[Anna Fitzgerald]

This is a great list Mairead, some really good ideas here. Thanks for sharing as I had not heard of a lot of those pieces of art but would love to look some up and use them in my lessons.

[Anna Fitzgerald]

Consider how many Songs / Poems /Art can you think of to connect us with the Night Sky? For example: Look up President Michael D Higgins’ “Stardust”

I love the idea of using the theme Dark Skies as opposed to Space as I think it opens the topic up more completely to incorporate folklore, mythology and the arts such as music, poems, visual art etc. Children at the senior end of the school may be more interested in the topic when it includes a wider variation of topics.
Some art and music could include:

Vincent – by Don McLean which can be used to create a whole lesson plan linking the song to the piece of art Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh. This creates interest for children as it gives them interesting background information of the artist, they enjoy the song and it brings the piece of art to life. Children can then create their own version of the art.

Some more modern songs include:
A Sky Full of Stars by Coldplay – children could create their own night sky artwork

For younger children I would use Twinkle Twinkle,
Star Light, Star Bright and
Zoom Zoom Zoom, We’re going to the Moon.

[Anna Fitzgerald]

A solitary bee habitat sounds really interesting and you have some great ideas here.

[Anna Fitzgerald]

How you would incorporate the needs of nocturnal species, especially those that rely on dark skies into school biodiversity plans

School biodiversity plans, particularly Green School plans, could easily incorporate the needs of nocturnal animals. Firstly, the school should look at it’s own light pollution. Look at what lights are left on at night time and whether these could be switched off or put on a timer or sensor.
The children could play a role here. Secondly, look at native planting and wild areas for animals. Most schools could leave an area wild and without making any major changes, a decision to make sure all future planting is native could be taken. Log piles are very useful for small animals like hedgehogs and also insects. The children could undertake a bug hunt or mini beast hunt to create a survey of what we have in the area. Bay boxes and bird feeders are also useful tools.
Moths are important creatures too and schools can raise awareness of these small creatures and their important role in nature

[Anna Fitzgerald]

Yes this slide “The Background Growth of Light in Ireland” is a fantastic visual of the problem in Ireland.

[Anna Fitzgerald]

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

I live in a rural area but close enough to a large town. I always remember being able to see the night sky very clearly. However, lately I have noticed the dar sky isn’t as clear. In the distance, I can see the glow of the lights from the town. There is definitely a lot of unnecessary light pollution here. This is taking three forms:
1. Glare – the glare from modern lights is very harsh and excessively bright
2. Sky glow – in the distance I can clearly see a colourful glow of the night sky over the urban area
3. Clutter – when driving through town there are far too many bright, confusing, and excessive groupings of light sources.
Of course it is necessary to light up dark streets for safety etc but some buildings are all lit up inside and outside.

What to do? Raising awareness is important here as most people don’t notice light pollution until it is pointed out to them. Lighting could be changed to a warm colour, the direction altered so the light is pointing downwards and not up into the dark sky and the intensity could be checked to ensure appropriate brightness.

I am lucky I can still see the dark sky but light pollution is getting worse. There are many nocturnal animals in my area e.g foxes, bats, hedgehogs and owls and I hope we can conserve the darkness for their sakes too.

[Anna Fitzgerald]

I love this idea and the dates to see the moon in school make it ideal. I like the fact you suggest drawing what you see and comparing these drawings over different dates.

[Anna Fitzgerald]

Create a short teaching resource using Stellarium/ WorldWide Telescope

I would use the app Stellarium after a period of study on stars and constellations in general. Using engaging videos and prompts, the children would begin to identify some of the more well known constellations. For my lesson using Stellarium, I would start by allowing the children to browse the app and discover the features it has. I would also have the children build their own Northern Hemisphere star wheel (using Uncle Al’s Star Wheel template) and learn how to use it to identify stars (in particular the North Star) and constellations visible at different times of the year. They will then use the Stellarium app to compare their star wheel with a virtual night sky, helping them recognise key constellations. This would also help them understand how the sky changes with time and seasons and develop basic observation skills. This hands-on lesson combines model-making with digital exploration to introduce children to the night sky in an engaging and accessible way.

[Anna Fitzgerald]

Hi Michelle,

 

I think that the children creating models is a great way to engage all pupils. It would bring the topic to life for the children and they all love active learning and group work.

[Anna Fitzgerald]

4. ESERO 30 Day and Night in the World

I would introduce the idea of day and night in the world to the children by showing them the pictures of the diurnal and nocturnal animals. I would elicit prior knowledge of both types and lead the children in a discussion of the animals and the similarities and differences between them. The children will then sort the animals into diurnal and nocturnal.
From this point, I would ask the children about day and night for people in the world. Using the children of the world activity template, the children will make the cut out of the children on both sides of the world. We would then look together at a video simply explaining and using visuals to show the children the idea of day and night. Then, the children will be prompted to discuss the idea of day and night in Ireland and Australia (using our cut outs and a globe).
Finally, I will demonstrate to the children using an orange and pin, the idea of day and night at opposite sides of the world.

[Author]

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