[Christine O’Brien]

Hi Linda,

The issue of gendered images on clothes is another bugbear of mine.  My colleague and I were discussing it one day and quite often you see positve affirmations on ‘girls’ clothes but rarely on ‘boys’ clothes.

Another interesting thing that was pointed out to me another time was how quite often, traditional ‘girls’ clothes are adorned with fawns, birds etc., that is they are adorned with prey.  Traditional ‘boys’ clothes are often found with lions, tigers, T-Rexs, sharks etc. i.e. predators.  At the moment, we are seeing much discussion in the Dáil, in the courts and in the media about violence against women by men – is it any wonder when, from a very young age, we promote predators for boys but prey for girls?!  Don’t get me wrong, it is a multi-faceted problem and I’m not blaming the fashion industry for all that is wrong with the world but my point is that it is just one of these subtle harmful messages given to children from a very young age.

[Christine O’Brien]

This is a topic that I am regularly found on my soapbox about and I have had many discussions with my colleagues and friends about. Gender stereotypes are everywhere! From the second the child leaves the womb (and even before!), they are subject to gender stereotypes, from the types of clothing put onto them to people describing infants as behaving x y and z way because they are a girl/boy etc.

Children are exposed to this constantly and often coming from adults that they trust. It then often continues right on into adulthood. Gender stereotyping in turn leads to gender inequality. I recently saw a reel where a man explained it very well. He was doing the grocery shopping accompanied by his small children, where he was met with comments about ‘how great he was for doing that’ and how wonderful he was for having the children with him at the same time. He commented about how his wife would never be met with these comments and he described very simply how the ‘social bar’ is set much lower for men and the inequity that exists for women even in the simplest of tasks.

In my own classroom (Senior Infants) recently, we had worked a lot on discrimination, whereby work on racial discrimination in turn led to discussions on gender discrimination. We discuss the ideas of ‘boys toys’ or ‘girls toys’, haircuts, nail varnish etc. All the children by the end of the lessons knew the ‘right’ answer to give but as teachers, we also recognise that just because they know it, does not mean that they will embody it.

Last year, a boy in the class arrived in wearing a skirt. While one or two children remarked that he was (more in observation and a kind of admiration than criticism), he was supported by a classful of children who accepted that he was simply wearing clothes, not ‘girls’ clothes. On yard however, he was met with three boys from another class who tried to belittle him. However, this was met with strong disapproval from the children in my class. The child in question was fully supported and the other children were educated in the concept of gender stereotyping. When speaking with the child’s mother later that day, she explained that wearing perceived ‘girls’ clothes was something that he had always liked to do but not long before Junior Infants, he felt shamed in the playground about it and had stopped. Due to feeling safe and supported, he now confidently comes to school in the clothes that he felt most comfortable in. This really highlights how harmful gender stereotyping can be from such an early age and equally the power we hold as educators in creating that positive, safe environment for children free from gender stereotyping.

[Christine O’Brien]

Hi Christine,

I really like the idea of linking STEAM to Development Education.  With such a move in the system, it can sometimes feel overwhelming to cover everything and I think this is a great idea.

[Christine O’Brien]

This paper was particularly interesting and relevant in that it was written from the perspective of someone who identified as Black and Irish. It showed development education in a local, national and global context and in doing so, showed its relatability to the Irish classroom.

Development education is a vital component of contemporary education that aims to raise awareness and understanding about global issues, such as poverty, inequality, social justice, and sustainability. It fosters a sense of global citizenship, encouraging individuals to take action and make positive changes. It is rooted in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

As a teacher in an Educate Together school, development education has particular relevance in the context of the new Learn Together Curriculum that is coming on stream this year. It too, is rooted firmly in the SDGs and in global citizenship education. I always address issues of development education in my classroom both incidentally and explicitly through Learn Together lessons. Through my post, I oversee the promotion of the Ethical Education programme in the whole school and have worked on revising the Whole School Plan in line with the Revised Curriculum last year. In the coming school year, it will be a priority in the school and I will use aspects from this course to promote it, including the youtube video on What is International Development

[Christine O’Brien]

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”

The list is endless. These are some of the ones I’ve used with Senior Infants and some videos also. There are also some more included that may be more suitable for other class levels:

Videos:
Literacy Shed: https://www.literacyshed.com/the-sci—fi-shed.html
Sesame Street: I don’t want to live on the Moon https://youtu.be/kIq8jLj5TzU
Story Bots https://youtu.be/ZHAqT4hXnMw

Songs:
Sing the song ‘Twinkle, twinkle little star’ with the children drawing their attention to the words: ‘How I wonder what you are?’
The Planet Song for Kids https://youtu.be/mQrlgH97v94
What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong https://youtu.be/2nGKqH26xlg
Reach for the Stars by S Club Seven https://youtu.be/50kP4S0peAs
Constellation Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjBGpA2Muyc
Stars, from Finding Neverland by Gary Barlow & Eliot Kennedy https://youtu.be/mG8La7PxgO8
The Sky’s the Limit by Nik Kershaw https://youtu.be/RL_rYCgn6uk
Vincent (Starry, Starry Night) by Don McLean https://youtu.be/4wrNFDxCRzU (also covered by Ellie Goulding – https://youtu.be/C3_spbo8eVc)
Starman by David Bowie https://youtu.be/rpO1U-nEgRU?si=RezxPd6y79M5QCfN; cover by Jack L https://youtu.be/xBZ034GHM4Q
Catch a Falling Star by Perry Como https://youtu.be/_VJlHWESyLI?si=47XhnngPLstYVXQW

Art:
Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh
Galileo’s Moon Drawings
“Earthrise” by William Anders (Apollo 8 Mission) – Photograph

Poetry:
Poem to listen to: He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven by WB Yeats
Humpty Dumpty Went to the Moon
Our Earth
Hey Diddle Diddle
Star Light, Star Bright

SESE linked with Philosophy 4 Children
What are stars? Can we name any stars? What do stars do? Why do we call some people Superstars?! How many stars do we think are in the night sky? Why can we see lots of stars some nights and very few on other nights?

Drama activity
Design Your Own Dark Sky Park https://teachnet.ie/ds/pdf/design_your_own_dsp_lesson_plan.pdf

Story Box – I have a box of Night Sky/Space-themed picture books that I use also. These were compiled from existing class libraries

[Christine O’Brien]

Consider how many Songs / Poems /Art can you think of to connect us with the Night Sky?

The list is endless.  These are some of the ones I’ve used with Senior Infants and some videos also.  There are also some more included that may be more suitable for other class levels:

Videos:

• Literacy Shed: https://www.literacyshed.com/the-sci—fi-shed.html
• Sesame Street: I don’t want to live on the Moon https://youtu.be/kIq8jLj5TzU
• Story Bots https://youtu.be/ZHAqT4hXnMw

Songs:

• Sing the song ‘Twinkle, twinkle little star’ with the children drawing their attention to the words: ‘How I wonder what you are?’
• The Planet Song for Kids https://youtu.be/mQrlgH97v94
• What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong https://youtu.be/2nGKqH26xlg
• Reach for the Stars by S Club Seven https://youtu.be/50kP4S0peAs
• Constellation Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjBGpA2Muyc
  Stars, from Finding Neverland by Gary Barlow & Eliot Kennedy https://youtu.be/mG8La7PxgO8
• The Sky’s the Limit by Nik Kershaw https://youtu.be/RL_rYCgn6uk
• Vincent (Starry, Starry Night) by Don McLean https://youtu.be/4wrNFDxCRzU (also covered by Ellie Goulding – https://youtu.be/C3_spbo8eVc)
• Starman by David Bowie https://youtu.be/rpO1U-nEgRU?si=RezxPd6y79M5QCfN;  cover by Jack L https://youtu.be/xBZ034GHM4Q
• Catch a Falling Star by Perry Como https://youtu.be/_VJlHWESyLI?si=47XhnngPLstYVXQW

Art:

• Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh
• Galileo’s Moon Drawings
• “Earthrise” by William Anders (Apollo 8 Mission) – Photograph

Poetry:

• Poem to listen to: He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven by WB Yeats
• Humpty Dumpty Went to the Moon
• Our Earth
• Hey Diddle Diddle
• Star Light, Star Bright

SESE linked with Philosophy 4 Children

• What are stars? Can we name any stars? What do stars do? Why do we call some people Superstars?! How many stars do we think are in the night sky? Why can we see lots of stars some nights and very few on other nights?

Drama activity 

• Design Your Own Dark Sky Park https://teachnet.ie/ds/pdf/design_your_own_dsp_lesson_plan.pdf

Story Box – I have a box of Night Sky/Space-themed picture books that I use also.  These were compiled from existing class libraries

[Christine O’Brien]

Lora, this sounds like a fantastic way to celebrate 125 years.  I also think that you are so right – if a teacher is passionate about a topic, the interest in learning just radiates.  I had actually forgotten about the stories on the dúchas.ie website until today – I must go back and read a few myself!

[Christine O’Brien]

Hi Sinéad,

It is great to hear such wonderful feedback on the Heritage In Schools scheme.  It has been something I have been looking into but was nervous in case it wasn’t worthwhile.  Outdoor Learning is a focus for the school in the coming years and your feedback is very encouraging.

[Christine O’Brien]

How you would engage your learners to explore biodiversity in your local area and the possible impacts of light pollution on local biodiversity

I have Senior Infants at the moment and while many of the resources in this module were pitched more at middle/senior classes, the early concepts were definitely adaptable to the younger classes.

To engage my senior infant learners in exploring local biodiversity and the impact of light pollution, I would use the following steps:

Engage
Nature Walk: Carry out a guided nature walk in the local area near the school, encouraging students to observe and collect natural items like leaves, flowers, and small insects.

Explore
Observation Stations: Set up stations with magnifying glasses, bug jars, and plant guides. Let students examine their collected items, identifying different species.
Night vs. Day: Show pictures of local wildlife active during the day and at night. Discuss how light pollution might affect nocturnal animals. See ESERO 30 Day and Night

Explain
Story Time: Read a storybook about animals affected by light pollution e.g. Lights Out by Marsha Diane Arnold or https://youtu.be/2XET6_G1dls?si=c9RcGCkgFf-20Uvw from 3:58
Simple Explanation: Discuss how too much light at night can confuse animals, making it hard for them to find food or mates.

Elaborate
Craft Activity: Have students create drawings showing healthy vs light-polluted habitats.
Guest Speaker: Invite a member of the local Tidy Towns committee in to the class to talk about local species and answer questions (The committee have won awards for Biodiversity in recent years at the Tidy Towns competition)

Evaluate
Show and Tell: Children share their drawings and explain what they learned.
Reflection: Ask questions like, “Why is it important to protect our night sky?” to reinforce their understanding.

[Christine O’Brien]

Light pollution is significantly impacting Cork, reducing the visibility of stars and constellations in the night sky. In the city where I come from, the artificial lighting causes skyglow, which obscures the stars, planets etc. and risks disrupting natural ecosystems. This not only affects astronomical observations but also influences human circadian rhythms and wildlife behaviour.
I found this topic heavy enough and feel that it really would be more suited to the senior end of the school at best. I would structure it as follows:
Engage
Hook: Night-sky observation sessions in urban and rural areas to compare star visibility.
Questioning: Stimulate curiosity with questions about visibility differences.
Explore
Experiments: Use the Space Week investigation ‘Can we design a device to reduce light?‘ https://www.darksky.ie/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/LIGHT-POLLUTION-TOOLKIT-2018.pdf which includes the Box Planetarium from previous module
Explain
Multimedia & Discussion: Explain/discuss light pollution’s sources and effects using https://youtu.be/wraMeDbLw5k?si=thdge3h5MDazACgS
Guest Speakers: If possible, have parent/local expert in to discuss potential solutions.
Elaborate
Creative Projects: Posters, essays, and presentations on preserving dark skies.
Community Event: “Dark Sky Night” to reduce lights and observe stars encouraging students and their families to turn off outdoor lights and observe the night sky
Evaluate
Reflection and Assessment: Journals, discussions, quizzes, and presentations to assess understanding and application.

[Christine O’Brien]

Light pollution is significantly impacting Cork, reducing the visibility of stars and constellations in the night sky. In the city where I come from, the artificial lighting causes skyglow, which obscures the stars, planets etc. and risks disrupting natural ecosystems. This not only affects astronomical observations but also influences human circadian rhythms and wildlife behaviour.

I found this topic heavy enough and feel that it really would be more suited to the senior end of the school at best.  I would structure it as follows:

Engage
Hook: Night-sky observation sessions in urban and rural areas to compare star visibility.
Questioning: Stimulate curiosity with questions about visibility differences.

Explore
Experiments: Use the Space Week investigation ‘Can we design a device to reduce light?‘ https://www.darksky.ie/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/LIGHT-POLLUTION-TOOLKIT-2018.pdf which includes the Box Planetarium from previous module

Explain
Multimedia & Discussion: Explain/discuss light pollution’s sources and effects using https://youtu.be/wraMeDbLw5k?si=thdge3h5MDazACgS
Guest Speakers: If possible, have parent/local expert in to discuss potential solutions.

Elaborate
Creative Projects: Posters, essays, and presentations on preserving dark skies.
Community Event: “Dark Sky Night” to reduce lights and observe stars encouraging students and their families to turn off outdoor lights and observe the night sky

Evaluate
Reflection and Assessment: Journals, discussions, quizzes, and presentations to assess understanding and application.

[Christine O’Brien]

Light pollution is significantly impacting Cork, reducing the visibility of stars and constellations in the night sky. In the city where I come from, the artificial lighting causes skyglow, which obscures the stars, planets etc. and risks disrupting natural ecosystems. This not only affects astronomical observations but also influences human circadian rhythms and wildlife behaviour.

I found this topic heavy enough and feel that it really would be more suited to the senior end of the school at best. I would structure it as follows:

Engage
Hook: Night-sky observation sessions in urban and rural areas to compare star visibility.
Questioning: Stimulate curiosity with questions about visibility differences.

Explore
Experiments: Use the Space Week investigation ‘Can we design a device to reduce light?‘ https://www.darksky.ie/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/LIGHT-POLLUTION-TOOLKIT-2018.pdf which includes the Box Planetarium from previous module

Explain
Multimedia & Discussion: Explain/discuss light pollution’s sources and effects using https://youtu.be/wraMeDbLw5k?si=thdge3h5MDazACgS
Guest Speakers: If possible, have parent/local expert in to discuss potential solutions.

Elaborate
Creative Projects: Posters, essays, and presentations on preserving dark skies.
Community Event: “Dark Sky Night” to reduce lights and observe stars encouraging students and their families to turn off outdoor lights and observe the night sky

Evaluate
Reflection and Assessment: Journals, discussions, quizzes, and presentations to assess understanding and application.

[Christine O’Brien]

Really good point about linking to the recent Northern Lights.  I particularly like the ESERO lessons.  That one in particular segues nicely from the Day & Night lessons from Module 1

[Christine O’Brien]

Hi Lora,

I like your clear step-by-step approach to using Stellarium.  I teach a younger class ans was contemplating if it would be suitable for them to use on the iPads but concluded that it required too much digital literacy for them so I really like your idea of the older class inviting in the younger class.  We have a buddy system in our school where Senior Infants have 5th class buddies and this is definitely something that I’m going to factor in next year when delving into the the ‘Space Travel Agent’ Integrated Learning through Play theme.

Thanks for the inspiration!

[Christine O’Brien]

The activity I would look at is ‘Seeing Stars! Looking at The Plough in two Different Ways. I particularly like this lesson as it has many cross-curricular links, in particular with Length in maths, as well as the Learn Together and SPHE curricula where it can lead to discussions about perspectives, that things aren’t always what they see and how looks can be deceiving.

In the lesson, the children learn to identify The Plough in the night sky. The activity involves a hands-on project where students create a 3D representation of the constellation, demonstrating that the stars do not line up in a 2D Plough-shape as their distances from our perspective on Earth varies.. Through interactive discussions and practical exercises, the lesson enhances students’ understanding of astronomy, stimulates curiosity about the night sky, and develops observational skills. It combines scientific concepts with creative activities, as well as making the subject engaging and accessible for young learners. It is the ultimate STEAM activity.

As I teach a younger class, I would adapt this lesson, not with the straws, but by having the string cut to measure. From this STEAM lesson, I would then support the children in making the connection that things appear differently depending on your perspective.

[Author]

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