Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
Describe how you would complement a version of ‘Design your own Dark Sky Place’ in your school/classroom?
I would start with in the classroom for the younger kids. Maybe put a tent in a corner and get the children to design ways to make it an even darker space by adding more blankets, black sugar paper etc they would design. I would add star constellations to the roof and leave torches and lamps in that space to show light pollution…do we add more lamps? How can we alter the lamps to have less light pollution. Then I would divide the class into groups, the stars, the moon, the nocturnal animals and have them investigate how a dark sky can help them. It would be at the next stage I would bring it to our school grounds and have the children map the area and locate the light sources at night. We could check the ground cameras for any activity from animals at night and if so what areas of the school did they visit? Was there many artificial light sources etc then we could revisit our classroom tent and make adjustments based on our research and knowledge. It would be an ongoing project best done in the darker months.
I love your selection Anna I’m so going to use some in my classroom and I loved “I wonder lonely as a cloud” by Wordsworth as I learnt it in school too.
I like the idea of drawing a map so many skills engaged here Micheál. Recording is very important as a starting point.
How would you engage children to explore biodiversity and problems of light pollution on local biodiversity
I would be an advocate for using the local park to investigate what plants and species surround the children. A notebook and identification cards for insects, birds and bees, plants, trees etc. Speak to the local resource centre or local council they may have someone at hand who is involved in a community garden that plants trees, start some bug motels etc so the children can become involved at setting up some initiatives within the community. A wormery on the school grounds teaches how light pollution is not good for composting worms and how darkness and shade is what keeps them healthy.
Have the children collect plant species and press them. Planting trees and taking responsibility for them will really start a good trigger point. I am always amazed at how close to nature children are and how enthusiastic they can be about biodiversity. The Green school flag is a great initiative too to get schools and communities involved in their local biodiversity.
I agree Amy that it is near impossible to see star constellations in the city now from the various street lights, industrial lights etc and I also agree that it impacts our own sleep patterns to such a degree it is big problem for so many people.
I teach in an urban area with a high level of light pollution. My pupils would often comment on the lack of stars in the sky and I would always say that growing up in rural Donegal we were always able to see the stars and very often shooting stars. My own children live in the city and love when we go to the country so they can star gaze. It would be beneficial to highlight the difference of light pollution by contrasting both city and country living and have the children who go on holidays to rural areas journal what they see on a given time of year versus those based in the city. Setting up a classroom situation with a dark room and various types of lamps and torches used to create different light sources. The glow in the dark constellations packs could be put on the class ceiling and children could record if they see them in a dark room or brighter room. Looking over the evolution of light with the children would bring in a lovely history lesson and they could bring in light sources from home to help create some light pollution in the class.
I never thought to use http://www.timeanddate.com and I agree that the third quarter would be best as I previously thought the second quarter would be.
Planning to observe the moon in the mornings would involve the use of journals and shading, or just printed pages with blank circles for the infant classes. I think start from the second phase or half moon going to full moon. The worldwide Telescope would be an excellent resource to explore and identify the different moon phases. Provide lots of charts of moon phases displayed in the classroom and along corridors that they can refer to and chat about throughout their movements throughout the day or for paired work. Encourage them with relevant questioning and model what teacher may have observed to the displayed charts…a living classroom type of immersive experience. The whole class could then work on an art display showing the different phases of the moon.
I agree Caitriona that play is the absolute key here followed by art and creativity. Play based learning in STEM would reap lots of fun and creativity. We have started using lego SPIKE with the technology and tablets and what the children can do amazes me when left to play on their own, in fact even at the junior end they can outsmart the teachers with their building and robotics.
I love the idea of a sundial on the yard for the children to explore at break times. We have alot of curious little minds that would love to check out a sundial on at breaktimes. I think as I work in a Junior school the idea of getting the children to go outside at different times during the day and mark their shadows with chalk would be a good beginner. The video showing the bucket and rod would also be an engaging lesson. We previously had a science court with a sundial, weather vane etc but it was completely set up by the teachers. I think engaging the older classes in the planning of such a court with a sundial, what materials would be needed, how we could permanently set it up would be so interesting for them, completely child led,