[Alice mc loughlin]

Your post is very informative, thanks Martina. I chose option 1 but I am interested to try out the EO browser and your step by step is very helpful.

[Alice mc loughlin]

It is absolutely fasciniating to observe satellites and having satellite tracking apps is a great way to engage children and evoke interest in what the satellites are doing and possibly researching the different satellites.

These five satellites have passed over Ireland recently. I used The-Sky.org.

ISS – International Space Station: Where astronauts carry out experiments and projects about space.

COSMOS 1656: Cosmos 1656 was a Soviet ELINT (Electronic and Signals Intelligence) satellite launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome aboard a Proton rocket.

TERRA:

Approximately the size of a small school bus, the Terra satellite carries five instruments that take coincident measurements of the Earth system:

Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER)
Clouds and Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES)
Multi-angle Imaging Spectroradiometer (MISR)
Measurements of Pollution in the Troposphere (MOPITT)
Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)

ARIANE 40+ R/B: The rocket booster from the Ariane 4 launch vehicle, used for delivering payloads into space.

TITAN 4B R/B: This is a launch vehicle

I have thoroughly enjoyed using this website to track satellites passing over Ireland and I will definitely use these apps on our ipads in school with the children to bring to real life the different purposes of the satellites.

[Alice mc loughlin]

The film is full of powerful quotes that could be used as a stimulus for lessons with the children. I also agree that using snippets fo the film in 5th or 6th class is a great idea to focus on different issues raised.

[Alice mc loughlin]

Module 3 Assignement

The documentary ‘Home’ by Yann Arthus-Bertrand is serious and powerful. It evokes our thinking with its beautiful footage of our colourful planet using powerful music throughout that creates an  almost unsettling feeling as we watch how exposed and vulnerable our Earth truly is. This is such a valuable stimulus for cross curricular lessons and I have lots of ideas on how I would introduce these topics to my class. Some lessons could be using quotes from the video, being mindful that watching the whole film might be overwhelming at first for children. Quotes such as:  ‘Every species has a role to play, every species has its place. None is futile or harmful. They all balance out.’ She then goes on to say how humans have only been on the Earth for 200,000 years yet have ‘changed the face of the world’ and ‘conquered swafts of territory like no other species before you’ ‘taken possession of every habitat’. We could create interesting debates in English and discussion, write persuasively and use these quotes for a stimulus for oral reporting. Frozen images from this film could be given to groups to discuss, while then opening discussion and giving grounds for research into the different environmental issues at hand in the pictures. The music used in the film could be researched as it seems derived from different cultures throughout the world. Overall Home could be an inspirational and life changing piece to engage the children in discussion and therefore empower them to take matters into their own hands in some way.

[Alice mc loughlin]

I agree Niamh, this lesson is probably more suited in parts to an older 5th or 6th class group but yes the video is a clear visual for the younger classes.

[Alice mc loughlin]

Module 2 :
ASSIGNMENT
Activity 3 is a very engaging activity that I would enjoy trying with my class as either a group work task or project on the Chromebooks. We would begin by watching the Paxi video on greenhouse gases as an introduction to the lesson. It is very informative and breaks down exactly what affect Greenhouse gases have on our Earth however it is child friendly and offers some easy ways we can make a positive impact. After a whole class discussion on how we can make a change in our own lives, we could use a Chromebook in each group with recorders taking note of what their group found for each answer to activity 3 by using the Tool for predicting future temperatures. This is a very user friendly tool and one which will encourage the children to take an interest and change small habits.

[Alice mc loughlin]

Upon reviewing the paper Unravelling STEM: Beyond the acronym of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (Liston 2018), we are challenged to think in a more in depth way about how we include the element of engineering in our STEM activities. It is an interesting concept that ‘Engineering is the glue that integrates science, mathematics and technology and forces them towards workable solutions.’ and one that makes sense.

The Youtube videos were very appropriate to all Primary school children’s ages and some that I will save to use next year, especially the difference between ‘Weather and Climate’ video. This along with the activity sheet ‘Weather vs Climate’ , I believe will giv ethe children all they need to know about the topic. Exploring the weather on their Birthdays is a great way to make the assignment have a personal connection. Here we could extend the children’s learning and encourage them to do a collaborative project on Google classroom where they input the weather from their last two Birthdays onto a shared G.Slides. That way we could scroll through to make connections.

Activity 2: Weather Detectives is a very collaborative activity and one that can involve everybody regardless of ability. If I was to carry this activity out I would attempt to include the whole school by encouraging the children to write up a report each week together and nominating two weather detectives to make a report orally on the intercom for the whole school. This could also be recorded as a video on the IPADS during IPAD time.

[Alice mc loughlin]

I really like your idea to include parents and community projects. I love how collaborative your idea is.

[Alice mc loughlin]

My Climate Dectective research question would be how is Climate change affecting the species of sea-life washed up on our shores here in East Meath?

We would begin by brainstorming in the classroom, discussing sea creatures we have observed on the beach. Interview parents/grandparents to ask questions about the changes they have noticed in tides/waves/water temperature and sea creatures washed up observed over the years. Use EO browser/Google Maps to help identify habitats. Invite local marine biologist/coast guard and local beach tidy group in to answer the children’s questions. Use chromebooks to identify species of sea-life from the past on our shores.

Create research charts to take on weekly beach walks to observe the creatures washed up over different seasons in groups. Take the school ipads to photograph our findings. Use google images to establish the names of the different creatures found. Discuss our findings back in the classroom.

Compare and contrast our findings with the images and information previously gathered.

[Alice mc loughlin]

I really like this research question Evelyn and one that is accessible for all of us to think about in our own schools. We have a brand new school with a lovely garden so this would be a great research question to use.

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