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I also have family links to Birr. I have really enjoyed seeing just how much can be learned from the locality.
The Dodder Greenway is very near my school. It offers an inspiring setting for an integrated project in art, music and creative writing, allowing junior pupils to explore their local natural heritage through creativity. The project would begin with a nature walk along the Greenway, where children would observe trees, birds, insects and the river. They would collect natural materials such as leaves and twigs and sketch interesting features they notice. Back in the classroom, pupils would create textured collages or landscape paintings inspired by the colours and patterns of the Greenway, experimenting with a variety of art materials and techniques. I would also encourage the use of a journey stick.
The sounds of nature would provide the stimulus for music. Pupils would listen carefully to birdsong, rustling leaves and running water before recreating these sounds using percussion instruments, body percussion and their voices. They could compose a simple soundscape to represent a journey along the river.
Finally, pupils would use their observations to create poems, descriptive sentences or short stories about an imaginary adventure on the Dodder Greenway.
I like the way you have made links to your own community. I also like the use of all the different materials.
The suspension bridge at Birr Castle would be the stimulus for my lesson on bridges with junior pupils. I would begin by showing photos of the bridge and encouraging the children to discuss its purpose, shape and materials. Using questioning, I would activate prior knowledge before introducing different bridge types. Following the Curious Minds Design a Bridge activity, pupils would investigate how a simple paper bridge can be strengthened through folding and changing its shape before testing how much weight it can hold. This hands-on investigation encourages prediction, observation and evaluation while developing problem-solving skills.
The lesson would integrate the Primary Mathematics Curriculum through the strands Shape and Space, Measures, and Data. Children would identify 2D shapes, lines and angles within the suspension bridge, measure the span of their own bridges using non-standard or standard units, and record the weight each design holds using simple tables or pictograms. These activities develop mathematical language, reasoning and representation while linking mathematics to an authentic engineering context. The Birr Castle suspension bridge provides a meaningful context that promotes curiosity, collaboration and STEM learning across the curriculum. I would conclude the lesson by visiting a local bridge to our school which crosses the M50 motorway. We would draw comparison between the two bridges.Identifying local species is definitely a challenge for me so I really appreciate the Seek resources and the various books and keys.
To develop children’s understanding of biodiversity, I would conduct a school biodiversity study with a particular focus on birds, following the Wonder, Explore, Plan, Make and Evaluate inquiry cycle. To spark curiosity, I would use Ireland’s Garden Birds and The Great Book of Irish Wildlife as a stimulus, encouraging children to identify common Irish bird species and discuss their habitats. During the Explore stage, pupils would participate in the Irish Garden Bird Survey, observing and recording birds visiting the school grounds. Linking with STEM, children would plan and make bird feeders, testing different designs to investigate which attract the greatest variety of birds. They would monitor bird visits over several weeks, collecting data to create bar charts and pictograms in Mathematics while discussing patterns and trends. To broaden the biodiversity focus, children would complete a Wildflower Walk in the nearby wildflower garden. Each child would adopt a wildflower, research it, and teach their peers, promoting ownership and collaborative learning. Finally, pupils would evaluate their findings, reflecting on how habitats, food sources and conservation support local biodiversity.
I also found the heritage videos very helpful. I think they would be a great stimulus for the mapping lesson.
This is a fantastic idea and I will try it with our student council. It’s a great way to familiarise the children with their local environment in a practical hands on way.
As a junior school teacher, I enjoy planning outdoor activities that give children a tangible, hands-on learning experience. Last year, after completing my summer course, I introduced journey sticks and nature mandalas with my class, and they were a great success. This year, I am excited to try map making as an outdoor learning activity.
To prepare the children, I would begin by exploring Google Maps in the classroom and discussing simple maps that are relevant to their everyday lives. I would introduce mapping vocabulary appropriate to their age and stage of development, helping them to understand concepts such as symbols, landmarks, direction, and routes. One new term I learned during this module was abiotic, meaning non-living things, and I would incorporate this into our discussions where appropriate.
Outdoors, I would encourage the children to explore our school playground, a familiar environment, and work together to create their own maps. I also liked the idea of encouraging children to observe their surroundings from different levels and perspectives, as this helps them notice details they may otherwise overlook while developing their spatial awareness and observation skills.
I agree. This is only going to become more relevant to the children as we have seen recently with climate change – wildfires in France, Ireland etc.
I read the piece from Liston. It helped me to think differently about what STEM education looks like in my classroom. Before this, STEM sometimes felt overwhelming, especially in a junior classroom, but I really liked how this approach, in line with the new Primary Curriculum Framework, focuses on simple, meaningful learning experiences rather than complicated projects. The light lessons, especially the rainbow spinner activity, stood out to me because they were easy to set up and engaging and suitable for young children. They showed me that STEM can be both fun and achievable, whereas this had been a barrier for me before hand.
One of the biggest ideas I took from the reading was the importance of making connections to children’s everyday lives. When learning is linked to things they already know and experience, it becomes much more meaningful and encourages curiosity. I now feel that effective STEM does not have to be complex, it just needs to make sense. Instead, it can be integrated into everyday classroom experiences in ways that are relevant, practical and enjoyable for young learners.