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I live in Dublin 24 which is a busy and built up area. There are a lot of cars on the road, big buildings, football pitches and street lights. It can be quite difficult to see the stars at night and I’m always surprised when I see how many stars you can see in the sky when I’m in more rural areas!
I am a first class teacher in Dublin 24 and this is something I would love to teach my class about. I would begin by having a class discussion on the difference between daytime and nighttime and what is in the sky during different times of the day. I would ask the children what they notice when they look out of their window after dark (if they can see the stars, the moon etc). For homework, I would ask them to observe the night sky with a parent or guardian and draw a picture of what they can see. We could then compare our observations in class and discuss why some areas have brighter skies than others.Hi Una, I really love this lesson! Its such a fun and interactive lesson and I feel like the children would love it! It is definitly something I would love to do with my first class in the next school year.
I teach First Class and I would choose an activity based on observing the Moon. I think this would be a fun way to get the children interested in space and encourage them to ask questions. To begin the lesson, I would show the children different pictures of the Moon and ask them what they notice (how much of it they can see, how bright it is, the different craters etc). We would have a class discussion and make a KWL chart to see what they already know, what they would like to know, and what they have learned at the end of the lesson. I would then ask the children to work with a partner to put the pictures of the Moon in the order they think they belong. We would talk about why they chose that order and share our ideas with the class. For homework, I would ask the children to look for the Moon with an adult at home and draw what they see. The next day, we would compare our drawings and discuss whether the Moon looked the same or different. This would help the children to see that the Moon changes over time.
Hi Lorraine, I really like the idea of using a torch to reflect the sun. I feel like this is such a simple yet effective lesson! I also like how you have came up with ideas on how to integrate it into different lessons.
I am a first class teacher and the lesson which I really would like to try is the lesson where the children would “observe and record the positions of the sun when rising and setting and at different times of the day”. To begin, we would have a class discussion about the sun and perhaps make a KWL chart about the sun. We would then discuss where they think the sun is in the sky at different times of the day (morning, lunchtime, before home time). I would encourage them to make predictions on where the sun is at the different times.
I would give each child a worksheet which would have ‘prediction’ and ‘result’ written on it along with space to draw a picture of each time of the day (morning, lunch, home time). I would also encourage them to look at the shadows on the ground and perhaps observe and compare how the shadows change throughout the day. I would then get the children to have a discussion with their partners and with their class about what they learned.
I would also perhaps ask them to have a look at the sun when they home for homework and write/draw what they observed.
Hi Aine, I agree with you. The video was so impactful and also made me question my own carbon footprint.
I agree that by showing children some of these clips, they may also feel the same way and therefore try to reduce their carbon footprint.
The film ‘Home’ by Yann Arthus-Bertrand in Module three really struck me. It is a great video which offers a visual representation of climate change here on Earth. When I am teaching the topic of ‘climate change’ to my class in the new school year, I would show the children part of this video to give them an idea of climate change. The video has various important and interesting facts which are very beneficial and interesting for children to learn.
We will also investigate climate change activists such as Greta Thunberg, by introducing Greta Thunberg, the children may be able to see the issue of climate change from a different perspective with somebody that they may be able to relate to. We would watch Greta Thunbergs TED Talk.
We would measure our carbon footprints as brainstorm ways in which we can reduce it. We would have a class discussion on how we can reduce our carbon footprint both in the classroom and at home.
Hi Dara,
This is a great idea as it can lead to many other SESE lessons e.g. Polar bears etc. I love the idea of doing an experiment to get the children interested in the topic as well as showing them in a fun and active way.
Research question: ‘How can we as a class, reduce our carbon footprint both at home and in school?’
Firstly, I would discuss what carbon footprint to find out if the children understand that it means. I would then ask the children to do the ‘how big is your environmental footprint’ online questionnaire, encouraging the children to answer the questions honestly to get an accurate result.
The children would discuss and compare their findings with their partner and then with a class as a whole. The class will brainstorm on the white board some ways that we can reduce our carbon footprint. We will then pick one thing to focus on for the next couple of weeks for example walk, cycle or scoot to nearby places instead of driving. The children will be asked to keep a diary to take note of how much they are using their car at the beginning of the challenge and they will revisit it and take note again at the end of the challenge to see if there is a difference.
Additionally, this could be done on a whole school level by the children in my classroom doing presentations to other classes on how they can reduce their carbon footprint and introduce the challenge of less driving. The school could introduce a ‘walk on Wednesday’ initiative where classes could get the chance to win a prize if a majority of the class walked/cycled/scooted to school. This will encourage all classes to get involved and may reduce the schools carbon footprint significantly.
I recently explored the teacher guide and pupil activities for the ESA resource “Nose up in the Sky”. I thought that this was a great resource and will be particularly useful for my 3rd class in September and I know that they will enjoy it.
I knew the proverb ‘red sky at night, shepherds delight; red sky in the morning, shepherds warning’. This is a phrase that I learned growing up and is something I still say to myself now. It will be great to share these phrases with the children in my class in September. There were a few proverbs there that I did not know. A lot of them are very useful, one I particularly liked was ‘Seagull, seagull sit on the sand. It’s never good weather when you’re on land’. This is a phrase that I will use in my classroom.
The “Sensing the Weather” activity is suitable for children of all ages and would integrate well into a literacy lesson. Lastly, the weather station activities were excellent. I am considering the possibility of creating a class weather station where all students can participate actively.
I think the idea of getting the children to work in groups of three to discuss how they can change their actions in school to reduce their greenhouse gases is a great idea and it helps them understand it on a more personal level.
Activity 3 is a very useful resource that I will definitely be using with my 3rd class children in the new school year. I would elicit any prior knowledge that the children may have on climate change by doing a spider diagram (brainstorm) or a KWL chart. I would ask the children some questions about climate change.
Before we watch the paxi video on greenhouse gases and would ask them to discuss what they think greenhouse gases are. We would then watch the video and I would ask the children to comment on ways to reduce greenhouse gases.
The Teal tool also caught my attention. It’s a fantastic visual aid that captures the students’ interest and effectively advances their understanding.
For younger students, though, the data focus might be a bit too challenging. I would suggest using the colour levels to illustrate changes over time. This approach simplifies the concept and makes it more accessible for them.
Hi Gina,
I will have 3rd class this September and I am also hoping to use a lot of these activities when teaching the concept of weather to the children. This can be a tricky topic to teach so I think that these are really good resources to use to support and enhance my teaching of weather!
I now have a clear understanding of the significance of integrating STEM topics after reading the paper Unravelling STEM: Beyond the acronym of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (Liston 2008).
The study emphasises the value of multidisciplinary education, improving students’ problem-solving abilities, and tying classroom instruction to real-world situations. Students’ critical thinking skills are enhanced in addition to their creativity when using this method.
This lesson was really fun for me, especially the resources “Weather Vs. Climate” and “Nose Up High in the Sky.” With their outstanding worksheets and video content, these were both excellent resources for teaching and learning.
The activity “Is it weather or climate?” was really thoughtfully designed. The challenge of remembering the weather on their most recent birthday was an enjoyable and memorable method for the children to interact with the lecture, and the activity sheet was simple for them to complete. To promote conversation and comprehension, the exercise at the conclusion where students separated sentences to reaffirm their grasp worked well.
“Nose Up High in the Sky,” another excellent activity, gave children the chance to construct their own weather station. Their spatial and measurement skills were well-developed through this practical assignment. Creating a weather station at school can cultivate a variety of STEM skills, including data collection and analysis, data logging, using instruments, design and construction, problem-solving, and record-keeping.