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Mary what a beautiful idea to collect interviews. Thank you for sharing. I would love to do this with my class. Much appreciated.
Hi Ellen what a wonderful extensive list of songs and artwork. Thanks for sharing I cannot wait to use them and add to my list
How you would engage your learners to explore biodiversity in your local area and
the possible impacts of light pollution on local biodiversity.Since Module 4 on Dark skies and Biodiversity I have realised how closely light pollution and biodiversity are connected. Even here in Limerick City. I had always thought of light pollution as something that clocked our view of the stars but now I see it disrupts the behaviour of birds, bats and insects in our local area. For example, bats along the Shannon ofter avoid well-lit spots, losing access to feeding grounds, while moths are drawn to streetlights instead of pollinating plants.
To explore this with my class I would start with a biodiversity walk near the school or along the river, encouraging the children to notice signs of wildlife. Back in the classroom, we would then map out where artificial light sources are strongest and discuss how that might affect the creatures we observed. I would love to have them deisgn small projects like creaing posters on ‘lights out for nature’ or suggesting wildlife friendly lighting for our community. The goal is for them to see that protecting biodiversity isn’t only about big conservation projects, but also about the simple choices we make in our own city.
Hi Kate I like that this is an ongoing survey that will be conducted year after year, showing continuity, commitment and change. Kids will love this.
Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
After completing the module on light pollution I have started noticing my own city – Limerick through a different lens. Living in the southwest of Ireland you would think we would have plenty of dark skies but int he city the glow is constant. Streetlights, shop fronts, and even the floodlights along the Shannon cast a haze that hides so many stars!!
I was surprised to learn that light pollution does not just block our view of the night sky but that it also disrupts the wildlife patterns and even our own sleep cycles -but it does make sense!!
With my class I would begin by taking them outside at dusk to simply look up – asking what they can see and what they cannot see. We could compare the sky in Limerick with images of rural dark sky areas like Kerry or the Burren and talk about why the difference matters. A fun activity could be a ‘light audit’ around our school grounds – counting the sources of unnecessary light and brainstorming small changes. My hope is that they see that even something as simple as shielding a bulb or switching off lights matters for our shared sky.
I enjoyed reading this- simple but effective. Makes me feel confident to try the same with my class. thank you
Plan to observe the Moon – which phase of the Moon is best for observing in the morning from school? What dates will that be in 2024- 2025?
For this assignment I would approach it like this to my kids in third class: Hey everyone I have been thinking quietly about our next little astronomy adventure- observing the moon in the MORNING sky!! It turns out the last-quarter Moon (also called the third-quarter) is our best friend for this. That’s when half the moon is lit and its up in the sky after midnight hanging there into the morning – perfect for our school time observations. I would hope to elicit prior knowledge and questions and show images and videos along with this intro.
So what dates can we mark into our calendar ( a collaborative hands on approach) for the 2024- 2025 school year? I havent looked up every phase but we will soon check a handy lunar calendar (time and date) to find exact days) but just imagine we will show up bright and early and maybe with hot cups of chocolate and step outside and the glowing half moon like a giant silver cookie will be i the sky helping us to learn about time light and shadowns.
Inside i will ask the kids to guess which side is lit and notice how it changes from day to day. then we can turn it into a little story telling prompt – maybe our moon is quietly telling us what part of its story we are seeing today.
They can present their findings and facts to younger classes in a presentation format.
Hi Aimee great observations and moments where you teach a child to have an interest and look for best conditions from home is wonderful.
Hannah I love morning moon observations – the kids will LOVE this and a great way to get them thinking and being curious first thing in the morning. I may be using some of these ideas thank you
Plan how your students could “observe and record the positions of the sun when rising and setting and at different times of the day”
After reading the paper Unravelling STEM: Beyond the acronym of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (Liston 2018) it occurred to me that when we think we are ‘doing STEM’ it is only when we teach a science or tech lesson. Liston reminds us that authentic STEM has to be problem based and centered around the engineering design process not just adding a coding exercize or gadget. That made me refelct on my own teaching ‘am i gicing students true opportunities to integrate the four areas? Am I encouraging them to solve real world problems and not just follow steps in a worksheet – every teachers worry!
One way I plan to bring this into my classrroom is through a project where students observe and record the positions fo the sun when rising and setting and at different times of the day. We will keep a log sketching photographing the suns position relative to landmarks around the school. Students can use simple tools like shadow sticks or compasses to measure direction and length of shadows. Then we will use technology by plotting the data on shared digital graph or timeline. Maths comes in when we calculate average shadow lengths and compare times over a week or month. Finally engineering ties in as pupils design a simple sundial , testing if it can accurately tell time based on their observations.
For me this feels like authentic STEM because of its real world application and hands on / connected to natural patterns that students can see for themselves. Plus it will also build curiosity they start to ask why the sun moves differently through the seasons, which opens the door for deeper science discussions.
Hi Laura, I love your mini investigations for each group, children will love this. I will be taking some of this into my own classroom soon thank you!
I love that you have already tried this Orla, sounds hands on and like you are really thinking it through. Well done!
Gravity/Weight – Assemble an Earth Tube and one other planet tube – decorate in a suitable manner.
I feel that this activity would be a brilliant way to help pupils grasp the concept of gravity and weight in a hands-on, visual way. To start, I would introduce the idea of gravity by discussing how it’s different on other planets due to their size and mass. We would talk about how our weight changes depending on the gravitational pull of each planet, while our mass remains the same.
For the Earth Tube, pupils could work together to decorate it with familiar Earth elements—landscapes, clouds, oceans, and maybe even images of people or animals to personalise it. For the second tube, we might choose a planet like Jupiter or Mars. If we picked Mars, for example, we could decorate it in red and orange tones, adding craters and dust storms.
Inside each tube, I’d include small objects representing people or items to demonstrate how their “weight” would differ on each planet. This would create a strong visual and interactive link to the science, sparking curiosity and great discussion.
The samples in the video in module 1 was lovely and seeing children involved and excited was encouraging
Rachel
Gráinnes plan to construct a sundial with 6th class is so indepth and well thought through I feel I could do it too and that it would generate interest and excitement for sure.
I love how you’re weaving together history, science, and geography in such an active, hands-on way. Bringing in a sundial from home is a lovely personal touch that will really bring the concept to life for the pupils.
The emphasis on location and using a compass to find true north is a brilliant opportunity to develop spatial awareness and practical map skills. It’s also great that you’re encouraging group discussion around materials—thinking about durability in the Irish climate is such a realistic and important consideration.
Marking the hours with stones is a simple yet powerful visual element, and I can imagine the sense of ownership and pride the children will feel in seeing their sundial working day by day. It’s also wonderful that you’re thinking of how the whole school can benefit from the project—such a great way to promote collaboration and shared learning.
Thanks for sharing this—it’s really inspiring! Rachel