented. Bringing this thought process to my classroom, I can see how giving the children opportunities to be creative and placing emphasis on working collaboratively would allow them to be innovative critical thinkers and to be more able to make good decisions. To become a modern Leonardo da Vinci would allow them to embody authentic STEM learning experiences and create magic in the classroom.
I love the idea of the birthday weather lesson. I feel that the children with the same birthday month would enjoy pairing up and comparing weather. Perhaps we could then group them into seasonal birthdays and compare the weather seasonally.
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Hi Nikita,
Welcome to the course and thanks for sharing your thoughts on the resources in module one.
I love the connection you have made here between the Engineering Design Process and Leonardo da Vinci’s drawings and inventions. He is such a rich example of someone who did not separate science, art, imagination and problem-solving, but allowed them to feed into one another. That feels very relevant to authentic STEM learning, especially when we want children to see themselves as creative thinkers, designers and problem-solvers rather than simply learners of facts.
Your point about collaboration is really important too. Giving children opportunities to discuss, test, adapt and refine their ideas mirrors the kind of thinking that happens in real-world science and engineering. In a climate and science context this could be especially relevant, as many of the challenges children are learning about require imaginative, collective solutions.
I hope you continue to enjoy the course.
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The paper Unravelling STEM: Beyond the acronym of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (Liston 2018) critically examines the limitations of the STEM acronym, advocating for an integrated approach that emphasises interdisciplinary connections and real-world applications. The importance of context and creativity in STEM education, urging educators to move beyond isolated subject silos. In my 6th class classroom, STEM education is about fostering curiosity through hands-on projects that blend science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. We focus on problem-solving and encourage pupils to see the connections between different STEM fields. Activities 1 and 2 are well structured for introducing students to the differences between weather and climate. They promote critical thinking and engagement through practical tasks like identifying weather patterns and analysing data. However, I would add a collaborative component, such as group discussions or presentations, to enhance peer learning. Additionally, incorporating technology, like weather apps or online data tools, could make the activities more interactive and relevant for my pupils.
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Liston (2018) article was an interesting read. I enjoyed the emphasis on seeing STEM as an integrated process. Rather than teaching STEM subjects in isolation, pupils actively consolidate their learning in subjects by seeing it through all STEM lenses. I felt Activity 2: Weather Dectectives displayed the key features of Liston’s (2018) articles. The activity promotes scientific enquiry through careful observation and fair testing, develops mathematical skills by calculating averages and creating graphs, and incorporates technology by using thermometers and comparing findings with data from official meteorological sources. It also encourages critical thinking as pupils interpret patterns and distinguish between daily weather and long-term climate.
This activity would work very well with my class as it provides opportunities for collaborative learning, with pupils taking responsibility for daily temperature measurements and sharing the role of “Weather Detective.” It also links naturally with Geography, Maths, Science, and Digital Learning, making it an excellent cross-curricular investigation.
One improvement I would make to the activity is to also calculate the rainfall daily too. The rain gauges provided in this module could be made as part of a construction focused art lesson!
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I really enjoyed reading your post and agree with your point that STEM is most effective when it is taught as an integrated process rather than as separate subjects. The Weather Detectives activity is an excellent example of this, as it allows pupils to apply scientific enquiry, mathematical analysis, and digital skills within one meaningful investigation. I also like your observation that the activity encourages pupils to distinguish between weather and climate, helping them to develop critical thinking and data interpretation skills. Your suggestion to include daily rainfall measurements is a great addition, as it would provide another variable for pupils to investigate and compare with temperature trends. I particularly like the idea of pupils constructing their own rain gauges during an Art lesson, as this further strengthens the cross-curricular nature of the activity while promoting creativity, design skills, and ownership of the learning process. Overall, your adaptations would make the investigation even more engaging and authentic.
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Unravelling STEM (Liston) argues that STEM should be seen as an integrated subject rather than four separate subjects. She also argues that engineering is the ‘glue’ that integrates science, maths and technology. After reading this, I realise I am guilty of teaching these subjects in the traditional way and I will need to adapt my methods.
Activity 1 (Is it weather? Is it climate?) is a gentle introduction to learning the difference between weather and climate. The starting point of using the children’s birthdays is a clever one as young children would be engaged immediately. The video links provide a great tool to introduce and explain the terms. I really liked the ESA video, Meet the Experts: Weather v’s Climate.
Activity 2(Weather Detectives) is very interesting and ticks all the relevant boxes for STEM. It’s highly adaptable too for use throughout the school. I particularly enjoyed the idea that the recording devices could be designed and made by the children, using recycled materials.
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Hi Mona,
Welcome to the course.
Thank you for sharing such a thoughtful reflection around Liston’s paper, and how it has prompted you to think about adapting your approach to teaching STEM in the classroom. The idea of engineering as the “glue” is a helpful way of thinking about how pupils can use science, maths and technology together to solve problems in creative and practical ways.
I agree with your point about Activity 1 being a gentle and accessible introduction to the difference between weather and climate. Using children’s birthdays is a clever starting point, as it makes the learning personal and immediately engaging. The video links are also useful supports, particularly for helping pupils grasp the distinction between short-term weather and longer-term climate patterns.
I hope that you continue to enjoy the course.
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Weather and climate
After reading Unravelling STEM: Beyond the Acronym of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (Liston, 2018), I gained a better understanding that STEM is about integrating the four subject areas through meaningful, real-life learning experiences rather than teaching them separately. The article reinforced the importance of inquiry, problem-solving, creativity, and collaboration. In my classroom, STEM education is reflected through hands-on activities, simple investigations, and opportunities for children to work together to solve problems. I aim to provide engaging, practical learning experiences that encourage curiosity and help pupils make connections between science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in an age-appropriate way.
I really liked the weather detectives and I think setting up a weather station with Junior Infants would be a fun, practical way to introduce children to different types of weather. The aim is to help children observe and talk about the weather each day using simple, hands-on activities.
As a class, set up a simple weather station using a thermometer, rain gauge, wind sock or pinwheel, and a cloud viewer. Explain what each item is used for and encourage the children to make observations. Keep a daily record of the weather and use a weather chart in the classroom to display it.
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Hi Irene
Welcome to the course. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the activities in this module.
When I had infants, it was the natural start to the day, news and discussing the weather and dressing the weather bear. You could also explore the weather in both Irish and English. As you have mentioned the weather detectives activity is great at helping the learners to discuss the weather every day. While the weather station might be a little difficult for the infants, you could model the different instruments over time and build up the vocabulary on the weather and focus on the weather chart every day. You could also give responsibility for some learners to update the chart after their observations too. I hope you enjoy the course.
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Maeve Liston’s paper, “Unravelling STEM: Beyond the Acronym of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics,” highlights the importance of integrating STEM activities that go beyond teaching these subjects in isolation. Interdisciplinary approaches, problem solving skills development and real-world applications are vital to STEM education. This fosters creativity and critical thinking in the pupils. I really enjoyed this module and Nose Up High in the Sky and Weather Vs Climate resources were excellent. Both resources provide excellent opportunity for teaching and learning with video links and excellent worksheets.
Is it weather or climate? I thought this activity was very well presented. I think that many, even adults, still can be confused by this question. It was explained very clearly and simply in this lesson. The pupils’ activity sheet is great and easy for kids to complete. I liked the idea of remembering weather on their last birthday as it can be difficult to recall but children usually remember how they spent their birthdays. Dividing the sentences at the end was a good way to check understanding and to discuss together.
Nose up high in the sky was also an excellent activity. I particularly liked building their own weather station, it provided great opportunities for children to develop their measurement and geographical skills.
Many STEM skills could be developed from setting up a weather station in the school such as data collection and analysis, data logging, instrument use, design and construction, problem solving and recording to name a few. -
Having review the paper ‘Unravelling STEM: Beyond the acronym of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics’ I can see clearly the STEM that I use in my class and areas where I can introduce STEM to use it cross-curricular. Also the amount of resources that I now have banked from this Module that I plan to incorporate into my lessons next year.
Weather or climate? I really liked this activity. It works well that straight away the children learn the difference between weather and climate. When this is made very clear it allows the children to learn more about each topic without confusion. I would use this daily as a talk and discussion exerciseWeather Detectives: I like that the children are the ones who are collecting the data. This allows them to have ownership over the exercises and helps retain their interest for longer. The children will also be able to make comparisons between different locations.
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In my classroom, STEM is visible through active, child-centred activities that encourage play, problem-solving, and collaboration. Children apply mathematical thinking by measuring, counting, sorting, and identifying patterns, investigate scientific concepts through simple experiments, use technology such as tablets or interactive whiteboards to record and share their learning, and engage in engineering by designing and constructing models with blocks or recycled materials. For example, they might investigate which materials float and sink before recording their observations on a tablet, or design and build a shelter for a toy character, testing and improving it to withstand wind or rain. These integrated learning experiences foster curiosity, critical thinking, resilience, and communication.
I would carry out Activity 2 Weather Detectives with classes. I think it would be a great opportunity for older classes to mentor and work alongside the children in infant classes. Older classes could team up with younger classes to create some of the equipment needed to measure rainfall. After a particularly rainy day, the classes could go out and record the results. By the end of the year, it would be great to be able to compare some of the wettest days as well as seeing which equipment worked best. This would be done collaboratively amongst staff and students from the older and younger classes.
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I agree Rachel with your opinion on the idea of collaborating with older/other classes. It allows the whole school community to come together and work on a project where everyone can get involved. The tasks level also could depend on the class and challenge them appropriatly. I think this is a great idea and one I willl try to incorporate into my teaching.
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In my opinion, after reviewing the paper by Maeve Liston “Unravelling STEM: Beyond the acronym of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics”, the article stresses the importance of STEM as an integrated learning opportunity and not seeing the elements as four separate fields.
Looking at what STEM looks like in my classroom, I think STEM has become more to the forefront in my teaching lately as society is constantly developing children need the skills and abilities to adapt to this. In the infant classroom I think this is better achieved when integrated throughout various lessons and curriculum areas. I also like to incorporate real life problems as table-top activities where the children work as a team to communicate effectively and solve problems collectively.
However, upon reflections after reading the article I think I may not fully facilitate STEM in a way that is fully beneficial. I need to incorporate more tasks that both incorporate all the elements of STEM and challenge the children in a meaningful way, rather than looking at them as four different elements.
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Hi Ashling,
Welcome to the course. Thanks for sharing your reflection on Liston’s paper. The paper allows us lots of opportunity to reflect on our own practice and how to enhance it for the learners in our classrooms. I can see how you plan to enhance the STEM activities in your classroom to allow for more meaningful integration with all areas of STEM. Something that I think we can all try and focus on and will link with the new STEM curriculum. It is also important to reflect on what is working well and you seem to have a great approach in incorporating real life problems for the STEM tasks. Well done! I hope you enjoy the other modules in this course.
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I really liked your reflection, Ashling, especially your point about STEM being integrated across different curriculum areas rather than taught as four separate subjects. Your use of real-life, team-based problem-solving activities in the infant classroom is a great example of meaningful STEM learning, and I think your honest reflection on wanting to incorporate all elements of STEM more intentionally is very insightful.
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Liston’s paper Unravelling STEM: Beyond the acronym of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics was very interesting. I like that it focuses on the importance of challenging the children’s critical and creative thinking. I would agree that STEM is far more effective if taught in an integrated way as it makes learning more meaningful for children. As regards STEM in my classroom I always aim to providing hands-on, inquiry-based activities. I always encourage students to work collaboratively and apply their knowledge to investigate problems.
Lesson 1: Is it weather or is it climate? This is a fantastic lesson. I would start with a KWL activity on Padlet to gauge current pupil knowledge of what is weather and what is climate. The ESA video links will help to explain the terms and I would use the PR54_Weather_vs_Climate.pdf also.
Lesson 2: Weather Detectives I really enjoyed this. I think it would be a great lesson to do with the senior classes and extend it over the school year, The children would love designing and making their own weather devices to use to carry out their inquiries.
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Hello everyone,
After completing Activities 1 and 2 from the weather & climate resource, I found them to be engaging, practical, and well suited to developing children’s understanding of the difference between weather and climate. Activity 1 encouraged pupils to think critically about everyday examples and classify them correctly, helping to address common misconceptions in a simple and interactive way. Activity 2 “Weather Detectives” provided an excellent opportunity for children to observe, record, and interpret weather conditions, while developing scientific inquiry skills such as observing, predicting, collecting data, and communicating findings.
These activities reflect Liston’s (2018) view of STEM as an integrated approach to learning. Children apply scientific knowledge while using mathematical skills to record and compare weather data. They could also incorporate technology by using digital weather apps or online forecasts to compare their own observations with official data, encouraging discussion about accuracy and reliability.
I am based in a Special Class and I would use these activities as part of a cross curricular theme on seasons, the environment, or climate change. They could be extended by asking pupils to create weather graphs, investigate weather patterns over several weeks, or design simple weather instruments such as rain gauges or wind vanes.
One improvement would be to include more opportunities for collaborative group investigations and openended questions that encourage children to explain their reasoning. I also think adding differentiated worksheets or extension tasks would help meet the needs of learners with varying abilities. Overall, these are engaging activities that promote curiosity, critical thinking, and real-world learning while supporting an integrated STEM approach.-
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Hi Rebecca, I agree with your comments that including more broad and opened ended questions might facilitate more engagement and further exploration of the topic of climate and weather. I haven’t taught in a special class setting so I find it really interesting to see how lessons can be adapted and used in different settings. The idea of thematic teaching is really beneficial across the board and something I would like to do more 0f in my own class.
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Hi Rebecca
Welcome to the course, thanks for sharing your thoughts on the different resources in this module. The many resources across this module and other modules do allow for critical thinking and real world learning. I agree that reasoning and encouraging the learners to share their thinking is very important and that teachers can adapt the lessons where suitable to encourage this. I also agree that allowing multiple ways for learners to show their thinking and learning would support a Universal Design for Learning.
It is great to hear that you will use these resources with your class and allow for cross curricular, integrated learning. I hope you enjoy the other modules in this course.
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I enjoyed reading Liston’s paper Unravelling STEM: Beyond the Acronym of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. It made me reflect on how STEM should be taught as an integrated approach rather than as separate subjects. I particularly liked the idea of engineering being the “glue” that brings science, technology and maths together through problem-solving. I think children learn best when they are actively involved in hands-on, real-life learning experiences.
I found both ESA activities engaging and easy to follow. ‘Is it Weather or Climate?’ is a great introduction to help pupils understand the difference between weather and climate, while ‘Weather Detectives’ encourages children to observe, record and discuss real weather conditions. I think these activities would work particularly well in middle and senior classes.
I would like to set up a simple weather station in the school grounds where pupils could build rain gauges or wind vanes, collect daily weather data and compare it with online weather forecasts. This would develop science through observation, maths through measuring and graphing data, technology by using weather apps or digital devices, and engineering by designing and improving weather instruments.
To develop this further, I would make it a whole-school project where different classes take turns recording the weather and sharing their findings during assemblies or on a school weather board. Overall, I think these activities are practical, engaging and provide an excellent way to promote STEM learning in the classroom.
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Hi Mollie,
Welcome to the course and thanks for sharing your thoughts on this module. I also agree that children learn best when exploring real-life scenarios and getting involved in activities with connections to real-life. The weather station is an ideal example of this. The class can learn about the weather and look at data but the creation of a weather station which allows the gathering of their own real life data allows for more meaningful learning. I like how you are planning to promote this weather station across the school and encourage others to record the data and even creating a weather board for the school. A great idea to promote independent learning for all classes. Thanks for sharing, I hope you enjoy the other modules.
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Hi Mollie, I really enjoyed your post and I agree that the benefits of a weather station in a school are fantastic. We have a really good weather station in my own school and the learning opportunities are fantastic. I used it a lot when I was teaching Data for example and we tracked the temperature for the month of January. It was a really nice way to see an example of ‘living maths’. The smart screen that came with the solar panels was another really useful tool and it takes maths out of the text books and makes it more relevant for children.
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Hi Mollie,
I really enjoyed reading your post, and I completely agree that having a weather station in a school provides fantastic learning opportunities. We have an excellent weather station in my school, and it has been such a valuable resource across a range of subjects.I found it particularly useful when teaching Data, as we tracked the daily temperature throughout the month of January. It was a great way to bring maths to life and show pupils a realworld example of “living maths.” We also have a smart display linked to our solar panels, which has been another excellent teaching tool. It helps make mathematical concepts more meaningful and relevant by connecting them to everyday experiences rather than just textbook examples.
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Hi Mollie,
I enjoyed reading your post. You made some very good points and I think the idea of making Activity 2 a whole school initiative would be very beneficial and more meaningful. Incorporating it into weekly assemblies is also a great idea. I am always looking for more ways to make the area of STEM more relevant.
Mark H
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I think Liston (2018) makes many really valid points about STEM education in her article Unravelling STEM: Beyond the acronym of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. Personally, for me, the main learning point was that high-quality STEM experiences intentionally combine knowledge and skills from multiple STEM disciplines. I think in the past I’ve been guilty of teaching one individual component of STEM (example a coding lesson) and considering it a STEM lesson. Going forward I want to combine a few elements of science, technology, engineering and maths together to have a really authentic STEM lesson.
To that end I really enjoyed the weather or climate activities outlined in this module. These would be lovely activities to do in small groups or pairs and would allow for peer led learning. I think it reinforces the fact that teachers don’t need to reinvent the wheel to have effective and authentic STEM lessons in their classroom but once they are focused on quality STEM content the benefits will follow.-
Marese, I really enjoyed reading your reflection. I agree with your point about previously viewing individual activities, such as coding as standalone STEM lessons. Maeve Liston definitely highlights the importance of integrating the different STEM disciplines so that pupils can make meaningful connections through real-world learning.
I also liked your observation that teachers do not need to reinvent the wheel. The weather and climate activities are a great example of how existing resources can be adapted into authentic STEM experiences by encouraging investigation, discussion, data collection, and problem-solving. I think they also provide excellent opportunities to integrate maths through recording and analysing weather data, as well as technology by using digital weather forecasts or weather apps. Your reflection reinforces that small changes to our planning can make STEM learning much more purposeful and engaging for our pupils.
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Hi Marese,
Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts on Liston’s paper. Your example of previously viewing a coding lesson as a STEM lesson on its own is a very relatable one, and I think many teachers would recognise that same challenge. However, as you have identified, we don’t need to overcomplicate things to make an effective STEM lesson. Well-structured, meaningful activities with a making element at their core can often provide rich STEM learning when they are used thoughtfully and connected to pupils’ own experiences.
I hope you enjoy the rest of the course.
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In Liston’s article Liston’s (2018) Unravelling STEM: Beyond the Acronym of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths the author makes the case that authentic STEM learning is most effective when understood as an integrated, interdisciplinary approach rather than as four isolated subjects. The author suggests that currently many teachers make the mistake of teaching one component in isolation and calling that a STEM lesson. The integration of these four separate components allows for deeper learning. Students develop stronger understanding and problem-solving skills when they investigate authentic problems that require knowledge and practices from multiple STEM disciplines.
Liston also argues that learning should be inquiry-based and collaborative. Rather than focusing on memorising content within individual subjects, STEM education should encourage creativity, critical thinking, communication, and teamwork. To this end the activities outlined in this module would really support inquiry-based, collaborative learning. Activity one is ideal for the younger classes while I felt the second activity would be more suited to the older classes. I’ve seen other people here suggest that a nice ‘hook’ for the activity may be to use the context of children’s holidays and what the weather was abroad to explore whether we are talking about weather or climate. I think this is simple and effective as young children love doscussing their holidays and it makes it tangible for them. -
The paper, Unravelling STEM: Beyond the Acronym of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (Liston, 2018), highlights the importance of designing STEM lessons that foster collaboration, innovation, inquiry, and communication among pupils. In my classroom, STEM education is grounded in developing these core competencies through hands-on, practical learning experiences, where pupils take an active role in both the thinking and the doing.
Activity 1:
Liston emphasises the value of real-world, contextual learning, enabling pupils to see the relevance of STEM in everyday life. The activity promotes inquiry-based learning, encouraging pupils to investigate, problemsolve, and apply their knowledge across a range of curricular areas.Activity 2:
In my classroom, the Weather Detectives activity similarly places pupils at the centre of the learning process. They use inquiry skills to investigate weather patterns while designing and constructing their own weather instruments. This handson approach encourages collaboration, effective communication, creativity, and innovation as pupils work together to explore scientific concepts and solve authentic problems. -
Reading Liston prompted me to think more critically about what STEM education looks like in my classroom. One of the key messages I took from the paper is that STEM should not be viewed as four separate subjects taught alongside one another, but as an integrated approach that encourages problem-solving, inquiry, creativity and real world application. Reflecting on my own practice, I can see that I already use elements of STEM through hands on investigations and collaborative learning, but I would like to strengthen the links between the different disciplines so that pupils experience STEM as a connected way of learning.
I completed Activities 1 and 2 from the Weather and Climate resource and found them to be engaging and age-appropriate. Activity 1, Is it Weather or Climate? clearly helped distinguish between two concepts that pupils often confuse. The scenarios encouraged discussion and required pupils to justify their thinking rather than simply choose an answer, supporting the development of scientific reasoning and communication skills.
Activity 2, Weather Detectives, provided an excellent opportunity for pupils to observe, record, and interpret weather data. It encourages pupils to think like scientists by gathering evidence and identifying patterns. The activity also creates opportunities to integrate maths through measuring, recording and graphing data, while technology could be incorporated by using digital weather forecasts or online weather stations to compare local observations with official data.
I would use these activities with my 3rd class as part of a cross-curricular unit on weather, climate and sustainability. They could be extended by asking pupils to keep a weather diary over several weeks and compare their findings with long term climate averages. This would deepen their understanding of the difference between short-term weather and long-term climate. Another useful addition would be a simple engineering challenge, such as designing a shelter or rain gauge to strengthen the engineering aspect of STEM. Including more opportunities for differentiation such as extension questions for higher-achieving pupils and additional visual supports for pupils who need them, would also improve accessibility.
Overall, these activities effectively promote inquiry-based learning and reflect the integrated STEM approach described by Liston. They encourage pupils to observe, question, analyse evidence, and apply their learning to real-world contexts, making science both meaningful and engaging.
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Liston’s 2018 article, Unravelling STEM: Beyond the Acronym of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, argues that STEM education should be viewed as more than simply teaching Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics as separate subjects. Instead, STEM should be integrated and taught as such. Liston emphasises that teaching STEM effectively develops critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, communication and problem-solving skills while helping students make meaningful connections between classroom learning and everyday life.
Reflecting on my own pupils and classroom, I believe that elements of STEM are already present, although there are opportunities to strengthen integration and that is something I need to harness and work on in the coming years. I have been guilty of still teaching STEM as stand alone activities and subjects. My pupils do regularly use technology to research information and collaborate on learning tasks.
However, after reading this article, I recognise that many of these experiences are still taught as separate learning activities rather than as fully integrated STEM experiences. While students engage in inquiry and hands-on learning, there are fewer opportunities for them to participate in extended design challenges where they apply scientific and mathematical concepts to engineer solutions to authentic problems.
Moving forward, I would like to design more inquiry-based units that begin with a real-world problem and require students to integrate knowledge from multiple STEM disciplines. For example, students could investigate environmental sustainability by designing a water filtration system, creating energy-efficient model homes or even develop solutions to reduce waste within the school. These projects would allow students to work collaboratively, apply mathematical reasoning, use digital technologies effectively and engage in the engineering design process while deepening their scientific understanding.
As a teacher I know I have to move away from providing the children with all of the answers and instead pose questions and inspire them think critically and to undertake their own research. I aim to create more authentic STEM learning experiences that foster curiosity, resilience, innovation and collaboration while making learning engaging and relevant for all students with real life connections.
With regards to the two activities we were asked to engage with;
Activity one: is it weather or climate?
I found this activity more suited to the younger classes. I enjoyed it and feel it is a wonderful introduction for children to both of the above terms. The activities also promote a lot of discussion and children could use their birthdays or holidays as a base to discuss both and reflect.
Activity two: weather detectives is also very enjoyable and easily adapted depending of age or ability of children. This activity could be used any time of the year but I think it would work best as a year long project incorporating technology and maximising results and learning opportunities for the children. The graph at the end is very visual which is a nice summary to end on.
Both teacher guide and student worksheets are excellent resources to have for future with new ideas to try in my classroom – thank you!
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I would also like to incorporate more inquiry based learning into my class and like you, feel that these ESA lessons would be a good starting point. Getting them to think critically is key to their development as learners and moving away from teachers having all the answers is definitely an important aspect of this.
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After reading Liston (2018), I realised that STEM is about much more than teaching Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths as separate subjects. It is about giving children opportunities to solve real problems, work together, ask questions and learn through investigation. Reading the paper made me think about the importance of giving pupils more hands-on experiences where they can explore ideas and learn by doing.
I really enjoyed Activities 1 and 2 from the Weather and Climate resource. Activity 1 was a simple but effective way to help pupils understand the difference between weather and climate. I think the discussions around the statements would help clear up common misunderstandings and encourage children to explain their thinking. Activity 2 was also very engaging. Recording and observing the weather gives pupils a chance to act like real scientists by collecting evidence, making observations and looking for patterns.
I could use these activities in school as part of a Science or Geography topic. They would also link well with Maths through recording data and creating charts or graphs. I think the activities would encourage lots of discussion and could easily be extended by comparing our class weather records with weather forecasts or looking at how the weather changes over different seasons.
One thing I would add is the use of more digital resources, such as weather apps or satellite images, as many children enjoy using technology. It might also be nice to include an extension activity where pupils compare Ireland’s climate with another country or think about how climate affects the way people live. -
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I think the ESA Weather V Climate Resource is very good and informative for all and I think children would really be interested. I also believe that although the age range for the activities is for between 8 – 12 year olds, the first 2 activities could be done with younger children using simpler language and simple worksheets.
I think a lot of classes would like to create their own weather recording instruments and record the weather over a period of time. Seasonal differences would be interesting. Further to this the older kids could plot their results on graphs.
A weather station could be set up in the school grounds using shop bought weather measuring equipment. A class rota could be created where classes could take it in turns to measure the weather. I. e. daily/weekly/etc.
Children could then watch the Paxi video climate change and then discuss and make predictions about the future if elements such as rainfall or temperature, etc., increase. Or decrease. Children could then brainstorm and discuss and do further research on methods to curb bad trends.
I believe this constitutes STEN.
In order to lead the school in studying and communicating the weather and climate knowledge and ideas I learned, I would share the ESA resources with them. And I would suggest the above to them to form a collective practice.
Manus.
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I love the idea of keeping a running record of the rainfall, temperature and wind speed through the seasons. This would link to Maths (capacity, data, measures), Science (experiments) and geography (weather). In the senior classes it would be possible for them to take responsibility for measuring, recording and sharing the information with the whole school. Over a period of time it would be possible for the children to make inferences based on observations over a number of years. Perhaps it could be a project for the Green School Committee as part of a Green Flag project/ renewal. This would foster many skills including problem solving, critical thinking, collaboration and communication and digital literacy. I loved the youtube videos and could certainly see myself incorporating them into my lessons. The ESA lesson 1 – Is it weather or climate is a resource I could definitely see myself using to explain the difference between weather and climate. The Climate reporters lesson (3) could definitely be linked to English and the report writing genre. While the assignment asked me to look at and complete the worksheets for activity1 and 2 I found myself drawn to activity 3 which I feel would be particularly useful in my class setting. As we usually complete the Globe Air Quality project between September and November each year this would be a lesson which would link well.
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Hi Barbara
Welcome to the course and it is great to hear your feedback on the resources for this module. I think the Weather or Climate is a great lesson, even for senior classes, to address the concept of weather and climate.
Creating a weather station with the senior classes allows them to take total ownership of their learning, from creating the weather instruments to recording the data and share with the wider school. As they get familiar with everything they can share their own predictions also. It is definitely something I must look into with my own class next year. While we have recorded data over shorter intervals, maybe we could look at data over a longer term.
Thanks for sharing, I hope you enjoy the course.
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What I got from the article is that its not about learning these subjects separately. It’s about using them together to solve real-world problems. It’s a rral practical thing. STEM helps children develop important skills such as creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, teamwork, and confidence with technology. These are really important skills, especially in Ireland’s tech-heavy climate at the moment, and they can can help the kids achieve in school and get jobs in the future, but also in everyday life – these skills are really transferable.
A good STEM activity encourages students to ask questions, explore ideas, design solutions, test them, and improve them. This is real science. It makes that connection between learning and real-life situations and helps children understand how knowledge can be used to make a real difference in the world – just thinking of Clarkson’s Farm! Engineering is a key part of STEM, as it brings science, technology, and mathematics together to create practical solutions. Any activities that we do should focus on designing and solving problems rather than simply using technology or studying one subject alone.Basically, STEM helps children to become innovative and who can work with other children to solve challenges and improve the world around them – hopefully!-
That’s a very good point about not treating these subjects separately Mark. You’re right about how having these skills is so relevant nowadays to out modern workforce. I feel this approach also aligns nicely with the new curriculum. It’s much better planning for a STEM lesson that ticks many boxes at once, as opposed to planning for many time-draining subjects seperately.
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In Unravelling STEM: Beyond the Acronym of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (Liston, 2018), STEM is presented as far more than four separate curriculum areas grouped under a single label. The paper argues that meaningful STEM learning occurs when pupils explore how these disciplines intersect to address authentic problems, with creativity, collaboration, and context playing a central role in the learning process. Rather than treating each subject independently, the author highlights the value of an integrated approach that reflects how knowledge is applied in everyday life.
Within my own 6th Class, I aim to create opportunities for pupils to investigate, question, and experiment through practical learning experiences. STEM lessons are designed to encourage exploration, innovation, and teamwork while helping children recognise the links between scientific concepts, technological tools, engineering design, and mathematical thinking. By engaging in inquiry-based activities, pupils develop confidence in tackling challenges and applying their learning in meaningful ways.
The first two activities provide an effective foundation for helping pupils distinguish between weather and climate. Their use of observation and data interpretation encourages active participation while developing analytical skills. To strengthen these lessons further, I would include cooperative learning opportunities, such as small-group investigations or class presentations, allowing pupils to compare ideas and explain their reasoning. I would also integrate digital resources, including interactive weather websites or forecasting applications, to provide access to real-time information and make the learning experience more engaging and relevant.
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Reading Liston’s paper on STEM education brings home all of the tenets of the subject – deeper understanding, innovative critical thinking, problem solving, ethics and social conscience, collaboration skills, technological literacy and future careers. STEM education in my classroom revolves around inviting students to be creative with how they approach tasks and activities. One thing I like to do is apply a ‘no questions allowed’ period of the lesson, where students must do their best to figure things out on their own for some time (providing assistance if it’s badly needed afterwards). Children usually figure out the problems on their own when they’ve no other choice but to.
Activity 1: Is it weather or climate?
This would be a great resource for getting children to properly understand the difference between them both. Before even discussing the topic I would provide groups with the questions and see how they get on first.
Activity 2: Weather Detectives
I know my class would love the hands-on nature of this. It would also provide them with a nice movement break and some fresh air everyday. I would do some work on vocabulary first (thermometer/pressure etc.) in the context of temperature. I would also put children into graded groups, putting stronger students with weaker ones to help with the more technical parts of the lesson, while also giving weaker students achievable and rewarding tasks.
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Hi Denis,
I really enjoyed reading your comment. I agreed with your differentiation on activity two – having a stronger child with a weaker child as I felt it was quite challenging for some. I think I might do it alongside an older class in the school who could help the younger children in pairs. I liked how you made note to go over vocabulary too as sometimes I forget the basics and it’s so important to make sure the children know what they are saying / being told about.
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I really like your idea of having a “no questions allowed” period, I haven’t tried this before but it sounds like it could help to encourage children to think independently and build confidence in their own problem-solving skills before asking for help. I also agree that the Weather Detectives activity would be really engaging because it gets students outside and learning through hands-on experiences. Your idea of teaching the key vocabulary first and using mixed-ability groups is a great way to support all learners while encouraging teamwork and collaboration, which are such important parts of STEM education.
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Hi Denis
Welcome to the course. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on Liston’s paper and the resources in this module. I also really like your approach of no questions allowed time in the lesson to encourage the learners to problem solve with their peers and think critically about their activity. I think I will also give this a try next year with my class.
It is important to teach vocabulary first prior to these lessons, this could be within the oral language lesson in English. Once the learners have acquired and understand the different terms, it helps them to engage more with videos or more technical investigative parts of the lesson.
I hope you enjoy the course.
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Hi Cathal,
I enjoyed reading your response. I agree with what you said that in order to strenghten the lessons, it would be a good idea to incorporate cooperative learning opportunities. I am SET for fourth class, and some of it may be a little advanced for some in the classes. But through providing small group discussions or shared presentations on findings, it opens up the idea of sharing their learning and comparing their knowledge. The addition of interactive weather websites or forecasting apps would connect it more to real life and make it relevant to them.
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After reading Liston (2018) I gained a better perspective on what STEM means, particularly how it is viewed as integrated across the subject areas where children are actively involved in critical thinking, collaboration, problem solving and being creative.
With this in mind I was very impressed by the ESA ‘Nose In The Sky Resource’ which I would use in an integrated manner across Geography, Maths and Science for children in my class (3rd, aged nine). I liked how this resource was paced with the first activity discussing proverbs, to then describing the weather themselves in activity two to then applying this knowledge to build a weather station.
For the 2nd activity ‘Weather vs Climate’ I felt this was slightly too advanced for my class level however I felt in alignment with Liston’s emphasis on the collaboration in STEM I think they could do this in collaboration with an older class eg: 6th. Here my 3rd class could demonstrate their built weather station from the previous lesson and communicate their knowledge of weather and climate to the 6th class. They could take part in the 1st exercise ‘is it weather or climate’ and the sixth could be challenged with the added climate zone element. Then together in pairs (3rd with 6th) they could record the temperatures, the younger children could focus on the temperatures whereas the older students can help graph and calculate the average temperature. I believe the final exercise may be too challenging for 3rd class so could be a good extension for the 6th class to do themselves.-
Hi Lauren, I agree that STEM is most effective when it is integrated across subjects and gives children opportunities to explore and work together. As I teach Junior Infants, I particularly like the emphasis on hands-on, collaborative learning, although I would adapt the activities to suit younger children by focusing on simple weather observations and discussions rather than recording and analysing data. The ‘Weather vs Climate’ activity would definitely be for an older class.
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Hi Lauren
Welcome to the course and thanks for your feedback on the resources for this module. There are many cross curricular resources in the Nose in the Sky lesson and I also like the link to weather proverbs and weather lore. It can also link to local history and the learners finding out about different weather lore specific to their area.
I also like how you are planning to collaborate with the older classes as the older classes can mentor them in gathering and recording data and presenting it using a variety of ways. It would also encourage the older learners to communicate and share their own learning with their younger peers.
Thanks for sharing, I hope you enjoy the course.
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The ESA activities, particularly ‘Nose Up High in the Sky’ and ‘Weather vs Climate,’ offer engaging, hands-on learning experiences. In the classroom, these can be enhanced by setting up a simple weather station on school grounds. Younger students could use thermometers to record daily temperatures, while older students could collect additional data such as rainfall, wind speed, and cloud cover. This practical approach helps students distinguish between short-term weather and long-term climate trends, while developing key STEM skills—scientific observation, technological use for data recording, engineering in setting up instruments, and mathematical skills through data analysis.
To lead the school in exploring weather and climate, I would initiate a whole-school inquiry project using the module’s content. Students could collaborate across year levels, share findings in assemblies or digital platforms, and take turns managing the weather station. This would promote collective practice, curiosity, and a strong foundation in environmental science.-
I really like your idea of using a weather station in the school grounds. It’s a practical way to help children understand the difference between weather and climate while also developing STEM skills. It also gives children the opportunity to work together, collect real data over time, and see patterns in their results. I think it would make science more meaningful and help children connect their learning to the real world.
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I, too like the idea of creating a whole school weather station to record weather patterns. The children have designed and used a rain gauge and thermometers at different times but it makes much more sense for the children to design all instruments simultaneously to create a child-friendly weather station so that they can readily see the connection between the different instruments for recording weather. I also think that it’s a fantastic way to develop maths language and maths in the environment, which are intrinsic to the new maths curriculum. Additionally, such a project really hones in on 21st century teaching and learning skills.
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Reading Liston got me to think more deeply about what STEM education looks like in reality. One of the main messages that I got was that we as educators need to look at this whole area, not as 4 separate subject areas but as a holistic process where there children are given real life problems where they will need to utilise all aspects of the STEM spectrum to reach their goals .
I hope that over the duration of this course I will get the know how to look at and utilise the area of STEM in a deep, connected and meaningful way in my classroom moving forward .
I completed activities 1 and 2 from the Weather and Climate resource and found them to be interesting and managable. The first activity clearly helped me see how to distinguish between both weather and climate. The digital content was appealing particularly for the middle children in the school and I know it would grab their attention.
I am pretty sure the children in my school would love this Activity 2 Weather Detectives as we regularly use our outdoors as an additional learning space. We are a small rural school with ample grounds and there would be endless places for them to set up their weather station. I found it to be is very enjoyable and easily adapted to 9 and 10 year olds as I currently teach 3rd and 4th class. This would be most beneficial if it was carried out over a longer timescale. It lends itself well to mathematics , data and graphing and the children would be very motivated have to deal with real life challenges and solutions.
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Hi Mark. Your reflection really stood out to me because you show such a thoughtful understanding of STEM as a connected, real life process rather than separate subjects. I especially liked how you link the Weather Detectives activity to your rural school grounds and to meaningful maths and outdoor learning for 3rd and 4th class.
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I really enjoyed this module and found the ESA resources very practical and easy to use in the classroom.
Reading Liston (2018) reminded me that STEM is about hands-on learning rather than separate subjects. In my classroom I encourage children to explore, investigate and work together to solve real-life problems.
I would use ESA activities Nose Up High in the Sky and Weather vs Climate in a weather topic. We could set up a weather station in the school grounds recording temperature, rainfall, wind and cloud cover. Children would use charts and digital devices to record data. We would compare results and discuss the difference between weather and climate.
This activity would develop Science skills through observation, Maths through measuring and recording, Technology through using digital tools, and Engineering through improving the weather station. To support collective practice, I would share the weather data with other classes, talk about it in assemblies, and put it on a whole-school display so everyone can take part. This would help all pupils learn together about weather and climate.
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I found this article really interesting because it highlights that STEM is much more than teaching science, technology, engineering and maths separately. One point that stood out to me was the importance of using authentic STEM activities in the classroom. I think this is essential because students learn best when they can solve real problems that connect to their own lives and experiences. These types of activities help develop engineering skills like designing, testing and improving ideas, while also building teamwork, creativity and problem-solving. For me, this shows how meaningful, real-world learning makes STEM more engaging and relevant for students.
The activities highlighted in the first module were great as they show activities that focus on process rather than just the end product. In my classroom, creating inquiry based learning experiences in which the children question and test their hypothesis which promotes integration of key language and new vocabulary throughout the tasks. The use of group activities in 4th class was very effective for this in my experience, allowing the students to also learn from their peers and problem solve together.
The first activity was a great opening point to engage the interest of the students and to allow them to connect with their prior knowledge. It also is a great oral language and listening task, and gives them a starting point that they are instantly interested and invested in.
Activity 2 seems like an effective and diverse lesson which integrates many skills and curriculum areas. It incorporates numeracy skills as data is collected and recorded in various ways. The hands on activity using their everyday environment and experiences would really engage my students as they test their results. I would also team this up with a non-fiction text type for literacy write or read an explanation text about the weather.
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Liston (2018) highlights that STEM education should move beyond teaching science, technology, engineering, and mathematics as isolated subjects and instead provide meaningful, interdisciplinary learning experiences. In my classroom, STEM is most effective when pupils investigate real-world issues and actively engage in inquiry and problem-solving.
Activities 1 and 2 from the Weather and Climate resource reflect this integrated approach. In Activity 1, Is it Weather or Climate?, pupils explore the difference between weather and climate by discussing examples and identifying patterns. In Activity 2, Weather Detectives, pupils observe and record weather conditions and use evidence to draw conclusions. These activities encourage scientific enquiry, communication, observation, and data-handling skills.
I would use these activities during a unit on weather and the environment, allowing pupils to work collaboratively and make connections between science and mathematics. To further develop the activities, I would incorporate digital technologies, such as using online weather forecasts or comparing data from different locations. I would also extend the learning by asking pupils to design and create simple weather-measuring instruments, providing an additional engineering element and further strengthening the STEM focus.
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Hi Fionnuala, I enjoyed reading your post. I agree that STEM learning is most effective when pupils investigate real-world problems through practical, hands-on activities. Your ideas for using digital weather forecasts and designing simple weather instruments are excellent ways to deepen learning while encouraging teamwork, critical thinking and problem-solving across a range of curriculum areas.
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Hi Fionnuala, I really liked your idea of incorporating digital technolgies such as online weather forcasts and comparing data from different regions. I love the idea of children designing their own weather instruments such as a rain gauge and anemometer. I think it would be very interesting to see what they come with.
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If I apply the principles discussed by Liston (2018) to my own educational context of a class of 10 year old students, all of whom have a professional diagnosis of dyslexia, I would recognise first-hand that real STEM education is intended to be integrated rather than segregated learning. In our school, we made the decision two years ago that all non-core subjects, including STEM, would be experienced through thematic learning. This created a more holistic learning and has been an ideal context for a more authentic STEM experience. As Liston (2018) suggests, effective STEM integrates science, technology, engineering and mathematics through meaningful, real-world problem-solving rather than teaching each subject in isolation. This interdisciplinary, project-based approach is particularly well suited to our pupils with dyslexia, who are ‘think outside the box’ learners and are very much solution-focused, as it definitely promotes more hands-on, collaborative learning thereby reducing reliance on extended reading and writing. For example, if my pupils were to design and build a skyscraper using recyclable materials and the further test and improve their product, using the Engineering Design Process, they would be applying their scientific knowledge, mathematical reasoning and technology to solve a hands-on practical challenge. Liston (2018) refers to engineering as being the “glue” that connects the STEM disciplines and emphasises creativity, teamwork, communication and problem-solving—strengths and skills that dyslexic learners have themselves learned to rely on.
Activities 1 and 2 provide an engaging introduction to weather and climate through discussion, practical investigation and data collection. This makes it highly appropriate for my class of dyslexia students. Rather than having to rely solely on the reading component, they could instead classify statements, collaborate with peers, collect real-life temperature data and analyse their findings. More active experiential-type learning, such as this, has proven to be more confidence boosting for them.
For a class of pupils with significant reading difficulties, I would need to adapt the activities by replacing written statements with symbols, photographs or maybe colour-coded weather and climate cards. I would give the Instructions orally, using support visuals. Using their chromebooks, the students would record their observations using weather icons, photographs or voice recordings/ The idea is to reduce literacy demands while maintaining the same level of scientific enquiry. The graph activity part could be completed collaboratively as a group with the help of a display or digital tools.
One improvement I can see would be to include more multi-sensory and kinaesthetic elements, such as role-play, outdoor weather stations or matching games and differentiated worksheets where the language has been more simplified and accompanied with colourful visual aids. This I hope would would make the activity more accessible to my class of learners without diminishing the level of inquiry-based learning and critical thinking-
Hi Donna,
Welcome to the course. Thanks for sharing your insight into Liston’s paper given your educational setting. I agree that learners with dyslexia are ‘think outside the box learners’ and this thematic approach allows them to explore all areas of STEM within project based thematic learning. This would allow for skills development such as collecting data, analysing and communicating results without the need for text based activities. It is great to hear how you will adapt the activities to suit the needs of your learners in a very practical way and you have also demonstrated inclusion through the use of technology which allows learners to share their thinking and knowledge. This is so informative and something we can all reflect on when working with learners with reading difficulties.
Thanks for sharing, I hope you enjoy the course.
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After reading Unravelling STEM (Liston, 2018), I realised that STEM is already happening in my 3rd/4th class, even in small everyday activities. My pupils enjoy hands on learning, and STEM fits well with their curiosity about nature and the world around them.
The ESA activities Nose Up High in the Sky and Weather vs Climate are simple and practical. I could use them to help pupils understand how weather changes daily while climate describes long term patterns. Setting up a small school weather station in our yard would let pupils measure rainfall, temperature, wind and cloud cover. This would build STEM skills such as observing, recording data, using simple technology, and comparing results over time.
To lead whole school learning, I would share our weather data at assemblies, create displays, and encourage classes to compare findings. This would help everyone learn together and build a shared understanding of weather and climate.-
Hi Criona, I really like your idea of setting up a school weather station. It provides a meaningful way for pupils to apply scientific inquiry skills while making connections with Maths through recording and analysing data. Sharing the findings at assemblies and encouraging other classes to compare results is also a great way to promote collaboration and develop a whole-school approach to STEM. It’s a simple but effective way to make learning relevant and engaging for pupils.
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Unravelling STEM: Beyond the Acronym of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (Liston, 2018) was a very interesting read. It highlighted that STEM is much more than teaching the four subjects separately. Instead, it encourages children to investigate real-world problems, ask questions, work collaboratively and develop problem-solving skills through meaningful, integrated learning experiences. In my classroom, STEM is mainly incorporated through play-based learning, exploration and hands-on activities. My aim when teaching is to focus on developing curiosity, observation, communication and early scientific thinking rather than formal STEM concepts.
Activities 1 and 2 from the Weather and Climate resource engaging and appropriate for introducing children to the concepts of weather and climate. Activity 1 helps children distinguish between daily weather and long-term climate using simple examples. Distinguishing between both can be a tricky concept for children in younger classes. Activity 2 outlines how to record the weather through observation and discussion. Incorporating the recording of the weather orally at the start of our school day is hugely beneficial to my class as it helps to foster observation skills, communication skills and recording skills.
To adapt these activities for my present class, I would need to include more visual supports, weather symbols or photographs as many of my students are still developing early literacy skills. Incorporating picture books, rhymes and songs would make the learning even more meaningful and engaging for young learners.
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Hi David,
Welcome to the course. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on Liston’s paper and the resources in this module. Liston reminds us of the importance of addressing all areas of STEM together rather as stand alone and it sounds like while you have been focusing on skills such as observation, communication and early scientific thinking you have been addressing the areas of STEM in play based approaches.
For the younger classes, as you have suggested, these lessons can be supported with the use of picture books and visual supports. Even opportunities to dress the teddy for the weather as it would make connections between the weather chart and real life. In saying that, while it may be a focus in junior classes to focus on the weather every day. I must remember to focus on weather more with the senior classes to develop prediction and communication skills. Thanks for sharing.
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After reading Liston , I realised that STEM is about much more than teaching Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths as separate subjects. It is about helping children to solve problems, work together, ask questions and make links between different areas of learning. It made me think about my own teaching and how I can include more hands-on STEM activities in my classroom.
I completed Activities 1 and 2 from the Weather and Climate resource and really enjoyed them. Activity 1, Is it Weather or Climate?, clearly explained the difference between weather and climate in a way that children can understand. Activity 2, Weather Detectives, gave children the chance to observe, record and talk about the weather. These activities encourage discussion and help children develop their observation and thinking skills.
Next year I will be teaching Second Class, and I think these activities will work really well with my class. I plan to use them as part of our weather topic. The children could keep a weather diary each day, record the temperature and rainfall, and compare their results with the weather forecast. This would also link well with Maths when recording data and with English through discussion and writing. I would also like the children to work in groups to make a simple rain gauge or windsock and investigate how they work.
One thing I would add is an extra activity where children compare the weather in Ireland with the weather in another country. I also think it would be useful to include more extension ideas for different class levels. Overall, I found these activities easy to follow, enjoyable and practical. I will definitely use them with my Second Class next year because they are hands-on, encourage teamwork and help children learn through real-life experiences.
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Activity 1:
I think I would use a school activity or an outdoor event as a good hook for maximum engagement. This would work particularly well in terms of older children, as I was working through the activity myself, I was starting to think of how I could tweak it to suit a diverse sixth class next year. I would also try to integrate the different climate zones with the heritage of the students in the class and the places that they visit and travel to.
Activity 2:
I think there are great learning opportunities in activity two and love the integration of maths also. I always love when there is a chance to get outside and get involved in hands-on learning and I think Weather Detectives would be great for this. It would be important to discuss the different variables that allow for accurate readings and maybe have a variety of different sized temperatures depending on the age of students and or differentiation.
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Weather versus climate.
We began this module by being asked to read and review the paper unravelling stem- beyond the acronym of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
The children need to start by knowing the differences between weather and climate.
Therefore I would start by teaching what we weather is. I would ask the children to observe the weather outside the window and we would discuss the weather- daily observations in junior schools. Then we would learn about the weather through Songs, videos, and class discussions. The children would learn the weather vocabulary and understand the meanings.
Then the children would explore weather instruments, including thermometers and rain gauges, and learned how weather is measured and recorded. They also examined weather forecasts and maps to understand how forecasts help people make everyday decisions.
The concept of climate will be introduced by exploring the Earth’s different climate zones. Children compared climates in locations such as Australia and Antarctica, identifying similarities and differences while developing an understanding of long-term weather patterns.
Throughout the module, children engaged in collaborative, inquiry-based learning by collecting and recording weather data, working in pairs as “weather detectives,” and discussing their findings.
The children investigate weather and climates in pairs and in groups.
Then they record their results using lots of different approaches- writing, graphs, maps.
The children are encouraged to role-play being a newsreader discussing climate or weather person informing others about the weather. including presenting weather forecasts and acting as climate reporters,
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I like how you broke the learning down into clear stages, starting with children’s understanding of weather before introducing the more complex concept of climate. It creates a strong foundation for learning, and I also liked how you included role-play as a way to develop communication skills alongside STEM learning.
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Module 1 Assignment – Weather and Climate
After completing Module 1, I have developed a greater understanding of the difference between weather and climate and the important role that STEM education plays in helping children explore these concepts through active learning. The ESERO resources, particularly ‘Nose Up High in the Sky’ and ‘Weather vs Climate’, provide engaging, hands-on activities that encourage pupils to observe, question, investigate and communicate their findings.In my classroom, I would establish a simple weather station where pupils could record daily temperature, rainfall, wind direction and cloud cover. They would compare daily weather observations over time to identify patterns and understand how climate differs from day-to-day weather. This activity develops STEM skills by encouraging scientific enquiry, measuring, recording data, analysing results and drawing conclusions. It also promotes teamwork, communication and problem-solving.
I would share our findings with other classes through displays, assemblies and digital presentations, helping to foster a whole-school understanding of weather, climate and environmental awareness while encouraging curiosity about our changing world.
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I particularly like the idea of sharing the findings with the rest of the school – aside from bringing the work to the attention of the whole school community, this also adds value to the work of the children. Seeing others read and appreciate the effort that they have put in gives them a great sense of ownership and achievement.
As part of a recent project on weather as Gaeilge, we used a green screen to make our own weather forecast. Granted, the forecasts were very basic (and often made up!) based on the Irish the children had, but there is no reason why this activity couldn’t be extended to actually reflect the readings taken in the weather station and forecast the weather.
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In her paper, Liston explains what STEM teaching is in and also gives compelling reasons for using the STEM approach, citing Jolly (2017) as she lists seven ways in which the STEM approach encourages children to think more critically and scientifically.
In my classroom, we carried out a STEM project involving designing and making a bird feeder. We talked about local birds and how we might encourage them to come and stay in our school garden. We discussed what materials we might use and used a basic design of a milk/juice carton. There was a lot of trial and error in discovering how we would hang the bird houses up securely, designing a door, where to locate them etc.
Weather VS Climate activities
Before beginning Activity 1, I would teach the children about the difference between weather and climate in terms of definition, and show them some different climates using maps, globes, internet photographs, places they have been on holiday.
In Activity 2, I would measure the temperature over a month during winter, and then again in summer.
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Hi Noelin
Welcome to the course and thanks for sharing your thoughts on Liston’s paper and how you have planned for STEM based activities in your own class. Bird Feeders were a great STEM project this year and it allowed for meaningful connections with real life problems. During the heavy snow in Cork in Jan 2025, I myself went looking for options on how to feed the birds around my house. And as you have mentioned there was lots of trial and error and decision making during the process.
It is important to teach the concepts of weather and climate and as you have mentioned to explore the definition of both prior to looking at climate zones around the world. I like how you are planning to measure the temperature across different seasons to allow for comparison of both.
Thanks for sharing, I hope you enjoy the course.
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Your bird feeder project sounds like a lovely way to bring all areas of STEM together and I can imagine the children were so proud to see their finished bird feeders hanging in the school garden. I think the trial and error involved is where so much of the learning happens, as it encourages children to think, problem-solve and make improvements to their original ideas.
I also like your idea of introducing the difference between weather and climate before starting the activities. Using photographs, maps and talking about places the children have visited would make the learning much more meaningful, especially for younger classes.
Another activity I thought would work well would be asking the children to make a simple windsock or pinwheel. They could test them in different areas of the yard to see where it is the windiest and talk about why they think that is. It would be a lovely hands-on way to link weather observations with STEM and would get the children moving and exploring outside.
At a different stage the children could also build a rain gauge using a plastic bottle. They could predict how much rain we might get each week before measuring it and comparing their predictions with the results. I think 1st Class children would really enjoy checking it each day and seeing how quickly it fills after a rainy day.
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Space & Climate – Module 1
When I read the Unravelling STEM: Beyond the acronym of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths paper, I thought back to my days in Montessori College where I trained before completing the Post Grad. Everything Maria Montessori’s method advocated for has now become a central point for teachers in the new curriculum framework.. All of the materials developed for the Montessori method were hands on, practical and involved the concept of active learning.
The two resources mentioned; Nose up High in the Sky and Weather vs Climate follow this theory too and allow for an active approach to learning about the weather and climate.
Like the other teachers in the course, I have taught the “topic” of weather every year in a different manner of ways but bar setting up a rain gauge one year, I have never explored it in a hands on way. We have a perfect area in our school to set one up and I have 6th class this coming September so it will be an ideal class to try it out with. The area is a sensory garden which includes a little outdoor classroom. The children are supervised at all times in this area and it is used across all of the classes in our senior school. The children would love to make their own rain gauges but we could also make anemometers and we have some thermometers already in the school which could be hung in the outdoor classroom. -
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The Nose High Up in the Sky activity is an engaging and imaginative way to introduce young children to weather concepts. The story captures pupils’ interest and encourages discussion about different types of weather in a meaningful and enjoyable context. I would use this activity as a whole-class read-aloud to introduce a weather topic before completing practical follow-up activities such as keeping a daily weather chart, drawing different weather conditions, or discussing how weather affects our daily lives. It also supports the development of oral language, listening skills, prediction, and weather-related vocabulary.
As a 4th 5th and 6th class teacher myself Weather v Climate can be easily differentiated. The Weather vs Climate activity clearly explains the difference between weather and climate using simple, age-appropriate examples. I would use this activity after pupils have explored daily weather patterns so they can better understand that weather changes from day to day, while climate refers to the typical weather experienced over many years. It would also provide a useful link to geography by comparing Ireland’s climate with the climates of other countries. I particularly liked the climate detective part and teaching the children about climate change, the effects of it on weather as this is really important for our children to understand.
One improvement that could be made to both activities is the inclusion of more interactive and hands-on learning opportunities. For example, pupils could sort picture cards into weather or climate categories, complete simple weather investigations, or work in groups to create posters showing different climates around the world. Including additional visual supports, digital resources, or short videos would also make the activities more accessible and engaging for a wider range of learners.
Overall, both activities are enjoyable, educational, and appropriate for use in the primary classroom. They encourage active participation, develop scientific understanding, and provide excellent opportunities for cross-curricular learning. All in all, I look forward to using these resources in my classroom in the coming school year.
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Liston’s paper Unravelling STEM: Beyond the Acronym of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics had some very interesting points on the difference between STEM lessons and activities versus lessons based on just science or maths and incorporating some type of technology. I have previously planned supposed “STEM” lessons only to realise that realistically they could not be described as such. Often there was not a problem to be solved, rather steps to be taken. Like using Coding platforms and calling it STEM.
The idea of engineering being the “glue” is a great one as when this is present the others, Science, technology and mathematics inevitably follow. Children need to be engaged in the design process where a true to life problem needs to be solved ( or attempted) and evaluated.Usually STEM in my classroom revolves around the design process where groups of children are given a collaborative task that requires them to plan a prototype, choose appropriate materials, attempt a prototype, evaluate it and make alterations to achieve their goal. They can choose different methods and technologies to record their progress.
Activity 1 and 2 from Weather vs Climate are very interesting and simple to adapt to suit any classroom. Activity 1 is aimed at younger classes but Activity 2 and the extension activities allow the teacher of older class to incorporate them into their plans. Both activities provide good scope for discussion and will lead the children to pose their own questions about the topic
Both activities are very easy to follow and require little resources to complete well. One aspect I would alter would be to allow for the use of digital technology to record the investigation of save as part of a digital portfolio.Setting up a Weather Station in the school grounds would be a fantastic addition to any school.
Primarily I would aim to have children create as many of the resources as possible from recyclable materials. More difficult to create equipment can be sourced economically from many sites. The size of the school and number of pupils who can access the site unsupervised would prove a challenge however. -
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Liston’s Unravelling STEM:Beyond the acronym of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (2018) encourages us as teachers that instead of focussing on Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths as four separate subjects, we should look at them as interlinked- illustrating how these subjects connect in real life. The paper highlights the relevance of problem solving, inquiry, creativity and collaboration to encourage children to make connections between each of these four disciplines. I am currently in the role of SET,so do not have a class of my own. But in the fourth classes I am part of, I witness a few specific behaviours that make a positive STEM classroom in my opinion. There is noise present through collaboration; productive and positive noise, with children sharing ideas, debating and working openly together. The tables are more like workstations that bring groups together. There is a variety of materials at hand- recyclables, cardboard, tape, measuring equipment- all ready to use in a creative way. Modelling is key to teaching the children about roles involved in this collaborative work- investigators, critical thinkers, recorders of information and team players are all necessary and the children must see this in action. They need lots of practice at this to build a good working environment. Teachers should serve as the role of guide with open questions to ignite their thinking. We need to foster the need for creativity and exploration with young children in the area of STEM.
I found both the activities on Weather and Climate engaging and easy to follow. Activity 1 clearly distinguished between weather and climate, two difficult concepts to differentiate for children. There was lots of opportunity for discussion where the children could explain what they were thinking rather than just choosing answers. This forum for discussion and explanation encourages reasoning and communication. Activity 2 ‘Weather Detectives’, provides a great way for pupils to observe, log and analyse real weather patterns. They get the chance to gather date and spot trends in local climate conditions, so they are learning and thinking like real scientists. This activity integrates maths through measuring, recording and creating graphs.
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Hi Yvonne,
Welcome to the course, and thank you for sharing such a thoughtful reflection on Module 1.
I really like how you have responded to Liston’s idea of STEM as an integrated, real-world approach rather than four separate subject areas. Your description of a positive STEM classroom is very vivid, especially the idea of “productive and positive noise,” where children are sharing ideas, debating, collaborating and learning from one another. That kind of active engagement is often where the richest STEM learning happens.
You have also hit the nail on the head with your point about modelling roles. A question that is often raised by teachers is how best to encourage inquiry-based learning, and as you say, children need practice in these roles so that collaboration becomes meaningful rather than simply group work.
Your feedback on Activities 1 and 2 is very strong. Overall, your reflection captures the spirit of authentic STEM learning very well, with the teacher acting as a guide and the pupils taking an active role as curious investigators.
I hope you enjoy the rest of the modules.
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I really liked the activity sets included in this module on both Is it weather or Climate? and also the Weather Detectives activities. I think these explained in a child friendly way the differences between weather being a short term occurrence and climate being something more long term. Although I will be teaching Senior Infants I think we can adapt these lessons to suit the age of the children. I think introducing them to the difference between weather and climate is something that can be done. We could do this in as easy a way as discussing the differences in weather when they go on holidays compared to when they are at home. I think it could also be interesting to look at weather in different countries where different children and their families may be originally from and how the climate can differ in different countries compared to in Ireland. I think by keeping things simple we can give the children a good introduction to the idea of climate and how it differs to just the concept of weather.
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In Unravelling STEM: Beyond the Acronym of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (Liston, 2018), STEM is described as a holistic approach to education that brings together the four disciplines in meaningful ways rather than teaching them separately. Liston emphasises the importance of inquiry-based learning, where pupils develop critical thinking, creativity, communication and collaboration through engaging with real-life challenges. In a fifth-class classroom in Ireland, this is reflected in hands-on, pupil-led activities that encourage exploration and teamwork.
Studying the weather provides an ideal context for integrated STEM learning. Pupils can create a simple weather station using instruments such as a thermometer, rain gauge, wind vane and anemometer to monitor daily weather conditions. They collect, organise and interpret data, display their results using charts and graphs, and compare their observations with forecasts from Met Éireann. This approach strengthens scientific understanding, numeracy, digital skills and cooperative learning while demonstrating how STEM can be applied to everyday experiences.
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I downloaded the ESA Resources and they look really easy and user friendly. I think it is essential to start looking at the weather before embarking on what is climate. To set up a weather station I would need to buy commercial thermometer, rain gauge and anemometer as it is important to show the pupils the real instruments before they make their own homemade versions. Funding is really difficult to attain in my school so I will need to shop around. There is a lot of mathematics involved in gathering and analysing data. They could also teach the younger classes how to make and use the instruments. I am teaching 5th class so I would use Annex 1 to look at the concept of climate zones. The ESA Weather vs Climate instructions and activities are very clear. I like the videos attached on the PDF. I downloaded them to Symbaloo as I can’t seem to open them in my downloaded PDF.
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Hi Sinead,
Welcome to the course.
I really like your point about beginning with weather before moving on to climate. This gives pupils a concrete starting point and helps them build understanding gradually. You also make a very good point about funding. Using low-cost or recycled materials for homemade instruments could be a practical way to support STEM learning while keeping costs manageable.
Your idea of 5th class pupils teaching younger classes how to make and use the instruments is lovely, as it would build confidence, communication and peer learning.
It would also be great to hear your thoughts on Liston’s paper, particularly how the activities connect with inquiry, collaboration and integrated STEM learning.
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After reading Liston’s (2018) Unravelling STEM: Beyond the Acronym of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, I gained a better understanding of STEM as an integrated approach to teaching and learning rather than four separate subjects. The article highlights the importance of inquiry, creativity, collaboration, problem-solving, and providing pupils with meaningful, real-world experiences where they can apply their learning across different subject areas. It also reinforced the idea that mathematics should not always be taught in isolation but can be naturally embedded within science, technology, and engineering activities.
Reflecting on my own classroom, I can see many opportunities to develop a more integrated STEM approach. Hands-on, project-based activities allow pupils to investigate scientific ideas, use technology, design and create solutions, and apply mathematical skills in authentic contexts. One activity that particularly stood out to me was the “Weather Detectives” investigation. I think this would work well as a long-term project where pupils record daily weather observations, measure temperature and rainfall, create graphs, and compare their findings with official weather data. This would encourage teamwork, scientific enquiry, data handling, and critical thinking while helping pupils make connections between STEM subjects and the world around them. Overall, the article has encouraged me to be more intentional in planning integrated STEM experiences that promote curiosity, creativity, resilience, and deeper understanding.
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Your Weather Detectives idea sounds absolutely brilliant for an infant class. I find that infants in my experience are obsessed with the weather anyway, especially if there’s a chance of snow or big puddles, so making them official detectives is a fantastic hook. Keeping track of the daily weather, messing around with thermometers, and building those giant picture or Lego graphs is exactly the kind of lesson they would love!
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I found the content from these activities to be very engaging. The activities will allow for critical thinking and for the children to use the information to form their own opinions on the subject. After reading Unravelling STEM, I liked how the activities encouraged the children to ask questions and not just accept information as fact.
The ‘Is it weather or climate’ activity was a great way to address common misconceptions, and I think my 4th-6th class pupils would really enjoy discussing real life examples before deciding whether it is climate or weather. The ‘weather detectives’ was great as it would give the children the opportunity to investigate, observe patterns and to work together.
I would extend these activities by having the class collect weather data over a number of weeks and compare it. I would also ask them to use their findings to create graphs, posters or even PowerPoint presentations to incorporate cross-curricular work.-
Hi Siobhan
Welcome to the course. It is great to hear your feedback on the activities in this module.
The weather or climate activity is very good to explore each concept and as you have mentioned to address any misconceptions the learners might have. As you have senior classes there is lots of opportunity for discussion and critical thinking. The weather detectives activity is also great for senior classes to give them responsibility in recording their own observations and gathering data over a period of time and then comparing it as you have mentioned, there are lots of opportunities to integrate with maths and using digital tools to display their findings.
Thanks for sharing, I hope you enjoy the other modules in this course.
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Liston’s Unravelling STEM: Beyond the Acronym of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (2018) encouraged me to think about STEM as more than simply teaching the four subjects separately. It highlighted the importance of integrating STEM in my classroom using opportunities for investigating real-world problems. In my classroom, I have noticed that STEM is usually most effective when my students are actively engaged in hands-on learning experiences. After reading this paper I would like to further strengthen the integration of STEM subjects in my classroom by providing more open-ended challenges.
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Before beginning Activity 1, I would teach the children about the difference between weather and climate in terms of definition and timescale. We would explore examples of different climates around the world using maps, globes, internet photographs and discussion about places the children have visited on holiday. The children could compare climates such as tropical, polar, desert and temperate climates and discuss how weather conditions influence daily life, clothing, homes and activities in these locations.
In Activity 2, I would measure the temperature over a month during winter and then again during summer. The children could record the temperature each day, create charts and graphs to display the data and identify patterns and trends. We could compare the findings from the two months and discuss why temperatures differ throughout the year.-
Hi Hazel,
Welcome to the course. Activity 1 offers an age appropriate explanation and lesson to discuss the difference between the concepts of weather and climate. While I think it is a great idea to explore the different climate zones around the world as you have outlined, I think the learners should have the knowledge of the different concepts prior to this and be able to make connections with their learning when exploring the climate zones. I agree that weather can influence daily life depending on the climate and we can see that with the heat wave at the moment and the impact of it.
I think measuring the temperature over 2 different seasons allows for lots of critical thinking and comparisons which would allow for lots of skills development also. I like how you are planning to integrate with maths in the creation of charts and graphs. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this module. I hope you enjoy the course.
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After reading Liston’s (2018) Unravelling STEM: Beyond the Acronym of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, I thought about how STEM is used in my 2nd Class. The article explains that STEM is more than teaching Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths as separate subjects. It is about helping children solve problems, work together and make connections across different subjects through real-life learning.
I personally enjoyed activities 1 and 2 from the Weather and Climate resource. Activity 1, Is it Weather or Climate?, helps pupils understand the difference between weather and climate in a simple way. I found the worksheet to be clear and easy to follow. My children could talk about how the weather affects walking to school, playtime or activities such as going to tennis lessons in the local tennis club or walking to the local swimming pool.
Activity 2, Weather Detectives, encourages pupils to observe and record the weather. I think my class would enjoy becoming ‘weather detectives’ and keeping a daily weather chart. We could also link this to Maths by creating simple graphs and looking for patterns over time. I would include a practical hands on challenge where pupils design and build a simple rain shelter or rain gauge using recycled materials. I would also include more opportunities to use tablets or weather websites to compare our observations with weather forecasts.Its such an interesting topic to teach and learn about for kids of any age.-
Hi Claire,
Welcome to the course. It is great to hear that you enjoyed the activities in this module.
Activity 1 explores the concepts of weather and climate in an engaging way and as you have mentioned there is lots of opportunity to make connections between the weather and how it impacts our daily lives.
Activity 2 allows for lots of skills development and playful learning approaches. I like how you are planning to integrate with maths to record the data and share it using simple graphs. You could consider recording the data for two weeks in term 1 and two weeks in term 2 for comparison too.
Thanks for sharing, I hope you enjoy the course.
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Hi Claire
My children too would enjoy the idea of becoming westher detectives. I like your idea of encouragethe chikdrento design their own rain shelter or rain gauge from recycled materials. The use of tablets in the lessons to investiage weather websites is also a great idea to engage their interests further.
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Having looked through the Weather vs Climate resource, I think that a younger class in particular would find them informative and engaging. There are very good background notes for teachers and the activities themselves are accessible and easy to accomplish. I would suggest that older classes might need to take things a bit further. The initial lessons provide for a certain amount of investigation but I feel that classes towards the upper end of Primary School might need to delve a bit deeper into the topics. Combining the question of STEM with weather and climate monitoring, I think it would be a fabulous idea to create a weather station on the school campus. Obviously there are issues that would need to be addressed – where to site the station, what to make the various devices from, how to build and monitor the different devices, however, I think the benefits of participating in such a project would be huge for the children and enquiry based hands-on learning would be to the fore.
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Hi Aidan,
Thank you for sharing such a thoughtful response to Module 1.
I really like your reflection on Liston’s paper, and how it relates to the new school curriculum. Your examples of links with History, Art, Music and the design-and-make strand show how integrated STEM can happen in very meaningful ways.
You also make a strong point about the Weather vs Climate resource being accessible for younger classes, while older pupils may need opportunities to explore the topic in greater depth. Your suggestion of creating a weather station on the school campus and adapting the data to create weather reports via greenscreen (like you did with your Gaeilge project) is excellent. It would allow pupils to engage in real inquiry-based learning.
I hope you enjoy the rest of the course.
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I agree Aidan that the Weather vs Climate resource is well suited to younger pupils. They are practical and engaging activities and the teacher notes are very helpful. You are right that older pupils would benefit from more open-ended investigations. Like you, I would like to try creating a school weather station. This would promote science, mathematics, engineering, and technology with the pupils learning to collect, analyse and interpret data in a real life context.
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I found Liston’s article on STEM very interesting and beneficial. Last year, I aimed to do a STEM activity with my class each week. e.g, give them a sheet of paper, prittstick and a scissors and allow them to work in groups to build the longest paper chain. We would then measure the results at the end . I find STEM challenges very rewarding and it is great to see how students work together to find solutions and different ways of solving problems.
I personally enjoyed the ESA weather and climate resource and found it to be very user friendly and providing practical lessons on weather and climate that can be adapted to suit any year group. I will definitely use this with my class in the upcoming school year. In Activity 1, I would firstly teach the children the difference between weather and climate. I would provide opportunities for children to work togrther to share their ideas and views on what is weather v climate. I found activity 2 a bit more difficult for the younger classes but provides a great way for pupils to observe, log and analyse real weather patterns. As mentioned earlier in the module, children could work with a partner or in a small group to design and create their own rain gauge and/or anemometer. Activity 2 provides children with opportunities to go outside and measure the air temperature over a certain period and then record their information on a graph and answer various questions based on their findings.
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I found Liston’s (2018) paper very insightful as it reinforced the idea that STEM should be taught as an integrated approach rather than as four separate subjects. I liked the concept of engineering acting as the link between science, technology and maths through problem-solving and design. In my classroom, I aim to provide hands-on, collaborative learning experiences that encourage pupils to investigate real-world issues and apply their knowledge across different curriculum areas.
I found both Weather and Climate activities engaging and practical. Is it Weather or Climate? clearly introduces the difference between weather and climate, while Weather Detectives encourages pupils to observe, record and analyse weather conditions using scientific enquiry skills. I will be teaching 6th class next year and I can see these activities working particularly well with senior classes as part of a cross-curricular STEM unit.
To extend the activities, I could set up a class weather station where pupils could build simple instruments, collect and graph weather data, and compare their findings with online forecasts. A useful addition would be a longer-term investigation where classes share their results, helping pupils identify seasonal weather patterns and strengthening links between Science, Geography, Maths and Technology.
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I found the ESA resources easy to follow and i think they would work well in my classroom. The activities would help children understand the difference between weather and climate in a practical way. I like the idea of setting up a weather station outside the school where pupils can record the temperature, rainfall, wind and cloud cover each day. Looking back at their results over a few weeks would help them see how weather changes over time.
The activities also cover all areas of STEM. Children are using science when they observe and investigate, maths when they measure and record data, technology when they are using digital resources, and engineering when they design or make simple weather equipment. I would encourage the class to share their findings with other classes. This module has given me some useful ideas that I can use to make lessons on weather and climate more active, enjoyable and relevant for my pupils.
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Hi Caitriona
Welcome to the course, thanks for sharing your feedback on the resources in this module.
I agree that these activities are addressing all the areas of STEM in a practical way with connections to real life. As you have mentioned, activity 2 allows for collection of data such as temperature, wind or cloud cover and this can be respresented in different forms of data in maths and this could also be presented using digital tools also.
It is great to hear that this module has given you ideas for teaching this topic next year. I hope you enjoy the other modules in this course.
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After downloading the Weather and Climate resource and completing pupil worksheet for activities ‘Is it weather or climate?’ and ‘Weather Detectives’, I have feedback to give on each.
In activity one, I like how there is a connection made with weather and climate with the child’s life (birthdays for example). This is beneficial as it allows children to draw from personal knowledge and experience to gain a deeper understanding.
In the second activity, I like how there are more hands on materials in this investigation. There is also a strong link to maths (number – positive and negative numbers, addition etc) that supports integration. I also like the idea of displaying the chart in the classroom so that the children can monitor and compare results.
Something I feel that could be added onto activities could be use of ICT for example making a spread sheet on excel to display results or using mentimeter as a stimulus to the first activity to note some buzz words to do with weather and climate.
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Hi Kaytlyn
Welcome to the course. I am glad that you liked the activities in the first module and have considered ways to implement them in your class. It is always good to look at ways to incorporate IT tools such as excel spreadsheets to dispaly results and mentimeter is a great way to quickly gather information from children about their understanding or prior knowledge of a topic and to share that information with the rest of the class.
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After reading your response I agree that linking weather and climate to children’s own experiences such as their birthdays is a good way to make the learning more meaningful and also easier for pupils to understand. I also really like your suggestion to include more ICT, I think pupils would enjoy using Excel to present their information and create bar charts etc.
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I like your suggestion of adding more ICT to the lesson such as making a spreadsheet on excel to display results and creating bar charts etc. This is something that I did not think of. Also your idea of using a mentimeter is a very interesting one which I have not tried before. Thank you for sharing your ideas.
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Having read the paper by Liston (2018) STEM is about the children being active learners across the curriculum, that STEM is interlinked with all subjects. It is important to link STEM with real world concepts and problems as it makes it more understandable for them. It is about trial and error with engaging in STEM and allowing for the children to test their theories and ideas, and learning from mistakes also. In my class, if pupils are given a task to do, we usually begin with a discussion on the topic, use some open-ended questions to elicit prior knowledge and build some vocabulary. If carrying out a task, some basic instructions may be given but children are the leaders when it comes to the procedures. It allows them to work together to figure it out, developing communication skills and when reflecting after the task, allows for everyone to see different ways of thinking.
For both activities from the Weather and Climate resource, I think it is very easy to use. There is little preparation and resources needed. For activity two, I think it would involve and bit of trial and error when identifying a location for the thermometer but we could have a class discussion on this.-
Marie, I really enjoyed reading your reflection. I like how you emphasised giving children ownership of their learning and allowing them to learn through trial and error. Your idea of discussing the best location for the thermometer is a great example of encouraging collaboration, critical thinking, and scientific enquiry.
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Weather or Climate
Discussions around the weather tend to happen every day, especially in the junior classes as part of the daily news. This activity for the older children could link nicely with memories of their younger years in the school. I like the idea of linking the introduction with their birthdays and also of checking in with parents at home regarding weather on previous birthdays, possibly having great stories of bouncy castles either in the sun, or flogging rain! The categorising of sentences into weather or climate facilitates a great discussion around this. Children could be in two camps in the room, one weather, one climate and could generate some extra sentences to consolidate their learning, some of these may come from holidays they have been on, either at home or abroad.
Climate Detective
The Climate Detective lesson is one the older classes especially would enjoy and engage with, ideally integrating with Maths in the senior classes. The student worksheet allows for a methodical, empirical approach and would work well as a group activity. The scientific approach of observing, recording, analysing, reporting will link well with existing science experiments and methods of recording those experiments. Temperatures could be tracked across a day, week, month with the children becoming more familiar all the time with reading thermometers, etc. Any issues that arise as the process goes on can be discussed as a class and ideas/suggestions can be put forward. This will be a learning also, to demonstrate that experiments can involve trial and error.
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Hi Valerie,
Having the children create their own weather and climate sentences after sorting them into groups is a lovely way to reinforce their learning while encouraging discussion and active participation. I could definitely use this activity in my SET class and modify it by providing picture cards & simple sentence starters to support the pupils.
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These activities are a great way to introduce the difference between weather and climate because they relate the topic to the pupils’ own experiences. Asking them about the weather on their birthdays makes the lesson more interesting and encourages discussion. I would use these activities in my class to promote group work, critical thinking, and active participation. The extension on climate zones helps pupils understand how weather differs around the world. I would include more local examples, short videos, and a few quick quizzes to check understanding.
The “Weather Detectives” activity gives pupils the chance to collect and analyse real weather data themselves. It helps develop observation, maths, and science skills in a practical way. I would use this activity to encourage teamwork and make learning more hands-on. The children could try using digital thermometers or different weather apps like Met Eireann or accuweather, comparing results with local weather reports, and having pupils keep a simple weather diary. This would make the activity even more engaging and help pupils see how weather changes over time.-
I really like your idea of connecting the activities to pupils’ own experiences, especially using their birthdays as a starting point. I think this would make the concept of weather and climate much more meaningful for children. Adding local examples and short videos would also be a great way to support understanding. I agree that the Weather Detectives activity would be a great opportunity for hands-on learning, and using digital thermometers or weather apps would help develop pupils’ technology skills while collecting real data. A class weather diary would be a simple but effective way to encourage observation and allow children to notice patterns over time.
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Hi Fiona
Welcome to the course. It is great that you found the resources in this module so useful and I really like your ideas for adding to the lesson with local examples, videos and quizzes to ensure that the pupils engage with the content. Adding digital apps to the practical weather measurements would really add another dimension to the activity especially the use of more than one ap. I have found the Met Eireann ap to be very accurate most of the time whereas other people swear by other aps so it would be good to do a comparsion between the aps and relate them to your own findings.
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After reading Liston (2018), I reflected on how STEM is most effective when learning is integrated, hands-on and linked to real-life experiences. In my classroom, I encourage pupils to investigate, work together and solve problems across the STEM subjects.
- Activity 1 – Is it Weather or Climate? This is a simple, engaging introduction to the difference between weather and climate. I would use it to introduce the topic and stimulate discussion.
- Activity 2 – Weather Detectives. This is a practical activity. I would use it to develop observation and data collection skills through investigating daily weather.
- Activity 3 – Climate Reporters. This is a good opportunity for pupils to analyse data, identify patterns and communicate their findings. I would use it to develop pupils’ presentation and communication skills while encouraging them to explain their understanding of weather and climate.
- Nose Up High in the Sky. Setting up a weather station in the school grounds would allow pupils to collect and compare weather data over time, helping them understand the difference between weather and climate. The activity develops science through investigation, mathematics through measuring and graphing, technology through recording and analysing data, and engineering through designing or improving weather instruments. I would involve the whole school by rotating data collection between classes and sharing the findings and insights gained through a weather display and assemblies.
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After reading Liston’s (2018) paper, I was reminded that STEM education is not simply about teaching Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics as separate subjects, but about encouraging pupils to investigate, question, problem-solve and apply their learning to real-world situations. The Weather and Climate activities reflect this approach by allowing children to explore concepts through inquiry and discussion. I found Activity 1, Is it weather or climate?, useful for helping pupils distinguish between short-term weather events and long-term climate patterns. The activity encourages critical thinking and challenges common misconceptions. Activity 2, Weather Detectives, provides opportunities for pupils to become active investigators by observing, recording and analysing weather data. In my classroom, I could use these activities as part of a STEM topic by creating a class weather station where pupils collect daily data and represent their findings using graphs and digital tools. One improvement I would suggest is including more opportunities for pupils to use technology, such as weather apps or digital sensors, and to communicate their findings through presentations or displays.</p>
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The paper by Liston explains that STEM education is not simply teaching science, technology, engineering, and mathematics alongside one another. Interestingly it emphasises that engineering serves as the integrating element, enabling students to apply science, mathematics, and technology to solve meaningful real-world problems. I think this is very relevant to us as teachers.
The engineering element of STEM in the primary school day often requires more time and planning and therefore can be very challenging for STEM planning and roll out in the busy primary classroom.
In my classroom I have tried to integrate many engineering experiences into play activities. We do lots of Lego and block building, ramps, junk constructions and in art experiences of working with a wide variety of fabrics, materials, clay, negative space are all used as opportunities to brainstorm and problem solve. Discussion and ‘brainstorming’ during this work is mostly informal but never haphazard. It’s almost always guided with EDP in mind. Ready to go, age and classroom appropriate Resources such as the climate and weather ones in the module are always welcome. Teachers have such a busy schedule and have so many demands in every area of the curriculum that ‘ready to go , well researched resources are vital to make STEM teaching enjoyable an enriching for all.. -
STEM Reflection & ESA Activities (Junior Infants)
Liston (2018) highlights STEM as an integrated way of thinking rather than four separate subjects, which aligns naturally with Junior Infants’ exploratory, play‑based learning. In my classroom, STEM emerges through a natural curiosity, questioning, simple predictions, and hands‑on investigation. This has other cross curricular links with Gaeilge and weather recording and reposting in literacy. The ESA activities Nose Up High in the Sky and Weather vs Climate suit early learners because they use observation, noticing, and comparing—core skills at this age. I would adapt them through sensory exploration, daily weather discussions, and simple pictorial recording. To incorporate digital literacy, they could also create their own weather forecasts.
Setting up a Junior Infants weather station in our school grounds would foster STEM skills such as observing (science), using simple tools like rain gauges (technology), constructing shelters or windsocks (engineering), and counting/measuring rainfall or sunny days (maths). As a small rural school with large grounds, we have able areas to create weather stations and we also have a good bank of resources to help make them from scratch such as paper cups, straws, bottles, cans, etc. I would share children’s weather logs, photos, and simple graphs on Google Classroom which may foster discussion at home to further expand their curiosity. As a means of modelling collective practice and building whole‑school engagement with weather and climate learning, the older students would be encouraged to develop their own skills at their level. Peer tutoring and mentoring would also be hugely beneficial here.
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Hi Ruth
Welcome to the course and thanks for your thoughts on STEM integration and the activities in this module. It is great that the play based approach in your infant classroom leads to natural exploration and STEM integration and this approach can work well at senior levels too. I live the idea of a Junior infants weather station in the school grounds and encouraging interest at home through sharing their work on Google Classroom. You might even have a network of little weather stations in children’s homes as a result. As you said, weather recording has the potential to involve the whole school at different levels with each group working at their own level and sharing of information and collaboration between different classes. The ESERO resources Class Weather Station and Strong Air introduce more complex meterorological concepts such as air pressure and humidity for older classes
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Having reviewed Liston (2018) STEM is not just an acronym. It is a joined methodology to learning that provides pupils with the necessary tools to tackle real-world tasks. Throughout our school we already incorporate aspects of STEM, but I believe we need to place a stronger focus on engineering design and real problem-solving. This will prepare our pupils for future study, work, and the real world.
The Nose Up High in the Sky and Weather vs Climate activities from the ESA resources ensure that pupils are provided with engaging and inquiry-based learning opportunities allowing them to develop a good grasp of atmospheric science. The Nose Up High in the Sky encourages pupils to observe and collect data and the Weather vs Climate activity helps them to differentiate between short-term weather patterns and long-term climate trends.
Setting up a weather station would be a worthwhile activity affording pupils the opportunity in realistic activities such as recording the temperature, levels of rainfall, direction of the wind and cloud cover over a given period of time. These learning activities of scientific investigation, gathering and examining data using technology, designing and/or maintaining apparatus and interpreting graphs and recognising patterns promote STEM skills.
I would extend this to the whole school encouraging the other teachers and classes to engage with similar activities. I would promote the use of a digital platform within the school to share their findings. School assemblies are another forum to allow the pupils to make oral presentations. This shared approach throughout the school would help to promote a shared responsibility for the environment.
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After reading Liston’s paper, it made me reflect on what authentic STEM education looks like in my own classroom. One point that really stood out to me was that STEM is much more than teaching Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths alongside one another. Instead, children should be given meaningful, real-world problems where they can question, investigate, collaborate and apply their learning. I also liked the emphasis on the Engineering Design Process, as it encourages children to test ideas, learn from mistakes and improve their thinking.
I enjoyed both the ‘Is it Weather or Climate?’ and ‘Weather Detectives’ activities. They are practical, encourage discussion and help children understand the important difference between weather and climate. I would use these with my 3rd class by setting up a simple weather station where pupils could record temperature, rainfall and cloud cover over time. They could graph their findings in Maths and compare them with local weather forecasts. One improvement I would make would be to include a simple engineering challenge, such as designing and building a rain gauge or anemometer using recycled materials, to strengthen the engineering aspect of STEM.
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After reading your response I agree that linking weather and climate to children’s own experiences such as their birthdays is a good way to make the learning more meaningful and also easier for pupils to understand. I also really like your suggestion to include more ICT, I think pupils would enjoy using Excel to present their information and create bar charts etc.
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Hi Paula,
I agree that STEM should be viewed as an integrated approach to learning rather than as four separate subject areas. When STEM learning is associated with real world problems they can relate to, pupils become more engaged and develop the skills needed to investigate problems, think critically and work collaboratively. I experienced this a few years ago when I was involved in the ‘Weave’ project. The aim of the project was for children to identify a problem in their area and using Lego, come up with solutions to the problem. Some of the work the children created was amazing. They were allowed to work collaboratively, use artwork to enhance their creations and be able to piece it all together for a final presentation in a local hotel. Although it was stressful at times it was very rewarding and fantastic to see the students so engaged and motivated.</p>
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After reading Liston it has shown me that STEM is about much more than teaching Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths as separate, it is about bringing these areas together through practical, engaging and meaningful activities that encourage pupils to think critically, solve problems, work with others and to be creative.
During my teaching I always try to have opportunities for children to learn through exploration and hands-on experiences. Activities 1 and 2 are very useful as they are easy to implement in the classroom while being engaging. Activity 1 introduces the difference between weather and climate in a way that is easy for pupils to understand, while Activity 2 allows them to collect and record weather information themselves. I like that this activity also gives a chance to use some Maths Skill as they are measuring as well as organising and interpreting the data they are collecting.
I would use these activities as an integrated unit. We could compare weather with another area in Ireland etc. One area for improvement would be that I do feel the activities are more suited to an older class after having infants for a number of years.
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I think there is a lot of merit in bringing the subjects together rather than teaching them separately. In reality this happens far more than we give ourselves credit for and maybe need to lean into opportunities this presents itself in. Bringing Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths together with hands-on activities makes the learning more real and meaningful. On top of this it helps them develop other skills such as critical thinking, teamwork, etc. I like your idea of using activities 1 and 2 to compare local weather with another area in Ireland. It gave me the idea of linking with another teacher I know elsewhere in the country with the same class age so classes can share results. This will create a shared responsibility, anticipation and connection. The task in general brings meaning to maths skills like averaging, measuring and graphing. From the module I took that a lot of the learning in the junior classes is around awareness and language. Being aware of the weather station, that it shows parts of the weather and what parts it shows is huge progress for those ages. In time when the have the maths skills in those areas recording and analysing can come in.
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From reading Unravelling STEM by Maeve Liston I agree that focusing on the engineering aspect of STEM incorporates the other three aspects naturally and is something I must focus on implementing in my own class next year. It is great however that STEM has become so popular in classrooms across the country as children really enjoy it.
In the ESA document Activity 1, I liked the fact the whole focus of the exercise is to gain an understanding of the differences between weather and climate from the off. And once the children understand that, they can then explore the two in more detail. Like other participants have mentioned, using the pupils birthdays is a clever way to attract their attention, particularly with younger classes. Also, making them explain both weather and climate in their own words is an excellent way for the children to demonstrate their understanding. Using the climate Zone video for pupils would be a very good way to introduce the whole topic also. It is a really good resource.
Activity 2 is a very engaging activity which the children will enjoy doing. It’s a fairly detailed exercise and would need a little altering to suit the classes I teach. From my experience the pupils can find it difficult creating accurate graphs using the correct scales etc. so this exercise, and the fact that the children were involved in gathering the data, might get them to engage more with their work.
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Excellent point John. I agree with your point about engineering naturally bringing the other STEM areas together. I also liked how Activity 1 helps children clearly understand the difference between weather and climate before moving on to more complex ideas. Your observation about Activity 2 is very true too. Collecting their own weather data gives pupils a real sense of ownership, which makes creating and interpreting graphs much more meaningful and engaging.
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I agree John, trying to explain the importance of scale to a class as they create yet another favourite animal or hobby graph can be challenging, I agree that data they have gathered themselves, especially over a period of time, would mean the children are much more engaged in the lesson, and the real world application of what they are learning will help them see the value in the graph they are making.
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The ESA weather and climate activities are practical, engaging, and easy to adapt for younger children. Working in a DEIS Band 1 junior school, I think the activities would help pupils understand the difference between weather, which changes every day, and climate, which describes weather patterns over many years.
I would like to set up a simple weather station in our school grounds where children could record the daily temperature, rainfall, wind, and cloud cover. They could compare weather patterns over time and display their findings in the classroom. This activity would develop STEM skills by encouraging children to observe, measure, record, predict, and interpret data. They would also use simple technology and maths skills when collecting and presenting information.
I would share these ideas with staff during planning meetings and encourage classes to record and compare weather observations throughout the year. This whole-school approach would support collaboration, develop children’s scientific understanding, and promote greater awareness of weather, climate, and caring for our environment.The paper reinforced that STEM is about developing children’s curiosity, problem-solving, and critical thinking through meaningful, hands-on learning. In my DEIS Band 1 junior school with a high number of EAL pupils, I use play-based investigations, Aistear, and simple STEM challenges to encourage children to explore, question, and work together. The paper has encouraged me to make even stronger links between science, technology, engineering, and mathematics through real-life, cross-curricular activities.
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I really like your idea of setting up a weather station in the school grounds. It gives children ownership of their learning and makes the activities much more meaningful because they’re collecting real data themselves. I also agree that these activities are particularly suitable for younger pupils as they’re hands-on and easy to adapt. Your point about using them in a whole-school approach is a great idea too as it would allow classes to compare results and see how weather changes over time. It would be a lovely way to build collaboration across the school while developing pupils’ STEM skills.
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Before reading Liston (2018), I thought STEM mainly involved teaching Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics as separate subjects. After reading it, I have a much clearer understanding that effective STEM learning combines all four areas through meaningful, hands-on activities that encourage pupils to think creatively, work together and solve problems.
As a 3rd class teacher, I would like to provide opportunities for pupils to investigate, ask questions and learn through practical experiences. I found Activities 1 and 2 both engaging and well suited to this age group. Activity 1 helps children understand the difference between weather and climate using simple discussions and relatable examples. Activity 2 allows pupils to become “Weather Detectives” by observing, measuring and recording daily weather, while also developing their mathematical skills through recording information, creating graphs and discussing their findings.
I would use these activities as part of an integrated unit across Science, Geography and Mathematics. I also think my class would enjoy comparing their weather observations with those from different counties in Ireland or other countries.
One way I would further develop these lessons would be to include a simple engineering activity, such as designing and making a rain gauge. This would strengthen the engineering element of STEM and provide another enjoyable, hands-on learning experience for the pupils.
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STEM education is not about teaching science, technology, engineering and mathematics as separate subjects, but about integrating them through meaningful, real-world problem-solving. In my classroom, STEM is developed through inquiry-based learning, collaboration and hands-on investigations where pupils ask questions, collect evidence and communicate their findings.
The ESA resources “Nose Up High in the Sky” and “Weather vs Climate” provide engaging, practical activities that encourage observation, data collection and critical thinking. I would use these activities to establish a weather station within our school grounds, where pupils could measure temperature, rainfall, wind speed and cloud cover over time. The information collected could be used to support our Green Schools programme and school garden by helping pupils identify the most suitable times for planting, watering and maintaining vegetables, herbs and pollinator-friendly flowers. Pupils could investigate how seasonal weather patterns influence plant growth and biodiversity, making meaningful connections between climate, sustainability and food production in an urban Dublin setting.
This project develops STEM skills by applying science through investigation, using technology to record and present weather data, engineering by designing and constructing simple weather instruments, and mathematics through measuring, graphing and analysing results. I would encourage collaboration across the school by sharing weather data between classes, displaying weekly weather reports, monitoring the progress of the school garden, and presenting findings during Green Schools initiatives and assemblies. This cross-curricular approach promotes scientific enquiry, environmental stewardship and pupil leadership while helping children appreciate how climate and weather influence their local environment and the sustainable practices they can adopt within their school community.
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Liston (2018) argues that STEM education should move beyond teaching Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics as isolated subjects and instead integrate them. In my role teaching Fourth Class in a primary school in Dublin, STEM is most effective when it is hands-on, collaborative and relevant to pupils’ everyday lives. Inquiry-based learning encourages children to ask questions, investigate problems, analyse evidence and communicate their findings, while also developing creativity, resilience and teamwork.
Activities 1 and 2 are engaging introductions to the concepts of weather and climate. Activity 1 effectively helps pupils distinguish between short-term weather conditions and long-term climate patterns using accessible examples and discussion. Activity 2 encourages pupils to observe, record and interpret weather data, promoting scientific enquiry and prediction skills. The activities are well scaffolded and suitable for upper primary pupils, supporting both Science and Geography.
I would use these activities as the starting point for a class weather investigation. Pupils could establish a simple weather station in the school grounds to measure temperature, rainfall, wind direction and cloud cover over several weeks. The data collected could support our Green Schools programme and school garden by helping pupils investigate how weather influences planting, watering schedules and biodiversity. This would provide an authentic context for learning while helping pupils make connections between weather, climate, sustainability and environmental responsibility within their local community.
The activities also offer valuable opportunities to integrate STEM across the curriculum. Pupils could use digital technology to record observations, create graphs and present findings, apply mathematical skills when analysing data, and design simple weather instruments using recycled materials. Working collaboratively would further develop communication and problem-solving skills while promoting active learning.
One improvement would be to include differentiated extension activities for pupils requiring additional challenge, such as comparing Dublin’s climate with other regions or investigating how climate change may influence local weather patterns. Providing opportunities for long-term data collection and links to citizen science projects would also deepen learning and help pupils appreciate how scientists gather evidence over time. Overall, these activities provide an engaging, practical foundation for developing scientific understanding while encouraging curiosity, critical thinking and environmental awareness.
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Sarah, that’s a great idea to link the activity to the Green Schools initiative by collecting the data and using it to support learning with the school garden and how the climate and weather influence it. A great way to put the students learning into use with real life problems and scenarios whilst also working towards a green flag. Definitely something I will consider doing too.
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After reading Liston (2018), I was reminded that STEM is much more than teaching Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths as separate subjects. It’s about giving children opportunities to investigate real-life problems, work together and make connections across different areas of learning. Reading the paper made me reflect on my own classroom and how STEM works best when children are actively involved rather than simply completing individual subject activities.
I enjoyed both of the Weather and Climate activities. Activity 1 was a simple but effective way of helping pupils understand the difference between weather and climate. It encouraged discussion and gave pupils the chance to explain their thinking. Activity 2 was also very practical and would be easy to use with a class. Recording and comparing weather observations helps children develop scientific skills while also using maths when measuring and presenting data.
I think these activities could be extended by asking pupils to create graphs of their weather data or compare their results with another part of Ireland or the world. It would also be great to include a hands-on challenge such as making a simple rain gauge or wind vane to bring more engineering into the lessons. Overall, I found the activities engaging, easy to follow and something I would definitely use in my own classroom.
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After reading Unravelling STEM: Beyond the Acronym of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (Liston, 2018), I reflected on how STEM is used in my own classroom. The paper reinforced that STEM is most effective when subjects are connected through real-life learning rather than taught separately. I think this is something I try to do, and these weather activities are a good example of how this can work.
I really enjoyed Activities 1 and 2. Is it Weather or Climate? helped pupils understand the difference between weather and climate in a simple and engaging way, while Weather Detectives encouraged observation, discussion, and recording data. I could see my class enjoying collecting weather information and comparing it over time. It also links well with maths through graphing and literacy through discussing and explaining findings.
One improvement would be to include an extension activity where pupils use tablets or online weather forecasts to compare their results with official data. I also think adding more opportunities for pupils to ask their own questions and investigate them would make the activities even more engaging. Overall, I found these lessons practical, enjoyable, and easy to adapt for my classroom.
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I enjoyed reading the paper by Dr. Liston. I agree that STEM was once seen as separate subjects and separate entities. It is nice that the subject is now more about integrating the subjects. I have to admit in the past, I found it difficult to engage in STEM lessons, but as stated in the article, STEM has become widely used in education today through various different portals.
I really enjoyed activity one from the weather and climate activities. It is a nice and simple way of introducing both topics to our students. It can at times be difficult to choose how to teach these topics. Being given a straight forward activity like this one is great and I will be certain to use it in my classroom next year. I found the videos and links in this module very helpful too. I think the kids will find them engaging and will learn alot from them
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Hi Robyn,
Thank you for sharing your reflection on Module 1.
I appreciate your honesty in saying that STEM lessons have sometimes felt difficult to engage with in the past. I think Liston’s paper is helpful in showing that STEM does not need to be treated as something separate or overly complicated, but can be integrated naturally through inquiry, problem-solving and real-world classroom activities.
It is great to hear that you found Activity 1 useful. The distinction between weather and climate can be tricky for children to grasp, so having a clear, straightforward starting point is very valuable. The videos and links also seem like strong supports for introducing the topic in an engaging way. It would be interesting to think about how you might build on this resource further, perhaps by linking it to weather observations in your own school, simple data recording, or a class weather chart over time.
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Setting up a met station on school grounds. Where gives a fair representation of the school’s weather, flat ground, unshaded and not sheltered, etc. Where is accessible to students, near classrooms, visible so children are aware of it, safe from damage ball games etc. What can be made in school (rainfall gauge, windspeed) and what needs to be purchased (thermometer, barometer). Can we put the results somewhere where all the children can see them and also using diagrams that are appropriate to various ages. Using this data we can identify weather patterns. We have a screen that presents our solar panel input and energy output. We can create a second slide on this screen to present the weather data, as this screen is all ready a centre for data in the school. This activity has elements of maths, science, geography, engineering and art in it. Getting my class to explain different elements of the weather station to other classes. Then they can liaise with other classes on particular tasks each class can record from the weather station. This is a way of involving various classes across the school.
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Hi Ronan,
Thank you for sharing your ideas. I really like the point you made in your response to another participant that integrated STEM learning often happens more naturally and more often than we realise. Sometimes we can all feel a fear in regards to juggling so many aspects, but as you pointed out, it is actually about recognising those moments and leaning into them more intentionally.
Your idea of connecting with another class in a different part of Ireland is also excellent. Comparing weather data between two schools would create a real sense of shared investigation and would give pupils a meaningful reason to practise measuring, averaging, graphing and communicating their findings.
I also like how you have thought through the practicalities of setting up a weather station, including location, access, safety and what could be made or purchased. Using the existing school screen to display weather data is a great way to make the learning visible across the school.
I hope you enjoy the rest of the course.
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After reading Liston’s paper, it really made me think about how STEM works best when the subjects are all linked together instead of being taught on their own. In my classroom (I’m currently teaching 3rd class), I try to use lots of hands-on activities where the children are investigating, working together and figuring things out for themselves rather than me just giving them the answers.
I really liked both weather activities. The first one is a nice, simple way to get the children thinking about the difference between weather and climate, and I can see it leading to some good class discussions. The Weather Detectives activity would be great too, especially if it was done over a couple of weeks so the children could spot patterns and compare their results.
One thing I’d probably add is getting the children to make a simple weather instrument, like a rain gauge or wind vane, to bring in a bit more of the engineering side of STEM. Overall though, I thought both activities were easy to use, engaging, and ones I’d definitely use with my own class.
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I thought that it was interesting in Liston’s paper that they mentioned that often the technology and engineering side of STEM are neglected in activities and that many activities labelled as STEM are in fact science lessons. I have tried in the past to incorporate all aspects of STEM in my activities but I will definitely be more aware of this in the future to ensure that I emphasise the T and E in STEM. I think that the new curriculum will assist me with this and having clear learning outcomes that actually reflect all aspects of STEM.
I liked Activity 1: Is it Weather or Climate? because it gets pupils talking and explaining their thinking.
Activity 2: Weather Detectives was my favourite. Collecting temperature data, making graphs and working out averages is a great way to link Science and Maths. It’s similar to other data-handling activities I’ve used, where pupils were much more interested because they were working with real information.
For my 6th class, I’d probably add rainfall or wind measurements and let pupils compare their results with the Met Éireann forecast. Overall, I thought both activities were practical, engaging and easy to adapt for an upper primary classroom.
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Hi Síofra
Welcome to the course. It is great that Maeve Liston’s paper has got you thinking about meaningful intergatration of STEM disciplines. Working with real life data such as weather measurements is a great way to integrate data in maths and get children interested. While Engineering has been included in the present curriculum in the form of the Design and Make skills, it is not so explicit so I agree that the new curriculum will help bring both Technology and Engineering to the fore with specific learning outcomes that help with planning lessons and integrated STEM experiences.
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Hi Síofra
Welcome to the course. It is great that Maeve Liston’s paper has got you thinking about meaningful intergatration of STEM disciplines. Working with real life data such as weather measurements is a great way to integrate data in maths and get children interested. While Engineering has been included in the present curriculum in the form of the Design and Make skills, it is not so explicit so I agree that the new curriculum will help bring both Technology and Engineering to the fore with specific learning outcomes that help with planning lessons and integrated STEM experiences.
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On reviewing the Unravelling STEM article, it reinforced how STEM education can and should be integrated in the primary school through inquiry based, hands-on activities and real life examples and problems as opposed to teaching as separate subject areas. I find in the classroom that STEM is more engaging for the pupils when they are active learners, contributing, experimenting, collaborating and sharing knowledge. They get a sense of ownership and achievement.
Activities from the ‘Is it Weather or Climate’ resource are particularly useful and age appropriate. I like the idea of reinforcing the difference between weather and climate through hand on real life examples and discussion as I find this is an area where children can regularly find challenging to distinguish, especially in the Junior classes. . I will use these activities in the classroom as a useful aid in linking science, maths and geography. I really like the idea of keeping a weather journal or diary over a period of time. I would include a definition section in the journal and use online tools to enable the children explore weather forecasts etc.
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Hi Michelle
Understanding the difference between weather and cliamate is very important for an understanding of climate change. It is not only a difficult concept fro children but for many adults, which is part of the reason there are so many misconceptions about climate change. Helping children to understand the differences through practiclal tasks and reference to familiar situations will really help them to understand other issues. Recording weather data is a really good practical task that can be adapted for all ages. I love your idea of adding defenitions to the weather journal so that the children can refer back to these to reinforce their learning and make meaningful links
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I agree with the paper about how “Stem-mania” has gripped the world, and that nearly everything is labelled STEM these days. I like how it highlights meaningful ways of creating genuine STEM experiences for the children in our classrooms. I was fascinated by the in-depth exploration of a pen to illustrate the technology aspect of STEM, and can see how this could be applied in my classroom to virtually anything! It’s all about generating curiosity about how things work in my opinion, and this exploration described this perfectly!
For Activity 1, I really like how it begins by drawing on the pupils’ own experiences (i.e. their birthdays). I think starting with things that are familiar to them offers a great stepping stone upon which to build their learning. I also liked how there were extension opportunities provided for the 5th and 6th class.
For Activity 2, I like how the activity encourages the pupils to work scientifically by only changing one variable and keeping everything else constant, e.g. in same location, at same time etc. This provides opportunities for discussion around working scientifically.
The only think that I can think to adapt or change is that pupils could also use technology (e.g. ipads) to generate some of the graphs.
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Liston’s paper ‘Unravelling STEM: Beyond the acronym of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics’ highlights the importance of meaningful STEM Education. This paper reminds us of the need to create lessons in which children are involved in enquiry based learning in which they explore real world, practical problem-solving. The paper highlights the need to ensure that the subjects of STEM are integrated and taught as a whole, which is emphasised in the new primary curriculum framework. I would hope that in my classroom, children would be involved in self-discovery, engaged in problem-solving and being provided with opportunities to investigate and explore.
Activity 1 and 2 are easy to use, practical lessons which can be adapted for use at most class levels in some way. I would use these lessons to create an understanding and awareness of weather and climate and the vocabulary and language associated with both. Following on from this I would allow the children to investigate the weather and climate of our locality.
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After reviewing Liston (2018), “Unravelling STEM: Beyond the acronym of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics”, I reflected on how STEM education in my 4th class works best when the children are actively involved in investigating real-life situations. The article highlights the importance of integrating subjects rather than teaching them separately.
I completed Activity 1: Is it Weather or Climate? and Activity 2: Weather Detectives. I found that Activity 1 was very effective in helping pupils understand the difference between short-term weather events and long-term climate patterns. Activity 2 encouraged observation, discussion, and problem-solving as pupils examined clues and interpreted weather information.
I could use these activities during geography and science lessons on weather and climate change. They would work well in pairs or small groups and could be extended by having pupils keep a weather diary for a week. I would improve the activities by including more technology, such as using online weather forecasts or digital thermometers, and by adding a short weather forecast presentation task.-
Hi Shannon
Welcome to the course. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the activities from this module. Activity 1 explores the concepts of weather and climate and explains the difference in a very child-centered way and as you have mentioned it is effective in helping pupils understand these concepts.
I like how you plan to explore these activities in an integrated manner with science and geography. I like how you are considering the digital tools that could be used also to enhance the learning and getting the learners to display their learning in a presentation. You could also consider links to Gaeilge and real life data in maths to further build on this project. I hope you enjoy the other modules in the course.
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STEM is everywhere lately, but trying to force every single letter of the acronym into an infant lesson is not very realistic for me. I’m going to start using the Engineering Design Process (EDP) as my intro instead. For Junior and Senior Infants “Think it, Make it, Fix it.” If we focus on hands-on problem solving like building a bridge for a toy car, the science and maths bits will just fall into place during their play.
Lesson 1: Weather vs. Climate To start I’ll use a KWL chart on the board, mostly using pictures and doodles since they’re still learning to read. I love the birthday idea to explain the difference between weather and climate. It makes a big concept easier to understand and grasp for a 5-year-old:
“What kind of coat do you usually have to wear on your birthday every year? That’s the climate. What is the sky doing right outside our window this very second? That’s the weather.”
Lesson 2: Graphing and Assembly Using a graph at the end would support this because infants need to actually see data. We’ll make a giant, colorful picture graph together using Lego bricks or stickers to show our results, making it hands on and something they will remember! -
I really enjoyed completing Activity 1: Is it Weather or Climate? It was a simple but effective way of helping pupils understand a concept that can often be confusing. The discussion around everyday examples would encourage children to share their own ideas and challenge any misconceptions they might have in a supportive way.
Activity 2: Weather Detectives was my favourite because it gave pupils the opportunity to think and work like scientists. Collecting and recording weather data makes learning meaningful, and I could imagine my class enjoying comparing their observations over time. It also naturally links with maths through measuring and graphing data, while encouraging speaking, listening, and writing skills as pupils explain their findings.
I would use these activities as part of a cross-curricular unit on weather and climate. To extend the learning, I would have pupils keep a weather diary over several weeks and compare their results with local weather forecasts. This would help them recognise patterns and better understand the difference between daily weather and long-term climate.
One thing I would improve is the level of differentiation. Adding optional support sheets or extension challenges would make the activities more accessible for all learners. I also think incorporating more digital resources, such as interactive weather maps or short weather forecast videos, would make the lessons even more engaging. An additional STEM challenge, such as designing and making a simple rain gauge or wind vane, would also strengthen the engineering element. Overall, I found these activities practical, engaging, and easy to adapt for use in the classroom, while supporting meaningful STEM learning.
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Hi Patrick
Welcome to the course. It is great to hear your feedback on the activities in this module and how you really enjoyed Activity 2. I agree that this activity gives the learners lots of responsibility of their own learning as they collect and record weather data and this allows them to think and work like scientists.
It is a good idea to record this data over a number of weeks and compare their own predictions with Met Eireann. You could also consider repeating the activity in another season to compare the results such as Autumn and late Spring.
I agree that it is important to differentiate the tasks for the learners and ensure they are specific to the needs of your class. Multiple ways to engage or show their learning would allow for this also.
Thanks for sharing and I hope you enjoy the course.
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Weather and Climate: Many adults seem to confuse these. It is very important that our pupils can differentiate between the two. The video resources were helpful. I like the simple idea of using your senses to observe weather. Keeping a daily log of the weather is a lovely idea in junior end – especially if you have a mixed, interesting forecast on the horizon. Extending this to creating your own instruments to record wind, rain etc would be very engaging. Such activities offer enormous potential for integration, maths, science, english, art and even gaeilge if you wish. Children like ourselves are often fascinated by weather, especially our more extreme weather events of late, storms, flooding, extreme temps and it is vital we teach the science and termonology to go with such events and the impact such weather and overall climate change is having on global and local environments.
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Hi Sinead,
Welcome to the course. I agree that some adults can have misconceptions about the difference between weather and climate and it is important that the learners in our class explore these concepts and discuss each one and the difference between them. The weather v climate resource helps to explore this in a very age appropriate way. As you have mentioned the video resources are very helpful for this. I agree that there are lots of vocabulary development opportunities when teaching about weather and climate and specific terminology as you have mentioned. I agree that there is lots of potential for cross curricular integration too. Gaeilge and An Aimsir is a natural progression and can offer more meaningful activities when exploring it in other curricular areas too.
Thanks for sharing, I hope you enjoy the course.
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I completed the worksheets on the ESA resources for activities one and two after I had read Unravelling STEM, and what I liked most was the way both activities provided clear, easy to follow and carry out lessons that easily led themselves to a cross curricular approach, as emphasised in Liston’s paper.
Activity 1 would make a wonderful jumping off point to climate vs weather with my class next year, and with its easy links to the language curriculum, I would expand the lesson by having each group of two come up with statements of their own, that they could present to the rest of the group and have them again sort into climate or weather, and spark some discussion and debate, and develop critical thinking skills.
Activity two would make a lovely project for the class to follow on from activity one – Collecting temperatures and using them to make graphs as part of a data and averages lesson would again fulfil the cross curricular link as well as showing the very real world practical applications of STEM, another thing Liston points out the importance of. I could be further built on by embracing our make and design aspects of the STEM curriculum, repeating the lesson with home made rain gauges.
One thing I would have to adapt for my class is the need for differentiated activities for children of different abilities – I would have to create differentiated worksheets for some.-
I really enjoyed reading your reflection. I agree that both activities are very easy to implement and naturally encourage a cross-curricular approach. I particularly liked your idea of having the children create their own weather and climate statements for the class to sort. It’s a simple extension, but it would encourage discussion, critical thinking and give the pupils more ownership of their learning.
I also think your suggestion of making homemade rain gauges is a great way to bring the engineering element into the project. It would make the learning even more hands-on while showing children how STEM can be applied in everyday life.
Your point about differentiation is also really important. Every class has a range of abilities, so adapting the worksheets and providing different levels of support would help ensure that all pupils can participate successfully in the activities.
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Hi Carrie,
Welcome to the course. Thanks for sharing your reflection on the activities in light of the paper by Liston.
I agree that there are many opportunities for language and vocabulary development in the lessons but it also gives the learners the opportunity to use this vocabulary in a meaningful way too within the lesson.
I like how you are planning activity 2 in a cross curricular way with opportunities to link with data in maths and making real life links between the concept of averages and mean in maths with the data recorded for the weather. As you have mentioned, it is important to differentiate for the learners in the class and consider multiple ways for the learners to engage and present their learning.
Thanks for sharing, I hope you enjoy the course.
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I would agree with Maeve Liston’s paper that STEM is most effective when learning is integrated, inquiry-based and connected to real-world contexts. Across all subject areas in my 4th class, I aim to create opportunities where pupils can work collaboratively to investigate problems, design solutions and reflect on their learning. Hands-on STEM experiences can allow children to develop creativity, critical thinking, resilience and confidence while making meaningful links across other subjects.
I really like these two weather vs. climate activities. Activity 1 offers scope for think, pair, share activities, which are engaging and enjoyable for pupils and provide valuable opportunities to develop communication skills and build understanding through peer discussion. The written activity at the bottom of the page offers me an opportunity to assess pupils’ understandings of the difference between weather and climate.
Activity 2 applies the learning from Activity 1 into a real life context which the children will relate to. I like how it also links to Maths as the children work with and present their data.
Younger classes may need Activity 2 to be adapted. Perhaps infant classes may focus on observing rather than measuring. Younger pupils could look outside each morning and record the weather using pictures or symbols (sunny, cloudy, rainy, windy). At the other end of the school, 5th/6th classes could extend the investigation by having pupils collect data over several weeks and compare it with weather forecasts or historical data from MET Éireann.
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Before reading Liston (2018), I tended to think of STEM as teaching Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths alongside one another. The reading helped me realise that authentic STEM is really about combining these subjects through meaningful tasks that encourage children to think creatively, work together and solve real-life problems.
As a 3rd class teacher, I know that my pupils learn best when they are actively involved, so the weather activities really appealed to me. The first activity introduces the difference between weather and climate in a way that is easy for children to understand. Using familiar examples and class discussion would help them build a solid understanding before moving on to more practical work.
The second activity was my favourite because it gets the children investigating their own environment. Recording daily weather observations would give them ownership of their learning, while also developing their Maths skills as they measure, organise information and create simple graphs to spot patterns over time.
I would use these activities as part of an integrated topic across Science, Geography and Maths. To make it even more engaging, I would have the class compare our weather findings with another school in a different part of Ireland or perhaps another country. I think this would spark lots of interesting discussions about why weather conditions vary from place to place.
One idea I would add is a design-and-make challenge where the children create their own rain gauge using recycled materials. This would introduce a stronger engineering focus and give them another opportunity to test, improve and evaluate their designs, making the learning even more hands-on and reflective of the kind of authentic STEM approach that Liston (2018) promotes
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Hi, I really enjoyed reading your post. I agree that the <em data-start=”156″ data-end=”176″>Weather Detectives activity is probably the strongest one because it gives children ownership of their learning. I also like your idea of comparing weather data with another school. That would make the activity much more meaningful and would help children understand that weather can vary across different locations. I think it would also be a great opportunity to develop digital skills by sharing results online or through email. Like you, I think adding a design-and-make element, such as creating a rain gauge or anemometer, would strengthen the engineering aspect of the lesson. These activities are so easy to adapt and I think younger and older classes alike would really enjoy the practical, hands-on approach.
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Reading Dr. Maeve Liston’s article made me think differently about what STEM actually looks like in my classroom. Like many teachers, I would often have described a science lesson using iPads or a practical investigation as STEM, but the article made me realise that authentic STEM is much more than that. It involves children using science, maths, technology and engineering together to solve real-life problems rather than learning each subject in isolation.
I really enjoyed the Weather Detectives activities. As I teach Senior Infants, I could see my class really engaging with them. We already chat about the weather every morning, so it would be easy to build on this by recording daily observations and comparing them with the weather forecast. The children would love taking on the role of “weather detectives” and using simple equipment to investigate what is happening outside. I also think it would encourage lots of oral language as they explain their observations and make predictions.
If I was adapting the activities, I would extend them over a few weeks so the children could begin to notice patterns rather than just recording the weather on one day. I also think a simple design challenge, such as making a rain gauge or an anemometer, would strengthen the engineering element that the article highlights as such an important part of STEM. Overall, these are activities I could see myself using, as they are practical, engaging and easy to adapt for younger classes
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Liston’s article highlights the importance of an integrated approach to STEM and it also highlights as a teacher to facilitate inquiry based and problem solving activities in our lessons that promote creativity, collaboration and critical thinking.
I found the ESA activities excellent and they provide great opportunities for integration with other subject areas and allow for the development of key science skills, observing, predicting and investigating. These activities lend themselves to development of language and children are given opportunities to develop this language in context by engaging in the activities. Other areas for integration include drama-role play as a weather reporter, maths-data gathering, oral language. There are also lots of opportunities to engage in active methodologies such as group work, problem solving and investigating. The resources and videos allow for this development of language and give opportunities for the children to express themselves and use weather and climate language appropriately. The distinction between weather and climate is one that children in my experience are not aware of and this activity is a great one to distinguish between the two. The worksheet can be used to consolidate the children’s learning-
Hi Barbara
Welcome to the course. It is great to hear your feedback on the activities in this module.
I agree that there are lots of opportunities to develop topic specific vocabulary but also gives the learners the opportunity to use this vocab in discussions and tasks and when sharing their learning. I like the weather or climate resource as it explores both concepts in a relatable manner and explores the differences between the two, there can be many misconceptions about the difference between climate and weather and as you have mentioned the worksheet for this task consolidates their learning and could allow for some assessment also.
Thanks for sharing, I hope you enjoy the other modules in this course.
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The paper explores how STEM education should be seen as an integrated approach to learning rather than teaching each as separate subjects. The paper highlights that effective STEM education is centred on problem-solving, inquiry, collaboration and the application of knowledge to real-world contexts. I use inquiry based activities in my classroom when pupils are encouraged to ask questions, investigate ideas and work collaboratively to find solutions. For example, during our Space Week activities, the children wonder and question in groups before investigating. Prompts such as videos, songs, or pictures work well for me in infants. The super simple weather song shown in this module is a resource I plan to use to prompt questioning and discussion before a lesson.
he Nose up in the Sky resource can be used as an integrated approach to learning. Setting up the meteorological station in the school would be an invaluable resource for the children across the school to have real life learning and to bring the learning away from the books. Making and designing their own weather tools such as a rain gauge would give their learning purpose and a sense of pride of work too. The weather vs climate activity teaches the children the difference between the two terms- weather is short term and climate is on a greater scale.
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Dr. Maeve Liston’s article highlights that teaching STEM should be an integrated approach of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. This inter disciplinary approach enhances critical thinking, builds collaborative skills, develops real world problem solving skills and fosters innovation. True STEM lessons use the Engineering Design Process. After reflecting upon my own STEM teaching this is an area that I have often overlooked in the past. I hope to incorporate more engineering design aspects into my lessons in the future.
I enjoyed activity one especially the starting point of discussing weather and birthdays. Getting children to compare the weather on their birthdays in groups to consolidate the idea that weather is ever changing is something which I hope to try next year with my class. I liked the extension activity of teaching climate zones for older classes- find a place that will not have the same weather as you. I found the ESA have useful links and videos to explain weather and climate. Categorising statements into weather or climate related is a great way for children to show their understanding while working collaboratively together. Children could keep weather journals and track local weather (precipitation, temperataure, cloud cover) over a week or a month and analyse and plot these results.
Activity two’s Weather detective lesson was easy to follow. I enjoyed looking into making an anemometer and I think it would be a fun, interactive lesson for my 4th class next year. It includes all the STEM subjects with an engineering design element. What would happen if the open ends of the cups are not facing the same direction? Testing also how changing the size of the cup affects performance. Other factors could be explored such as friction which could impact the ability of it to spin freely.-
I really enjoyed reading your reflection. I liked how you honestly identified the Engineering Design Process as an area you would like to develop further, as I had a similar takeaway from the module. Your ideas for using weather journals and building an anemometer are practical and engaging, and I particularly liked your suggestion of testing different cup sizes to encourage pupils to think like engineers. These activities would certainly make STEM learning meaningful and hands-on for children.
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Liston’s paper reinforced for me that STEM is much more than teaching the four subjects separately. In my classroom, I aim to create learning experiences where pupils ask questions, investigate real-world problems, work collaboratively and use evidence to support their thinking. The paper reminded me of the importance of integrating these skills in meaningful contexts rather than focusing on individual subject areas.
I really enjoyed Activities 1 and 2 from the Weather and Climate resource. The activities were engaging, age-appropriate and encouraged pupils to think critically about the difference between weather and climate. I can see these activities generating rich classroom conversations and providing a strong foundation before introducing weather measurements or setting up a school weather station.
I would use these activities as part of a wider inquiry-based unit, allowing pupils to collect and compare weather data over time and make links to seasonal patterns and climate. They also provide excellent opportunities to develop STEM skills such as observing, predicting, recording, analysing data, communicating findings and working collaboratively.
One improvement I would suggest would be to include opportunities for pupils to compare their local weather observations with data from other regions or countries. This would help deepen their understanding of climate and encourage global awareness. It would also be useful to include an extension activity using digital tools or online weather data, allowing pupils to compare their own findings with official weather reports. -
Both resources provide great learning opportunities and inspiration for exploring weather and climate in the classroom. The activities suggested are engaging, active and inquiry based and they also allow learners to take ownership in their tasks. The ESA resource develops the childrens scientific skills through observing, measuring and recording weather using simple instruments. The opportunities for integration that exist in maths, art and literacy are plentiful. I would use it to create a class weather station where pupils collect daily weather data and compare their findings with weather forecasts, promoting teamwork and practical learning. I see so many opportunities for creating and constructing weather collecting equipment for example the anemometer would be a lovely one.
The Weather vs Climate resource helps pupils explore the differences between short-term weather and long-term climate through some fun hand on activities. I would use it after the weather investigations to further develop learners understanding.
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Hi Orla.
Welcome to the course. Thanks for sharing your feedback on the resources and activities in this module. The tasks are engaging and active and as you have mentioned allow the learners to have ownership of the tasks.
There are many ways to integrate other curricular areas with these activities which can make it more engaging for pupils as they explore the concepts across multiple lessons and it also allows for skills development along with collaboration and teamwork as you have mentioned.
I hope you enjoy the other activities and resources across the other modules of this course.
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I feel a key message from the report is that STEM learning should look like and included some of the following learning : combine two or more STEM subjects into one meaningful lesson, focus on lesrning real-life problems while encourage pupils to add questions and investiagte as part of a team through critical thinking and effective communication and allowing pupils to evaluate their work and testing from mistakes.
On reflection of my own classroom I feel there are some areas that need improving. I could provide more authentic design challenge that refect real life problems while allowing the children the opportunity to experience the full design process.
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Activities 1 and 2 encourage children to talk, share ideas and explain their thinking. Both are engaging, practical lessons that promote observation, curiosity and critical thinking. Providing opportunities for hands on learning is important, as it allows pupils to develop their understanding through meaningful, active experiences.
<p style=”text-align: left;”>Setting up a weather station would be an excellent activity, as it enables pupils to connect their learning to real-life situations. This activity would promote a range of STEM skills including scientific investigation, data collection, the use of technology, designing investigations and interpreting results.</p> -
I found both activities to be engaging, practical and well suited to a 5th class setting in which I work. Activity 1 clearly explained the difference between weather and climate through discussion and sorting tasks, encouraging pupils to think critically and justify their answers. In fifth class we always like the opportunity to integrate the subjects with other curricular areas- the extension activity on climate zones would provide a valuable opportunity to integrate Geography, English and Maths. Activity 2 offered meaningful, hands-on learning, allowing pupils to collect real weather data, present it graphically and apply mathematical skills in an authentic context. I could see great scope for linking this with the SESE and Maths curricula, as well as developing pupils’ investigative skills. To enhance the activities further, I would include examples based on Irish weather data, perhaps using Met Éireann forecasts, to make the learning even more relevant. Providing a digital recording template or spreadsheet option would also support ICT integration.
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Unravelling STEM: Beyond the acronym of Science, Technology, Engineering, and
Mathematics.Reading this article I couldnt help but make a connection with the use of a pen as a perfect example of STEM in action. I have lost count over the past year of the number of pens that have been deconstructed by students in my class, in hind sight they were trying to figure out how they worked and what the different parts entailed. It will make a great future introduction to STEM actitivies this coming year and might help to explain to them what STEM involves.
Using the weather and Climate activities has highlighted how easy it is to introduce discussion and practical activities when explaining the difference between the 2 terms. I would have struggled to explain this before. Making the instruments would be very suitable for an olde class and having them introduce this to younger classes would also be beneficial.
I finished off this year with a STEM project where the students looked at rollercoasters and how they work. They then investigated in groups how they could make and create their own using a variety of recycled materials. It was great fun, engaging and rewarding. I was nervous about it as it involved a lot of free thinking, free planning and noise but it was wonderful to see their finished work.
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Hi Helena
Welcome to the course. I can totally agree with you regarding the dismantling of pens in the classroom. Definitely something I saw lots of last year but as you have said it is the learners way of exploring how the pen worked. I like how you are planning to use this as an introduction to STEM next year. It is great to hear your reflection on the roller coasters project you did with your class. It can be nervous giving the learners freedom to guide their own learning but as you have said it can be rewarding to see their finished work and see the learners take pride in their roller coasters. I did roller coasters with my class for engineers week and to see their creations was great. Once we can overlook the noise, there is amazing learning going on.
Thanks for sharing, I hope you enjoy the course.
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I think the roller coaster STEM lesson is excellent. It gives children an opportunity to use skills and develop knowledge of all the aspects of STEM and Art. I agree that there is some apprehension before encouraging children to embark on such an engaging activity but usually the love it and really do well and show their creativity.
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I really enjoyed exploring these activities and could see many ways of adapting them for a Junior Infants classroom. Activity 1 provides an excellent introduction to weather and climate through simple discussion and visual prompts. While some of the concepts would need to be simplified for younger pupils, I would use photographs, picture cards and lots of oral language to help develop their understanding. Activity 2 encourages children to observe and record the weather, which fits in very well with play-based and hands-on learning. I think the class would really enjoy taking turns as the daily “Weather Detective” and recording the temperature or weather conditions on a classroom chart. To make the activities even more accessible for younger children, I would add more visual supports, symbols and matching tasks.
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Hi Louise,
Welcome to the course and thanks for sharing your thoughts on how the activities in this module can be adapted for the infant classes. I agree that lots of picture cards and oral language would be needed to support their learning.Activity 2 allows for lots of hands on activities and recording the weather each day, this is also something you could consider in Gaeilge to make more cross curricular links. To make it more accessible you would need visuals as you have mentioned, you could also consider a dress the bear activity to further support their learning.
Great ideas, thanks for sharing, I hope you enjoy the course.
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Dr. Liston’s paper was very informative, highlighting the importance of STEM and the modern skills it promotes. It did make me reflect on whether lessons I teach are truly STEM or isolated parts of it. Highlighting the role of engineering in the process was important – I think this is where the ‘fun’/hands-on part of the lesson comes in for the children. It’s interesting to see the dynamics when children are trying to get their ideas across and come to a consensus (which is a skill in itself). She makes a great point about schools needing integrated materials.
We have a very strong Green Schools ethos in our Educate Together school and these activities would tie in very nicely with it. I think Activity 1 is a great way to understand the difference between weather and climate. Our school has a very diverse student population, so their experience of weather and climate is very varied. I could see them being very excited talking about the weather in their own lived experience in Pakistan/Egypt/Sudan/Brazil and what it’s like in Ireland and understanding about climate zones. Using and reading maps/globe/atlas is a skill in itself and a good way for them to work on that.
Activity 2 would be a lovely way to integrate across the curriculum in Geography, Maths and Science. There’s good discussion for understanding opportunities before getting in to the hands-on planning/design/construction process. They will be far more interested in and motivated for learning by a device they’ve made themselves than anything I could bring in.
I was very drawn to Activity 3 also, I might try that with my class this year.
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Reading Unravelling STEM (Liston, 2018) reinforced that STEM is much more than teaching Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths as separate subjects. In my classroom, I try to make learning as practical and inquiry-based as possible by encouraging pupils to ask questions, investigate ideas and work together to solve problems. I think this approach helps pupils become more engaged and develop important skills such as critical thinking, collaboration and communication. I found both Weather and Climate activities enjoyable and easy to follow. The “Is it Weather or Climate?” activity clearly helped pupils understand the difference between short-term weather and long-term climate, which is often a difficult concept for children. The “Weather Detectives” activity was particularly engaging as it encouraged pupils to observe, record and interpret weather data while making predictions. I could easily see these activities fitting into Science, Geography and Maths lessons, with opportunities to extend learning by creating graphs or comparing local weather data over time. Overall, I think the activities are well designed and suitable for primary classrooms. One improvement could be to include an optional extension task where pupils compare Ireland’s climate with another country or investigate how climate change is affecting weather patterns locally. This would encourage further discussion and help pupils make meaningful real-world connections while continuing to develop STEM skills.
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Liston (2018) highlights that effective STEM education goes beyond teaching subjects separately by engaging pupils in authentic, inquiry-based learning. The ESA activities, ‘Nose Up High in the Sky’ and ‘Weather vs Climate’, provide an excellent opportunity for this in 5th and 6th Class. I would establish a weather station in the school grounds where pupils measure and record daily temperature, rainfall, wind speed and direction, air pressure and cloud cover using weather instruments. Pupils could collect data over several months, use digital technology and spreadsheets to create graphs, identify patterns and compare local weather with national climate data. This would help them understand the difference between daily weather and long-term climate trends. The project develops scientific investigation, mathematical data analysis, technological skills through digital recording, and engineering by designing, building and maintaining the weather station. I would encourage whole-school participation by displaying weekly weather reports, involving younger classes in observations, and sharing findings through assemblies and the school website, fostering a collaborative STEM learning environment.
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After reading Liston’s (2018) Unravelling STEM: Beyond the Acronym of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, I reflected on how STEM is used in my classroom. The article emphasises that STEM is about making connections between subjects and giving pupils opportunities to investigate, solve problems, and apply their learning in meaningful ways.
I completed Activities 1 and 2 from the Weather and Climate resource and found both to be engaging and suitable for the primary classroom. Activity 1, Is it Weather or Climate?, helped to clearly explain the difference between weather and climate, which can often be a difficult concept for pupils to grasp. The activity encouraged discussion and gave pupils the chance to explain their thinking.
Activity 2, Weather Detectives, allowed pupils to examine weather information and make observations based on evidence. I liked how it encouraged inquiry and discussion while also linking to geography and science.
I could see myself using these activities as part of a weather or climate topic. They would work well in pairs or small groups and could lead to further investigations. One improvement could be the inclusion of live weather data or weather apps to make the activities more relevant and interactive. A simple follow-up task, such as keeping a weather diary, could also extend the learning.
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The paper made me reflect on the work already happening in my school. Our school is an example of how STEM learning can connect with real-life issues and our local community. Outdoor learning is central to school life, with pupils using our raised beds, pond, nature trails, herb gardens, native tree area and live weather station to explore ecosystems, pollinators, biodiversity and climate. Our pupils are involved in planting, composting, biodiversity surveys and forest school activities, as well as using the garden for Science, Geography, Art and Literacy. Our 4th and 6th Classes also take part in an eight-week Education for Sustainability programme, where they develop knowledge and practical skills. Our new live weather station really is an excellent example of authentic STEM learning. Pupils can collect and analyse real data on temperature, rainfall and wind from our school garden, explore our local microclimate and compare their findings with wider weather data. This links naturally with Science, Maths, Geography and Digital Technologies and provides opportunities for pupils to ask questions, identify patterns and draw conclusions. The ESA activities, No Nose Up High in the Sky and Weather vs Climate are useful here and I will use make them on our shared school drive. I envision being able to adapt the Weather vs. Climate resource to generate even more questions about our own weather station.
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Hi Lorraine,
How lovely! The students are very lucky to have a pond, native trees , raised beds and herb gardens. Your school has really embraced the outdoor learing environment. It is so important not only for STEM but also for Wellbeing.
I am interested in your suggestion about the eight week Education for Sustainabilty programme. It is something I am interested in doing with my class next year.
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After completing Activities 1 and 2 from the Weather and Climate resource, I found them to be thought provoking and engaging. I can see myself using them in lessons with my 5th class students in September. Activity 1, Is it Weather or Climate?, encouraged pupils to think critically about everyday examples and distinguish between weather and climate. I would use this as a whole-class discussion before pupils completed the worksheet in pairs, encouraging them to explain and justify their answers.
Activity 2, Weather Detectives, allowed pupils to observe, record, and interpret weather conditions while developing scientific inquiry skills such as observing, predicting, measuring, and communicating findings. I would extend this activity over several weeks by having pupils record daily weather data and create graphs to identify patterns, reinforcing the difference between weather and climate.
These activities reflect Liston’s (2018) view of STEM as an integrated approach to learning. Pupils apply scientific knowledge while using mathematical skills to measure, record, and analyse data. Technology could be incorporated by comparing our observations with forecasts from Met Éireann and discussing any differences.
I would use these activities as part of a cross-curricular unit on weather, climate, and climate change, linking Science, Geography, Mathematics, and English. As an extension, pupils could design and build simple weather instruments such as rain gauges or wind vanes. One improvement would be to include more open-ended STEM design challenges and differentiated extension activities to support a wider range of learners.
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I agree Cian with how you would use the resources. Whole class discussion with weather folklore would draw in the interest of the class. There is a nice chance also for home connections by asking the children to gather weather expressions from their family and friends.
Activity one in Nose to the sky is a nice opportunity for the children to work in pairs or groups and to justify their answers using critical thinking skills.
You mentioned English as a linking subject and with the potential the oral and written expression,I would agree. Also there are numerous opportunities to explore Data, Chance, Capacity, Length, Time and Patterns in the Maths curriculum.
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Liston (2018) argues that STEM should move beyond four separate subjects and become an integrated, inquiry-based approach where pupils solve real-world problems collaboratively. In my classroom, STEM is most effective when children investigate authentic questions, collect evidence, design solutions, and communicate their findings.
The ESA activities NOSE UP HIGH IN THE SKY and Weather vs Climate provide excellent opportunities for this approach. I could use them to establish a school weather station where pupils measure temperature, rainfall, wind speed, and cloud cover daily. Science skills are developed through observation and prediction; technology through digital recording tools and online weather data; engineering through designing and positioning instruments; and mathematics through graphing, averaging, and interpreting data trends. The Weather vs Climate activity helps pupils distinguish short-term weather events from long-term climate patterns using evidence-based analysis. I would lead whole-school practice by creating shared data displays, involving classes in weekly weather reports, and presenting climate findings through assemblies, newsletters, and collaborative STEM projects.
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The main points I will take from Liston’s (2018) Unravelling STEM: Beyond the Acronym of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths is how integrated all 4 areas are and that skills transfer across each area and provide a problem solving approach that can be applied in new contexts in life.
I like the progression in Nose to Sky as it starts with chatting about the weather which the children are accustomed to towards more technical learning and recording. Using their senses is a natural middle step here.
For weather versus climate I think the children would be more invested and really enjoy making the weather stations. We have made a wind turbine before but they didn’t survive long with poor positioning and flimsy materials. I agree careful consideration has to go into this. Also the discipline of checking it every day..in this regard it’s good to pass that responsibility on to the children. I like the activities, especially categorising the weather&climate statements. I was a bit disappointed that a lot of the graphs and information only went as far as 2018. With data centers etc and to make it more relevant to their lives it would be great to have more up to date data.
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Hi Diarmaid,
Welcome to the course. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the resources and activities in this module. The Weather V Climate resource outlines both concepts in an age-appropriate way and will discuss the weather on their birthday and the climate over time to ensure the learners can outline the difference. As you have mentioned categorising the statements is a great activity and you could consider how this could also be used for assessment to outline that the learners understand the concept.
Thanks for your feedback regarding the data sets, while the data up to 2018 is relevant and allows for data analysis and skills development, more recent data could be take from Met Eireann also.
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I agree Cian with how you would use the resources. Whole class discussion with weather folklore would draw in the interest of the class. There is a nice chance also for home connections by asking the children to gather weather expressions from their family and friends.
Activity one in Nose to the sky is a nice opportunity for the children to work in pairs or groups and to justify their answers using critical thinking skills.
You mentioned English as a linking subject and with the potential the oral and written expression,I would agree. Also there are numerous opportunities to explore Data, Chance, Capacity, Length, Time and Patterns in the Maths curriculum.
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Dr. Liston’s paper ‘Unravelling STEM: Beyond the acronym of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics’ prompts us as teachers to clearly reflect on what STEM means and how each element is as important as the other. In order for an activity to be truly STEM, integration across the four elements is essential. Engineering is a vital approach which helps binds together science, maths and technology. I found the pen analogy helpful in looking at technology not only as ‘a plug in’ but a manmade device that fulfils a human needs or want.
In First Class, my pupils measured rain fall using a class made rain gauge. We also collaborated with Third Class. First Class read the temperature each day and Third Class took the results over a few weeks and analysed the data using graphs. In addition to this I would like to set up a school Met. Station. This is a great way to promote outdoor learning. By encouraging children to become weather detectives, they are developing problem solving and critical thinking skills also.
I found the ESA resources very practical. I look forward to using the ‘Nose Up high in the Sky’ activities. There is potential for linkage with Gaeilge, history and the local weather proverbs. Grandparents and older people often have great sayings relating to the weather.-
Hi Freda,
Welcome to the course. Thanks for sharing your own reflection on Liston’s paper. The pen analogy is great and I was reminded of the many pens that my own class dismantled during the year!
It was a great idea to collaborate with third class to study the weather last year. This would have been so beneficial for all the learners involved. I can see how you might build on the success of this in creating a weather station for the school this year.
It is great to hear your thoughts on the ESA resources in this module. I hope you enjoy the other activities and resources in the other modules.
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The ESA activities, particularly *Nose Up High in the Sky* and *Weather vs Climate*, provide engaging, practical opportunities for pupils to explore STEM through real-world learning. I found these resources easy to use and highly adaptable for classroom practice.
Reflecting on Liston (2018) reinforced the idea that STEM is most effective when taught as an integrated, hands-on approach rather than as separate subjects. In my classroom, I encourage children to investigate, collaborate, and solve authentic problems through inquiry-based learning.
To extend the ESA activities, I would establish a simple weather station within the school grounds. Younger pupils could record daily temperatures using thermometers, while older classes could collect additional data on rainfall, wind speed, and cloud cover. Pupils would use charts and digital tools to record, analyse, and compare results over time, helping them distinguish between short-term weather patterns and long-term climate trends.
This activity naturally integrates all aspects of STEM. Scientific skills are developed through observation and investigation, mathematical skills through measuring, recording, and interpreting data, technological skills through the use of digital devices, and engineering skills by designing, maintaining, and improving the weather station.
To promote collective practice, I would expand the project into a whole-school inquiry. Classes could collaborate across year groups, share findings through assemblies and digital platforms, and contribute to a central weather display. Pupils could also take responsibility for managing the weather station on a rotating basis, encouraging teamwork and ownership of learning.
Overall, this approach would foster curiosity, strengthen STEM understanding, and develop a shared appreciation of weather, climate, and environmental science across the school community.
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The ESA resources’Nose Up High in the Sky’ and ‘Weather vs Climate’ are engaging, inquiry-based activities that encourage pupils to investigate the world around them through observation, measurement and data analysis. The resources are practical and age-appropriate. The Nose Up High in the Sky resource encourages pupils to observe weather conditions using their senses before progressing to building simple meteorological instruments to measure temperature, rainfall and wind speed. This helps children understand that scientists use reliable instruments, alongside satellite observations to produce accurate weather forecasts. A great activity is to set up a weather station in the school grounds. Pupils could construct a simple rain gauge, thermometer shelter and anemometer, then collect daily measurements over several weeks or months. Recording temperature, rainfall, wind direction, wind speed and cloud cover would provide authentic scientific data for analysis.The activities provide excellent opportunities to develop a wide range of STEM skills:
Science: observing, predicting, measuring, investigating, recording evidence and drawing conclusions.
Technology: using digital thermometers, weather apps, spreadsheets and comparing school observations with satellite or national weather data.
Engineering: designing, constructing and improving weather instruments such as rain gauges and anemometers.
Mathematics: measuring accurately, collecting data, calculating averages, creating graphs and identifying trends.
The investigation also promotes important scientific enquiry skills such as asking questions, identifying variables, ensuring fair testing and interpreting evidence. Pupils develop critical thinking by comparing their own observations with professional forecasts and discussing possible reasons for any differences. Overall, these ESA resources encourage active, hands-on learning that makes abstract scientific concepts accessible. By engaging pupils in collecting real data, building instruments and communicating their findings, the activities foster curiosity, collaboration and scientific literacy while developing essential STEM skills that can be applied across the primary curriculum.
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Hi Cait
Welcome to the course and thanks for your observations on the activities from this module. I believe that making simple weather instruments and recording the weather should be a part of every primary school experience and not just at one stage but revisited at various stages throughout primary school from simple recording at infant level to the building of more complex weather instruments as they get older. As you said, it is a perfect integrated STEM activity with the scientific study of the weather, engineering of weather instruments, data collection and use in maths and integration of technologies such as digital thermometers, spreadsheets and online weather and climate data. There is a wealth of online data so children can compare their own findings to the Met Eireann forecasts and it is very relevant to their everyday lives.
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I love the layout and scheme for teaching weather in the ‘Weather vs Climate’. I think it’s so important to distinguish weather from climate at the beginning of the topic. Analysing statements about weather and climate is a great assessment tool to check for understanding and correct any misunderstandings. Having pupils measure the temperature is active and engaging. The ‘Climate Reporters’ activity will link nicely with environmental awareness.
Nose Up In The Sky’ provides plenty of opportunities to introduce new vocabulary and extend oral language skills. It’s also very hands on, giving students the opportunity to create their own weather station and monitor. This would link closely with Maths as student calculate average rainfall, wind speed etc.
I think it would be a fantastic idea to set up a STEM leadership group in the school with representatives from each of the classes. Students could choose particular instruments they will create, monitor and record. After a period of a month, classes could possibly rotate.
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I liked what Liston (2018) had to say about STEM education, particularly the emphasis on providing meaningful, integrated learning experiences rather than teaching each subject in isolation. I aim to create hands-on learning opportunities where pupils work together, investigate questions and make connections across different areas of the curriculum, which reflects the approach described in the paper.
I found Activities 1 and 2 to be practical, engaging and well suited to my class. Activity 1 helps pupils clearly understand the difference between weather and climate through discussion and relatable examples, making a difficult concept easier to grasp. Activity 2 encourages children to become “Weather Detectives” by collecting and recording weather data, while naturally integrating Mathematics through measuring, graphing and interpreting their results. Both activities promote active learning, teamwork and inquiry, which are important aspects of STEM education.
I would use these activities as part of an integrated unit of work on weather. To extend the learning, I would encourage pupils to compare their findings with weather data from other locations or over a longer period of time. It could also be beneficial to include a simple engineering challenge, such as designing a rain gauge or a weather shelter, to strengthen the engineering element of STEM and provide further opportunities for problem-solving and creativity. -
The ESA resources provide engaging, inquiry-based activities that help pupils develop a meaningful understanding of weather, climate and environmental sustainability. I would use these resources to establish a weather station in the school grounds where pupils could measure temperature, rainfall, wind direction and cloud cover. Collecting data over time would help children understand that weather refers to daily atmospheric conditions, while climate describes long-term weather patterns. This activity promotes a wide range of STEM skills. Pupils develop science skills through observation, investigation and prediction; technology skills by using digital weather tools and recording data; engineering skills by designing simple weather instruments; and mathematics skills through measuring, graphing and analysing results. To promote collective practice, I would encourage all classes to contribute to the weather station, share findings during assemblies and display data on a school weather board. This collaborative approach would strengthen scientific understanding, environmental awareness and communication across the whole school community.
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Hi Emma,
Thank you for sharing your ideas on the Weather vs Climate resources. You have made some very good points about the importance of beginning by clearly distinguishing between weather and climate. The statement-sorting activity is a useful way to assess understanding and address any misconceptions, while measuring temperature and observing weather patterns gives pupils a more active, hands-on experience.
I also like your idea of setting up a STEM leadership group with representatives from each class. This could be a lovely way to build pupil voice, responsibility and whole-school engagement around weather monitoring.
It would be great to hear a little more about your reflection on Liston’s paper, particularly how integrated STEM learning already happens in your classroom or how these activities might support science, technology, engineering and maths working together.
Just a small technical note: some HTML formatting seems to have pasted into your post. Using “paste as plain text” can help avoid this.
I hope you enjoy the rest of the course.
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