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I really like the variety of songs and poems you’ve included. There are a few there I hadn’t thought of before! I also think the Gaelic constellation names would be a lovely addition for children.
Describe how you could implement a version of ‘Design Your own Dark Sky place’ in your school/classroom?
I would start by asking the children what they think makes a good place for looking at the night sky and whether they notice much light pollution around where they live. We could then work in groups, with each group taking on a different stakeholder role, such as local residents, visiting stargazers or conservation rangers.
The children could then design their own dark sky place, making a map showing viewing areas, access points and places where wildlife could be protected. They could also create a simple brochure for visitors with information about the area and some stargazing tips.
I like this idea as the children would be learning about light pollution and biodiversity while also getting to be creative. They could finish by presenting their ideas to the class and deciding if their dark sky place would actually work and be sustainable.
Option 1
I would start by taking the children outside and seeing what biodiversity we already have around the school. We could do a simple survey of the school grounds and see what plants, birds and insects we can find. I think this would be a good way to get them interested before introducing the idea of light pollution.
I would then ask them what they think happens to wildlife when it gets dark. We could look at nocturnal animals such as bats, owls and moths and discuss how they rely on darkness. The children could look at areas around the school that are more brightly lit and areas that are darker and make predictions about where they might find more wildlife.
I would also introduce the idea that light pollution can affect insects, which can then have an impact on animals such as bats and birds that feed on them. To finish, I would get the children to think about some simple changes we could make around the school to make it more wildlife-friendly.<span class=”Apple-converted-space”> </span>
I work in Drogheda, Co. Louth, and light pollution is something that I think we often notice without really thinking about it. With the amount of housing, roads, shops and businesses in the area, there is a lot of artificial light at night. This can make it harder to see the night sky and the fainter stars.
I think this would be an interesting topic to explore with my class as it is something they can relate to in their own local area. I would start by asking them what they notice about the night sky and whether they think it would look different in a more rural area. We could look at photographs of the night sky in different locations and discuss the differences.
As a class, we could investigate sources of artificial light around the school, identify areas that are brighter and darker and discuss how light pollution can affect wildlife and energy use. This could then lead to ideas about how we could reduce unnecessary lighting.
<span class=”Apple-converted-space”>I </span>really like this idea! I think the children would love making their own constellations, especially giving them their own names. The Star Wheel would also make it a nice hands-on activity rather than just learning about constellations from a book.
Observing the Moon
I would choose the Third Quarter Moon for a morning observation. I think this would be a nice activity to do with my class as it would challenge the idea that the Moon can only be seen at night. The Third Quarter Moon can be seen in the morning, which would give the children the opportunity to observe it for themselves rather than just learning about it from a book.
I would choose 3rd October as our observation date as it falls at the beginning of Space Week in school, so it would tie in nicely with other space activities we would be doing. I would bring the children outside in the morning and ask them to look carefully at the Moon and record what they notice. We could talk about its shape, where it is in the sky and how it looks compared with pictures of the different Moon phases.
I would also use Stellarium with the class to investigate the Moon and see how its position and appearance changes. I think this would be a simple but effective activity to get the children interested in space and encourage them to look up and notice things for themselves.
I would engage my second class students in the “One Year on Earth” activity by starting with something that they are already familiar with – the changes they see around them throughout the year. I would show them four pictures of the same tree in different seasons and ask them what they notice. I would encourage them to work in pairs to decide which picture they think is spring, summer, autumn and winter and, more importantly, explain why they think that. I think this would be a good way to get them talking and sharing their ideas before introducing the topic. The resource uses this approach with photographs of a tree to help pupils identify seasonal changes.
I would then show the children the satellite images from the resource and explain that we can even see changes in the seasons when we look at Earth from space. I think the children would find this really interesting as it would give them a different perspective on something they see every day.
For the next part, I would use a globe and torch to represent the Earth and Sun. In small groups, the children could explore what happens as the Earth moves around the Sun and make predictions about which part of the Earth receives more sunlight. I would keep the explanation suitable for their age and focus on helping them understand that the Earth is tilted and that this affects the seasons.
I think this activity would work particularly well with second class because it is visual, practical and encourages the children to observe, question, discuss and investigate rather than simply being told the answers. It would also give them an opportunity to work together and connect their learning about space with changes they can see in their own environment.
Space Week Plan
Monday: Moon DayIntroduction: Begin with a discussion about the moon, followed by brainstorming ideas and watching the video “What Is the Moon?” to spark curiosity.
Story Time: Read “Moon: Earth’s Best Friend” to introduce the moon in a fun and engaging way. Story Video.
Experiment: Conduct the “Flour Craters” activity from Universe in a Box to simulate how craters are formed on the moon’s surface.Tuesday: Seasons
Introduction: Discuss the concept of seasons and watch the video “The Four Seasons” to visualisee the changes throughout the year.
Experiment: Use the Universe in a Box globe and torch to explore how the tilt of the Earth affects the seasons.
Movement Activity: Organise a relay race where children dress up in clothes appropriate for different seasons, reinforcing their understanding of seasonal changes.Wednesday: Stars
Constellation Drawing: Teach the children about constellations and have them create their own constellations using ESRO resources.
Craft: Make star lanterns using ESRO materials, allowing children to create their own glowing stars.Thursday: Rockets
Story and Animation: Show the Marvin and Milo balloon cartoon strip to introduce rockets in an entertaining way.
Craft: Create rockets inspired by Marvin and Milo, using simple craft materials to build and decorate their own rockets.Friday: Rockets
Story Time: Read the story of Sadie building a rocket “Sadie Builds a Rocket” to inspire creativity.
Rocket Building: Design and construct their own rockets with various materials, applying their new knowledge from the week’s activities.Online Resources & Tools
This module has been very beneficial and insightful and I’m excited to incorporate some of the resources it introduced into my teaching.
Marvin & Milo: I believe they will be captivated by these visual aids when conducting science experiments, as they are presented in a very child-friendly manner. Additionally, the students could create their own comics to illustrate the steps of their experiments, reinforcing their understanding and creativity.
Stellarium: I thought this was excellent! It would serve as a fantastic introduction to a lesson about space, instantly capturing the students’ interest. This resource could spark engaging discussions and enhance oral language skills, particularly when exploring the differences between night and day. Furthermore, it presents excellent opportunities for cross-curricular activities, such as art projects where students create space-themed pictures using chalk or paint.
I’d chose ‘Space and Aliens’
I’d start with a brief discussion about space, explaining that it’s a vast area where we find stars, planets, and moons. Visual aids on google and youtube would support this. Next I’d read “Aliens Love Underpants”. It introduces aliens in a playful context and connects to everyday items (underpants) that children are familiar with. Following the story I’d facilitate a discussion about aliens and get the children thinking about their appearance, if they’re friendly or scary etc.
I’d then incoorporate art into the lesson by getting the children to make their own alien using marerials like aper plates, coloured paper, glue, googly eyes, markers, pipe cleaners etc. I’d get the children to introduce their alien to the class and to describe their features for oral language.
