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Nose High Up in the Sky’ is a really handy and fun resource for both teachers and kids. It covers important topics like air pollution, weather, and climate change in a way that’s easy to understand and really engaging. Kids get to explore the weather using their senses and some simple tools, which makes it feel hands-on and real.
There are loads of great activities – like looking at old weather sayings, making sensory observations, and even building a mini weather station to measure things like rain, wind, and temperature. It does a great job connecting everyday stuff with actual science tools, which really helps kids make sense of how weather works.
One of the most interesting parts is how it links space tech with environmental issues we face on Earth – like how satellites help monitor and protect the planet. It also ties in nicely with the SESE curriculum, especially geography, and helps build STEM skills, critical thinking, and a greater awareness of the environment.
Overall, it’s a great classroom resource if you’re teaching about weather, climate, or anything in this area.
Why Are Irish Winters Getting Wetter – And What Does It Mean for Us?
Lately, Irish winters have been feeling wetter than ever, with more rain and more floods. But why is this happening, and how is it affecting our local area and even our school?
To find out, we could explore how rainfall patterns in Ireland have changed over the last few years. Using cool tools like the EO Browser, we could even create our own charts and maps to see how things have changed over time.
So, what’s causing all this extra rain?
Well, it mostly comes down to climate change. As the Earth gets warmer, the air can hold more moisture, which means more rain. The jet stream—a fast-moving ribbon of air high above us—also plays a big part. When it shifts, it can lead to longer, wetter winters here in Ireland.What’s the impact?
Wetter winters don’t just mean soggy socks—they affect:Farming: Fields get waterlogged, crops can rot, and animals might have to stay indoors more.
Homes: Flooding can damage buildings, roads, and gardens.
Nature: Too much rain can mess with wildlife. Birds and insects might not show up when they’re supposed to, and plants might bloom at the wrong time.
We could interview a local farmer (maybe even a grandparent or family friend!) to ask about how the weather has changed and what it’s like to deal with floods or storms. We could also check out the Met Éireann website or talk to our parents about big storms they remember.What can we do?
Even small actions can help fight climate change. One great idea is to connect what we’re learning to our own school garden. We can become “Climate Detectives” by:Watching for changes, like unusual blooming times, puddles that don’t go away, or fewer insects or birds.
Keeping weather diaries where we record rainfall and temperatures.
Taking photos and drawing what we see outside.
Doing fun outdoor activities like planting, measuring rainfall, and tracking temperatures with simple tools.
By doing this, we’re not just learning about climate change—we’re seeing it for ourselves and thinking about how we can make a difference, starting right here at school.Home is a super powerful and visually stunning documentary that tells the story of our planet and how humans have affected it. The aerial shots of different places around the world really show off how beautiful Earth is—and also how much damage we’ve done. The voiceover, along with the emotional music, sends a strong message about protecting the environment, and it’s both educational and touching. I thought it was really cool that the film is copyright-free, so it’s easier to use in schools and for teaching.
The part that stuck with me the most was the line, “The engine of life is linkage.” It’s such a simple but powerful reminder that everything on Earth is connected, and if we want the planet and all living things to survive, we’ve got to work together for everyone’s good.
The other videos in the module were also great at breaking down climate change in a way that’s easy for kids to understand.
Yes, instilling worry in the children isn’t a road we want to go down but still need to make them aware and educate them. a gentle approach will work best.
Activity 3 is a great way to get children thinking about the future and how the choices we make now can have a real impact. I’d love to use this as part of a Climate Awareness Day, where pupils can share what they’ve learned—like presenting their weather station data and talking about what we can all do as a school to help reduce our impact on the climate.
The Paxi video is really child-friendly and a great way to introduce the idea of greenhouse gases. It helps the teacher get a sense of what the children already know, and it sparks some really interesting discussions and ideas.
The temperature prediction tool is also a brilliant resource. It helps children understand how their own actions could affect the climate in the future. It opens the door to meaningful conversations about how small changes now can lead to a big difference later on.
Love the idea of the posters as a general display in a main corridor and a gentle reminder to staff and students
I found Activities 1 and 2 from the ESERO Weather and Climate resource really engaging and well put together. They give children a clear idea of what makes weather different from climate, which can sometimes be a tricky concept.
Activity 1, “Is it Weather or Climate?”, is especially useful. It uses real-life examples that get kids talking and make the topic easier to understand. The worksheet is great for getting them to think carefully about each example and decide whether it’s about short-term weather or long-term climate patterns.
I’d start this as a class sorting activity to get everyone involved, and then let pupils work in pairs or small groups to explain their choices. That way, they can talk through their thinking and learn from each other.
Activity 2, “Weather Detectives”, is a great way to get kids learning through investigation. They observe and record the weather each day, which really gets them thinking like young scientists. It’s a great way to build STEM skills—things like collecting and analysing data, learning how weather instruments work, and even making simple tools like rain gauges.
To take it further, I’d set up a basic weather station somewhere on the school grounds. Different groups could take turns collecting the data and giving weekly updates. Older pupils could run this more independently and share their findings with the rest of the class.
I did something similar to this with a 3rd class I had in the past with the temperature gauges and measuring rainfall and it worked out really well and all the classes got to engage and observe the outcomes. I asked a friend who was teaching in Kildare to conduct the same experiment and we the compared the rainfall and temperatures in both counties and presented the results to each other via a zoom meeting. It was very engaging.
Hi, my name is Brenda and I am currently teaching infants. I am looking forward to completing this course as Space is topic I struggle with. I find it’s a very engaging topic for the children so I would like to improve my teaching methodologies for the future. My favourite space fact is the moon is not actually round, it is shaped like a lemon.
One successful enquiry-based lesson I conducted with infant students focused on exploring how different variables affect the growth of plants. The children were introduced to the basic needs of plants and then invited to investigate what happens when one of those needs is altered.
Each group of children planted a bulb and we explored the impact of different variables by changing one condition for each plant. One bulb was kept in a dark storage press to observe the effect of no light. Another was not watered to see how lack of water impacted growth. A third bulb was given all the conditions needed for healthy growth (light, water, soil) and served as our control plant.
Over the course of several weeks, the children observed the changes daily, recording their observations and discussing what they noticed. They were incredibly enthusiastic about the process—eager each morning to check on their plants, share their thoughts with their peers, and update their group charts.
As the investigation progressed, the children worked in groups to:
Form hypotheses about what they thought would happen to each plant
Collect and record data on plant growth and appearance
Compare results to their predictions
Discuss and interpret the outcomes & Present their findings to the Senior Infant classes using simple charts and drawings
This lesson involved critical thinking, collaboration, and communication skills, as well as early scientific reasoning. The children developed a deeper understanding of how living things grow and what they need to survive. It was a highly engaging, memorable activity that integrated science, maths, oral language, and SPHE seamlessly.Great ideas here Laura, love the idea of the children creating their own rockets and they could blow the rockets with straw across the different surfaces as children find this very therapeutic.
I would like to try making rocket mice with my class next year. I would do this activity during Space Week and I would introduce it by reading one of the stories I have in the library on the theme of space & rockets. I feel the children would love to work in small groups making the rocket mice and they would also love testing them to see whose works the best and why. I would make sure to teach them about having a fair test as this is key to learning. After the testing, I would get the children to write up whose mouse rocket went the furthest and why. To integrate other subjects areas, we would act out being astronauts during role play in Aistear, measure the distance the rockets went in maths, design rockets in art and learn a poem about rockets in oral language/English.
STEM plays an extraordinarily important role in schools. It underpins every part of our lives and is present in everything around us. With this in mind, the focus in classrooms should be on developing skills like questioning, critical thinking, and problem solving. These core competencies not only lead to greater creativity and innovation but also help build resilience and boost confidence in learners.
STEM encourages children to embrace failure as part of the learning journey, viewing mistakes as valuable learning opportunities. It promotes hands-on experimentation, the effective use of technology, and the development of teamwork and collaboration skills.
One excellent resource I frequently use is Science Buddies STEM Activities. This site offers a wide range of fun, hands-on STEM activities, challenges, and demonstrations designed for children. Most materials are easy to source, and many activities can be completed quickly, making them ideal for the classroom or at home.
Some engaging examples include:
Build a Balloon Car
Make a Paper RocketElephant Toothpaste Experiment
Walking Water Science
Design a Sandcastle That Can Support a Brick
Catch a Bubble Challenge
Turn Milk into Plastic
Create a Miniature Water Cycle ModelThese kinds of activities inspire curiosity and help bring science and engineering concepts to life in a fun and memorable way.
A lesson i might use in my classroom-
Activity set: weather
To identify prior knowledge I would ask children if they know any animals that live in the cold and what they look like.Introduction Video-How do artic animals survive in the cold weather? This will capture the audience and get the children thinking about different coats on different animals and how they are suited to the climates the animals live in. We will then study animals living in the arctic circle and their different features. We will look at the composition of their coats and the colours that suit the habitat e.g. Polar bears are mainly white which allows them to camouflage in the snow. We would then look at our own weather and clothes that are suitable for us to wear in our climate. Examples of waterproof materials such as a waterproof coat could be tested to observe how it doesn’t absorb moisture and the water runs off the fabric. We would then record our findings. we would then design different clothes suited for different weather and the children could design outfits for different weather sets and present them to the class. This could be linked with a fabric and fibre lesson and the children could use different fabrics on their outfits.
