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As the children I teach are animal mad, I would focus our Climate Detective project around this. The research question I would elicit from the pupils is:
As the temperature on planet earth is rising, what happens to animals when the weather gets too hot?
This question will spark their interest, curiosity and empathy as they all love animals. It also has a direct link to climate change and its effects on animals which is a great starting point for understanding the broader issues.
To begin with, we will focus on animals that live in very cold places, and brainstorm how hotter temperatures would affect them, their homes and their way of life. I would provide lots of visuals of their homes now, and videos of the effects of climate change on those places.
To make the lesson hands on, we will conduct experiments with melting ice to emulate how sea levels are rising and how these polar animals’ homes are shrinking.
We would collect data by looking at maps of planet earth from 20 years ago, ten years ago and today to show the shrinking of polar ice caps. Using the tablets, I would allow the children time to research by how many mm or cm the sea levels have risen in the last 20 years.
We would have a class discussion on the knock on effects of these rising sea levels for these animals, but also for us humans, and our beautiful planet.
Children would break into groups and come up with ways in which we could help in our school. They will report back to the class all of the ideas they have.Hi Sinead, thanks for sharing this research question. This is a brilliant question to engage discussion around climate change with children from Cork. You have come up with a real life problem that effects them, their families and the place where they live. Great data collection ideas too. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Michael, I agree with you, the resources provided make teaching these difficult topics and concepts possible. The are clear and the visuals and experiments make it possible to understand for the children.
I downloaded the Satellite Tracker by Star Walk:
1. Hubble Space Telescope – Though older, it still orbits Earth and provides stunning images of space, helping us understand galaxies, stars, and black holes.
2. International Space Station (ISS) – This is the most recognisable satellite, the ISS regularly passes over Ireland. It hosts astronauts and conducts experiments in microgravity and space radiation to benefit science and health on Earth.
3. NOAA-20 – A U.S. weather satellite that monitors Earth’s atmosphere, oceans, and land to improve weather forecasting and climate monitoring.
4. Starlink Satellites – Operated by SpaceX, these satellites aim to provide global high-speed internet.
5. Sentinel-3A (ESA) – Part of the European Union’s Copernicus Programme, it gathers data on sea surface temperature, ocean colour, and land monitoring.Hi Laura, I agree with you, the WWF Footprint quiz is an excellent resource. It is a stark reminder of the impact that we have on the planet. It would be a fantastic tool to use with the children in the classroom, and could really teach and remind them to be more mindful about energy saving.
The video HOME is an incredible documentary showcasing our extraordinary planet earth. The footage in the film is would be a wonderful teaching and learning resource in the classroom. The film would open the students’ eyes to the beauty of our planet, and create so many points of discussion around places, natural versus manmade, human activity, climate change, and so much more. The narration of the film is stark and I would love to see how my pupils would react to such a serious message about the effects of climate change. HOME clearly depicts how our beautiful planet is being destroyed by the misuse of the earth’s natural resources. We are all responsible for this destruction, and we are the only ones that can save it.
To introduce these climate change facts to my pupils I would first brainstorm what the pupils know about climate change- what it is, the causes and effects. I would then show some carefully selected clips of the video HOME to the class to show them how climate change and wasteful human activity will destroy our planet without action. This will lead to classroom discussions in pairs, groups and whole class. I will get their feedback on the most shocking revelations from the video. I will also elicit what they think we can do to save our planet.
I would also show the class the clip of Greta Thunberg where she speaks with such knowledge, passion and truth. This is a very compelling video, particularly because she is so young, and is a lesson to all of the children that anybody, even a child, can make a difference in saving our planet.Hi Irene, This sounds like a great way to introduce such a complex topic to Junior Infant pupils. You have used lovely, simplified language that they will be able to understand. I agree, the Paxi video is so child friendly and is a great teaching and learning resource.
I think Activity 3 would be an excellent lesson for the children in my classroom. The Paxi video is so child friendly and explains the complex concept of the greenhouse effect very clearly. The discussion around how scientists make predictions about what the earth’s climate will be like in the future will tie in nicely with collecting data from our classroom weather station.
The Teal online tool is an incredibly educational resource to show the pupils. They would love exploring this tool and finding out about climate and predicted climates all around the world. I would show them how to use this on the interactive whiteboard, and then in pairs let them explore it themselves on the iPads. The worksheet for this activity could be more suited to senior classes (I have 3rd class for context), but it could be something that we read and complete together.
It will be very beneficial for pupils to discuss how a future increase in temperature may affect their lives. This will deepen their understanding when they apply these scenarios to their own lives.Hi Triona, I love the way you are incorporating so much ICT into this lesson to extend the learning even further. This is something I really want to improve on this year so you have given me great ideas! Thank you
I found the paper Unravelling STEM (Liston, 2018) to be very interesting. STEM is something that I am not particularly confident in in my own classroom, but I an area that I would like to improve on. The paper and the lessons here have given me good and practical ways to deliver structured STEM activities to the pupils.
I believe the lessons here provide excellent learning opportunities for children all about weather and climate. They combine Science and Geography lessons from the curriculum, while also providing excellent STEM learning opportunities. Including structured STEM lessons for the pupils is essential in the classroom today, and these lessons allow the pupils to use critical thinking skills, problem solving skills, and enable them to work as a team and communicate effectively.
We have a sensory garden in our school which would be a perfect place to set up a weather station and carry out the tasks in the lesson. This weather station could be used by all classes once created and so would lend itself very well to whole school learning. I love these activities as they are hands on, and give the children the chance to really feel like scientists, engineers and meteorologists.