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Hi Padraig,
I think your question it’s an easy way for kids to see how rain affects the plants and animals at school. Giving students roles like photographer or data collector is a great way to keep everyone involved. Sharing their work with posters or a school climate day sounds fun and helps others learn too.
Research Question:
Has our local area become hotter in the summer because there are now fewer trees and green spaces?To get pupils involved and excited about this project, I’d start by making it personal, looking at their own town or school area and how it has changed over time. Using satellite images and easy-to-use tools from the ESA Climate Detectives site, pupils can spot places where trees and parks might have been replaced by buildings or roads. Then we’d check if those changes could be making our area hotter in the summer by looking at real temperature data.
I’d encourage pupils to work in small groups and think of their own questions based on what they notice. We could even go outside with thermometers to compare temperatures in sunny concrete areas versus shaded, green areas.
To share our findings, we could post pictures, videos, and results on Seesaw. This way, other classes and parents can see what we’ve learned, and it might inspire more pupils in school to start their own climate projects too.
Hi Nicole,
I agree with you. EO Browser is a great free tool that allow pupils to explore real satellite images from around the world. It’s perfect for making geography and science lessons more hands-on and interesting.
Activity 3: After downloaded and completed the pupil activities from the ESA resource “Nose High Up in the Sky”, along with the accompanying Teacher Guide, I think this resource is a really interesting material for primary students, introducing Earth observation from space in a fun and accessible way. The activities simulate how satellites use different “senses” to observe Earth without physically touching it.
I found the hands-on approach very effective as it encourages children to think scientifically, make observations, and draw conclusions, just like remote sensing satellites do. The activities are inquiry-based, easy to follow, and adaptable to different learning levels.
I definitely would apply this resource in my class. I think is an excellent way to learn more about space and Earth observation and it’s a great cross-curricular material too, as it fits well into science, geography, and STEM lessons. It also supports group work and creativity while introducing real-world applications of space science in an age-appropriate way.
Hi Elaine! You made such a good point about how intense some of the scenes in HOME might be for younger or more sensitive pupils, it’s definitely something to consider when planning lessons. I also love your idea of ending on a positive note with real success stories.
HOME is a visually spectacular and thought-provoking documentary that emphasizes the urgency of climate change. The airborne footage brilliantly portrays the planet’s landscapes while emphasizing the harm caused by human activity. What makes the film so effective is how it links the dots between industrialization, deforestation, and climate change, demonstrating how our actions in one corner of the planet may have an influence on ecosystems around the world. I especially loved the film’s positive ending, which encourages community responsibility and progress. The extra segments in the program, such as youth-led projects and brief animated explanations, provide accessible and interesting methods to learn complicated environmental issues.
To teach these climate change concepts in the classroom, I would begin with short films that intrigue pupils and encourage debate. Then we’d look at real-world steps kids may take, such as tracking their carbon footprint, creating eco-friendly campaigns, or conducting modest environmental audits at school. It’s all about putting awareness into action.
Hi Niamh,
I really like your idea of breaking the class into groups to look at temperature changes over different decades. It’s a great way to get kids interested and thinking about climate change. Making them ‘climate reporters’ sounds fun and helps boost their confidence. I also agree with you, the Paxi video is awesomeit makes a tough topic way easier for younger kids to get.
After review anctivity 3, which includes the Paxi video on greenhouse gases and the temperature prediction tool, I found it very engaging to teach climate change to the children. I think my students would found it fun and will be helpful to understand complex concepts related with this topic. Also the interactive tool encourages students to think about future temperature changes.
In my class, I would have students work in small groups to promote collaboration. Kids could create a short video demonstrating common daily activities and then show how these actions can be changed to be more environmentally friendly. For example, the video might depict someone using a car for a short trip, followed by scenes suggesting alternatives such as biking or walking instead.This hands-on and creative task helps students apply their learning and understand how small changes can benefit the environment.
Including a project like this would make the activity more hands-on and enjoyable, while also encouraging teamwork and helping students understand the topic better.
Hi Triona,
I really like how your lesson mixes science with technology in a fun way. Having kids record and share weather forecasts sounds like a great way to get everyone involved. I love the idea of using apps like iMovie as it make it more interesting and keeps pupils engaged.
I really enjoyed both activities, especially “Weather Detectives”. I think my students would love collecting their own temperature data and making simple graphs to track changes. It’s a great way to bring science and maths together in a fun, hands-on way.
The first activity is also very useful to help them understand the difference between weather and climate, which can sometimes be confusing. Using real-world examples and images made that concept much clearer.
If I use these in class, I might also have students compare their results with local forecasts or even reach out to another class in a different region to see how weather differs. I’d also add a short reflection activity where they explain what they found in their own words. Also, using school blog or seesaw would be great to share their work woth the rest of the classes and make these activities a collaborative project across different school levels.
Overall, I think these are great resources that could fit nicely into a wider science or geography unit.
