[Amy Doyle]

Excellent resources shared, thank you.

[Amy Doyle]

Consider how many Songs / Poems /Art can you think of to connect us with the Night Sky?

Songs:

1. “Counting Stars” by OneRepublic

2. “Starry, Starry Night” by Don McLean

3. “Sky Full of Stars” by Coldplay

4. “Drops of Jupiter” by Train

5. “Fly Me to the Moon” by Frank Sinatra

6. “Midnight Sky” by Miley Cyrus

7. “Moon River” by Audrey Hepburn

 

Poems:

1. “The Star” by Jane Taylor

2. “When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer” by Walt Whitman

3. “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” by Jane Taylor

4. “A Clear Midnight” by Walt Whitman

5. “The Night” by Hilaire Belloc

 

Art:

1. The Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh

2. Nighthawks by Edward Hopper

3. Nocturne in Black and Gold – The Falling Rocket by James Abbott McNeill Whistler

These songs, poems and art pieces capture the wonder and awe inspired by the night sky. They can evoke a sense of connection to the universe and the mysteries it holds.

[Amy Doyle]

Very practical activities, I’ll definitely be using a few of them myself in school this year!

[Amy Doyle]

How you would engage your learners to explore biodiversity in your local area and
the possible impacts of light pollution on local biodiversity.

To engage learners in exploring local biodiversity, I would carry out the following activities:

1. **Nature Walks:** Take students on nature walks in the local / school environment to observe and identify different plant and animal species. Encourage them to take notes or sketch what they see.

2. **Field Surveys:** Conduct biodiversity surveys where pupils can collect data on the variety of species present in different habitats.

3. **Guest Speakers:** Invite local biologists / conservationists to share their expertise on local biodiversity. This can provide valuable insights and real-world examples for your students.

4. **Habitat Restoration:** Engage students in hands-on activities like planting native species, creating wildlife habitats, or cleaning up local ecosystems.

5. **Case Studies:** Present real-life case studies of local environmental issues that have affected biodiversity. Encourage students to analyse these cases, identify the impacts, and propose solutions to mitigate the negative effects on biodiversity.

6. **Habitat Assessments:** Students assess different habitats in their local area to understand how human activities, like construction or pollution, impact the biodiversity of those environments. This can help them see the direct effects on local plant and animal species.

[Amy Doyle]

These are excellent activities, Sinéad. These activities not only educate students about light pollution but also inspire them to take action to reduce light pollution in their community.

[Amy Doyle]

Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.

Light pollution in my local area, can have various impacts. It can disrupt ecosystems, affecting wildlife behaviour, especially nocturnal animals. Additionally, excessive artificial light at night can interfere with human sleep patterns and overall health. It can also obscure views of the night sky, making it difficult to see stars and celestial bodies clearly.

How I would engage my pupils to explore this:

1. **Light Pollution Survey:** Students can conduct a survey in the school or local area to identify sources of light pollution. They can document the types of lights used, their brightness, and how they impact the surroundings.

2. **Model Making:** Pupils can create a model to demonstrate the effects of light pollution on stargazing.

3. **Light Pollution Art:** Encourage students to express their understanding of light pollution through art. They can create posters, drawings, or paintings that highlight the effects of excessive artificial light on the environment and wildlife.

[Amy Doyle]

I love the idea of making models – Opportunities to make models and to manipulate the models to help students explain their ideas should be provided.

The manipulation of models also allows pupils to view the motion of the sun, Earth and the moon from a new perspective, as an observer of the whole system, as opposed to their usual perspective, as an observer on a very small region on the surface of the Earth.

[Amy Doyle]

Plan to observe the Moon – which phase of the Moon is best for observing in the morning from school? What dates will that be?

I would introduce the topic of the Moon and it’s phases by first eliciting prior knowledge from the students. I would do this by engaging the pupils in a brainstorming activity in small groups. From here, we would engage in a classroom discussion based on their prior knowledge. Pupils can hold a range of views used to explain the illumination of the moon, for example:
• we can only see the moon at night
• the moon absorbs the sun’s light and then emits it
• the moon makes light
• the moon shines because it is bright compared to the darkness that surrounds it.
I would identify pupils’ preconceptions and guide & develop their understanding through discussion and hands-on activities.

I would guide the pupils to develop their own questions to research around the topic of the moon and its phases & explore. In this way the research is more pupil-directed and not simply a fact finding exercise.

As a class, we would use use http://www.timeanddate.com to check the Moon Phases.
The third quarter would be the best phase for observing the moon from school.

I would ask the pupils to fill in the Moon Observation Log from Esero to illustrate how the moon looks each day by shading in the circles. They would record the date, time, and shape of the moon, observing which quarter the moon is in that period.

We would engage in model making. Pupils would be given the opportunity to manipulate the models to help them explain their ideas.

[Amy Doyle]

Construct a sundial in your immediate area or plan for your school grounds to see where a sundial could be placed.
How would you engage your students with this activity?

Descriptor:
Learning outcomes:
• Observe, describe and record the positions of the sun when rising and setting, and the changing lengths of day and night during the seasons.
• Investigate shadows, directions and sunlight.
• Begin to understand the influence of the sun on weather and atmospheric conditions.

I would begin with a mind-map activity to establish prior knowledge about the sun. What is the sun? (A star.) At which cardinal directions does the sun rise and set? How does the sun affect us from day to day/throughout the year?
I would then follow up by introducing the key words and concepts.
Then, I would show the pupils a video about the positions of the sun. Models could be used to demonstrate how the Earth rotates while orbiting the sun.
We would then have a discussion based on what a shadow is and how it is formed. If it was a sunny day, we would explore shadows outdoors. If it was a cloudy day, we could create shadows in the classroom using torches.
The pupils would then split into groups and construct sundials and use them in a suitable area on the school grounds.

To extend the activity, the pupils could find out more about sundials used in ancient civilisations such as Greece, Rome and Egypt. They could also research famous sundials at big houses in Ireland.

[Amy Doyle]

I agree Patrick, there is huge scope for integration and cross-curricular learning here. The pupils could learn about positions of the sun (Geography), the Aztecs (History), light sources (Science), and Sun Gods (History) to mention but a few topics.

[Amy Doyle]

This is an excellent research project and you have outlined the procedure very clearly.

[Amy Doyle]

RESEARCH QUESTION: What are the impacts of extreme weather and climate events across the planet?

Phase 1: Identify a climate problem

Here, I would encourage the pupils to think about and discuss climate and guide them towards identifying a local climate problem that they would like to investigate as ‘Climate Detectives’.
The steps involved in this phase are as follows:
1. Engage the students
2. Identify the research question
3. Plan the Earth observation data to be investigated
4. Submit the investigation plan
I would engage the pupils by introducing key words, terms, and concepts. Then, I would activate their prior knowledge through questioning, videos and mind maps.
The pupils will then choose a research question. To help the pupils decide and focus on a topic they would like to research they could:
– Visit the sharing platform climatedetectives.esa.int
– Check for any reports on recent climate events
– Identify geographical features and habitats

Once the research question is decided, pupils will plan what Earth observation data they need to answer the question.

I would then guide the pupils through planning their investigations. Guiding questions include:
What equipment and materials will be required?
Who is going to carry out the investigation?
How will the data be accessed, collected?
Where will the research / investigation be carried out?

Phase 2: Investigate the climate problem

The Earth observation data may be ground measurements or satellite data.
Methods of documenting evidence include:
• Photographs of location where data is being collected
• Videos
• Photographs of team members at work
• Screenshots of the data being collected
• Labelled sketches of experiments in the field or laboratory/classroom
The pupils would then analyse data and draw conclusions.

Phase 3: Share results and make a difference

In this phase, the pupils will follow the below steps:
1. Decide on any actions to be taken
2. Showcase the project
3. Share the project with a wider audience/ Climate Detectives community

[Amy Doyle]

1.
I downloaded the Satellite Tracker app on my phone and set my location automatically. A tracked satellite that shows up recently in my vicinity is ISS NORAD ID 25544. This activity would integrate well with maths whereby pupils could learn about location co-ordinates in Geography to allow for meaningful integration with real world maths and enter co-ordinates into the app for various locations to check for satellites in their area.

2.
I looked at the EO BROWSER ‘step by step’ guide and the EO Browser Tutorial. EO Browser provides easy access to full-resolution satellite images. You can select your area of interest, adjust time ranges, and explore different visualizations.
In terms of using it in classroom, when teaching geography you can show pupils real-time satellite imagery of different regions around the world, for example when teaching about the topics of deforestation/sea-ice/glaciers etc. They could learn about different environments, weather patterns, and changes on Earth’s surface. There are so many ways in which this could be used in the classroom from observing changes in the environment to monitoring happenings across the globe. If I was to use this tool with my class, I would begin by guiding them through the tutorial to ensure they were confident in using the resource. They could then split into groups and begin researching information for a project.

3.
I downloaded the Nose Up High in the Sky resource and enjoyed trying out the different activities.
The first activity is a great introductory activity that involves exploring old weather proverbs.
Pupils can enjoy exploring the meaning of these proverbs with their peers and family members at home.
Activity two involves using our senses to observe and describe the weather. I like how this multisensory approach allows pupils to learn that engaging all of our senses allows us to better understand the world around us and use those observations to make scientific predictions.
The weather station activities were excellent but it would be better to make a class weather station with all children participating.

[Amy Doyle]

I love the idea of linking this activity with teaching children location co-ordinates in Geography. It provides lots of room for meaningful integration with real-world maths.

[Amy Doyle]

Hi Niall,

These strategies are great, I would love to incorporate some of these ideas into my own classroom when teaching about climate change. I love how simple but effective each strategy is.

[Author]

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