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Consider how many Songs / Poems /Art can you think of to connect us with the Night Sky…
Starry Night – Vincent Van Gogh
The Starry Night helps us connect with the night sky by showing its beauty and mystery in an emotional way. Instead of painting the sky exactly as it looks, Vincent van Gogh used bright colors and swirling shapes to show how the night made him feel.
The glowing stars and moon remind us to look up and appreciate the wonders of the universe. The moving sky makes us imagine that space is full of energy and life. The quiet village below contrasts with the dramatic sky above, showing how nature can make us feel both peaceful and amazed.
The tall cypress tree reaches toward the sky, linking the earth with the stars. This reminds us that people are connected to the natural world and the universe.
Overall, *The Starry Night* encourages us to enjoy the night sky with curiosity, imagination, and wonder, helping us see it as both beautiful and meaningful.
Don McClean’s Vincent song can also be linked.We are lucky to have lots of facilities at our school but our garden area is very limited. I think it would be really beneficial to have a night-time camera in-situ, especially since it is quite close to the city.
A school biodiversity plan can help night-time animals like bats, moths, frogs, and owls by making the school grounds safer and darker at night.
First, we can reduce bright outdoor lights. Use fewer lights, make them softer and warmer in colour, and point them downwards so they don’t shine into trees or the sky. Turn lights off when they are not needed.
Second, we can keep some areas dark and quiet. Hedges, trees, and pond areas should not be brightly lit so animals can move around safely at night. These dark paths help animals travel through the school grounds.
Third, we can learn about night-time wildlife. Even though most school work is during the day, we can sometimes do evening activities like listening for owls or using simple bat detectors to hear bats.
Fourth, we can learn why too much light is a problem. Bright lights can confuse animals and make it harder for them to find food or sleep.
Finally, we can protect natural spaces like ponds, leaves, and logs because they are homes for many night animals.
By making these changes, the school helps protect wildlife that lives and moves around after dark.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.Exploring the Night Sky with Stellarium
Class: 1st Class
Subject: SESE – Science
Time: 20 minutesLearning Goal:
We are learning to explore the sky and recognise some objects we can see during the day and at night.Success Criteria:
I can find the Moon.
I can see some stars.
I can describe one thing I noticed.Resources:
Stellarium on a computer or interactive whiteboard.Lesson:
Begin by asking the children what they can see in the sky during the day and what they can see at night. Open Stellarium and show the daytime sky before changing the time to night. Help pupils find the Moon and point out some bright stars. Explain that the sky changes as the Earth moves.Ask questions such as: What can you see? Is it day or night? Which object is the brightest?
To finish, children draw the Moon or stars they observed and complete the sentence: “Today I saw ________ in the sky.”
Assessment:
Check that pupils can identify the Moon, recognise some stars, and share one observation from the lesson.2. Construct a sundial in your immediate area or plan for your school grounds to see where a sundial could be placed.
Our school is close to a beach, and we often take class trips there. I think making a sundial would be a lovely side activity to do during one of these visits. We could begin the activity in the morning and return to the sundial every hour to mark the changing shadow and watch how it moves as the Sun travels across the sky.
Firstly, choose a flat, sunny area of sand that will stay dry while you are working. Push a straight stick firmly into the sand so that it stands upright. If you have a compass, use it to find north and mark it in the sand. If you do not have a compass, you can still make a simple sundial by observing the shadow.
Each hour, mark the tip of the stick’s shadow with a small stone or shell. Write the correct time beside each mark and draw straight lines from each mark back to the stick. These become the hour lines of your sundial.
As the Sun moves across the sky, the shadow will move from one line to the next, allowing you to estimate the time using only the Sun and its shadow.
To make the project even more enjoyable, the children could collect shells and use them to decorate the circumference of the sundial. I think it would be a beautiful, hands-on activity that combines science, geography, creativity, and outdoor learning.