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ASSIGNMENT
Choose one of the options below and write a reflective piece (150 words minimum) in this forum as a reply to this post:
- Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
- Creating a teaching resource using the “Globe at Night” citizen science programme
- Planning a project for your class to take part in the International Dark Sky Association’s “Rising Star” Awards Programme.
Also, please respond to at least one other participant’s post in this forum.
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I would begin with a short comparison between the night sky in Meath, where I work and a darker-sky location such as Sligo., where I am from .Students examine two sets of images and quickly note differences in star visibility and sky brightness. The focus is on identifying light pollution as the cause of reduced visibility in urban areas.
I would then get the students to discuss what they personally observe when looking at the night sky from home and compare this with the rural example. The teacher briefly introduces the idea that artificial lighting affects what we can see above us.
The main activity would be an investigation where students identify where their family members are from and research or gather descriptions of the night sky in those areas. They compare this with Dublin/Meath and record differences in a simple table.
The lesson ends with students sharing one key difference they found and suggesting one possible way to reduce light pollution locally.
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Niall’s idea of comparing the home location with an alternative urban/rural one is great. I also love the idea of researching the night sky in another area where family members are from. This makes the research done personal to each individual student while learning the main points about reducing light pollution also.
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- Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
Light pollution is something that many children do not think about because artificial light has become such a normal part of their lives. In my local area, street lighting, housing and outdoor lights mean that the night sky is not as dark as it would have been in the past. I would use this as a starting point to encourage pupils to become “night sky detectives” and investigate what is happening around them.
We would begin with a discussion about what pupils notice when they look up at the sky and whether they think children living in different areas would see the same things. Pupils could carry out a simple observation at home and around the school, recording the amount and type of artificial lighting they see. We could then use the Globe at Night programme to compare our observations with other locations.
To finish, pupils could share their findings and suggest small changes that could reduce unnecessary lighting. This would help them understand that protecting dark skies is also about protecting wildlife, saving energy and caring for our environment.
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Hi Laura,
I think you are totally right. Children have totally become accustomed to light pollution because it has always been a part of their life. That’s such a lovely idea to compare what the children see in the nights sky with what children might see in a different part of the country such as near a dark sky area. The stellarium website would also be great to look at to see what they actually should be able to see in the night sky without light pollution.
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I agree Laura that this is something that the children would not have thought about before it has been an issue for their whole lives. I was shocked at the difference between 1997 and 2015 and it made me realise for the first time how less visible the stars are in our night sky now as when I was a child and how terrible that is. I love the idea of prompting the children to become “night sky detectives” and make their observations and investigation more playful and engaging. Also using the Globe at Night programme to compare with other places. Thanks!
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Hi Laura,
I really like your idea of encouraging pupils to become “night sky detectives” because it makes the learning engaging and relevant to their everyday lives. Your home and school observations provide a meaningful way for pupils to investigate light pollution firsthand. In my autism class, I would adapt the activity by using visual checklists, symbol-supported recording sheets and photographs to help pupils record what they notice. With the support of two SNAs, pupils could compare pictures of a brightly lit area and a darker location to identify the differences. I also like your use of the Globe at Night programme, as it allows pupils to see that light pollution is a global issue while making links to their own community. Your final discussion about protecting wildlife and saving energy is an excellent way to connect science with environmental responsibility.
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I also agree with you Laura. This is a really valuable topic to explore with children, as many of them may not realise how much our view of the night sky has changed because light pollution has been part of their everyday lives. The comparison between 1997 and 2015 is quite striking and highlights how quickly our connection with the natural night environment has changed.
I also think this provides a great opportunity to help children develop a sense of curiosity and responsibility towards the world around them. Encouraging them to become “night sky detectives” could allow them to investigate their own surroundings, collect data, and think about how human activity impacts nature. It could also lead to discussions about how light pollution affects not only our ability to see stars, but also wildlife, ecosystems, and our own wellbeing. Using the Globe at Night programme to compare their observations with other communities would be a great way to show them that this is a global issue and that their findings can contribute to a wider understanding.
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Hi Niall,
It is a lovely idea to allow the learners to compare the night sky from two different areas as you have suggested. This will allow them to make critical comparisons and then discuss the reasons for difference and even to identify changes that can be made to reduce light pollution and the importance of these changes. I also like how you plan to get families involved in observing the night sky and also contacting other family members to compare the night sky in their own area. This will also raise awareness among the school community.
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Hi Niall, I agree that comparing the night sky from two different areas is a lovely idea. It gives the children a clear visual way to see the effects of light pollution and encourages lots of discussion and curiosity. I also like how it helps them understand that small changes can make a difference in protecting our night sky.
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I would begin a unit of work on Light Pollution with a KWL and I anticipate many children would not be aware of the concept at all.
I would move on and ask the question ‘What is the difference in the night sky in their home area’ ( some rural some urban)
Then I would ask for a Think Pair and Share about the night sky in Dublin
We would then move on to the taught activities from the Globe at Night Programme.
The final classroom based activity would be a return to KWL and each group of children would get two minutes to write something they have learnt on a piece of paper. Either they would read or I would read it for class.
Then this unit of work would be transferred to the home environment using the Globe at night to look at constellations .We could then input the data to Globe at night database and lead in to a maths lesson on data by creating graphs.
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Hi Monica
I think it’s a great idea to get the children to begin to obsere the night sky where they live and then to compare that with other children some who live in urban areas, some who live in rural. I think that children have an inherent sense of wonder and that this type of lesson would inspire them to pose questions and also ask why their night sky is being polluted with light. It’s great to get them to come up with ideas on how to decrease the level of light pollution that is occuring. Simple changes can make a big difference and it is things that children can do in their own homes such as switching off outdoor lights etc.
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Hi Monica
I love your ideas for getting the children to share their work in this and other posts. Allowing them the opportunity to share what they have learned with their class and even other classes and their families is a great way to consolidate learning. You have also given great consideration to integrated STEM with using the Globe at Night programme to incorporate Technology and Maths.
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You’ve used a range of methodologies in this lesson, starting with and retuning to the KWL chart, as well as including digital skills like using the globe at night database. I like how you can extend the learning to include mathematical skills like creating graphs based on the data gathered through the globe at night database.
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I love your idea of comparison Niall. It made me wonder if my class could make this work with another part of Europe. We have been an Erasmus school for the past few years and this has allowed some pupil trips to Spain and France so far, both schools visited were much more urban than ours, we are a rural school in CO. Wexford. I am thinking if we could set up some Zoom meetings with at least one of the schools we have already teamed up with it could make for an interesting study.
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I really enjoyed this module and gained lots of ideas on how to make this topic accessible and interesting for a typical class.
After giving them some input on the idea of light pollution, I would get the students to survey the school grounds and the immediate environs that surround it. We are based in a rural setting in Co. Donegal and I would imagine that we wouldn’t be severely impacted by light pollution. After collecting all the data, I would then get the children to apply their maths skills and graph these findings. I would also use Google Maps as a basis of helping the children mark the types of lighting in our surroundings and also perhaps the colour of the lighting too.
We are located within 10 minutes of an urban centre and we could then designate a suitable area to survey on the same basis as above. This fieldwork opportunity would provide them with a very meaningful opportunity to analyse their findings and make comparisons. We could also ask the children to link up with their parents and submit photos of the night sky from their place of dwelling. We do have a small amount of pupils who live in the urban area described above so that would also provide us with opportunities to compare.
Finally, I think our findings would be an excellent feature at our annual science fair held each Spring.
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Hi Rory, I really like your idea of comparing findings from both the rural and urban areas. It would give the children a real understanding of how light pollution can vary depending on where we live. I also think displaying the project at your school science fair is a brilliant idea, as it would encourage pupils to share what they have learned with the wider school community and help raise awareness of simple ways we can all reduce light pollution.
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I really like how you have planned to make the topic of light pollution relevant to the pupils’ own environment. The comparison between a rural setting in Co. Donegal and a nearby urban area would provide an excellent opportunity for children to see the differences that location can make. I particularly like the idea of using mathematics to analyse and graph the data collected, as it links science with other areas of the curriculum. Using Google Maps would also help pupils develop digital skills while investigating their local surroundings. Including families by collecting night sky photographs is a great way to extend learning beyond the classroom. Presenting the findings at the science fair would be a fantastic way to celebrate the pupils’ investigations and raise awareness of light pollution within the wider community.
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Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
Light pollution is impacting our world in such a detrimental manner and this module highlighted this fact. I think we need to help our pupils become aware of light pollution and how it is having such a negative impact on our environment and on ourselves. I think it would be beneficial to include The Green School Committee helped by the local Tidy Towns in conducting a simple audit of the outdoor lights in and around the school and the locality. I must be honest light pollution is something I never really thought about until I started this course.
Motion sensor lighting is a good option it can switch on if and when needed. It could be solar charged as well. It is very easy to see the impact of light pollution, a simple drive at night and you will be blinded by the glares of the oncoming car bulbs. I find them very disorientating and was happy to hear that some countries are seeking to ban these new car bulbs. I can only imagine how harsh the glare of them are impacting on local wildlife and nature. I would show my class the shocking slide “The Background Growth Of Light In Ireland”. This is a stark visual and one that makes us stop, think and realise the affects of light pollution not only on our environment and wildlife but also on ourselves going forward.
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This 6th Class lesson introduces pupils to the topic of light pollution and explores how it affects the local area of Blessington, Co. Wicklow. Pupils begin by discussing where they see artificial light in their community, such as streetlights, homes, shops, and sports facilities. They learn that while lighting improves safety and visibility, excessive or poorly directed light can have negative effects on wildlife, human health, and the environment. Using photographs, maps, and class discussion, pupils investigate how light pollution can disrupt nocturnal animals like bats, owls, and insects, reduce energy efficiency, and make it difficult to see the stars above the Wicklow landscape. Working in groups, they identify ways to reduce unnecessary lighting, including using energy-efficient bulbs, shielding outdoor lights, and turning off lights when they are not needed. By connecting the lesson to their own community, pupils develop environmental awareness and understand how simple actions can help protect the natural beauty and biodiversity of Blessington for future generations.
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Niall’s way of engaging learners focuses on learners’ personal observations and comparisons between locations. I should have incorporated this, as our school has pupils who live in rural and urban locations. I like how you have given the children opportunities for observation, comparison and reflection.
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Light pollution is becoming increasingly noticeable in my local area, particularly as new housing developments, street lighting and commercial buildings continue to expand. While artificial lighting improves safety and convenience, it also reduces our ability to observe the night sky and can disrupt local wildlife, including nocturnal animals and insects. It can also affect people’s sleep patterns by interfering with natural day-night cycles.
To help learners explore this issue, I would use an inquiry-based approach. I would begin by asking pupils to observe and record the amount of artificial light they notice around their homes or school. They could compare photographs of the night sky taken from different locations and discuss why some places appear brighter than others. We could also investigate how light pollution affects animals and people through age-appropriate videos, books and class discussions.
As a practical activity, learners could design posters or create presentations suggesting simple ways to reduce unnecessary lighting, such as using motion sensors, directing lights downward and switching off lights when they are not needed. This would encourage them to think critically about balancing human needs with environmental responsibility. By connecting the topic to their own community, pupils would develop a greater appreciation of the night environment while recognising that small individual actions can contribute to reducing light pollution.
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I again, really enjoyed Niall’s comparison and would go further afield to New York where light pollution makes that inhabitants and visitors cannot see the skies. I would hold a class discussion where students have noticed this, and then test their geographical understanding of locations by giving them an option of do they think that light pollution occurs/does not occur in a range of different locations. Then looking at county to county comparisions. Then, we might disucss – what changes occur, and what changes we could make as a population, could we make might be an action that we could work on as part of our reflections on that discussion.
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I think that these are great ideas, especially for children living in places with more light pollution. Bringing in the element of family members from different locations really gives the lesson a personal element and it will encourage the children to reach out to those family members living further afield from them.
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- Explore where artificial lights are used in the city and why its on the increase.
Street lights, housing developments, sports facilities, commercial areas.
2. Discuss how too much artificial light reduces the visibility of stars and planets, making it more difficult to observe the night sky. Discussion on how it affects wildlife, such as birds and insects. Talk about the how too much light wastes energy.
- Pupils can investigate light pollution by comparing the night sky in different locations, for example, a built-up area and a darker rural location, with the help of a parent or guardian. In school, pupils use light pollution maps and satellite images to identify brighter and darker parts of Cork.
- In school, pupils use light pollution maps and satellite images to identify brighter and darker parts of Cork. They can predict where the most stars would be visible and discuss the reasons. As a class, pupils can carry out a simple experiment using torches to demonstrate how excess light reduces visibility. They record observations, analyse results, and suggest ways to reduce light pollution, such as using shielded lighting, switching off unnecessary lights, and using energy-efficient outdoor lighting.
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In my local area of Knocklyon Dublin, there is a lot of light pollution from streetlights, houses, shops, and nearby roads. This makes it difficult to see many stars, although the Moon and bright planets can still be seen.
Learners will observe the night sky from home and record what they can see. In class, we will compare our observations with pictures of dark skies in rural Ireland and discuss how artificial light affects our view of the stars. Students will also identify ways to reduce light pollution, such as turning off unnecessary lights and using outdoor lights that point downwards.
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As artificial light affects humans’ circadian rhythm, it can also affect animals’ as they are exposed to artificial light from homes, streetlights and security lights etc. and this can affect their breeding and migration. It can confuse insects that pollinate plants.The beautiful natural night sky is less visible destroying opportunities for stargazing and observation of the night sky. Human sleep cycles are affected due to disruption of melatonin production so it can directly affect people’s health as reduced melatonin levels have been linked to cancer.
Young learners could explore this by being introduced to the nocturnal world through literacy and storytelling. By using drama and roleplay, children could recreate some of the difficulties for nocturnal animals, such as finding food because the night sky is too bright.
The children could then go on a hunt around the school yard to look at all of the different sources of outdoor light and they could later classify whether they are good or bad by focusing on whether they are shielded lights that point downwards or unshielded lights that point at the sky.
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1. Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
Light pollution in Kilkenny is mainly caused by urban skyglow, unshielded residential security lights, and local commercial lighting. While Kilkenny County Council has successfully upgraded roughly 80% of its public streetlights to directional LEDs to reduce upward light spill, private, industrial, and festive lighting continue to impact the local environment. Light pollution disrupts local wildlife such as bats, who rely on deep darkness to forage. Garden birds suffer from altered feeding cycles which leads to premature nesting. Poorly targeted white lights create sky glow which obscures views of the Milky Way and limits our connection to Aurora Borealis or meteor showers.
We will carry out a local lighting audit where I will challenge students to inspect outdoor fixtures around the school grounds or their homes using the Dark Sky Ireland Guidelines:
• Is it useful? Does the light serve a clear safety purpose?
• Is it targeted? Is the fixture fully shielded so light points strictly downward?
• Is it too bright? Are bulbs unnecessarily harsh or cold white instead of warm amber?
• What changes could be made around our school to make our lighting more environmentally friendly?-
I really like Emer’s ideas for a school audit in relation to outdoor lighting fixtures especially around the school community. This could be conducted by the Green school committee and their findings fed back to the school community through possibly the Student’s Council with any recommendations or changes to be made. This emphasises the importance of the pupils voice and will give them a sense of responsibility and ownership of their work.
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3. Planning a project for your class to take part in the International Dark Sky Association’s “Rising Star” Awards Programme
To start with we would have to learn about what light pollution is. We could start with the Esero Light and Dark worksheets and examining the increase in light pollution images comparing 1997 to 2015. We could look at the general negative impacts of light pollution on people and animals and the environment.
We could move from there to doing some practical investigations in our local area. We could look at street lights in the community around the school. We could count and categorise the different streetlights used and how effective or not they are at reducing light pollution. We could do this in conjunction with the space week investigation designing a device to reduce light pollution from a model street light? Maybe we could contact the local council to see if they have a plan for changing or upgrading streetlights with light pollution in mind.
We could do an investigation into the wildlife in the immediate vicinity of the school and the potential impact of light pollution on them. Some motion sensor night cameras to record nocturnal activity would be fun to play around with!
Lastly we could look at our school building and whether it is adding to light pollution in the area with unnecessary security light etc.
Ideally it would be great to give the children some information about dark skies and light pollution and have them come to with their own ideas for investigating, researching and taking action.-
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Fantastic ideas here, thanks for sharing them. I really like the idea of getting on to the council to see if there are any improvements being planned. Also loved the idea of setting up a motion sensor camera for the wildlife. I wonder if you had a ring doorbell could you use that? Pretty fun and exciting idea.
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A reflective piece on how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
I was fortunate to grow up in a rural part of Kerry where the light quality throughout the night was very good. Our school is located on the outskirts of a big enough town, so it shows a good example of light pollution. About half of the class are from rural settings so can compare the light pollution in their own area with the location of the school. From our school, if we look in the direction of the town, it is very easy and clear of the light pollution. I would introduce light pollution to the students by showing images of various towns at night from an aerial view. We would then compare these images to images of the sky from the countryside and discuss. The students can make their own observations from their own homes and we can discuss as a whole class. The ‘Background growth of Light in Ireland’ is a great visual to show the students. -
1. Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
Firstly I would look at where we are living. I teach in a rural setting but live in an urban area. Some of the children that travel to school also live in an urban area. We could contrast both of these and see where did they notice has the biggest light pollution. We could also look at the lighting around the school and see if there are any improvements that we could make, for example, having sensored lighting instead. They could do this in groups and maybe present it digitally, through photos and a PowerPoint presentation. We could also do a “light pollution walk” and see where there is excessive lighting, too bright or even just mis-aligned lighting. We could use clip boards for this investigation to make it a little more fun. Finally, I would ask them to take time on a dark evening to just look up at the sky and see can they see the stars from their house or is light pollution a problem. A lot of the children attend youth club in the school community, so on another dark night they could compare the stars in the sky to their homes. We would end the lesson with their presentation of their own, unique discoveries.
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Hi Aine,
Welcome to the course. Thanks for sharing your lesson idea on light pollution. It is a great idea to compare two different areas – rural and urban and using images where possible can allow for lots of discussion and critical thinking. The learners in your class could also take photos of the night sky when they are observing it at home or after their youth club for comparison with their peers in the class and to look at the level of light pollution in different areas. You have allowed for lots of inquiry based learning too as they explore the lighting around the school and how it could be improved.
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• Creating a teaching resource using the “Globe at Night” citizen science programme
1. Introduce the lesson by asking why can’t we see as many stars in the city as we do in the countryside? What is light pollution? Why is it important to protect dark skies?
2. Identify the four main types of light pollution: skyglow, glare, light trespass, clutter
3. Look at pictures from the locality (city) and around rural areas around Ireland. Look at the quality of the night sky in areas with very little light pollution such as west Kerry.
4. Talk about the Globe at Night programme and explain that it’s a worldwide citizen science project where volunteers measure night sky brightness by comparing what they can see with star chats.
5. The next activity can take place at home with adult supervision.
-Pick an observation site
-Allow your eyes to adjust to the darkness
-Identify the constellation using the Globe at Night guide.
-Compare what they see with the start charts.
-Record: date and time, location, weather conditions, sky brightness
-Input their observation to the Globe at Night database.
6. In class the following day students can compare results, create graphs to represent the data and discuss their findings.
7. If possible a field trip could be organized in the winter time when the skies get darker earlier to an area with less light pollution to fully explore the night sky.
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I would begin this topic by reading to my class ‘How to Catch a Star’ to engage the class. I will also put on ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ for the children. After this I will show various images of the sun, moon, a torch, street lights, lights from a house, etc. We will sort these images into natural lights and people made lights. We will then do the Star Jar experiment, where you have a clear plastic container with star sticker inside it. The children will count the stars in the container and then shine a torch into the container and count the stars again. I will question them – was it easier or harder to see the stars?, what happened when we shone the torch? On the interactive whiteboard I will show various images of different scenes at night time, e.g. street lights, curtain closed, stars in the sky, a house with outdoor lighting, a lamp switched off. We will become light pollution helpers and sort out these images into helping to make the sky brighter or helping the night sky.
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I really like the storytelling and hands-on approach you’ve planned, especially using How to Catch a Star and the “Star Jar” experiment to make the concept concrete for 2nd class. The sorting activities are also a great way to build understanding of natural vs artificial light in a simple, visual way. Linking it to “light pollution helpers” is a nice way to make the learning active and age-appropriate, helping children see how everyday choices can affect the night sky.
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Hi Sarah,
Welcome to the course and thanks for sharing your lesson ideas. It is important to address the issue of light pollution even with younger learners. I like your idea of sorting the different images which allows for lots of discussion and language development such as natural light. Using images familiar to the learners will help them to learn about the concept of light pollution and also encourage them to take action by turning off lights when not needed and becoming light pollution helpers. Thanks for sharing
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I love the idea of the Star Jar experiment and with older children it still would work.I would preface it with a poem or story about light /stars /space suitable for older children, maybe one of Chris Hadfield bookssuch as The Darkest Dark would also be a link with SPHE.I then would move on to constellations and children could do mini projects on each of the major constellations while one group could focus on light pollution and use the graphs showing growth of light pollution in Ireland.We could then present this to another class level.
A unit of work like this would cover STEM, Literacy, Gaeilge, The Arts ,SPHE etc and would be a great basis for an integrated module of work.It also would allow parents to participate in their child’s learning in a meaningful way and we may find a pearent or grandparent with an interest in astronomy who might come in and chat to the class
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In inner city Dublin, light pollution is very visible at night due to streetlights, shopfronts, traffic lights and buildings. The sky often has an orange glow, meaning very few stars (if any) are visible compared to rural areas. This reduces opportunities for children and adults to experience the night sky and can also affect wildlife and people’s sleep patterns.
To engage 2nd class learners, I would keep it simple and hands-on: comparing images of dark and city skies, doing a “light detective” activity in the classroom, and asking children to observe the night sky at home and record what they notice (stars, brightness, streetlights). I would also use drawing and storytelling (e.g., animals affected by bright lights) to build understanding in an age-appropriate way.
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I like how you connected light pollution to children’s own experiences in inner-city Dublin. The “light detective” activity is a great hands-on way to encourage observation, and the home observation task helps involve families in the learning. Including storytelling about animals affected by artificial light is also an excellent way to make the topic meaningful and engaging for younger learners. Living in Waterford City, I could do this lesson also
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Light pollution in my local area has become an increasing issue, especially in urban areas. Bright lights from street lamps, buildings and advertising signs make it difficult to see the stars, the Moon and other objects in the night sky. Light pollution also affects wildlife, particularly nocturnal animals such as bats, insects and birds, and it can even interfere with people’s sleep.
To engage First and Second Class pupils, I would begin by showing them two pictures of the night sky: one from a city and one from the countryside. We would compare what we can see in each picture and discuss why there are more stars visible in one than the other. I would explain light pollution in a simple way by describing it as “too much artificial light that makes it hard to see the night sky.”
Next, we would go on a short “light hunt” around the school grounds to identify different types of lights and talk about which ones are needed and which ones could be turned off. Back in the classroom, the children could draw a picture of a sky with lots of stars and another with light pollution to show the difference. We would finish the lesson by discussing simple ways we can reduce light pollution, such as switching off lights when they are not needed or closing curtains at night. If possible, I would encourage the children to look at the night sky with their families and share what they noticed when they returned to school.
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Hi Maria,
Welcome to the course. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on addressing light pollution with the class.Using images from rural and urban areas allows for lots of discussion and critical thinking as they are comparing and discussing why there is such a difference and the introducing the concept of light pollution and the impact it might have. It is also important to empower the learners with how they can take action as you have mentioned such as closing curtains at home and switching off lights when not needed. It is important to encourage these actions both at home and in school.
I hope you enjoy the other modules in this course.
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I would begin this lesson by showing the students 2 different pictures – one image showing a sky full of stars and another image of a city skyline at night. We will discuss what we see, ask questions, such as which sky do they prefer to look at or have we ever looked at the stars in our locality, etc. I will go on to explain what light pollution is and we are going to explore light pollution in our town Killarney. Firstly, we will do a local investigation – looking at a map of Killarney and discussing what is on the map. I will break up the class into groups where the students will make a chart of brighter areas and darker areas of the map and what is located here. We will take a closer look at areas near Killarney National Park, comparing it with the town. From this, we will discuss the effects of light pollution on local wildlife. As a follow-on activity, in their groups the students will design posters on how Killarney can reduce light pollution.
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I am originally from a rural part of Ireland, but have lived in Dublin for the past twenty years. It always strikes me how darker the skies are in rural Ireland in comparision to living in Dublin. It is like chalk and cheese. So different. Some of the children I teach may never have experienced dark sky with stars yet it is one of the first things I notice when I spend time at home in the west of Ireland where I am originally from. The dark sky is beautiful with stars and constellations. It is such a pity children living in cities don’t experience it more.
To engage my learners, I would begin by asking them what they notice about the sky at night and whether they have ever seen the Milky Way or a large number of stars. We could compare photographs of the night sky taken in areas with high and low light pollution and discuss the differences. As a class, we could carry out a simple investigation by observing and recording the brightness of the night sky from home over several evenings, with the support of parents or guardians. Maybe children could visit places where there is less light pollution and discuss with the class.
Back in the classroom, we could share observations, create posters about reducing light pollution, and discuss practical actions families and communities could take, such as switching off unnecessary outdoor lights.
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Hi Siobhan
Welcome to the course. Thanks for sharing your own observations and thoughts on the night sky in rural Ireland v Dublin. It is unfortunately true that for some learners, they may never experience the dark sky with stars. You could consider taking photos of the night sky in your own local area of the west of Ireland to share with the learners as the photos you have outlined in your post and allow them to make connections and comparisons with what they have experienced themselves. I like how you are planning to make connections with home and allow for more observations at home which would raise awareness of the light pollution at home also.
I hope you enjoy the rest of the course.
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Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
I would first begin with a class discussion with my 2nd class pupils about what they can see in the night sky and whether they think it looks the same everywhere. Using the Stellarium app suggestion from the last module we could compare a “real sky” view above our school with a dark sky location to see the difference and begin to explore the meaning of light pollution.
After this, shared discussion where pupils identify sources of light pollution they already know, such as streetlights or house lights. We could then brainstorm ideas for how we might reduce it around school, such as turning off unnecessary lights or using downward-facing lights. Pupils could also complete a home light survey, noting bright lights around their house at night and drawing a simple map.
Using the darksky.ie website pupils could pick an area in the world where they are most interested in and compare the 2 areas and plot the results on a graph incorporating maths into the lesson also.
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Assignment Q.1 Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
3rd/4th Class
Lesson: How does light pollution affect our local area?
Pupils should be able to: Understand what light pollution is, identify different sources of light pollution in their local area, explore how artificial light affects people, wildlife and the night sky and collect evidence and suggest ways to reduce unnecessary light pollution.
Introduction:
Show photos on IWB in a split screen of:
1. City at night/ a rural sky full of stars.
2. Brightly lit streets.
3. Floodlit sports pitches(there is one beside our school)
4. Houses/businesses without outdoor sensor lights.
Questions: Where would you rather look at the stars?, Have you ever noticed you see more stars in some places?, Do you know what lights might stay on all night in our community?
Main Lesson:
Explain what exactly light pollution is.
Then introduce the 4 types: Sky glow, glare, light trespass and clutter.
Follow these types with examples of as many as possible in our local area.
Activity: Light Pollution Detectives.
Class to be divided into groups.
Each group is provided with a simple map of the locality.
Ask the pupils to mark places on the map where they think there might be lots of artificial light e.g. housing estates, football pitch, shop, church, community centre, pub, post office etc.
Ask if they know which places might stay lit up all night, which lights are necessary and which lights could be reduced or turned off altogether.
Follow up activity: For homework each pupil could complete a night time observation sheet with an adult. The following questions could be included:
1. How many stars can you see?
2. Can you see the moon?
3. What lights are nearby?
4. Can you hear any wildlife e.g. birds or bats?
5. Are any lights shining into peoples homes?
Take pictures or draw what you notice.
Link with Geogrpahy(mapping) and Art(chalk night sky pictures).
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Hi Sinead.
Welcome to the course. Thanks for sharing your lesson idea. While it is very general you could consider the area you are living in or the local area of your school and consider adapting this lesson specific to the area. Such as if your school is urban, using images from a rural area near you for comparison of the night sky. You could also focus on the school area specifically when exploring the artificial lights so that the learners can consider what changes are needed in the school initially before exploring further in the local area.
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Q1. Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
Engage
I would start by asking older primary students in winter months for their homework to up at the night sky in Castletown-Geoghegan. Can you see thousands of stars, or only a few? Why do you think this happens? Discuss how streetlights, homes, and buildings can make the sky brighter at night. They might also notice the lights coming from the Santy experience in the local village that has a lightshow as part of it.
Investigate
They could be asked to go outside after dark with an adult and observe the night sky from different places around Castletown-Geoghegan. Count the number of stars you can see in each location and note where the brightest lights are. Compare your findings and consider how artificial light affects wildlife, people, and our view of space.
Next Step
The next part of it could be that they design ways to reduce light pollution in your school or community. Create posters encouraging people to switch off unnecessary lights, use downward-facing outdoor lights, and protect the night sky.
Reflect
What did you discover about light pollution in Castletown-Geoghegan? How has your thinking changed? Share your ideas on why dark skies are important and how small actions by everyone can help preserve them for future generations. -
As our school is in a rural area, many of the children are lucky enough to see a much darker night sky than children living in towns or cities. However, because we are quite close to Waterford City, we can also discuss how artificial lighting affects what we can see in the sky. I would begin by asking the children to share what they can see from their homes at night. Some may be able to see lots of stars, while others living closer to the city may notice fewer because of light pollution.
To explore this further, I would ask the children to complete a simple star count at home with their families on the same evening, recording approximately how many stars they can see and whether they live in a darker rural area or closer to the city. Back in class, we would compare our results and create a bar chart as part of the Maths Data strand. We could also discuss why streetlights, buildings and cars make it harder to see stars and how this affects wildlife as well as people (circadian rhythm) . As a creative follow-up, the children could produce artwork comparing a dark rural sky with a brightly lit city sky, helping them visualise the impact of light pollution.
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1. Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
Light pollution in Galway is caused by streetlights, buildings, and other artificial lighting. It creates a bright glow in the night sky called skyglow, which makes it hard to see stars, especially in the city. In rural areas outside Galway, the sky is darker and more stars are visible.
Light pollution can affect wildlife by disrupting natural behaviours like feeding and migration. It can also affect people by interfering with sleep and wasting energy.
To help learners understand this, I would start by asking what they can see in the night sky from where they live. Students could compare answers from different areas. They could also count stars or use simple phone apps to measure sky brightness in different places around Galway. Then they could map their results to see where light pollution is worst.
Finally, students could design ideas to reduce light pollution, such as using better street lighting that is less bright and directed downward. This helps them connect science to their own local environment. -
Light pollution is noticeable in and around Knocklyon, especially from street lighting, nearby housing estates, cars, and the glow from Dublin city in the distance. Even though these lights help with safety and visibility, they also mean that the night sky is much harder to see clearly. For many pupils in 4th class, the idea of a truly dark sky can be surprising, as they may not have had the chance to see many stars or the Milky Way. This makes light pollution a very relevant and engaging topic for them to explore.
In my classroom, I would begin by linking the topic to the children’s own experiences. I would ask them to observe the night sky from their homes in Knocklyon or nearby areas and record what they can see, such as the Moon, bright planets, or visible stars. We would then compare results and discuss why some nights or locations show more stars than others.
I would introduce the idea of light pollution using simple visuals and comparisons between bright urban skies and darker rural skies. We could also carry out a “light audit” around the school, identifying areas where lights may be too bright or unnecessary.
As part of a citizen science approach, I would engage the class in the “Globe at Night” programme, allowing them to submit real observations and contribute to global data. This would help them understand that their local environment in Knocklyon is part of a much bigger scientific picture.
Finally, pupils could work in groups to design posters or short presentations encouraging the school community to reduce light pollution by turning off unnecessary lights and using more environmentally friendly lighting.
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Light pollution is most definitely impacting my local area as very few stars are visible at night, and when looking at the Growth of Light in Ireland map I was shocked to see how much of Ireland had changed from 1997 to 2015. Living and teaching in a Dublin suburb, you can forget that our Galaxy, the Milky Way should be visible to us.
I was originally born and bred in the countryside far from city lights and grew up with dark skies in the 70s. I remember starry nights and my parents pointing out the Milky Way and it saddens me that our students in built up city areas will not have the experience of wonder and awe looking up at the sky with all that outer space entails.
I think I would introduce this lesson with discussions on the difference between artificial light and natural light. Then moving on to how artificial light evolved over time followed by researching the many types of artificial light we have now.
At this stage I would get the pupils to research: How light pollution affect our environment? How can we prevent artificial light at night becoming light pollution? Why can we see lights at night from space?
Finally after much project work in STEM relating to the above, I would steer the class towards looking at light polution costs and it effects on people, wildlife and outdoor environments.
This could naturally lead to the pupils in engaging with Stellarium to explore the night sky that is not visible in a city and also allow them to explore light pollution and learn how to reduce light pollution effects.
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Hi Anne, I really enjoyed reading your reflection. Your personal memories of seeing the Milky Way made your post especially meaningful. I also like your idea of using Stellarium and STEM investigations to help pupils explore the night sky while developing an understanding of the importance of reducing light pollution.
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Hi Anne,
Welcome to the course. This module does make us reflect on the night sky around us, our experiences as a child, I also grew up in a rural area, and what the learners in our classes can see in the night sky, or cannot see if they are in an urban area. I agree that the wonder and awe of the night sky can be lost among busy urban areas due to the artificial lighting.
For our learners, it is important to recognise the sources of natural and artificial light and identify what can be done in the local area to improve the use of artificial light – such as down lighters and showing the learners in the class the differences between the different types of lights and how they can help biodiversity at night. This would also help to guide their research on how it impacts their own local area. There are lovely ideas to guide your learners and support them in their research, thanks for sharing.
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This is a reply to an earlier post where the work of the Green School Commitee was mentioned.
Linking the teaching and learning theme of Light Pollution to the work of the Green School Team and the Student Council is an excellent way to give the pupils a sense of purpose and action on preventing pollution where they can have a postive and visible impact.
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Light pollution is an increasing issue in my local area due to expanding housing developments, commercial buildings, sports facilities, and street lighting. Excessive artificial light obscures the night sky, wastes energy, disrupts ecosystems, and negatively impacts wildlife and human health. Many nocturnal animals rely on darkness for feeding and navigation, while migratory birds and insects can become disorientated. Exploring this issue helps children understand how human activities affect the environment and encourages them to consider sustainable solutions.
The lesson would begin by using Black Marble maps to compare global and local levels of light pollution, prompting discussion about its causes, impacts, and students’ own observations of outdoor lighting. In groups, students would brainstorm how artificial light affects the environment, creating a class mind map. Examples such as bats, owls, moths, and sea turtle hatchlings would illustrate the consequences of light pollution on wildlife.
Students would then investigate light pollution by constructing a model street scene with a shoebox “planetarium” projecting stars. They would compare star visibility with no streetlight, an unshielded streetlight, and a shielded streetlight, recording and discussing their findings. This would lead to the inquiry question: How can we improve streetlight design to reduce light pollution? Students would then design environmentally friendly streetlights.
Finally, using Stellarium, students would compare rural and urban night skies and explore Irish dark sky locations. Throughout the lesson, they would develop scientific inquiry skills through observing, predicting, investigating, recording evidence, and evaluating solutions to a real-world environmental issue.
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Hi,
I note a lot of lights around the school area with it being in the town; lighting from businesses and street lights. In my own rural area some farms have bright lighting around shed areas and there are sensor lights at gates on the lane. On a dark night there is a good visibility of the night sky even allowing for distant street lights on the horizon.
The Inquiry Framework would be a good model to follow to allow for enquiry into this issue.
I notice there are some engaging looking picture books on the darksky.org site. I will try to get my hands on these as they could be a great stimulus to engage children about the issue of light pollution. https://darksky.org/news/childrens-books-about-light-pollution-giveaway/
We would have a good discussion about the issue with the use of some of the photos used in the slides there. We can investigate lighting around the school to see what sort of lights are in use and whether they are dark sky friendly. A survey and creating a map is a great link to develop geographical and mapping skills too. The dark sky assessment guide for lights is a great resource to show which sort of lights are dark friendly or not.
Finally we would extend the survey to the street area outside our school and to see what is in use in the town. There are opportunities to develop the key competency of being an active citizen by following up the results of the survey with local representatives to highlight issues found.
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Hi Gary, I had a look at the link that you uploaded and there are some great ideas on that website to help classes engage in activities about light pollution.
I also like the way these activities can be linked into other subject areas like Geography, Maths and English.
I will be teaching 4th, 5th and 6th in September and these types of activities would be great for group work.
I also thought your idea of using the Inquiry Framework was great. It gives a clear structure for students to investigate the issue while encouraging them to ask questions and search for answers.
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Hi Gary, I enjoyed reading your post. I like how you connected light pollution to your own local area and suggested practical investigations around the school. Your ideas about mapping lighting and involving pupils in surveys would make the learning meaningful, engaging and encourage active citizenship.
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<p class=”isSelectedEnd”>I think the children would really benefit from investigating the lighting around their own school and local area as it makes the issue of light pollution much more meaningful and relevant to them. I also love the idea of using picture books to introduce the topic, as they would be a fantastic way to spark discussion and curiosity.</p>
The survey and mapping activities are lovely cross curricular links and would help the children to develop important geographical skills. I particularly like your suggestion of extending the investigation beyond the school gates and encouraging the children to share their findings with local representatives. It is a great way to show them that they can play an active role in looking after their local environment.
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Light pollution is increasingly becoming a concern in County Kerry, even though it remains one of Ireland’s darkest and most pristine natural areas. In fact, parts of Kerry — particularly the Kerry International Dark Sky Reserve — are globally recognized for their exceptional night skies. However, growing development, tourism infrastructure, and expanding residential areas pose ongoing risks.
How Light Pollution is Impacting County Kerry:
Encroachment on Dark Sky Reserve:
The Kerry International Dark Sky Reserve, stretching from Kells to Caherdaniel, is a designated Gold Tier Dark Sky Reserve. However, nearby towns such as Cahersiveen, Waterville, and Sneem are seeing increased lighting for tourism, roads, and housing, which can spill into the protected zones.
Even small increases in artificial light can reduce the visibility of stars and interfere with astronomical observations.
Effects on Wildlife:
Kerry’s native species, including bats, owls, and migratory birds, depend on natural darkness. Artificial light can disorient nocturnal wildlife, affect feeding and mating patterns, and alter natural ecosystems.
Marine life near coastal areas like Ballinskelligs or Valentia Island can also be disrupted by coastal lighting.
Impact on Human Health and Culture:
Poorly managed lighting in urban areas like Tralee or Killarney can disrupt human circadian rhythms, leading to sleep issues.
There is also a cultural loss; many younger residents have never seen a truly dark, star-filled sky, which is part of Ireland’s natural and mythological heritage.
Protecting the skies over County Kerry is about more than just science — it’s about preserving our connection to nature, culture, and the cosmos. By getting learners actively involved in observation, action, and reflection, we empower them to be guardians of their environment.-
Hi Irene
Welcome to the course. Thanks for the information on light pollution in county Kerry. There is lots of information on the impact of light pollution on wildlife and also the impact on humans in your post.
For the purpose of this task you are also asked how you could engage the learners in your class about this topic. You could consider where your school or you, yourself are located. You could reflect on lighting or light pollution in your local area, Are there opportunities to identify light pollution specific to the school or local area? Are there opportunities for the learners to view lighting in the school grounds or in their local community and ask if they could be changed to protect noctural animals and biodiversity. It is important to make the learners aware of the impact of light pollution but also action that can be taken.
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How light pollution is impacting the local area –
Living in Louisburgh, Co Mayo, I am lucky to have access to beautiful dark skies, especially along the coast and in the surrounding countryside. However, I have noticed that outdoor lighting has increased over the years. Brighter street lights, security lights, and lights from homes can make it harder to see the stars and may also affect local wildlife, such as bats, moths, and birds. Learning about light pollution has made me more aware that good lighting should only be used where and when it is needed.
With my Junior Infants, I would introduce this topic through stories, songs, and simple discussions about day and night. The picture book ‘Owl Babies’ would be a lovely resource to use here to talk about both night and wildlife. We could compare pictures of dark skies and bright city skies, create artwork of the night sky, and go on a walk around the school to spot different types of lights. I would also encourage families to look for stars at home and talk about ways to reduce unnecessary lighting. This would help the children develop curiosity, observation skills, and an appreciation for protecting our natural environment.
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Hi Fiona,
I think living in an area with such beautiful dark skies gives the children a wonderful opportunity to experience the night sky in a way that many of them may take for granted. I like how you’ve linked the topic to Owl Babies as it’s an age-appropriate way to introduce discussions about nighttime and wildlife. Your idea of taking the children on a walk around the school to identify different types of lights is a lovely hands-on activity that encourages observation and connects their learning to the local environment. Encouraging at-home learning is another great way to reinforce the message about protecting our dark skies and supporting local wildlife. It’s a simple but meaningful way to help children develop environmental awareness with regards to light pollution from a young age.
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Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
My school is in a rural area and there are no street lights around the school. There is a local village close by and I would base my learning on the light pollution that would be in the village.
I liked the module idea to set up a model streetscape using torches of various colours and power. The slide explained that the class would need to decide where light is needed and where its not. And also how to change the direction of light using shields. Google maps would also be very handy for this activity as it would help us have a clear picture of the layout of the streetlights in the village. Photographs of the village could also be used.
I would also use the ‘surveys on light pollution’ resource that was show in module 3. -
Before completing this module, I had not fully appreciated how much light pollution affects our environment.
I learned that light pollution is the inappropriate or excessive use of artificial light and that it can create glare, sky glow, light trespass and clutter.
These forms of pollution reduce our view of the night sky, waste energy and can disturb wildlife and people’s natural sleep patterns.
I was particularly interested in the International Dark Sky Association’s five principles of responsible lighting: ensuring lights are useful, targeted, no brighter than necessary, controlled and warmer in colour.
As a primary teacher, I would encourage pupils to investigate light pollution in their own community by carrying out night-time observations with their families and taking part in the Globe at Night citizen science project.
This inquiry-based approach, promoted through ESERO, would help children develop scientific skills while encouraging them to become responsible citizens who value and protect Ireland’s dark skies. -
Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
I live about 4 km from a town and so can experience both light pollution and dark skies depending on which way I go!
It was very interesting to see how the light pollution in my area has changed over from 1997 to 2015. In 1997 my area was dark green with dark green all around it. In 2015 there is much more light pollution with the dark green hugely reduced and light pollution now 4 times natural light at the centre of town.
I would use these two maps with my class. I would explore the differences between the maps in the area around by school. I would ask the children to suggest reasons for this change. We would then discuss ways we could reduce the light pollution both at school and at home.
As the children live in an area with low light pollution I would encourage them to examine the night sky the next time they are in an urban area and the compare it to what they see at home.
I think it would be interesting to have a class discussion and to get the children’s opinions on the differences they have noted.
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Hi Aishling! It is interesting how living just 4 km out lets you experience both worlds. Using those historical maps is a brilliant, visual way for your class to see how light pollution has grown. Encouraging them to actively compare their rural night skies with urban areas is a wonderful, real-world inquiry!
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I think this is a very good response because it links the topic of light pollution to the local area, making the learning meaningful and relevant for the children. Comparing the maps from different years is an excellent way to help pupils see how the environment has changed over time. I like how the lesson encourages children to think critically about the causes of light pollution and consider practical ways to reduce it. The discussion about the differences between rural and urban night skies would help pupils make real-life connections to their own experiences. I could use a very similar activity with my own 5th class by comparing maps of our local area and encouraging pupils to share their observations. I also like the idea of asking children to compare the night sky when they are visiting a town or city with what they see at home. This activity promotes observation, discussion and environmental awareness while developing scientific enquiry skills. I think this is an engaging and age-appropriate lesson that would work very well with my 5th class.
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Living right on the edge of the Kerry International Dark Sky Reserve, it’s fascinating how much the bright town lights of Tralee impact what our students at St. Ita’s and St. Joseph’s can see. Just a short drive away, the sky is a stunning blanket of stars, but from our school grounds, excessive artificial light blocks out the faint magic of the Milky Way, leaving only the brightest stars and planets visible.
To help our learners explore this concept without getting bogged down in complex environmental science, we can create a highly visual, tactile activity. In the classroom, we can use a simple cardboard box lined with black felt to represent the night sky, with tiny fiber-optic or fairy lights acting as constellations. To model light pollution, we can let the students turn on a bright desk lamp right over the box. They will visually witness the ‘stars’ instantly disappear under the glare to scaffold their understanding of this concept.
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I really enjoyed this module. I work in the vicinity of a local football stadium which has a massive amount of floodlights as well as an excessive number of street lights along the paths. There is also a lot of traffic congestion which contributes to light pollution at night from headlights. Some ways learners could be engaged include:
• Field research in our area: surveying how many street lights within a 2km radius of the school. Look at how the light from streetlamps is dispersed (targeted, wide etc)
• Make a planetarium using LED lights to represent streetlights and poked holes in the top of the box to represent stars when a torch is shone. The LED lights will overpower the torch light and this can be used to discuss light pollution.
• Explore a variety of lamps and torches at school to playfully inquire into how light is dispersed, and the different visibility afforded by different bulb wattages. Use this as a springboard to design new streetlamp prototypes-
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Hi Niamh,
Welcome to the course.
Thanks for sharing such thoughtful ideas for exploring light pollution with your class. Your local area sounds like it would provide a very relevant and meaningful starting point, particularly with the football stadium floodlights nearby. This would help children to connect the concept of light pollution to their own lived environment.
The planetarium activity sounds like a very engaging way to visually demonstrate how artificial light can overpower starlight. Exploring lamps and torches before designing new streetlamp prototypes also allows for lovely inquiry-based STEM learning, with strong links to science, engineering and design. Thanks for sharing.
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Light pollution is becoming more noticeable in Enniscorthy and the wider Wexford area, even though it’s far from large cities. My own house is in a valley in a very rural area, so the night sky is very clear – although I do have an annoying neighbour with extremely bright lights and completely unnecessary!
Streetlights, house lights, farmyard security lamps and the glow from nearby towns all brighten the night sky. This extra light makes it harder to see stars, planets and the Milky Way. It also affects wildlife in that bats avoid bright areas, insects can become confused, and some animals wake or sleep at the wrong times because it’s not really dark at all.To help my pupils explore this idea, I would begin with simple observations. They could look at the night sky from home and count how many stars they see, then compare this with photos of very dark places. We could walk around the school and note the lights in the area to help them notice where light escapes into the sky. We could possibly use the spectroscopes from The Magic of Light, and investigate different bulbs and screens to see how many colours each light source produces. This links directly to their understanding of white light and colour mixing.
To finish off, the children could create posters encouraging people to turn off unnecessary lights or use downward‑facing outdoor lamps. This would give them a sense of responsibility and show how small changes could help protect our precious darkness.-
Hi Joyce,
Welcome to the course. Thanks for sharing your own thoughts on light pollution in your areas. It is interesting to hear that while you are in a rural area, neighbours have bright lights which can impact the night sky for you.
Starting with observations is a great idea, you could also consider using images of the night sky in different areas such as where you are living and urban areas of the local town. This would allow for lots of discussion and critical thinking. I like how you are planning to explore spectroscopes also and see if there are different types of light that could be used instead. It is a great idea to encourage the learners to take action such as the posters you have mentioned. While we can encourage changes in school, this could also be transferred to homes and the local community. I hope you have enjoyed the course.
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I teach in a 1st/2nd class multigrade setting. This project is entitled Night Sky Guardians with home and school links. Pupils will learn why dark skies are important and how they can help reduce light pollution. They will discuss the difference between a dark sky and a brightly lit sky. They will learn about nocturnal animals especially those in our locality and why they need darkness. Pupils will also complete a simple night sky observation at home with an adult and create a “Protect Our Night Sky” poster. They will be asked to become nighttime detectives by ensuring unnecessary lights are turned off at home.
Using Book Creator, pupils will make a class digital book. They will add a drawing and record a short voice message explaining one way they can help protect the night sky. The finished book will be shared with families to raise awareness of the importance of protecting dark skies.
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I really like your Night Sky Guardians project idea. I would like to try something similar with my 4th class. I really like how you link home and school activities. I like the idea of pupils becoming nighttime detectives and looking for unnecessary lights. It makes the project very engaging. Creating a class digital book with drawings and voice messages is a lovely way for children to share their learning and teach families why dark skies matter.
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Hi Maria,
Welcome to the course.
“Night Sky Guardians” sounds like a lovely and age-appropriate way to frame this learning for your students.
I really like how you are linking the learning between home and school, as this will help pupils see that light pollution is something they can notice and respond to in their own environment. I particularly like the “nighttime detectives” idea, as it gives children a simple and practical action they can take at home by turning off unnecessary lights.
Creating a class digital book using Book Creator is a lovely way to include digital learning, creativity and advocation. Sharing the finished book with families would also help raise awareness across the wider school community, while showing the children how their voices matter. Thanks for sharing.
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Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this:
Living in the south-east, I’ve definitely become more aware of light pollution over the last few years. Although I’m lucky to live in a fairly rural area where we can still see a good number of stars on a clear night, there has been a noticeable increase in artificial light. One example is the floodlights from our local GAA pitch and walking track. They are fantastic facilities for the community, but they do make a big difference to how dark the night sky is when they’re in use. It has made me think about how easily we can lose sight of the stars without even realising it.
I think this topic would really capture children’s interest because most of them have noticed the moon or a bright star at some stage, even if they haven’t thought much about the night sky before. I’d start by getting the class talking about what they can see from their own homes at night and whether everyone sees the same number of stars. We could use dark sky maps, compare photographs of different locations and carry out a simple survey of the lights around our school and local area.
I’d also love to involve families by encouraging the children to spend a few minutes outside one evening looking at the sky and recording what they can see. Back in school, we could compare our observations, create simple graphs and discuss why some places are darker than others. We could also learn about nocturnal animals and how too much artificial light affects their habitats and behaviour.
This module has really made me appreciate the value of dark skies. Before completing it, I hadn’t fully considered how much artificial lighting can affect wildlife, energy use and even our enjoyment of the night sky. It’s something I’ll definitely bring into my teaching, as I think it’s a simple but meaningful way to help children become more aware of the world around them and the small changes we can all make to protect it.
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This sounds quite similar to where I am from in rural south – There is a local GAA pitch and a newly installed walking track and when it is in use it is incredibly bright. In one way, it actually shows how dark the sky is when it is not in use! Even in my family home, which has a yard with machinery, there is quite a lot of light pollution. The lights are neccessary for security and for safety, and up til now I hadn’t fully appreciated how this might be affecting viewing of the night sky. I htink it could be quite easily fixed with some of the suggestions here. I do know that the light colour is on the warmer side, and I know from this module that is preferable.
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Light pollution in my local area (Meath/Cavan Border)
Although I live in a relatively small town in County Meath and I teach in a rural area close to a major town, light pollution is becoming increasingly noticeable due to expanding residential developments, street lighting, commercial premises and traffic along major roads. County Meath is among the higher-light-emitting counties in Ireland, largely due to its proximity to the Dublin commuter belt and ongoing urban growth.
Light pollution affects the local environment in several ways:
* Wildlife: Artificial lighting disrupts the natural behaviour of nocturnal species.
* Human health: Excessive light at night can interfere with sleep patterns.
* Astronomy: The increased skyglow makes it difficult for amateur astronomers. Local astronomy groups often travel to darker rural locations within Meath to observe the night sky.
* Energy waste: Poorly directed outdoor lighting wastes electricity and contributes unnecessarily to carbon emissions.How I would engage learners to explore light pollution
To develop learners’ understanding through enquiry-based and active learning, I would plan a cross-curricular investigation that incorporates science, geography, mathematics, and digital technology.
1. Introduce the concept
* Begin with photographs comparing dark skies and light-polluted skies.
* Ask learners what they notice and discuss why we need darkness.
* Introduce key vocabulary.2. Conduct a local investigation
Learners could:
* Survey the school grounds and neighbourhood to identify sources of unnecessary lighting.
* Create a map showing locations of streetlights, floodlights and illuminated buildings.
* Record observations using photographs or digital mapping tools.3. Measure light pollution
Learners could:
* Use Sellarium or another star-counting app, or simply count visible stars from different locations.
* Compare observations from the school, residential areas and nearby rural locations.
* Record findings in tables and create graphs to identify patterns.4. Investigate environmental impacts
Working in groups, learners could research how light pollution affects:
* wildlife,
* human health,
* energy consumption,
* astronomy,
* climate change.Each group could present its findings through posters, presentations or short videos.
5. Problem-solving activity
Challenge learners to become “lighting engineers” by designing a more environmentally friendly school or community lighting plan. They could:
* Recommend downward-facing, shielded lighting,
* suggest motion sensors or timers,
* Identify where lighting could be reduced without compromising safety.6. Community action
Learners could:
* produce information leaflets for families,
* create a “Protect Our Night Sky” campaign,
* organise a stargazing evening with parents and the local community,-
Martin, I really enjoyed reading your post. I think you’ve outlined a very practical and engaging approach that would really help pupils understand that light pollution is an issue they can investigate in their own community. I particularly like the idea of having learners become “lighting engineers” and design more environmentally friendly lighting solutions. It gives them ownership of the problem while encouraging creativity and critical thinking.
Your cross-curricular links are excellent too. I can see how the mapping, data collection and presentations would integrate Science, Geography, Maths and Digital Technologies in a meaningful way. I also love the idea of ending the project with a community stargazing event. It’s a lovely way to involve families while raising awareness of the importance of protecting our night skies. Thanks for sharing such a well-thought-out project, it has given me some ideas that I could adapt for my own class and Green Schools work.
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Question 1 – light pollution
Light pollution is becoming more noticeable in my local area, especially around busy roads, housing estates, shops, and sports facilities. At night, the sky often looks grey or orange instead of dark, which makes it harder to see stars and planets. To help my 4th class explore this topic, we would engage in an enquiry based approach.
I would start with two pictures: one showing the bright glow over Dublin and one showing a dark sky from a rural area. I would ask pupils what they notice and what they wonder. This leads into our enquiry question: Is light pollution affecting our local area, and what evidence can we collect?
Using a light‑pollution map of Ireland, pupils would compare the bright colours over Dublin with darker areas. We would talk about why cities look brighter and how this affects animals, plants, and our ability to see stars.
In class, pupils would complete a simple investigation using a model streetscape and torches to see how shielding and light direction change sky glow.
For a home activity, pupils would do an observation task of going for a short evening stroll/drive with a parent. They would look for places with strong lights, such as streetlights, shop signs, or football pitches. Each child would record and collect evidence by taking a photo of the sky, sketching what they see, and writing a few notes about the lights around them.
Back in school, we would compare all the evidence and discuss what our evidence shows about light pollution in our local area.
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I like your idea of beginning with a stimulus picture and showing the children two opposite pictures and to note the differences.
Completing the home idea whereby they note the variety of lights in their area is also beneficial to put their learning into practice and see how it links to their local area.
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Q1.
The area where my school is on the outskirts of a well-populated and built-up town. Because of this, our view of the stars at night is affected. Although we are in a town, we are close to the country side. We could use the Globe at Night website and put the different townlands into the website. We could compare the areas to where our school is and discuss how they are different or maybe similar to the surrounding areas.
I liked the idea on the slides whereby the children set up a model streetscape with a box planetarium to investigate light pollution and how it may be affected in our area.
Allowing the children to explore on the dark skies finder website is also a useful way to make them aware of how light pollution is not only impacting the area close to our school but also the wider community and environment. Using this tool could be linked to map skills or when working on a specific country during a Geography lesson. -
Living and teaching in Rush, I have noticed our night skies getting much brighter. The council recently changed our streetlights to energy-saving LEDs. While this helps save energy, these bright lights cause light pollution. They hide the stars over the Irish Sea and upset local coastal wildlife.
To help my fifth class understand this, I would give them a nighttime science project. For homework, the children will look at the sky from their back gardens to find a famous group of stars, like Orion. They will use a simple chart to count how many stars they can actually see through the glare.
The next day in school, we will combine everyone’s findings to make a map of the brightest and darkest spots in Rush. This gives them a real-world look at how our choices affect our local environment.
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Hi Kaytlyn, That’s a good point about the energy saving street lights. Where I live, the lights outside my house have not been updated unlike further down the road. When the Northern Lights were visible a few months ago, some neighbours came to our garden to better see them. I hope progress doesn’t reach our end of the road! This really needs more traction in the media.
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Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
I live in rural Kilkenny and teach in a local school. In recent years it has become more difficult to observe the night sky due to light pollution. This is due to spread of city lights, LED street lights, floodlighting of local GAA pitches etc.
Some of the children in my class live in the village and others in the local countryside. I would get them to observe the night sky on clear nights outside their houses. They could take photos of the sky and email them so that we look at them on the whiteboard and may be able to compare and contrast.
I could register the class for a global citizen science project like ‘Globe at Night’ During our designated morning moon observation week, I will set a night-time homework task. Children will head into their back gardens or local estates, look up at a specific constellation (like Orion or Ursa Major), and match what they can see against a series of visibility charts (the Bortle Scale). They will log their local light levels using a simple app, mapping out the contrast between rural areas like Gowran and the Kilkenny City.
They could then further investigate light pollution by asking any relatives who live in big cities to share photos, also relatives who may live in a less light polluted part of Ireland (west coast).
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I like how you have linked the lesson to the children’s own local area by comparing observations from the village and the countryside. This would make the impact of light pollution much more meaningful for them. Registering for Globe at Night is also a fantastic idea as it gives the children the opportunity to take part in a real scientific investigation. I particularly like your suggestion of involving relatives from different parts of Ireland, as it would allow the children to compare a wide range of observations and see how light pollution can vary depending on where you live.
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One of the biggest takeaways for me from this module was realising how much light pollution is connected to energy conservation, biodiversity and our everyday choices. As the Green Schools Coordinator in my school, we will soon begin working towards our seventh Green Flag, the Global Citizenship Energy flag, so I can already see a huge overlap between these areas.
Although light pollution isn’t something many of our pupils would naturally think about, it provides a great opportunity for inquiry-based learning. I would encourage my class to investigate the lighting around our school and local community by carrying out surveys during the day and, where possible, observing lighting after dark with their families. We could identify where lighting is necessary, where it may be excessive, and discuss how changes could reduce wasted energy while still keeping people safe. The module’s suggestions around surveys and collecting local data really appealed to me because they allow pupils to become active investigators rather than simply learning facts.
I would also like to use the Globe at Night citizen science programme alongside our Green Schools work, allowing pupils to compare the darkness of our local skies with other locations and contribute to a real scientific project. This would help them understand that environmental issues are interconnected and that even small changes, such as using dark sky-friendly lighting or switching lights off when they are not needed, can have a positive impact on biodiversity, energy use and climate action.
Thank you for another great module, I think this topic has enormous potential to support meaningful, hands-on learning while fitting naturally into our Green Schools journey.
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Planning a project for my 5th class to take part in the International Dark Sky Association’s “Rising Star” Awards Programme would provide an excellent opportunity to combine science, geography and environmental awareness in a meaningful way. The project would begin with a discussion about light pollution and why dark skies are important for wildlife, astronomy and people’s wellbeing. Pupils would investigate how artificial light affects our local area by comparing light pollution maps and discussing changes over time.
As part of the project, the class would complete a night sky observation diary over two weeks. With the help of their families, pupils would record the number of stars they could see from home, note the Moon’s phase and describe any differences they noticed between darker and brighter locations. Back in school, we would compare our findings and discuss how light pollution can reduce our view of the night sky.
The class would also work collaboratively to design posters and digital presentations using Google classroom, promoting simple ways to reduce unnecessary outdoor lighting, such as switching off lights when they are not needed or using downward-facing lights. These could be displayed around the school to raise awareness among the wider school community.
Taking part in the Rising Star Awards Programme would encourage pupils to become active citizens by investigating a real environmental issue and sharing their learning with others. It would develop important scientific skills, including observing, recording, analysing and communicating findings. I believe this project would be highly engaging for my 5th class as it connects classroom learning with everyday life and encourages pupils to take responsibility for protecting our dark skies for future generations.
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Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
I grew up in a lovely rural area in Co. Limerick where we always had a lovely clear view of the sky at night. The only light pollution in the area was from the neighbouring homes but once everyone was in bed there would be zero artificial light to be seen. It was always a wonder to go out and admire the night sky then.
I teach in a large town in North Co. Cork. The majority of the pupils live in the town with a small amount living in surrounding rural townlands.
The impacts of light pollution in this town are:
· Wildlife disruption – Artificial lighting can disrupt nocturnal wildlife, including bats, moths, and other nocturnal insects, by altering their natural behaviours and habitats.
· Plant Growth: Light pollution can interfere with the natural growth cycles of plants by altering their photoperiod, potentially impacting local agriculture.
· Skyglow: Increased artificial lighting reduces the visibility of stars and celestial bodies, affecting amateur astronomy and the natural beauty of the night sky. This is particularly relevant in areas like the town my school is on, where rural charm and natural scenery are valued.
· Exposure to excessive artificial light at night can disrupt human circadian rhythms, leading to sleep disorders and other health issues. This can affect the well-being of Charleville residents, impacting their overall quality of life.
· Loss of Heritage: The night sky has cultural and historical significance, and light pollution can erode this heritage by masking the view of the stars. This loss is significant in communities that value their cultural and historical ties to the natural world.
I would engage my pupils (6th class) in a few different ways. The first would be to explore what light pollution is. We would discuss what they can see when they go outside their front/back door at night and look up. It would be interesting to see what differences there are between the pupils who live in the town versus outside the town. I would try and have images to show the pupils what I see when I stand outside my house and look up. I live in a really rural area with little light pollution so there would be a big difference in our experiences.
We take our 6th class on an overnight trip to a local village education centre. This would be an ideal time to have an observation night of the night sky. It would provide an opportunity for the pupils to see what is closer to the natural dark sky.
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For this assignment, I would examine the ways in which light pollution is affecting the local area and how children could explore ways to address/improve this using Dark Sky guidelines.
Our school is in a rural area but many of our children travel from a local urban centre also. We have children, then, from both rural and urban settings. I think this would be very interesting from an audit/survey point of view. The children could identify light pollution issues in the environments surrounding them and report back to the class. For example, children living in town may find evidence of light pollution in street lighting, shop lighting, security lighting, etc. Children living in the countryside may find evidence in security lighting on farms, at sheds, floodlighting on houses, even light spill from local pitches. The crossover between rural and urban would demonstrate that light pollution can occur no matter the setting or environment.
The audit/survey can then move from external environments to our school environment. We would examine all of the internal and external lighting at the school and think about the following questions:
· Are there lights which could be repositioned or shielded to reduce pollution? Are they ‘dark sky’ friendly?
· Are there bulbs that could be replaced with lower wattage to reduce glare?
· Are there different colours of bulbs that could be chosen to reduce impact?
· Are there lights that could be turned off without compromising safety (or security at night)?
Findings of the survey/audit could be presented to the school during an assembly and the Green School Committee could also be involved in implementing some of the suggestions and recommendations made.
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How light pollution is impacting our local area:
Our school is based in a coastal village in the south east so there isn’t a huge amount of light pollution. However, I’ve noticed increasing glow from streetlighting, passing ships, and the ferry terminal lights reflecting off the water and clouds on overcast nights. This makes the stars more difficult to see than in the past.
I would take a picture of our local area after dark and put it up on the smart board for all to see. The students will each have “many stars” and “few stars” laminated pictures. We will discuss which picture matches the image of our local area.
Each pupil will then use a black card and star stickers to make a dark vs. bright sky image. I would split the black card in half and ask the students to show a dark sky on one side and a bright sky on the other side, using fewer stars on the brighter end, more on the darker end.
We could also compare a photo of our village sky to a very dark rural sky and a bright city sky, letting pupils sort or match the images as a further extension lesson the following week.
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Globe at Night as a teaching resource
I would not begin the lesson sequence by immediately introducing Globe at Night. I would begin broader in the general themes or pollution, environment, etc. Initially through a class discussion or in pairs/groups in a mind map. I’d allow the pupils to feedback and create a larger list or table of their responses. I don’t imagine light pollution would be high up in their thoughts but I imagine it would come up. If not, some strategic questioning would be used.
Then I’d explain that we were going to take light pollution and explore it further. With an older class that were capable of using ICT independently I would give them a short amount of time to find a definition of light pollution and some examples of what it impacts, e.g. nocturnal animals (ecosystems), energy use (environmental), human health (circadian rhythms).
We would look at the Globe at Night resource following this.
I would take these responses, along with some other topics, and set a collaborative task using the impacts of light pollution discovered – Create a presentation to explain to the class what you have discovered and what, if anything, can be done to “solve the problem”.
A further option would be to allow the pupils to record with a supervising adult as a homework task.
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Hi David,
Welcome to the course. Thanks for sharing your lesson ideas using the Globe at Night resource. I think that exploring general themes initially will give the learners a broad understanding of many themes when you can then focus on light pollution. As you have mentioned, if the learners have the background knowledge on light pollution, they can use this in a meaningful context when using the Globe at Night site and I like how you plan to record the data and take part in the project with an adult at home.Thanks for sharing, I hope you enjoy the course.
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I like how you build up to Globe at Night instead of jumping straight into it. Starting with a discussion lets the children make their own connections first. I also like the homework idea as it gives them a chance to investigate light pollution in their own area, making the learning much more real and meaningful.
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Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
Light pollution is not something which I would have really considered prior to starting this module, but having looked at all of the information provided it has increased my awareness of light pollution in my locality and the effect it has on the natural world. It was interesting to see map images of Ireland past and present as it highlights the disimprovement through the years. It has made me look at my local area in a different way, as I can already see areas in which light pollution could be reduced.
To engage learners in this topic, I would begin with discussing pollution and see if children identified light as a form of pollution. Following on from this, I would use the ESESRO framework for enquiry to teach children about light pollution. We would use the information from the lesson to then look at our school surroundings, identify sources of light, look at ways in which these sources could be improved upon to reduce our light pollution and bring the information to the student council.
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Light pollution is noticeable in my local area, particularly around housing estates, street lighting and commercial buildings. The bright artificial lighting makes it difficult to see many stars, providing a valuable opportunity to investigate how human activity affects our view of the night sky. To engage my class, I would use the **Globe at Night** citizen science programme. First, we would discuss what light pollution is and predict how many stars we think we can see from different locations. Children would then work with their families to observe the night sky from home, compare what they see with the Globe at Night star charts and submit their observations to the project. Back in the classroom, we would analyse our results, compare them with data from other locations and discuss ways to reduce unnecessary lighting. This inquiry-based activity develops observation, data collection and critical thinking skills while helping children understand how they can contribute to real scientific research and environmental awareness.
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Hi Aine,
Welcome to the course and thanks for sharing your thoughts on light pollution in your own local area. As areas are developed with housing estates and commercial areas this can have a big impact on light pollution.
I like how you are planning to explore the concept of light pollution and looking at the amount of stars in different areas. You could also consider some images of rural and urban areas to compare the night sky and as you have mentioned getting families involved in their own observations too. This will also allow for engagement with citizen science and Globe at Night and I like how you plan to use the resources from Globe at Night to help with the observations too.
Thanks for sharing, I hope you enjoy the course.
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Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
I teach in Dublin city centre. There is a high level of street lighting, shop and house lighting, and traffic lighting. I think a good time of year to engage learners would be winter, perhaps after Halloween or the new year, as it is much easier for learners to see the lighting earlier in the day.
We could focus on our school garden and the streets around our garden. This seems a more mangeable focus for the class.
We could count lights around the perimeter of the school garden and create an overhead map of the area.
I could take photos in the garden after dusk to show the visible light. I would make sure that the white balance is set correctly. We would then examine the direction of the light, the colour of the light and the quantity of the light in the photos.
During school we could examine the street lights and see what shielding if any is in place on them.
Following this we could write to Dublin City Council to recommend shielding or different colour light if necessary.
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Hi Edwin, I really like all of your ideas with regard to helping the children understand light pollution and its effects. The idea of yours that I thought was really interesting was to write to Dublin City Council with suggestions. I think this would not only encourage the children to really think about light pollution, but would extend it towards the idea of citizenship, environmental care and civic pride.
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In our school, we are fortunate to experience much darker skies than those in urban areas. However, light pollution is still becoming more noticeable due to increased housing developments, brighter street lighting, floodlights at sports facilities and security lights in residential areas. While these lights improve visibility and safety, they can reduce our view of the night sky and have an impact on local wildlife, including bats, moths and other nocturnal animals. It has made me more aware of the importance of using outdoor lighting responsibly so that we can protect both biodiversity and our view of the stars.
To engage the children in my 3rd class, I would begin with a discussion about what they notice when they look at the night sky from home and compare it with photographs of dark sky locations and brightly lit cities. I would also show them the graphs showing the growth of light in Ireland. In pairs the children could analyse and collect data from the graphs, both 1997 and 2015, focusing on their own area and the country as a whole, while also identifying what has changed and what has stayed the same. Furthermore, we would investigate different sources of light pollution around our local area and discuss how these might affect people, animals and plants. The children could complete a simple light survey around the school grounds, identifying where lights are needed and where they could be reduced or directed more effectively. As a follow-up activity, the children would design and construct a
Box-planetariumbased on their local area. This activity allows for real-world application to evolve in the classroom and enables the children to investigate where artificial light is needed and where it is not. It also opens up the question how we can protect the night sky from artificial light in our local community. From this activity, the children are encouraged to think critically about how small changes can make a positive difference to both the environment and the wildlife in our local community. -
I would choose to explore how light pollution affects our local area. Although we are fortunate to have some nice outdoor spaces, there is a lot of artificial light from houses, streets and businesses, making it difficult to see many stars at night. We are located in an urban area near the town centre and also have housing on one side. I would begin by asking the children what they have noticed when looking at the night sky and whether they have ever been able to see lots of stars. We could discuss why some places have darker skies than others and how this affects not only our view of the stars but also wildlife such as birds, bats and insects. As a SET teacher, I would keep the activities practical and discussion-based, using photographs and simple observation tasks to support understanding. We could also use the school garden space to observe the sky during the day and discuss how our environment changes from day to night. I think this would be an enjoyable way to develop curiosity while helping children understand the impact people can have on the environment.
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I live in a large town and teach in a nearby rural school. I think that gives me a great opportunity to compare two different areas. I’d like to ask the children where they think they’d see more stars and why. I’d like to chat about streetlights, houses, traffic and buildings and how all of these create light pollution. The children could make predictions before heading outside one evening with their families, to count how many stars they can see from home. We’d compare the results in class and discuss why some places have darker skies than others. We could also use light pollution maps and Stellarium to see what the sky should look like without artificial light. I’d like to encourage lots of discussion and let the children come up with ideas for reducing unnecessary lighting around their homes or school. It makes the learning feel real because they’re exploring places they know well, and it helps them understand that small changes can make a difference to wildlife, energy use and our view of the night sky.
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- Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
I work in rural school in County Kildare, which also happens to be close to a number of bigger towns. This would give me an opportunity to compare the differences between what the children in my class see at night time, due to the fact that some live in a rural area and some in an urban area.
I would start by asking my class what can they usually see when they look up at night time when they are at home. Hopefully this would yield a number of different responses. I would then ask why some people can see more stars than others. Following that, we would explore what is meant by sources of light and make a list of those that exist around us, before looking at reasons light is important/can help us.
Using the streetscape in a box activity, I would then demonstrate how light can make it difficult to see the stars and discuss the idea of light pollution. In groups, the children could then devise ways and means to reduce the impact of light pollution.
A nice follow-up activity could be for the class to carry out an observation when they are at home in the evening, listing what their view of the night sky looks like, as well as listing sources of light and whether or not they are light pollutants.
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Hi Karl,
This is a really engaging and relevant approach. I like how you are using the children’s different rural and urban experiences to make light pollution meaningful. The streetscape activity should help them understand the concept clearly, while the home observation gives them a practical way to compare their findings and involve their families.
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I would create a teacher resource that introduces pupils to light pollution through the Globe at Night citizen science programme and links directly to local observation. The resource would begin with a simple explanation of what light pollution is, using the module’s idea that it is light used in the wrong place or at the wrong time.
Next, I would include a step-by-step activity: pupils observe the night sky from a safe location, compare what stars they can see with the Globe at Night chart or app, and record their results on a class sheet. They could work in pairs to note weather, brightness of nearby lights, and whether the sky seems rural or urban.
The resource would also prompt discussion about dark sky friendly lighting and how changing direction, colour, or timing of lights can reduce waste. Finally, I would ask pupils to share their findings as a map, poster, or digital slide, helping them see that their observations contribute to real citizen science. They will present there findings to the class.
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Hi Elaine,
Thanks for sharing your idea for a teacher resource using the Globe at Night citizen science programme. The inclusion of weather, nearby lighting and whether the sky appears rural or urban is also very useful, as it encourages pupils to think about the factors that affect what they can observe.
Presenting their findings through a map, poster or digital slide would help them strengthen their technology and communication skills. You could even take it a step further and include an engineering design element by getting them to design solutions that could be suggested to the wider school.
Hope you enjoy the course.
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Reflection: How light pollution is impacting the local area.
The impact of light pollution became very apparent last Winter when it was possible to view the Aurora Borealis from parts of the locality.
Standing at the outer reaches of the head looking out to sea from the Eastern Seaboard, we were fortunate to be able to observe the northern lights clearly percolating the night skies above. However, spectacle was hugely obstructed by turning 180 degrees and facing the town. The pollution was less from street or residential lighting, but more from exceptionally bright spotlights, illuminating the local sports facilities.
The street lighting could be addressed by investing in energy efficient warm coloured bulbs, if such an item exists. While the cost might be prohibitedly expensive to redesign the existing street lighting, perhaps it should be mandatory that all new lighting in housing developments or industrial locations, conform to a design that minimises light pollution. This could be a great project for older students to undertake. Suggestions regarding the illumination of sports grounds could be beneficial.
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I would begin the lesson by showing children a picture of the night sky in Dublin. The children can discuss what they see and feedback would be recorded on an anchor chart. Then I would show the children a picture of the night sky at Mayo Dark Sky Park and as a class we can compare. The children can analyse why the sky is so much clearer in Mayo compared to Dublin, this inviting many opportunities for discussion on topics such as urban vs rural areas and population density. This would be a great gateway into observing Mayo Dark Sky Park, and the people behind preserving Mayo’s natural light. The children can explore their website and compare and contrast photographs. With this information, children can begin to investigate the impact artificial light has on the local area such as urban sky glow and affect on ecosystems.
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I have chosen to discuss the first option out of the assignments: A reflective piece on how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
Although the area my school is located in is a relatively rural village, light pollution is becoming more noticeable with increased housing, street lighting, businesses and sports facilities. While these lights are important for safety, they can reduce our view of the night sky, affect local wildlife and result in unnecessary energy use if they are brighter than needed or left on throughout the night.
I think exploring this issue locally would make the learning much more meaningful for my 3rd class. Following the Curious Minds/ESERO Framework for Inquiry, pupils could investigate the different sources of artificial light around the village and carry out a survey of the local area. They could map where lights are located, identify examples of dark sky friendly and non-friendly lighting, and discuss practical ways to reduce light pollution, such as directing light where it is needed or using warmer, lower-level lighting. I like that this investigation encourages children to become active, informed citizens while developing their scientific inquiry skills and awareness of how small actions can help protect our local environment.
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Hi Jane,
Welcome to the course. As the rural villages around us are becoming more developed we begin to notice the light pollution. I wonder if there were previous images or maps to show how light pollution has increased in the area and give them to the learners to compare and discuss for ideas why it has happened and also what can be done now.
I like how you are planning to integrate geography into your observations as they map where the lighting is located and consider what changes could be made. This allows the learners the opportunity to reflect on action that could be taken and even to contact the local council with their concerns.
Thanks for sharing, I hope you enjoy the course.
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- Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
With my 5th and 6th class students, I would first introduce the concept of light pollution by watching the Youtube video in this module first and then discussing the topic.
With our tablets, we would then go to the light pollution map and discuss/share how light pollution is affecting how each of us see the sky at night. It would be interesting to draw attention to the effects of living rurally, in an estate or in the town.
On the interactive whiteboard then, we would look at the different sources of light pollution, and identify common ones in our area. For homework I would encourage students to go outside with a family member and see the stars, and the types of light pollution they can note.
In the next lesson, we would examine the dark sky projects in Ireland, and research how this affects biodiversity and ways that light pollution can be reduced in our area/homes. Students can then work together in groups to create a powerpoint presentation and posters raising awareness of light pollution in our area.
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Light pollution is a growing issue in Dublin due to extensive street lighting, illuminated buildings, advertising displays and sports facilities. Excessive artificial light reduces visibility of the night sky, making it difficult to observe stars and affecting local biodiversity. Nocturnal wildlife, including bats, birds and insects, can become disoriented, while unnecessary lighting also wastes energy and contributes to carbon emissions. To engage learners, I would begin with a discussion about where they notice bright lights in their community and why these lights are used. Learners could then carry out a simple evening survey, recording areas with high and low levels of artificial light using a map or light meter app. They could compare their findings with online light pollution maps and discuss the environmental impacts. As a follow-up, learners could design posters or presentations promoting responsible lighting practices, helping them develop scientific inquiry, environmental awareness and a sense of responsibility for protecting Dublin’s natural environment.
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Light pollution is a huge problem across the globe, and I think its a great topic to cover with my class next year.
I would follow on from our lessons on the moon and the constellations and begin a discussion about what children can see from their own houses when it gets dark. As most of the children in our school are from a rural area, I expect that they will see lots, providing there are no clouds. My class are big into GAA, so i think a comparison between what they see from their homes, and then from the GAA pitch at night ( its lit up as there is a walkway) would be very interesting, we could also look at the sky from the street. I think these are very good places to start as the children would be in these areas every week, even in the dark.
Following this I would explore the difference between the night sky now and when their grandparents were young, some grandparents would remember the streetlights being lit by a person every evening. looking at photos taken of the earth would also be a good idea here.
We could then explore how the animals have evolved to need the night sky and the natural lights to feed, breed and find their way home. David Attenborough has fantastic documentaries about this.
To follow up, we could discuss how to improve light pollution in our area. We could design posters/ information leaflets to show the impact light has on the local wildlife.
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I must look for these documentaries. David Attenborough has a wonderful way of engaging his audience. Younger children connect readily with nature and wildlife and would engage in thinking of ways to protect them. The lighting in sports pitches is familiar to the children and a strong example of light pollution.
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Light Pollution is becoming an increading problem in todays society so it would be a great topic for children to learn more about.
Class Discussion first on light pollution, KWL chart on what children know and what they would like to learn.First explain the term pollution is it good/bad etc and see can children figure out the meaning. Follow on from the lessons on the moon, this would be a nice way to move onto the topic of light pollution. Pose questions such as,What is light pollution?, Why do we need outdoor lighting?, When does lighting become a problem?
Night Sky Observation – Ask children for homework to observe the sky at night and
Record how many stars they can see. Children come back to school and Compare observations from different locations. Extension could look at google maps over time and see the difference in the sky throughout the years. Look at the development of towns in terms of town lightening, building of more houses etc.
Light Mapping – children will create maps showing sources of artificial light in their neighbourhood. Identify areas with good and poor lighting design. -
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Light pollution is the excessive use of artificial light that affects the environment and our ability to see the night sky. In the local area, sources of light pollution may include streetlights, houses, shops, and sports facilities. Too much artificial light can disturb wildlife, affect animals’ natural behaviours, and make it harder to observe stars.
To engage learners, I would begin with a local investigation where pupils identify and record sources of artificial light around the school or community. They could create a light pollution map, comparing areas with high and low levels of lighting. Pupils could discuss how lighting impacts people, animals, and the environment.
As a STEM activity, pupils could design solutions to reduce light pollution, such as creating models of energy-efficient streetlights. They could present their ideas through posters, videos, or digital presentations, encouraging creativity, problem-solving, and environmental awareness.
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Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
In Dublin, light pollution is increasing due to streetlights, illuminated buildings, and outdoor lighting. This creates a bright glow over the city, making it difficult to see stars and disrupting the natural habitats of nocturnal wildlife such as bats. Excessive artificial lighting also wastes energy and can affect people’s sleep by interfering with natural day and night cycles.
To engage my Senior Infant children, I will use a playful, inquiry – based approach. We will begin by reading a book called ‘The Sun Thief’ which is about day, night and changing daytime changes. It is a very engaging and funny story that the children will love. We will then discuss the difference between day and night. Then the children will compare pictures of a starry sky and a brightly lit area that is local to our school and ones the children will be familiar with. As their homework for the night/week I will ask them to take a short evening “star hunt” walk with their grown ups to count how many stars they can see and if they are able to take a photo and send it to be on Class Dojo. In class, the next day/week we will discuss their photos and how many stars they found. We will then explore light using torches and simple materials, discovering how covering a torch directs light more effectively. This hands-on approach develops observation skills, curiosity, and an early understanding of caring for the environment through simple actions like switching off unnecessary lights.
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- Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
I would design a project based on this. We would discuss whether we think our town in Co. Louth suffers from light pollution or not. This would lead to the discovery that this area of Louth suffers very badly from light pollution caused by heavy skyglow form street lights and commercial hubs.
We would then do research in groups whether anything has been done in the town to help with this. Have street lights been upgraded to downcast only and are led lights with a warmer light being used?
We could then see if there are other things that could be done to help with this problem. Possibly deciding to reach out to all the families of the school first to check their outside lights to see if they are using warm lights, making sure their outdoor lights are casting downwards and having outdoor lights on sensors or timers to help keep the amount of light down.
The children could design posters to send home to each house.
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Planning a project for your class to take part in the International Dark Sky Association’s “Rising Star” Awards Programme.
For the Rising Star Awards Programme, I would turn my First Class pupils into a Night-Time Nature Rescue Team. We would begin with a darkened classroom and a torch experiment, comparing a light shining in every direction with one covered by a simple cardboard shield. The children would discover that light pollution is unnecessary or excessive artificial light and that better lighting should be useful, targeted, low, controlled and warm in colour.
Next, the children would explore the school grounds during daylight and identify outdoor lights. They would use picture cards to decide whether each light points down, up or everywhere. We would create a large Light Detective Map using star stickers for dark areas and bulb stickers for bright areas. At home, families could complete a simple night-time survey by drawing any lights visible from a window.
The children would then design their own dark-sky-friendly lamp shades using recycled materials and test them with torches in a cardboard “mini town.” Finally, we would create posters and share our findings with the rest of the school. This project would let First Class children investigate a real environmental issue through play, art, science and practical action.
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The urban glow from the city and increasing local street lighting have noticeably affected the evening sky. This light pollution directly threatens the local nocturnal biodiversity, disrupting hedgehogs and moths. To bring this environmental issue to my first-class pupils, I would launch a hands-on project and we would begin by reading a story about the dark. I would then set a weekend homework challenge for the pupils to enjoy and to step outside at bedtime with a parent to count how many stars they can see from their garden, noting if nearby streetlights block their view. In the classroom, we would build a simple “Starry Night” map. Pupils will place bright stickers on areas with heavy artificial light and dark felt on areas with natural darkness. This helps the class visually grasp how excessive light washes out the night sky. We would then create drawings to encourage their families to turn off outdoor lights.
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Hi Christine
That is a lovely way to introduce the concept of light pollution to younger pupils. It is a great way to involve parents by asking the children to observe the night sky at home and see how many stars they can count. I really love the idea of using their discoveries to creat a map with stickers and felt which really helps to make the concept real to them. It would be great to get the children involved in designing a simple recording sheet to take home so that they are using the same tools for assessing the night sky. Following up with drawings to encourage parnents to turn off outside lights is a great way to finish the project. As parents will have been involved in the earlier observations, children will have kept them informed of what they were doing in class, which might encourage parents to think more about their own use of artificial light at night.
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Living and teaching in the rural area in County Laois, I am aware that our night sky is often clearer and darker than in nearby towns. However, light pollution is still becoming more noticeable through streetlights, security lights, farmyard lighting and bright outdoor fixtures that remain on throughout the night. This artificial glow can reduce the number of stars we see, disturb nocturnal wildlife and weaken children’s connection with the natural night sky.
To engage my 3rd and 4th class pupils, I would begin with a simple “What can we see at night?” discussion and invite them to share observations from home. We would compare photographs of dark and light-polluted skies, then complete a safe evening family observation by counting visible stars in one small area of the sky. In school, pupils would map nearby light sources, investigate which lights shine upwards or sideways, and design improved shielded lighting. They could present posters suggesting practical actions, such as using warmer bulbs, timers and only lighting spaces when needed. This would combine science, geography, environmental awareness and responsible citizenship. -
I chose to look at how light pollution affects my local area. Although we can still see some stars where I live, there are many streetlights, houses, and businesses that make the night sky much brighter than it would naturally be. I think many children are unaware that this makes it harder to see stars and constellations, and that it can also affect wildlife and waste energy. With my 4th class, I would begin by asking the children what they notice about the sky at night and whether they have ever seen lots of stars when they are away from towns or cities. We could compare photographs of a dark sky with one affected by light pollution and discuss the differences. I would then ask the children to observe the night sky from home with the help of a parent or guardian and record how many stars they could see and what types of lights were nearby. Back in school, we would compare our observations and discuss why some areas are darker than others. The children could work in groups to come up with simple ideas for reducing unnecessary light, such as turning off lights that are not needed or using outdoor lighting more carefully. I think this is a good activity because it links science with environmental awareness and encourages children to observe the world around them. It also gives them an opportunity to involve their families in their learning and see how science connects to everyday life.
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Living in rural Kerry, I am fortunate that light pollution is less noticeable than in many towns and cities. An area nearby, Kells, is part of the Kerry International Dark Sky Reserve, one of the best places in Ireland to experience a naturally dark night sky. This has made me more aware of the importance of protecting our skies from unnecessary artificial light. As a teacher, I would encourage my pupils to explore this through simple, play-based inquiry activities. We could compare photographs of the night sky taken in different locations and discuss why some places have more visible stars than others. Children could look for the Moon and stars at home with their families and share their observations in class, Children could builr their own dark sky town, using blocks or LEGO: Challenge:Can you build a town that keeps people safe but still lets us see the stars? or similar to this Small world Night Town, create a small-world area with:houses, cars, trees, animals, battery tea lights. We could do an animal role play, children pretend to be: bats, owls, hedgehogs, foxes. Some children shine “streetlights” (torches) while the animals try to move around.Discuss how bright lights affect wildlife.We could also use Globe at Night to compare our findings with those from around the world and explore constellations using Stellarium on the interactive whiteboard. This would help develop children’s curiosity, environmental awareness and digital literacy while making learning relevant to their local community.
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Hi Emma
How lucky you are to live in one of the few dark sky areas where light pollution is less of an issue. I camped in Mannix Point last August and I was really looking forward to looking up at the night sky and seeing a wide range of stars. We did miss the Perseid Meteor showers as it was too cloudy most nights, but I still managed to appreciate the darkness. I love your ideas for exploring light pollution through looking at photos, discussion, building Lego models and animla role play and also the integration with technology and citizen science through use of Stellarium and the Globe at Night. It sounds like a great way to engage the children with the topic.
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Globe at Night is a fantastic way to encourage children to become more aware of the night sky and the impact that light pollution has on our environment.
To introduce the topic, I would begin by asking the children if they have ever looked up at the night sky and whether they think everyone sees the same number of stars. We would discuss why some places have darker skies than others and explore the term light pollution. Living in Ireland, many children have experienced events such as the Northern Lights in recent years, which would provide an excellent starting point for discussion about the night sky and what can affect our ability to observe it.
Using the Globe at Night website, I would demonstrate how to compare the night sky in our local area with the star charts provided. The children would work in groups to predict whether they think our area experiences high or low levels of light pollution and explain their reasoning. As homework, the children would carry out observations at home with a family member and record the number of stars they can see, the time, the weather conditions and their location.
Back in school, we would compare our results and upload our findings to the Globe at Night project. The children could present their observations using graphs and charts and discuss why some locations had darker skies than others. As an extension activity, we could investigate ways of reducing unnecessary light pollution and design posters encouraging people to protect our night sky.
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I have chosen to detail how light pollution is impacting my local area and how I would engage my learners to explore this. Although many of the children in my Senior Infants and 1st class live in rural areas, there is still a lot more artificial light than there would have been in the past. Street lights, floodlights at sports clubs and lights outside homes can all make it more difficult to see the stars clearly at night.
To introduce the topic, I would begin by reading a picture book linked to the night sky and asking the children what they can see when they look out of their windows after dark. We would discuss whether everyone sees the same number of stars and why some places might have darker skies than others.
The children would then become Night Sky Detectives. With the help of an adult, they would spend a few minutes outside one evening looking at the sky and drawing what they can see. Back in school, we would compare our pictures and talk about any differences between observations from the countryside and the village.
As an art activity, the children could create chalk or paint pictures of the night sky, while in oral language we could discuss ways to reduce unnecessary lighting. I think this is a lovely way to introduce young children to the idea of light pollution while encouraging curiosity, observation and an appreciation of the world around them.
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Learning Outcomes
By the end of this lesson, learners will be able to:
Define light pollution and identify its different forms.
Compare the night sky visibility in the Harbour with a nearby rural location.
Explain how artificial lighting affects people, wildlife, and the environment.
Collect and analyse observational data.
Suggest practical ways to reduce light pollution in their local community.Introduce the lesson by displaying two photographs:
Harbour at night (street lighting, harbour lights, ferry terminal)
A nearby rural location with minimal lightingAsk learners:
Which place would have the darkest sky?
Which place would you rather observe stars from?
Why?Record responses on the board.
Discuss light pollution with the children teacher will prompt the children why the harbour has more pollution (port operations, ferry terminal, street lighting etc.) Compare this to the rural area (fewer houses, less traffic, limited street lightening etc.)
The class would be split into groups. Some groups investigating the Harbour and the others investigating the rural area. Noting the amount of lighting, visibility of stars, wildlife, human activity, night sky brightness. The class will come together to discuss which location has greater light pollution, why, what evidence supports this? We will also discuss how light pollution affects people, wildlife and the environment.
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I really enjoyed reading your idea for exploring light pollution with younger pupils. I think the “Night Sky Detectives” theme is a fantastic way to capture their imagination and make the topic feel like an exciting investigation. I particularly like how you have started with a picture book and questions about what children can see from their own homes, as this connects the learning to their everyday experiences.
Reflecting on my own local area, I live in Connemara where light pollution is not as noticeable due to the rural setting and lower levels of artificial lighting. This means that on clear nights the stars are often very visible, providing a wonderful opportunity for children to observe and appreciate the night sky. However, your lesson idea highlights the importance of protecting these dark skies and helping children understand how increased artificial lighting can affect our ability to see the stars and impact wildlife.
I also love the links you have made between science, art and oral language. This is a lovely way to encourage curiosity, observation and a sense of wonder about the world around us.
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Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
To explore light pollution, I would start a class discussion by asking: “What does the night sky look like from your bedroom window?” Children can draw this and describe it to their partner. Because our school is in a town, this activity should immediately highlight the difference between what children living in the town see compared to the children living in rural areas. The students living in the town centre will most likely describe the orange glow from streetlights, while those out in rural lake areas will describe seeing a sky full of bright stars.
To investigate this, for homework on a clear night, students will step outside and look for a recognisable constellation, like the Plough. We will have already looked at constellations. Using a simple star-count method, town students will count how many stars they can see within that shape, while rural students do the exact same. I would encourage parental involvement with this activity.
In school, we will compare our numbers and plot them on a local map. This visual data will spark a discussion on why the numbers are so different and how artificial light “spills” into the sky. We will also discuss the local environmental impact: how light pollution disrupts nocturnal wildlife around our Cavan lakes, like bats, moths, and nesting birds who need true darkness to hunt and sleep.
To finish, students can work in groups to design “dark-sky friendly” lighting ideas for the town, such as shield caps that direct streetlights downward.
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2: Create a teaching resource using the “Globe at Night” citizen science programme;
Creating a teaching resource using the Globe at Night citizen science programme would be a wonderful way for me to introduce my pupils to astronomy through a real scientific investigation.
I feel that children would be excited to know that their own observations of the night sky could contribute to a worldwide research project, helping them to see that science is connected to the world around them.
I would love to create a resource using simple star charts, observation sheets and guiding questions to support pupils in identifying constellations and exploring the brightness of the night sky.
I would also encourage pupils to involve their families by carrying out observations at home and sharing their findings with the class. This could lead to meaningful discussions about light pollution, protecting dark skies and how scientists collect and use data. I believe this activity would encourage curiosity, careful observation and a greater appreciation of astronomy, while helping pupils understand that they can play a role in real scientific research.
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As an infant and special education teacher, I think investigating light pollution in the local area and exploring this with the pupils would be an interesting activity to complete. The school I teach in is in a very built-up urban area. In the local area there are a large number of high-rise apartments that are regularly lit up in the afternoon and evening. There is also a brightly lit train station and a GAA and soccer pitch that regularly uses floodlights close by. Even our own school has some very bright security lights that are on for a large portion of the evening in winter. Using a basic map of the local area and pictures of the area at night, a lesson could be conducted as to how the light pollution impacts the local community and wildlife. We could discuss how we might try to reduce light pollution as a class and the small changes we could make such as turning off lights in our own houses or apartments when not un use, setting our school security lights on timers etc.
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Living and teaching near Roscommon Town, I have become more aware of how artificial lighting affects our local environment. Compared with Boyle, Roscommon Town has a greater concentration of streetlights, shops and traffic, creating more skyglow and making it harder to see the stars.
Boyle, while also a busy town, is surrounded by larger areas of countryside and is closer to darker rural locations, so the night sky can often be clearer just outside the town.
We could compare the night skies in Roscommon Town and Boyle by observing and counting visible stars from each location. My students could also complete a light audit around the school to identify sources of unnecessary lighting and investigate how light pollution affects local wildlife such as bats and moths. These activities would help them associate science with their own surroundings while developing environmental awareness and a sense of responsibility for protecting our night skies. -
- Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
This would be an excellent lesson to do with Science Week while exploring famous inventors. As we focus on Thomas Edison we could bedin to examine the pros and cons of electricity and lights in our world and lives today.
I would use the ‘Time to protect the night’ youtube video as it explains the impact of ligt pollution clearly.
We would then use lightpollutionmap.info to explore how light pollution is distributed around the world and in particular in our own area. We would discuss what factors do they think contribute to light pollution.
We would carry out a survey of the area around our school to record the types / number of lights used. Using the language of ‘shielded lights’ to emphasis the importance of different types of lights and the impact they have on our environment.
I would encourage an after dark walk with parents as a home activity to record the colours of lights in the area, on a simple ariel view map.
As a plenary we would investigate the dark sky places in Ireland and compare the pros and cons of these special areas to our own.
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A survey is a great idea to encourage the children to gather information on their own communities and it can also draw their attention to the fact that children in the same community can have very different views of the night sky due to one living in a well lit estate and another a km outside the village in darkness.
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Light pollution is becoming a growing issue in Killarney town, particularly during the summer months when the town becomes busier with visitors and evening activity increases. With hotels, shops, streetlights, and tourist attractions staying illuminated for longer, the night sky becomes brighter, making it harder to see the stars and reducing the natural darkness that makes the area special. This is especially noticeable near Killarney National Park, where dark skies are an important part of the landscape. Too much artificial light can also affect local wildlife, such as bats and insects, by interfering with their natural behaviours and routines. For people living in the area, brighter nights can make it more difficult to sleep and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere of the town. By using more carefully designed lighting and reducing unnecessary lights, Killarney can continue to welcome visitors while protecting its natural environment.
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Q.1. Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
Light pollution is becoming an increasing issue in rural counties. Fewer stars are visible and therefore it is reducing opportunities for schools and communities to explore astronomy. Also, in rural counties, where biodiversity is important, light pollution can have a knock-on effect cross ecosystems, especially on bats, birds and insects. Another issue it that the glare from bright lighting on a road can reduce visibility and road safety.
The children would be completing a project on the impact of light pollution, suitable for a 5<sup>th</sup> and 6<sup>th</sup> class.
Firstly, I would re-introduce the children to light pollution and gather their prior knowledge. We would also explore a number of resources from module 2- Five principals for responsible outdoor lighting and Kelvin color temperature scale chart.
The children would carry out their own research on light pollution on chromebooks. They would investigate the type of lights in our town, dark sky friendly lights and the colour of lights being used. The children could also carry out investigation work for homework, exploring the different types of light and colour of lights in their locality, with a parent. The children would also research the effects of light pollution on our skies, on people, on animals and on energy.
With the information they have gathered, the children would then create presentations that they could present to our local County Council on ways in which the Council could reduce light pollution in our town to benefit everyone.
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Hi Laura,
Welcome to the course.
I really like that you would begin by gathering the children’s prior knowledge before introducing resources such as the Five Principles for Responsible Outdoor Lighting and the Kelvin colour temperature scale. This would give pupils a strong foundation before they begin their own research, and could open up opportunity for predictions about the repercussions of light pollution which they could then test.
The investigation work using Chromebooks, along with home observations carried out with a parent, would help children connect classroom learning to their own locality. Researching the effects of light pollution on people, wildlife, energy use and the night sky also gives the project a strong STEM focus.
I especially like the idea of pupils presenting their findings to the local County Council, as this gives their work a real-world purpose and encourages active citizenship. Thanks for sharing.
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Q1: Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
As my local area has expanded greatly; increased housing developments, street lighting, sports facilities, and nearby transport infrastructure have contributed to brighter night skies, making it more difficult to observe the night sky. I would start by encouraging my pupils to discuss their own experiences of the night sky before carrying out a simple light pollution survey around the school and community using observation checklists or light meter apps. They could compare areas with different lighting levels, record their findings, and present data through graphs and maps. Linking with Science, Geography, and Mathematics, pupils would investigate how excessive artificial lighting impacts biodiversity, energy consumption, and human wellbeing. They could then evaluate possible solutions, such as shielding outdoor lights, using lower-intensity bulbs, or switching off unnecessary lighting. The project would conclude with pupils creating an awareness campaign, including posters or presentations for the school community, encouraging responsible lighting practices and promoting environmental stewardship within the village.
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1. Light Pollution in my Local Area
I just moved to a new estate in an urban area and have been reflecting on the different types of light pollution in the town. From this module, I can now break them down into the 4 categories mentioned; glare, sky glow, light trespass and clutter. A new pedestrian bridge has just been built beside a non-pedestrian humpback bridge. Bright lights shine from the pedestrian bridge at night to light the path over the bridge but when motorists are driving over the humpback bridge beside it, the glare from the bright bulbs reduces visibility for drivers. A few residents have complained about the glare to the County Council and proposed that the bulbs be changed to a warmer tone, rather than the blue glare that’s currently in place. It made me consider a light solution for one structure (pedestrian bridge) becomes a problem for another (humpback bridge). Hopefully a compromise can be made so that pedestrians and motorists can travel safely in that area of the town.
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Hi Paula
You have made an interesting point about how artificial lighting designed for safety can in some cases make things less safe. I often find when driving at night that I find it very difficult to see at motorway junctions and areas that are well lit up because the lights are too glaring after driving on dark roads. I am sure that with better lighting design, the pedestrian bridge could be lit up safely without causing an issue for motorists and hopefully the County Council will take people’s concerns on board and redesign. this scenario could be a good one to introduce to the children to design better shielded lighting for the pedestrian bridge.
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Yes I agree that one decision in terms of lighting can affect another area and maybe this is not considered in the overall decision. You have given a good example of this in your own locality. It is hard to get it right to provide lighting but to also deeply consider the cost of these changes to the environment. The county councils need to consider this in future planning and try to incorporate less evasive lighting or unnecessary lighting.
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Light pollution in my local area.
Living in the rural community of Rathgormack N.S., we are fortunate to experience much darker night skies than many nearby areas. Within a 20-minute drive, several larger towns produce significant light pollution, where excessive artificial lighting reduces the visibility of stars and other natural night-sky phenomena. Our community is lucky that, on rare occasions, we can even witness displays such as the Northern Lights. This is possible because our darker skies allow faint natural light to reach us without being overwhelmed by artificial lighting. Preserving this environment is important, as unnecessary outdoor lighting can gradually diminish the quality of our night sky.
To engage learners, I would encourage them to compare the night sky in Rathgormack with that of nearby towns by counting visible stars or using simple light pollution maps. Pupils could investigate how light pollution affects wildlife, energy use, and human wellbeing before discussing practical ways to reduce it, such as using shielded lighting and switching off unnecessary lights. These activities would help learners appreciate the unique environment they have and inspire them to become active custodians of their local night sky.
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Firstly, I would begin with doing PRK on light pollution. I would use the framework to plan the lesson. Firstly I would use prompts for the lesson. I would use the video Siding Springs video and I would show satellite photos of Ireland from space. I would display a variety of photos that shows different types of light pollution.
The lesson would be developed further by exploring the light pollution map online on their tablet; is light pollution affecting their area? There are a number of children that live in the country and the town so answers can be compared. The children could then explore what is causing the light pollution in the town?
Pupils could explore why do we need artificial light at night? Others could explore how does artificial light affect nocturnal animals as my group had a particular nature in animals. The different groups could research the two questions and perhaps could turn it into a debate.
A nice art lesson would be to design a dark sky at night and to include the constellations that they have learnt in previous lesson and compare that to an art lesson where they design a night sky where there is light pollution across a city. -
I would plan a unit of work on how light pollution is affecting the local area during winter so the children have time well after it gets dark to observe the night sky. My school is in a very urban and light polluted area so the children would definitely engage well with it. I would use the clarity of the stars in our night sky as a focus for the topic. As a trigger I would do a looking and responding art lesson on Van Gogh’s Starry Night and also use it to inspire the children to design their own paintings and ask the children to look out for the stars and moon outside their homes that night. In our follow up discussion the next day we will discuss why it might be difficult to see many stars clearly and what could be preventing this…I think they would respond well to the “What is Light Pollution?” video and then we could begin an inquiry about how to reduce this. I think they would love designing streetscape dioramas with small torches or battery candles as lights for streetlamps, cars, or houses, and glow in the dark stars to demonstrate how the lights are preventing the stars from being visible. They would be prompted to make Junk-Art light shields or covers to point the light downwards, and also explore solutions such as using warmer lights or switching off lights that are not needed, or going to bed earlier to reduce light consumption. I think they would gain a huge understanding of how light pollution is affecting their local area and how to reduce it.
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Hi Dympa
I love the idea of using Van Gogh’s stary night as a prompt activity. When the children realise for themsleves how difficult it is to see the stars in an urban area, this will lead to lots of discussion on why it was different fro Van Gogh. It will lead to discussions on how things have changed over time with greater numbers of brighter artificial lights and also lead to discussions on the difference bewteen urban and rural areas. Perhaps the children will be able to share stories of visiting relatives or travelling to more rural areas where they light have been able to see more stars. The design of streetscapes and light shields would really follow on well from this.
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Hi agree Una and Dympna, the children would really enjoy discussing Vincent Van Gogh ‘Starry Night’ and how he was inspired to create such a wonderful piece. It certainly would encourage them to think about the changes in our night sky and how difficult it might be for an artist to create the same piece nowdays.
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This is a wonderful idea Dympna, thank you for sharing your thoughts and ideas with us and I hope you are enjoying the course so far. One thing I really like about your post is how you very cleverly link objectives from different curricular areas to make learning more grounded and connected. You have given me some very interesting and creative ideas. Thank you.
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I would choose to use the Globe at Night citizen science programme with my class as I think it is a brilliant way to help children understand light pollution through a real-life investigation. I like that it encourages children to become scientists by observing, collecting information and comparing their findings with others.
I would begin by discussing the difference between natural and artificial light and asking the children if they have ever noticed that it is harder to see stars in some places than others. We would explore what light pollution is and talk about some of the sources of unnecessary lighting around our school and local community. Before carrying out the investigation, I would ask the children to make predictions about where they think the darkest skies would be.
If possible, I would encourage families to take part by observing the night sky at home and recording how many stars they could see using the Globe at Night resources. Back in school, we could compare everyone’s observations and discuss why some areas were darker than others. We could also use maps to identify places in Ireland that are recognised for their dark skies and think about simple ways we could reduce light pollution in our own community.
I think this activity would work really well because it links Science with Geography, Maths and environmental awareness while encouraging children to investigate a real-world issue. It also gives them an opportunity to collect and interpret data, share their findings and understand that even small actions can make a positive difference to the environment.
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Hi Dympna, I really enjoyed reading your post. I love how you’ve linked the lesson with <em data-start=”183″ data-end=”197″>Starry Night to get the children thinking before introducing light pollution. The streetscape diorama is such a creative idea too and I think it would really help the children to visualise how artificial light affects what we can see in the night sky. I also like that you’ve included simple solutions the children could actually apply in their own homes. It sounds like a really engaging and meaningful project.
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Light pollution has become much more noticable in Newcastle, Co. Dublin as the village has grown over the last number of years. New housing developments, brighter street lighting and increased traffic mean that fewer stars are visable than in the past. I would begin by asking 6th Class pupils to compare the night sky from different locations around the village and record how many stars they can see. They would also interview parents or grandparants about how the night sky has changed as Newcastle expanded.
I would share photographs and experiance from my visit to the Dark Sky Reserve in New Zealand, showing how careful lighting choices can protect dark skies while still keeping communities safe. As a meaningful outcome, pupils would analyse there findings and create a Light Pollution Action Plan for Newcastle, including practical recomendations and awareness posters. The class would present there ideas to the school community and share them with the local council, helping pupils see that there work could have a real impact.
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Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
I live in a rural area but close enough to a large town. I always remember being able to see the night sky very clearly. However, lately I have noticed the dar sky isn’t as clear. In the distance, I can see the glow of the lights from the town. There is definitely a lot of unnecessary light pollution here. This is taking three forms:
1. Glare – the glare from modern lights is very harsh and excessively bright
2. Sky glow – in the distance I can clearly see a colourful glow of the night sky over the urban area
3. Clutter – when driving through town there are far too many bright, confusing, and excessive groupings of light sources.
Of course it is necessary to light up dark streets for safety etc but some buildings are all lit up inside and outside.What to do? Raising awareness is important here as most people don’t notice light pollution until it is pointed out to them. Lighting could be changed to a warm colour, the direction altered so the light is pointing downwards and not up into the dark sky and the intensity could be checked to ensure appropriate brightness.
I am lucky I can still see the dark sky but light pollution is getting worse. There are many nocturnal animals in my area e.g foxes, bats, hedgehogs and owls and I hope we can conserve the darkness for their sakes too.
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- Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this
Firstly, to explain Light Pollution, it is the excessive use of Artificial light.
Light pollution is impacting our local area as it can be costly and effects people, animals and outdoor environments. In cloudly conditions, light pollution can be multiplies several hundred times through reflection. Bluer light scatters more in to the atmosphere than red light.
How to engage my learners to explore this:
We would conduct a survey about light pollution, then we would record our findings via graphs in Maths, then we would analyse and study our finding. I would also get teh children to engage in the ESERO 09 Light and Darkness Activity.
We would also look at different photographs of Loght pollution and teh different types of light pollution e.g. Glare, Sky glow, Light trespaa and Clutter.
To sum up we would put a plan in place on how to reduce Light pollution in our local area of Carlingford.
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My school is located in Portlaoise which is a fast growing town. We are seeing a lot of new housing developments, more street lighting, larger retail parks in many areas which is greatly adding to light pollution in the town.
To explore this with my 2nd class we would first discuss what light pollution is and wonder how it may affect people and animals living in our locality. We will look at the video ‘Help protect NSW’s dark skies’ to get a great idea of the impact of light pollution and how to reduce it.
Next we will plan to investigate how many stars we can see at night to see if we can see the impacts of light pollution for ourselves. I will ask the children to spend 5 minutes with their families checking the night sky and counting stars. We will compare these the next day in class checking the different amounts of stars between children who live in town, or housing estates or in the countryside.
Finally, we will try to figure out ways we can stop light pollution in our school and in our homes. This would link well with green schools, trying to make sure that lights are switched off when not needed and especially at home time.
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Q3: I would introduce this lesson by showing the video ‘loosing the dark’ to the children. Then we would explore what exactly light pollution is and the effects of it on our environment. I would give each group a topic to cover, effects on our sleep cycles, our wildlife, plants and eco systems and energy waste. After exploring these topics we would discuss how it might affect our local community and simple ways in which we can reduce this type of pollution. We would take a walk around our school/community and observe the lighting positions, if there are trees/hedges nearby, discuss if these lights would disturb wildlife. We would then record the number and purpose of each lighting. We could contact the council to find out if these lights are on a timer and what colour they are. All of this information would be used to create a map pinpointing light sources using photos and sketches. The children would then create a toolkit in the form of a flyer for their neighbourhood to help reduce light pollution. In this toolkit they would include;
-Use warm lighting where possible.
-Switch off lighting after use.
-Use fully shielded lighting.
-Light up only what you need. -
1. Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
I accidentally taught a short lesson on this last year when the Northern Lights were making a great display over the country. The Northern Lights were a popular topic. They were in the news. They were plastered across social media. Everyone was talking about them and most people were disappointed that they could really only see them through their phone.
On one particular night when the flare was particularly strong, I could clearly see from my house in the countryside, far from city light pollution, that there was something going on in the sky and when I took out my phone, I could see a wonderful display of colours. On one side of the house it seemed brighter than the other. Like everyone else I took a photo to remember the sight. Not thinking that the next day my students would be eager to see it.
I commute to an inner city Dublin school and all of my students were very sad to report that they had not seen the Northern Lights. The first thing they said the morning after the natural phenomenon was that it was ‘fake’. It wasn’t ‘real’. They stayed up and ‘couldn’t see anything’. They were so surprised that I had a completely different experience and this began our lesson on light pollution. It was this personal connection and the children’s desire to learn that guided our learning. We compared their local area to my local area, one of which is suffering from lots of light pollution.-
I can completely identify with this also. Many of my students live in urban areas, where it would not be possible to see the Northern lights. I myself had to drive to the countryside to see the lights. i grew up in the countryside and definitely remember what true darkness was like, how we were able to walk in the darkness and our eyes adjusted to guide us along our way. My children do not have this same experience. Light pollution has happened so gradually that it is something that the general popluation may not be aware of just how high the levels are. it would be great if more people were aware of the effects and how each individual making small changes can have a major difference.
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<li class=”helperbird-editor helperbird-editor-highlighter-marker” data-medium-focused=”true”>Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
I would begin with my class by exploring what is light pollution. Using the Engage part of the Framework, I would begin with prompt questions such as what is light pollution? etc. Use a KWL chart and then I would then show the children the video about light pollution. Compare and discuss our new learning.
I would use the ESERO 09 resource to investigate the effects of light and dark within a tent and outside of a tent – guessing adn describing an object in the dark in the tent and then using a torch. Lots of opportunities for hands-on exploring, investigating and comparison of findings. I think the children would really enjoy the follow on activity of doing an obstacle course blindfolded with only the instructions from their partner.
Looking at the online images of the comparison of the night sky from 1997 and 2015. What do they notice. Has light pollution changed in their local area? Has it increased/decreased? This would then lead on to exploring what can be improved in local area to reduce light pollution. the video by Duncan Stewart is particularly engaging in the effects of light pollution. Also, the experiment from Space Week would prepare the students well by investigating how light can be projected in different ways.
Walking trail around the area to identify sources of light and possible improvements. While this would be done during the day, it would still be very beneficial. Children could sketch these sources of light and come up with suggestions from their research on what may reduce light pollution.
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1. Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
I would begin this exercise by exploring pollution with the children, what we think it is, how we can prevent it etc. I would then introduce the concept of light pollution to the class. What is it?, Where and why does it happen?
We would then examine our local area which is quite built up and has a lot of light pollution. We can explore the different aspects of our locality that are contributing to the light pollution and map them out. We can then look at ways we can reduce the light pollution, such as fully shielded lights and examining if all the lights in the area are necessary.
As a class we can discuss and compare our results and come together to form an action plan for our area as a whole and then an action plan that we as a class and a school can undertake ourselves to contribute to change.-
I like how you begin by exploring the children’s prior knowledge of pollution before introducing light pollution, as it provides a strong foundation for learning. Mapping the local area and creating an action plan is a great way to make the lesson relevant and encourage pupils to think about practical ways they can help reduce light pollution in their own community.
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- Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
I would read a book that would be appropriate for my First and Second Class such as The Night Box by Louise Greig – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zG4P1uiV_O8. This story is about a boy who opens the night box and day goes in while night comes out. It details nocturnal animals and creatures that rely on the dark.
I would also read It’s too dark Puffling by Erika McCann and Gerry which is similar as the puffling doesn’t like the dark and then comes to appreciate it as he learns about the animals that like it.
The children would engage with the texts and through some talk and discussion we would elicit the importance of the dark and what might happen if there is too much light. As part of homework and home school links we would use a stellarium so that the children might see what they can see from their own gardens at night.
We would then look at where planetariums are located and how important they are. We would look at the map of the Dark Sky Reserves in Ireland our closest one down in Kerry.
We would look at what we can do to combat light pollution and reduce energy usage.
We would do a sensory sorting box with natural dark and toy animals inside then a box with a torch shining in to the animals and what might happen if they think it is daytime.
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Mairead I really like your idea of reading books first to the children to spark their interest. Thanks for the link to the book ‘Night box’. I think I will use this with my class also. Linking the nocturnal animals to your lesson is a great idea as children are always so interested in animals that come out at night and how they navigate and hunt. It will get them thinking about how these animals need the dark and how we need to protect the dark skies from artificial light.
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- How light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
I would begin the lesson by discussing the different places that children live i.e. countryside, town, city. Ask children what they can see at night when they look up? Record findings. My school is situated in the countryside and most children live near the school. I would encourage children to make observations over a period of a few weeks to see what they can see at night. All children would observe and record on the same nights. They could make daily sky observation diaries (link in Diary writing for English) Children would compare their findings and observations with that of others in the class. I would encourage children to ask family members who live in towns or cities to report back to them what they can see at night when they look up. We would then use the Globe at Night program to see what can be seen in other areas at night. We would analyse the findings and discuss why we can see more in the countryside compared to people who live in the cities. As a class we would brainstorm different ways in which to reduce artificial lighting.
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- How light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
I never truly considered light pollution and its impact until we spent one night in a desert while travelling. I couldn’t believe how much I could see in the night sky, far away from houses and built up areas and this course reminded me of that. The sky was dark but full of life, it was amazing.
I would raise awareness of this in the classroom, possible during space week. In Cork, where my school is, it is an urban area with lots of light and all of the children live in the estates around the school. Being from the country myself where it is much less bright, I would show pictures or urban/rural night skies for comparison to highlight the difference in the skyglow. Mallow would make a good comparison with areas of West Cork and I researched that West Cork is one of the least light polluted areas of the country. Why can we see so much more stars in the rural picture? What do the children think of the comparison photos. Ask them to jot down their thoughts in pairs for feedback, I would also encourage the pupils to sketch the comparison and what impact they can see to the local environment-give prompts such as wildlife, emissions, sleep/ health and visibility.
I would ask parents to go out with their child one night for homework and observe what they see in their night sky. As a group STEM project, we could help by designing a streetlight that works to light around it but not let too much light escape upwards into the night sky. This could extend to artwork of the night sky, map work in Geography and surveys in Maths.
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I really enjoyed this module but at first I struggled to think about how I would apply it to my context of a special school. Rather than focusing on the science of light pollution in depth, I think the focus on day and night and how too much light changes the environment around us.
I would start with darkening the room and showing the students a picture of my hometown in Roscommon with a lack of light pollution and the school environs in Dublin which has loads of light pollution. I would use the images for open questioning and discussion. I would ensure the students had the target language available to them through their AAC devices, lamh signs and visuals.
After this discussion, I would then do a practical activity. Show simple photographs of places familiar to my students- the school yard, walking routes to our local cafe, St. Anne’s and houses with xmas lights at night and at day. I would ask the students to pick which area has the least light pollution, which places are bright, which are dark, which do you think is better for animals-light or dark. I would explain how the dark is better for our animals and their homes.
We would finish off with a simple activity with the students creating a dark friendly street using a velcro strips to remove street lights, closing curtains etc. This is something that my students love to do. I think it would be the best way to explore light pollution in my context and how to start a unit of work on it.
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Hi Aisling
Thank you for your thoughts on introducing the concept of light pollution and the ideas of this module to your special school class. As you have said it all comes down to the idea of light and darkness and how darkness is benficial for ourselves and for wildlife. Practical ideas such as using pictures showing the constrast between your homeplace and Dublin and photographs of bright and dark places at night will really help to illustrate the concept. I really like your idea of creating a dark friendly streetscape where lights can be removed and curtains closed. It sounds like a fun practical idea that introduces the idea of actions we can take to reduce light pollution.
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Living in rural County Cork, we are fortunate to experience much darker skies than many urban areas. However, light pollution is still becoming more noticeable due to new housing developments, brighter LED street lighting and security lights. I would begin the lesson by asking pupils what they notice when they look at the night sky from home and whether they can see many stars. We would discuss what light pollution is and how excessive or poorly directed artificial light can affect wildlife, energy use and our ability to see the stars. Pupils would then complete a simple survey of the lighting around our school, identifying different light sources and considering whether they are “dark sky friendly”. We would discuss ways to reduce unnecessary lighting, such as directing lights downwards, using warmer coloured bulbs and only using lights when needed. This activity would encourage pupils to investigate a real environmental issue in their own community while developing their observation, teamwork and scientific enquiry skills.
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Hi Daniel,
Welcome to the course. I also live in rural county cork but can see the impacts of developments on the night sky. You could consider taking photos of the night sky around you and asking learners to do the same to allow for comparisons, depending where the learners live. This might allow for comparison of housing developments v rural housing. It would then allow for the discussion on light pollution in the area as you have outlined. I think it is great to open the discussion on reducing unnecessary lighting and allowing the learners to consider ways to do so. As you have said it would encourage the learners to reflect on real environmental issues in their own local area and consider ways to take action themselves. Thanks for sharing, I hope you enjoy the course.
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Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
Living in Youghal, County Cork, our pupils are affected by light pollution from street lighting, housing estates, the harbour and businesses, making it difficult to see many stars from the town. This provides a meaningful opportunity to explore how artificial light changes our view of the night sky and affects wildlife as well as astronomy. As a class, we would begin by discussing why we can see fewer stars in Youghal than in darker rural locations. Using ESERO Ireland resources, photographs and short videos, pupils would learn about light pollution and predict where they think the darkest local skies might be.
For a practical investigation, I would encourage families to visit a darker location outside the town, such as the coast near Ardmore or a quiet rural area around Knockanore, where there is less artificial lighting and a clearer view of the night sky. These areas are far enough from the brightest lights of Youghal to provide improved stargazing opportunities.
In my autism class, pupils would use visual checklists and a simple observation sheet with symbols to record what they could see, such as the Moon, bright stars or planets. Families could take photographs of the sky to share in school, and we would create a class display comparing observations from Youghal and the darker location. This investigation would help pupils understand the impact of light pollution while developing observation, communication and scientific enquiry skills in an engaging, real-life context.
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I have chosen how light pollution is impacting my ocal area and how I would engage my class to explore this , as module 3 assignment.
The night sky above our local area is changing. With the expansion of my town there is more and more artificial lighting lighting up our nights sky. While progress and development is postiive dor our town with the expansion of spotrts clubs with lit up pitchew, street lighting ,lit up public car parks and public buildings, I do think that the loss of darkness being replaced by an amber glow is stealing our view of the universe / natural night sky.
To engage my students on this topic I would start by mapping out our local environment . The children would become ” Night time detectives “for a week, Using the survey in this module on the lighting in our town.
I would then explain to thye chidren how certin nocturnal creatures in our local ecosystem rely on the dark- and how artificial street lightingconfuses their hunting / foraging habits.If I was teaching a senior class they could design/ construct light shields which would direct the light downwards thus eliminating the glare up towards the night sky. They could also write a letter to our local council in relation to any unnecessary night lighting / put lights on sensors. -
Module 3
1. Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.We would start in class by introducing the term light pollution and discovering what we know about it.
Research the term light pollution and see what is affected by it. Our school is in a rural area, and we have students who live in country areas and some who live in towns. We will discuss how their location can determine the level of light pollution and it’s effects. The children can do a simple observation at home and compare and contrast their findings with their peers. We will research the light pollution in our area and what steps / small changes we can make to reduce this pollution. I think this is important as will help to make children aware of the impact light pollution can have on the local environment. We will also use globeatnight to look at areas with higher levels and lower levels of noise pollution and the effects of both of these. -
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Light pollution is becoming an increasing issue in my local area in County Carlow. While it is a rural location, new housing developments, street lighting, sports facilities and commercial buildings have all contributed to brighter night skies. I would use this topic as an opportunity to develop pupils’ scientific inquiry skills while encouraging environmental awareness. I would begin by asking children to discuss what they notice about the night sky in their own area and whether they have ever been able to see the Milky Way or identify constellations. This would encourage curiosity and allow pupils to share their own experiences. Students could then carry out a simple investigation by observing and recording outdoor lighting around their homes or school. They could create maps showing areas with high and low levels of artificial light and compare these findings. Using online light pollution maps alongside their own observations would help them understand that this is both a local and global issue. My students could also investigate how different types of lighting, such as shielded and unshielded lights, affect the amount of light escaping into the sky. I would extend the learning across the curriculum by getting students to design posters or digital campaigns promoting simple ways to reduce light pollution, such as turning off unnecessary lights or using downward-facing outdoor lighting. They could present their findings to the wider school community or at a Green Schools assembly, helping to raise awareness of responsible energy use. I feel that exploring light pollution in this way links science with geography, environmental education and sustainability. It enables children to investigate a real-world issue that directly affects their community while developing observation, critical thinking and communication skills. Most importantly, it encourages them to recognise that small changes in our everyday actions can make a positive contribution to protecting biodiversity, conserving energy and preserving our view of the night sky.
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I love the idea of using online light pollution maps to deepen their understanding that it is a local and global issue. I think the pupils would really enjoy designing posters to promote light pollution and it is a great idea to present it to other classes or to involve the Green School Committee to highlight the topic.
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I would use the Globe at Night citizen science programme to help pupils investigate light pollution through meaningful, real-world scientific inquiry. I would begin by introducing the concept of light pollution and discussing how excessive artificial lighting affects wildlife, energy use and our ability to see the stars. Pupils would then use the Globe at Night website or app to compare the night sky they observe with the programme’s star charts and submit their observations as citizen scientists.
To make the learning more engaging, children would complete observations at home with their families over several evenings and record their findings in a simple observation journal. In class, we would analyse the class data, compare our results with observations from other locations and discuss why some areas have darker skies than others. This activity would integrate Science, Geography, Maths and Digital Literacy while encouraging children to think critically about environmental issues.
I particularly like that this resource gives pupils an authentic purpose for learning. By contributing to a global database, they see that their observations have real scientific value while developing inquiry skills, environmental awareness and a greater appreciation of the night sky.
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I would use the Globe at Night citizen science programme to help children investigate light pollution in a real and meaningful way. I would begin by asking the class what they notice about the night sky in their local area and whether they can see many stars. This would encourage discussion about light pollution and how artificial light can affect our view of the night sky, wildlife and energy use.
The children would learn how to use the Globe at Night website or app to estimate the brightness of the night sky by comparing what they can see with star charts. As a homework activity, they would make observations with a family member, record the date, time, weather conditions and the number of stars they could see, before submitting their findings to the citizen science project.
Back in the classroom, we would compare our results and discuss why some areas were brighter than others. The children would create graphs of the data and identify possible sources of light pollution in our community. As a follow-up, they would design posters promoting dark sky-friendly lighting and suggest simple ways to reduce unnecessary lighting at home and in school.-
Hi Aoife,
Welcome to the course and thanks for sharing your Globe at Night activities. It is important to discuss the issue of light pollution and its impact on nocturnal animals and insects along with energy use, as you have mentioned, prior to using the app or allowing for the homework task.I think it is a great idea to encourage observations at home and show the learners how to submit their findings to become part of a larger citizen science programme. This also will raise awareness of light pollution in the home and the local community and it may encourage families to take action of their own to help this.
Thanks for sharing, I hope you enjoy the course.
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I really enjoyed reading Aoifes post. I like how she included the Globe at Night activity as it gives the children a chance to take part in a real science project. The homework idea is lovely because it gets families involved as well. I also like how the children use their own observations to create graphs and discuss their findings. The poster activity at the end is a great way to encourage them to think about how we can all help reduce light pollution. It sounds like a fun and engaging lesson that the children would really enjoy.
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1. Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
Living in my home village close to a large town, I can see how light pollution has become more noticeable in recent years. The village has street lighting throughout, a brightly lit filling station, shops, floodlit playing fields, a large new housing estate and older residential areas. While these lights are important for safety and allow people to enjoy community facilities after dark, they also reduce the darkness of the night sky. On clear evenings it can be difficult to see many stars, and the glow from artificial lighting is visible across the horizon every night.
To help my students explore this topic, I would begin by asking them what they notice about the night sky from their homes. We could compare photographs of a dark sky with one affected by light pollution and discuss the differences. As a homework activity, pupils could count how many stars they can see from their garden or another safe location and record whether there are bright streetlights nearby. Back in class, we could compare results and discuss why some areas have darker skies than others.
I would also integrate the activity with Geography, Science and Mathematics by creating simple maps of areas with more or less artificial light, collecting and graphing class data, and discussing how light pollution affects wildlife, energy use and people’s ability to observe the stars. This would encourage pupils to think critically about balancing the benefits of outdoor lighting with protecting our natural environment. -
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For the purposes of this post, I have decided to talk about light pollution in my local area and how I would engage y young class of Junior Infants on the topic. Light pollution is certainly one of the more common pollutions that we do not take notice of – even though our locality is not a brightly lit city, we as a town still have street lights, shops and buildings etc that prevent us from seeing the stars clearly at night. The objective of exploring this issue with my Junior Infant class is to highlight the importance of darkness for us, animals and astrologists. To engage the class and begin by conversing about anyone in the class who has ever star gazed. I would then use images to encourage conversation. As a home activity I would encourage families to take a walk together at night to look at the stars. In the class the next day we would talk about and share our observations. I would integrate art in by asking the children to recreate what they saw on their walk. I would ensure their work is displayed proudly in their immediate environment.
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Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
I would begin this topic with a class discussion on light pollution, defining the concept, identifying local examples, and exploring reduction strategies. Next, students will build box planetariums, crafting custom streetscapes to decide where artificial lighting is genuinely needed versus where it creates light pollution. Pupils will present and compare their models, deepening their awareness of responsible lighting. To apply this knowledge locally, the students will partake in a dark-sky design challenge on the school grounds. Students will map the school, audit existing lighting fixtures, and evaluate light placement and direction. Working collaboratively, the class will develop a plan to make our school reduce light pollution. We would look at the cities at night website to understand how light pollution is affecting our planet. I think these activities would give students a better understanding of the dark sky and empower pupils to make small changes in their homes to reduce light pollution. -
I chose to create a resource for junior classes using Globe at Night.
Pupils become “Star Hunters” to explore light pollution and star visibility using the Globe at Night citizen science programme. This resource could be used in infants to 2nd class and will engage the pupils through playful learning, storytelling, and hands-on exploration.This resource fosters some of the key competencies of STEM.
• Being a Scientist: Pupils develop curiosity, observe the night sky, and use basic scientific inquiry.
• Communicating and Collaborating: Children work in pairs to discuss observations and share findings.
• Using Technology and Data: Students interact with digital constellation maps and contribute to a global citizen science database.Playful Learning Experiences
1. The Invitation to play: “The Lost Constellation”
• Active Play: Start in a darkened classroom or sensory room/P.E hall. Activity: Use a flashlight to project a constellation (like Orion or the Big Dipper) onto the ceiling. Tell a playful story about a star whose light is “hidden” by city lights. Pupils must help find the star by becoming official “Star Hunters. Music could also be used here.
2. Indoor Star Spotting
• Making: Students construct simple “telescopes” using cardboard toilet paper rolls and decorated cling film.
• Testing: Scatter glowing star stickers around the room. Turn the main lights on and off to simulate light pollution.Discussion: Ask students, “Is it easier to count the stars when the room is bright or completely dark?”
3. Home school links
• Send home a playful “Star Hunter Mission Pack. On a clear night, families go outside together. Students use their cardboard telescopes to look at the sky. Fill in findings on a simple worksheet and back in the classroom- use blocks or similar to build a bar chart showing how many stars pupils could see from their own home. Compare the location of children’s homes to see if light pollution has a significant impact. They could also use Stellarium for night sky simulations if they do not have safe outdoor access to the night sky.-
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I really enjoyed reading your resource. I think the idea of turning the children into ‘Star Hunters’ is a lovely way to spark their curiosity and make learning about light pollution fun and meaningful. The storytelling element would work really well with younger classes, especially when introducing a new topic.
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Light pollution in our local area means our night sky is slowly fading. The glow from streetlights, shops, and nearby Dublin washes out stars that once guided people here. For children growing up now, the Milky Way is often invisible, and constellations feel like stories, not sights. This matters because it disconnects children from nature’s rhythms and wastes energy.
To explore this, pupils can become “dark sky detectives.” On a clear evening, students could go on a short walk, oreferably outside the town and count how many stars they can see then compare to a dark-sky chart. Back in class, we can map light sources around the school and discuss which lights are needed and which are wasteful.
By observing, recording, and asking “what can we change?”, children learn science and stewardship.
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Planning a project for the International Dark Sky Association’s Rising Star Programme –
To take part in the International Dark Sky Association’s Rising Star Awards Programme, I would plan an engaging cross-curricular project with my class. I would begin by introducing the concept of light pollution through stories, videos, and class discussions. I would then encourage the children to observe the night sky from their homes and record what they can see in a simple observation journal.
This would be interesting as I work in a school in a town and some children would live in the town where there would be street lights etc, with other children living in more rural areas with very little light pollution. We could discuss the differences in their findings and why that might be. In class, we would compare our findings, create graphs, and discuss how artificial light affects wildlife, people, and our view of the stars.
I would support the children in designing posters, presentations, and artwork to promote the importance of protecting dark skies. As a whole-school initiative, we could organise a family stargazing evening to involve the wider community. Through this project, I would develop the children’s scientific inquiry, environmental awareness, teamwork, and communication skills while fostering a sense of responsibility for protecting our natural world. -
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- Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
I chose to reflect on how light pollution is affecting my local area and how I could explore this with my class. Before doing this module, I had never really thought about how much artificial light changes the night sky. It is something that many children probably don’t notice either, especially if they live in built-up areas where street lights are always on.
With a 3rd and 4th class, I think this topic would be very engaging because it links with science, geography and environmental awareness. I would begin by asking the children what they notice when they look up at the sky at night and whether they have ever seen lots of stars. We could compare their answers and discuss why some places are darker than others.
As a simple homework activity, I would ask the children to look outside after dark with an adult and record what they can see. They could note how bright their area is, whether they can see any stars and what sources of light are nearby. Back in school, we could compare our findings and discuss how unnecessary lighting affects wildlife, energy use and our view of the night sky.
I think this would be a meaningful topic because it encourages children to become more aware of their local environment and to think about small changes that can make a difference. It also gives them the opportunity to investigate a real-life issue and share their own observations, making the learning more personal and relevant. -
- Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
I teach in Dublin and agree with others that the light pollution is something that the children may not even notice. I was trying to think of ways to allow them to observe the night sky in real time, without the need to take a camping trip! I’m wondering if I’d be able to coordinate with other schools around the country using an online tool such as Padlet so that children from different counties could share their observations of the night sky (upload a picture for homework) and discuss in school the variations and causes.
I also think this would link really well with our history studies of the World Wars. We could look at the placement of Eire signs and discuss the blackouts and what that might look like in today’s society.
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I really like the idea of linking up with schools in different parts of the country. It would give the children a much clearer picture of how light pollution varies depending on where you live, and they’d probably enjoy comparing photos and observations. I also love your connection to the World Wars and the Eire signs. Looking at wartime blackouts and discussing what our towns and cities might look like today with much less artificial light would make the topic feel really relevant and bring history and science together nicely.
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Hi Laura
Collaborating with other schools around the country woudl be a lovely idea if you could link up with other teachers that you know working in different areas. The idea of uploading photos onto Padlet is lovely but it can be difficult to capture what you are seeing in a photo. Drawings might be a good alternative. Having some common observation sheets that the children could fill in at home on agreed dates might also be a good idea that could highlight the differences in what the children could observe in the night sky. I really like the idea of linking with the wartime balckouts and the Eire signs. It would be difficult for children to imagine what blackouts would look like, given how prevalent artificial lighting has become.
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Living in Navan and teaching in Lucan has made me more aware of the variation in light pollution from community to community. There are areas on the outskirts of Navan where the night sky is still reasonably dark and on a clear evening many stars can be seen. But Lucan has a much bigger population and busy roads, housing estates and commercial areas mean much more artificial lighting. The streetlights, security lights and lighted buildings throw a noticeable glow in the sky, making it much more difficult to see the stars. The module explains that light pollution is caused by excess or inappropriate use of artificial light and can affect people, wildlife and the environment.
To engage my pupils I would start by asking them whether they have ever observed a difference in the night sky when visiting other places. We would then look around our school for different sources of artificial light and discuss if they are necessary or could be made more ‘dark sky friendly’. Pupils could create a simple map of the outside lighting of the school, recording observations and working in groups to suggest improvements such as shielding lights, using warmer bulbs or ensuring lights are only used when required. This inquiry-based approach would help children develop environmental awareness as well as observation, teamwork and problem-solving skills.
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Hi Molly
Sharing your own experience of noticing the difference in light levels between Navan and Lucan, both urban areas is a great way to introduce the topic of light pollution to children. Inviting them to share their own experiences will help to build on this. Children may have experiences seeing the stars on visits to relatives or on holidays in different parts of the country or even in other countries that they can share. Continuing that with an audit of the school grounds is a good idea that will allow children to consider both the problem and solutions. If they could find solutions for creating some darker areas within their school, then they could also start to think about what might be done on a wider area in Lucan.
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That’s given me a great idea in terms of comparison. My class could compare light pollution or perceived light pollution differences between our town and neighbouring towns. Christmas time could be an interesting time to do it and discuss with our local Christmas lights committee what we could do to make the displays more energy efficient and decrease light pollution without losing the magic of Christmas light displays.
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Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
I would explore the Stellarium site with the children and show them what is above us in the skies. I would then give them the homework task of looking at the night sky and see what they can see. Being mindful of bedtimes it would be best to do this when the evenings grow shorter. I could send a link to the site home as part of their homework if parents were interested in exploring it at home.
The next morning I would invite the children to share what they did or didn’t see. Some of the children live in built up areas and others in the countryside. We could explore if their is a link between where we live and what can be seen in the skies.
I would start to engage the children’s interest in and awareness of light pollution by showing them the clip of Help protect NSW Dark Skies. As part of a further homework assignment the children would list sources of light they notice around their locality. We would gather this information together the next day and discuss their use and impact. We would explore nocturnal creatures and ask the children to think about how they think light would affect them. We could then explore way in which we could use light at night as needed but in a way that respects the world around us.
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Q1.
Living in Strokestown, Co. Roscommon, we are fortunate to have relatively dark skies compared with many towns and cities. However, light pollution from streetlights, homes, businesses, and sports facilities can still make it harder to see the stars, waste energy, and affect wildlife such as bats and nocturnal insects.To engage my primary school pupils, I would begin by asking them what they notice about the sky at night and where they see bright lights in their local area. I would encourage them to complete a simple night-time observation with their families, counting how many stars they can see and identifying sources of artificial light. Back in the classroom, we would compare our observations, create a class map of local light sources, and discuss simple ways to reduce light pollution, such as turning off unnecessary lights. This hands-on approach would help pupils develop observation skills, environmental awareness, and a sense of responsibility for caring for their local community.
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My school is situated in a large urban area and light pollution is becoming more noticeable due to:
◦ Urban development: As the town (Dundalk) has grown, increased street lighting, retail parks, industrial estates, sports facilities, and residential developments have contributed to brighter night skies.
◦ LED lighting on streets: The transition to LED lighting has improved energy efficiency, but residents have reported concerns about the brightness and quality of some installations.
◦ Loss of dark skies: Skyglow from Dundalk can reduce visibility of stars, making it more difficult to observe constellations, meteor showers and astronomical events compared with rural parts of County Louth.
Light pollution is having an Impact on biodiversity in Dundalk. Artificial lighting can disrupt nocturnal wildlife such as bats, moths, owls and other insects, affecting feeding, migration and breeding patterns. Louth County Council have stated that they recognise these impacts and have policies to minimise light pollution through planning and appropriate lighting design. The Council also supports projects that restore dark skies through improved lighting strategies, recognising the importance of reducing unnecessary light emissions.
In terms of my 6th Class, this topic aligns well with the Primary Science Curriculum (Environmental Awareness and Care) and supports Geography, SPHE, STEM, and Green Schools initiatives.
Learning intentions
Pupils will:
◦ understand what light pollution is;
◦ identify local sources of artificial light;
◦ investigate its effects on people, wildlife and astronomy;
◦ collect and analyse real-world data;
◦ propose solutions to reduce unnecessary lighting.
Lesson sequence
1. Engage – “Can we still see the stars?”
2. Show two photographs:
◦ a clear rural night sky;
◦ Dundalk town centre at night.
3. Ask:
◦ Why are there fewer stars in one picture?
◦ Where have you noticed bright lights near your home?
◦ Why do we need outdoor lighting?
4. This encourages pupils to recognise that light has benefits but can also create environmental problems.
Explore the local area
1. Using a map of Dundalk, pupils identify possible sources of light pollution such as:
◦ town centre
◦ retail parks
◦ sports pitches
◦ roads
◦ industrial estates
◦ housing estates
2. They predict which locations would have the brightest skies.
Investigation
1. Night-time Observation Diary (home activity)
2. With parental supervision, pupils record:
◦ how many stars they can see;
◦ types of outdoor lighting nearby;
◦ whether lights point upwards or downwards;
◦ whether light enters bedroom windows.
3. They could complete a simple table using a 1–5 rating scale for sky brightness.
Wildlife investigation
1. Research local nocturnal animals including:
◦ bats
◦ hedgehogs
◦ moths
◦ owls
2. Groups investigate how excessive lighting affects each animal and present their findings through posters or short presentations.
STEM challenge
1. Provide groups with torches, cardboard tubes and small model houses.
2. Challenge:
Design a street light that lights the pavement without shining into the sky or nearby houses.
3. Pupils test different shield designs and discuss which is most effective.
Geography and Digital Skills
1. Using online satellite maps showing night-time lights or local maps of Dundalk, pupils compare brighter urban areas with darker rural locations around County Louth.
2. They discuss why some places need more lighting than others.
Action project
1. Pupils create a “Protect Our Night Sky” campaign by producing:
◦ posters
◦ digital presentations
◦ information leaflets
◦ short videos
◦ assembly presentations
2. Possible recommendations include:
◦ turning off unnecessary outdoor lights;
◦ using downward-facing lights;
◦ choosing warm-coloured LED bulbs;
◦ installing motion sensors instead of leaving lights on all night.
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Actually in our local area we have already had a light pollution survey and a plan has been implemented. The flagship achievement of the programme I think is the fact that our local church has completely re-imagined how it is lit. It hasn’t been easy, there has been some local resistance. The church was visible for miles around, quite the landmark, but our local parish priest was so open and co-operative and understanding about the effects of light pollution. It is still visible but in a muted, understated way. It has also saved money and energy by switching the light bulbs to LEDs. Another fabulous development has been to project our famous Harry Clarke stained glass windows onto the ground outside the church – which has become a tourist attraction.
Many local agencies worked together to reduce light pollution in the town of Newport and in so doing they have improved the conditions for biodiversity.
However, there is always room for improvement! I would encourage my class to identify further areas of light pollution, around the town, school and their own houses. I would also invite those involved with this survey and the plan into the school to discuss their findings and the plan with the class.
Separately the class could study common nocturnal, native animals and we could discuss how light pollution affects them.-
This is so lovely to hear of a real life example of a community actively trying to reduce light pollution in the community. Before this module it was not really something I had thought about but I look forward to exploring this topic with my class, I love any opportunity to encourage my children to be active citizens in their community.
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How light pollution is impacting your local area.
In order to engage the children in the topic I would make use of questions such as what is light pollution? What are the main sources of lighting at night? How does light pollution affect us and out environment? I would make use of photos from the various resources offered in this course. I would question children as to whether light pollution is affecting their location. Children would wonder about and explore the concepts of different types of light and the affect they can have on the environment.
The investigation would consider how we can reduce light pollution? What factors contribute to light pollution? What are dark sky friendly lights? What colours work best at night? Where should light be directed? Children could build model streetscape and decide where light is needed and where it is not, change direction of lights etc.
They would then discuss the results and compare designs and ask questions as to whether the designs reduce the types of light pollution. They could then prepare basic guidelines for dark sky friendly lights.
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Light pollution is becoming more noticeable in parts of County Kerry as new houses, streetlights and buildings are developed. While lights help us to stay safe at night, too much artificial light can make it harder to see the stars and Moon. It can also affect animals that are awake at night, such as bats and moths, and may make it harder for people to get a good night’s sleep.
To help the children learn about this topic, I would use an inquiry-based approach. I would begin by asking the class questions such as, “Can you see lots of stars where you live?” and “Why do you think some places are brighter than others at night?” The children could talk about the lights they notice near their homes or around the school. We could look at photographs of the night sky from different places in Kerry and compare how many stars we can see in each picture. We would also discuss, through simple videos, stories and class conversations, how bright lights can affect animals and people.
As a follow-up activity, the children could design colourful posters showing simple ways to reduce light pollution. Their ideas might include turning off lights when they are not needed, using lights that point downwards and using sensor lights instead of leaving lights on all night. The class could display their posters around the school to encourage others to help protect the night sky.
To finish the lesson, we would discuss what we learned and think about how everyone can help care for the environment. By linking the lesson to their own community in County Kerry, the children would develop an appreciation of the night sky and understand that small actions can make a positive difference.
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Question 1:
I think that this is such a fantastic topic to teach for making home-school links, it always encourages children to get outdoors and also become active citizens in their community, all of my favourite components of a unit of work.
I would use the framework for inquiry to begin the unit and elicit prior knowledge from the children and encourage them to ask questions and note their wonderings. Although my school is in a rural area, many of the children live within the village in housing estates with lots of street lights so this is extremely relevant to them. After exploring what light pollution is, I would make a box planetarium with the children to see them impact of light pollution, I would then encourage the children to do some homework, with the help of an adult and make some observations of their own home at night time. The children can then compare their situations and come up with some light pollution solutions together as a team. I would show the children the ‘Globe at Night’ map and encourage the children who have a big interest in the topic to continue to be citizen scientists and record their observations through the app.-
Hi Christina,
Welcome to the course.
As you’ve identified, light pollution is a topic that can create strong home-school links and encourage pupils to become active citizens in their own community.
The box planetarium sounds like a lovely visual way to demonstrate the impact of light pollution, while the home observation task would help children connect the learning to their own environment. To take this further, pupils could create a simple map comparing darker and brighter areas in their locality, then suggest practical solutions for reducing unnecessary lighting.
Thanks for sharing.
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There is a great opportunity to get home/ school links on the go here, especially seen as we are talking about what can only be observed after school hours. It struck me just now that we could really make a community effort and become active citizens on world Earth Day by turning off all the lights at home and get families to record their observations within their community.
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Light pollution is becoming increasingly noticeable in my local area where streetlights, buildings, and artificial lighting can brighten the night sky. This reduces our ability to see stars and planets clearly and can impact wildlife, particularly nocturnal animals that rely on natural light patterns. I would engage my learners by beginning with a discussion about what they can see in the night sky from their homes and comparing this with images of areas affected by different levels of light pollution. The pupils could complete a simple investigation by observing the night sky, recording the number of visible stars, and comparing results from different locations. They could also map light sources around the school grounds and discuss ways lighting could be used more sustainably. This activity would encourage scientific observation, environmental awareness, and critical thinking about how human activity affects our planet.
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2. Creating a teaching resource using the “Globe at Night” citizen science programme
Living and teaching in Dublin, light pollution is an immediate and visible issue. Skyglow from suburban development, commercial areas, and unshielded streetlights means many of our pupils rarely are able to see the stars or see a truly dark night sky.
To explore this, I have created a SESE plan using the “Globe at Night” citizen science programme, suitable for 5th or 6th Class.
First, we would investigate the impact of light pollution on biodiversity in the local area. We would focus on native animals e.g. hedgehogs and birds.
Next, pupils would observe the night sky at home (or from a local park/outdoor area accessible to them) and match what they see to simple charts.
Finally, back in class we would plot our observations onto a digital map of Dublin, compare light levels across different areas and brainstorm some ideas on how to reduce light pollution in their local area (e.g. through advocacy, linking in with other community groups, contacting their local councillor/politician, etc.) -
Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
Light pollution in Sligo has increased in recent years mainly due to increased residential and commercial lighting. Even where I live which would be considered more rural, the light pollution has increased and despite me being lucky enough to still be able to see stars and planets at night, I have noticed that photographing them is more difficult due to street lights nearby. This topic might be one of interest to my students as we have children coming to school from more rural areas as well as children from Sligo town. While the Aurora Borealis has been viewed from Sligo an Sligo town increasingly in the past few years, the children have already commented how although they could see it, it was “better” from areas such as Rosses Point. It would be interesting to get them to elaborate on why that is. If there are other problems caused by light pollution in their areas (particularly in the town area). Another commenter suggested an audit where students inspect the lighting around their school to see does it adhere to Dark Sky Ireland Guidelines. This audit might also be of interest to children living in estates in and around Sligo town.
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I really enjoyed reading your lesson ideas. I like how you have made the topic of light pollution relevant to the children by focusing on familiar places in the local community. Using photographs to compare a city sky with a rural night sky is a very effective way to introduce the concept and encourage discussion.
The **Light Pollution Detectives** activity is particularly engaging. Asking pupils to identify sources of artificial light on a local map encourages them to observe their surroundings more carefully while also developing geography and mapping skills. The homework observation sheet is another excellent idea because it involves families and helps children make real-life connections between what they learn in school and what they notice at home. Recording the number of visible stars, the Moon, nearby lights and signs of wildlife provides meaningful evidence that can be discussed in class.
I also like the cross-curricular links with History, Geography and Art. You could further extend the lesson by comparing observations with a light pollution map of Ireland or by using a stargazing app to identify constellations that are difficult to see in brightly lit areas. This would reinforce the impact of excessive artificial lighting on our ability to observe the night sky while encouraging children to think about practical ways to reduce unnecessary lighting in their own community.
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How light pollution is impacting on the local area and how you would engage your pupils to explore this.
Clear starry skies are one of the things I miss now that I’m living in an urban setting. I grew up in a rural setting and still love to catch a glance at the milky way when I return to visit and the conditions are right. The light emitted by street lights, houses, local historical buildings and commercial premises means that when I look out at night I see that skyglow at night. It means that the milky way is rarely seen and the constellations we are teaching the children about are a more of an ‘abstract’ idea than you would hope.
I would like to create a partnership with a rural school and have both classes make a record of the night sky over a period of time, noting weather, lunar phase and what they can observe from their window/ garden to see what is visible with/ without the presence of light pollution. The children could share photographs taken within the same timeframe and compare.
They could also do a survey on family member’s reported sleep quality, to see if there is any correlation to light pollution and disrupted sleep.
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Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
I would show the children the light pollution map from 1997 and 2015 and let them speculate what these maps could mean. Is it population, waste, air pollution light, light pollution. Whatever reason they think it is they have to then share in what ways that would impact the lives of the people. Population, less open fields etc.
It will be explained that it does show light pollution, we will discuss what this is and the impacts it has. Examples of night time sky will be shown from areas that have the clear sky, the class will be asked have they ever seen stars like that outside their own house.
We will complete the planetrium experiment to show the different impact on artifical lights to the night sky. We will research lights that are better to reduce pollution. I will let the children then choose what action do they want to complete. Write a letter to the local counsel, letter to someone that has a clear night sky and get them to describe and explain it. We will come up with ideas as a class
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Light pollution affects my local area through excessive street lighting, security lights, and illuminated buildings, reducing visibility of the night sky and impacting wildlife. To explore this issue, I would begin with a starter question such as, “How does artificial light affect our environment at night?” Learners would then use LightPollutionMap.info to investigate satellite data, including visible and infrared light, and compare local light pollution levels. Next, they would conduct a daytime survey of the school grounds, creating a bird’s-eye map showing the location of outdoor lights, nearby trees, and potential wildlife habitats. They would record the number, type, purpose, and whether each light is shielded. Working in groups, learners could present their findings through maps, drawings, photographs, and a light inventory. Finally, they would develop a toolkit of dark-sky-friendly recommendations, such as shielding lights and reducing unnecessary lighting, to help minimise light pollution in the local area.
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I really like the idea of comparison within the country, so children can see the difference between their home and another place – to spark Curiosity of their area and beyond! I really like the idea of KWL, as some children might have experienced that feeling looking up and being in awe of the night sky. Also a nice talking point would be the northern lights that have been visible in recent years, could lead onto integrated approach with arts and music and drama even. Lovely to write stories in English, and even work out ratios in maths.
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<h1>Light Pollution in My Local Area</h1>
Living in Rathfarnham, close to the Dublin Mountains, I am fortunate to have access to areas where the night sky can still be enjoyed. However, light pollution has become much more noticeable in recent years. During this course, I learned that light pollution in Dublin has increased significantly since 1997, making it much harder to see stars and planets. Although many streetlights have been replaced with LED lighting, these often seem much brighter than the older lights and create more sky glow, especially on cloudy nights.To help pupils explore this issue, I would begin with a discussion about why we need outdoor lighting and how too much artificial light affects our view of the night sky, wildlife and even our sleep. Pupils could compare the night sky from their own homes with a darker location, such as the Dublin Mountains, or, if they are visiting family or on holiday in the west of Ireland, record how many stars they can see there. We would then discuss ways to reduce light pollution, such as switching off unnecessary outdoor lights, using downward-facing lights and dimming streetlights during quieter hours where it is safe to do so. This would encourage pupils to think about how we can balance public safety with protecting our dark skies for future generations.
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I teach in a city school so light pollution is a huge problem in our area and it is only worsening with time. Light pollution is diminishing both the natural night sky and the locals quality of life. There are many examples of light pollution in our area. These include; streetlights and lighting linked with local businesses for advertising. There is a continuous glow that causes many difficulties for people living within the area. Some of the difficulties could be that street lighting is outside the window affecting their sleep. It also makes it difficult to observe the night sky. There are some immediate solutions to these problems. The street lighting could be lower intensity bulbs with a warmer lighting. Some initiates which have happened previously was where lights be turned off at certain times during the night. If this happened more frequently, it could help with the problem. The same could be said for the advertising boards we see all around. These can only be used during certain times and similarly, special bulbs could be used.
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Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
I think it’d be really a really interesting introduction to ask children to draw a picture of what they think the night sky looks like. Afterwards the teacher could show the children images of the night sky taken in our locality (in my case suburban Dublin). I would imagine the majority of children’s night sky pictures would contain a lot more stars etc. than the image of the sky over the city. This could be contrasted with an image of the sky above a dark sky park or reserve. This could act as a great springboard for engaging discussion and research into light pollution and it’s impact in our area.
Following on from this, we could learn about what is light pollution and what impact it has on us and nature in our area. Children could do a light pollution survey in our local area (this could provide a lovely school/home link). After this survey, children could be given the opportunity to “work for Dublin City Council” and do a project on redesigning aspects of lighting in our area. For example, find examples of unnecessary lighting, find lighting that should be shielded etc.
Finally, I think this could be a really interesting, relevant and useful topic to investigate through further project work as part of something like the ESB Science Blast.
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<p class=”PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer” data-start=”0″ data-end=”206″ data-is-last-node=”” data-is-only-node=””>Hi Ronan, I really like your idea of comparing children’s drawings with real night sky images. It would really highlight the effects of light pollution and encourage plenty of discussion and creative problem-solving.</p></div>
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I teach in a small rural primary school on the west coast of Ireland. As our school is on the coast, we are lucky to have very little light pollution (on of the darkest place on your nigh sky map), so many of our pupils can still enjoy clear views of the night sky. During the module, I was surprised to learn that over half of the Irish population can no longer see the Milky Way from their homes because of light pollution.
At the start of the lesson/lessons, I would begin by asking the children what they can see in the night sky from home. We would compare our area with nearby towns using LightPollutionMap.info and discuss why some places are brighter than others. The children could complete a simple star observation with their families before discussing ways to reduce unnecessary lighting. This would be a practical STEM activity that links Science, Geography and environmental awareness while helping children appreciate the dark skies we are lucky to have. Might also send home some sxhool-home linked materials
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After reading this module, I realised that many children may not know what light pollution is or how it affects the night sky. In our area there are so many street lights, houses and traffic, so it can be hard to see many stars. I think this would be an interesting topic for second class because it encourages children to observe the world around them and think about how we can help the environment.
I would begin the lesson by asking the children if they have ever looked at the stars and what they noticed. We would look at pictures of a bright city sky and a dark countryside sky and discuss why they look different. The children could then sort pictures into good lighting and too much lighting and explain their choices.
As a class, we would create a list of simple ways to reduce light pollution, such as turning off lights when they are not needed and closing curtains at night. The children could then design a poster to share one message about protecting the night sky.
I think this activity would be enjoyable because it gives the children the chance to ask questions, work together and learn how small actions can make a difference. It also links well with Science, Geography and SPHE while helping children develop their STEM skills.
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I would explain the definition of light pollution to the children in the class. As mentioned in the slides, I would define it as the inappropriate or excessive use of artificial light. We could do a matching activity with the various types of light pollution glare, sky glow, light trespass and clutter. Children could match the names with the definitions and pictures of the various types of light pollution. As well as this we would explore the components of light pollution; quantity of Light, Direction of light, composition of light.
Group discussion about where light pollution occurs in the community, what type is it and what are its components. We could visit the site of identified places and brainstorm improvements that could be made. As a class, we could draft a letter to the city council expressing our concerns and possible solutions. This would give an example for the children to feel like active members in their community.
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Living in Kilkenny, I have noticed that it can be difficult to see many stars at night, particularly in areas close to the town where there are lots of streetlights, shops and housing estates. While light is important for safety, excessive artificial lighting can make it much harder to appreciate the night sky and can also affect wildlife such as birds and insects.
To explore this with my class, I would begin by asking the children what they notice when they look up at the sky at night. Some may have visited more rural areas where they could see many more stars, while others may only have experienced the night sky from their own homes. This discussion would help activate their prior knowledge and encourage them to share their own experiences.
Next, I would show photographs of the night sky from different locations and ask the children to compare what they see. We would discuss why some places have brighter skies than others and introduce the term “light pollution” in a simple, child-friendly way.
As a follow-up activity, I would encourage pupils to observe the night sky from home with the help of a family member. They could record how many stars they are able to see, whether they noticed the Moon or any constellations, and describe how bright their local area was. The children could then bring their observations back to class and compare their findings. This would provide a meaningful opportunity to discuss how different environments affect our view of the night sky.
To finish, we would brainstorm simple ways to reduce unnecessary light pollution, such as turning off lights when they are not needed or using outdoor lighting responsibly. I think this topic would be very engaging for primary pupils as it connects science with their everyday lives and encourages them to become more aware of the environment around them.
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