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Hi Emma, I love how you’ve laid out the project! It’s a hands-on, creative way to get kids thinking about light pollution and dark skies. I did something similar with my class a couple of years back. We explored smog and air pollution in different cities around the world. We started by watching videos and looking at pictures of places like Beijing and Los Angeles, which have significant smog problems. Then, just like your Dark Sky Park project, the class had to design a “clean air city,” thinking about things like green spaces, energy-efficient buildings, and how to reduce pollution. They created maps, wrote out plans for eco-friendly transportation, and even designed logos to promote clean air. They really got into it and understood the real-world impact of pollution. Your Dark Sky Park project could have the same impact, getting them to think about preserving natural beauty while also making it accessible to everyone.
I remember doing a course about Nanoscience and the question came up whether you would prefer to learn abour nanoscience or space. It’s difficult to choose between as with both topics, there are endless opportunities. The same goes for connecting space/ dark skies to the arts. There are so many songs, poems, and works of art that connect us to the night sky. I like President Higgins’ poem Stardust (I hadn’t come across it before) where he reflects on the beauty and power of the stars, weaving them into the fabric of human experience. The night sky has inspired generations to dream, reflect, and search for meaning beyond our earthly existence and can be traced back to exapmles from 1000s of years ago (e.g. Newgrange).
In terms of songs, I’ve always loved A Sky Full of Stars despite not being a massive Coldplay fan. It conveys a sense of awe and longing and uses the skyfull of stars as a metaphor for hope and guidance in the stars. As a teacher, many of us would know “Vincent” by Don McLean, inspired by Vincent van Gogh’s painting Starry Night, uses both art and music to evoke the swirling, dreamlike qualities of the night sky, blending personal emotion with celestial imagery.
Starry Night is nearly a given in any primary school student’s life. The piece captures a sense of mystery and introspection, resonating with viewers across generations. These creative expressions remind us how the night sky has always inspired human imagination.
In Bray, one engaging way to explore biodiversity and the impact of light pollution would be through an inquiry-based project focused on the Dargle River. Students could begin by investigating the local biodiversity along the river: mapping out key species of plants, animals, and insects, and looking at how the river’s ecosystem functions. They could visit the river during the day to observe wildlife and document changes in activity at different times, comparing areas with more natural light versus those affected by street lighting.
Since nighttime visits may not be possible, students could link up with the local council to access light pollution data or request information on the level of artificial lighting near the river. They could also research how artificial light impacts nocturnal species like bats and moths, using online resources.
Students could make group presentations on how to reduce light exposure around the river and link back to the local council.
Hi Sandra,
Killarney is a great place to explore light pollution, with the contrast between the town and rural areas. This would really brings light pollution to life for students in a way they can connect with, as it is local. I like how you have highlighted the link between wildlife and darkness, and feel this would be powerful for students…it makes the issue feel more real. Using local resources like the Killarney National Park Education Centre and the Kerry Dark-Sky Group is a great way to deepen the learning.
(Option 1 In Bray, Co. Wicklow light pollution is a growing issues over the past few decades…streetlights and commercial lighting make it hard to see stars, even from places like Bray Head or the seafront. I’d get students involved by considering night-time surveys (homework) to spot areas with too much or poorly directed lighting. They could also organise stargazing nights to see firsthand how light affects our view of the night sky.
To tackle this together, local schools could link up through their Green School Councils and form a “Bray Light Pollution Network.” They’d meet (virtually or in person) to share what they’ve found, suggest better lighting (like warmer bulbs or timers), and even present their ideas to Wicklow County Council. This could lead to a community-wide lighting plan, helping to reduce glare and protect our night skies. It could be a great way to raise awareness and empower students to lead real environmental change.
Hi Dara,
Sounds like a practical plan and I like how you’ve focused on what’s visible to the naked eye, it might be good to use Google Sky Maps if you have access to i-pads. The mix of Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn gives good variety but allowing the children to focus. I like the idea of students sharing their own sightings…it keeps the conversation going and a nice starting point for further discussion on the planets and their features.
I think I would go with a plan to observe the Moon over time, purely as this is something I never considered during school hours. We could focus on the best phases for morning observations from the school yard. I’d choose the waning crescent phase as it appears in the early morning sky and would work for observations during school hours. Based on lunar calendars from https://phasesmoon.com/, these dates would work (it could be a monthly investigation):
Jan 11–17, 2026
Feb 11–15, 2026
Mar 13–17, 2026
Apr 11–16, 2026
May 11–15, 2026I’d bring the class out for a short early morning observation and talk about what we see. We could sketch the shape of the Moon, describe its position in the sky, and talk about why we only see that part. We could use Stellarium to see if it links to what we’ve drawn, and afterwards we’d follow up in class with some art and writing to reflect on the experience. I feel this would be a nice, calm way to start the day and get them genuinely curious about the sky above.
Hi Monica, This sounds like such a fun and engaging way to introduce gravity and weight, especially for 4th Class and I agree with Michelle that visuals would really help. For me, starting with curiosity and using really relatable, playful questions to get them thinking is great and a central tenet of Inquiry-based Learning. The crisp tubes are a great way to make something abstract feel real and hands-on. I did something similar with my own class where we used balloons filled with different materials to represent the weight of objects on different planets. It was a tangible way to explore and feel the “Moon” balloon being so much lighter than the earth for example. Space works really well for cross curricular integration, the possibilities (like space) are endless.
As a principal and someone doing further research into inquiry-based learning, I really believe in giving children space to lead their own learning. When children are encouraged to ask questions and follow their own interests, it makes the learning much more meaningful and memorable. In our school, we try to connect learning to real-life experiences. A great example of this is how our 2nd Class learn about Newgrange and the Winter Solstice each year through the Learn Together curriculum.
Newgrange is a brilliant foundation for learning about space through inquiry. It naturally sparks wonder…how did people thousands of years ago know exactly where the sun would shine on one day of the year? This leads to rich questions about the sun, the Earth’s movement, light, shadows, and seasons. From there, children can explore how the position of the sun changes during the day, or why winter days are shorter. It’s a perfect way to introduce space in a way that’s hands-on, meaningful, and rooted in curiosity, just like the kind of learning Liston encourages in Unravelling STEM.
Hi Harriet,
I love these (and may steal some ) practical ideas and rooted in the local area, which I’ve always believed make a huge difference for pupils. Connecting what they see in places like Tolka Valley Park to the bigger climate picture is essential. Anthony Barlow had a great piece about how children cannot be expected to understand wider geographical systems without first developing understanding locally.
The walk or cycle to school week is a great way to encourage real action, and having local speakers come in can really bring the topic to life – I found Rediscovery in Ballymun fantastic for workshops.
I plan to bring the learning from this course into my school by building on child-led initiatives that promote awareness and positive action in our community. Pupils could explore a Sustainable Development Goal and lead small projects such as creating posters, presenting to peers, or writing letters to local representatives. These activities would help to give children a sense of ownership and show them how their voices and actions matter. This could also feed into our SSE by supporting key areas such as Wellbeing, Student Voice, and Active Citizenship. Embedding global citizenship education into SPHE, SESE, and across the curriculum would help us to meet our SSE targets in a meaningful way, while also nurturing empathy, critical thinking, and social responsibility in our pupils.
In Ireland, although the weather has always been changeable, we’re seeing more signs of climate change with milder winters, more flooding, and warmer spring/summer seasons. While it’s important to understand the global picture, I think it’s even more important not to overwhelm children with the scale of the problem. In our classrooms, the focus should be on what we can do locally to make a positive difference.
We could explore changes we notice in our own environment: seasonal shifts, local weather, or wildlife, and then tie that into simple, hands-on activities. Weather diaries, nature walks, and planting projects are all ways that could get pupils thinking and learning in a hands on way.
Our school is lucky to have a very active Parent Guardian Association, and a Gardening Committee has been set up. They work with our Green Schools Committee to make sure we have plenty of growing projects all year round. Three key actions we focus on are reducing classroom waste, planting for biodiversity, and encouraging walking or cycling to school.
Hi Christina,
Thank you for sharing this, it’s lovely to see how your community has come together, especially the students making posters and learning phrases to welcome their new classmates. That kind of empathy is so important and I’m sure helped Ukranian students settle in. I completely agree with your concern about the instability many refugee families face, it’s hard to build belonging when there’s so much uncertainty. We have Ukranian neighbours with three generations all living together, and they are the most lovely people. Your point about stretched learning support is an important one. Schools want to do more, but without additional resources and clear guidance, it’s a real challenge. It would be nice to think more structured government support will come, but I feel we and our unions need to campaign for more funding for supports in general.
From searching online, Bray and nearby areas are home to several organisations supporting refugees, including Glencree Centre for Peace and Reconciliation, the Irish Refugee Council, Tiglin’s Loreto Centre, and the Bray and North Wicklow Ukrainian Community Centre. As a school, we could take meaningful steps to support these efforts and welcome refugee families into our community.
One idea is to start a student-led English conversation group in partnership with the Ukrainian Community Centre. As well as suddenly being displaced, not knowing the language of the new country can be daunting. Conversation groups would give both students and refugee participants a chance to learn from each other and build confidence in spoken English.
Students could organise cultural exchange evenings where families share music, food and traditions. In our school we run an Intercultural Fortnight each year.
This could be linked to our SSE plan under the Wellbeing and Inclusion themes. By integrating refugee support into initiatives that promote empathy, respect, and community engagement, we’d be helping to foster a positive school climate. Language groups, cultural events, and donation drives could be included as evidence of student voice, active citizenship, and inclusive practices in both SPHE and the wider school environment if Student Council helped to organise & run.
Hi Anna,
I enjoyed reading your post and was struck by how much the student voice is central. In our own school we have an ART Day, where students get to explore their creativity and students spend the day visiting different stalls and doing their own art. This year, one of the most popular stalls used broken toys to create new ones. It was led by a parent volunteer and was an amazing example of upcycling that came directly from a student suggestion. Another stall invited children to bring in old clothes and redesign them using paint and fabric markers. The creativity and ownership the pupils showed made it so much more impactful. Like you said, when students research, debate, and then take action, the learning becomes real and lasting.
