Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
this is great ideas and links so much of learning outcomes across the curriculum. I will keep these in mind for the year coming.
Poetry
Stardust by Michael D Higgins
Irish skies by Winifred M Letts
The wnaderings of Oisin by WB yeats
The star by Jane Tayor
Check by James Stephens
Escape at bedtime by Robert Luis Stephensonsongs
the whole of the moon by the waterboys
when you wish upon a star by Harline and Washington
counting stars on republic
a sky full of stars cold play
yellow cold play
fireflies by owl city
walking on the moon the policestories
Gaelic constellation names
the mikyway (an Bothar Mor)
How Coyote store the stars
the legend of the northen lights
the girl who made the milkyway
Balors evil eye and the sun
how the sun was madeGreat ideas here in your post- discussions on how we could individually help by turning off lights at home etc great ideas to extend discussions in the classroom.
In Naas their is a rapid housing and infrastructure expansion, streetlights and sports grounds spotlights that are creating SKYGLOW. The glare from artificial lighting bleeds into natural habitats like Naas lakes disrupting local biodiversity by masking thye m oon, blinding noctornal insects and trapping local nocturnal animals.
for 4th class studdents I would launch a hands on STEM inquiry called @Naas Night Sky Audit”.
– I would give homework to students – star co9unt challenge looking towards the constellation of Orion or the Plough and count how many staqrs they can see.
– we eould in class then plot these numbers on a local map this would show fewer stars near the centre of the town.
– I would conclude then by designing cardboard night shields for torches to engineer solutions that direct light downwards mimicking wildlife friendly streetlights.I think Stellarium is a wonderful resource I like your ideas for use and I will aim to use these in my class this year
I would engage 4th class studdents by a 4 week Atumn Planet Tracking.
– project a hight resolution unlabelled photo of bright point of light next to the moon (jupiter) and ask is this a star, satellite of another world.
– teach students stargazing – stars twinkle planets shine steadily. id give the flashlight demonstrated in a darkened moon to show turbulent our break up pinpoint star light leaves larger plane discs solid.
– id take them outside to teach them how to locate east the sun rise and west sun set and then south and north using handheld compasses.
– id gthen teach students how to measure angles and heights in the sky . a closed fist held out is 10 degrees and a single finger is 1 degrees.
id then get students to sketch their home back garden horizon on a paper plate marking trees horizon roofs, boundaries etc. as viewing planets in the Autumn evening.
– Id use stellarium as an online astronomy tracker project onto the classroom.
– id ask pupils to build a wall od data tracking planets like jupiter saturn across autumn months to help find patterns.I like your inclusion of arts and crafts into this acivity and food for thought. there is just so much activities that can be incorrporated for fun learning in STEM
in engaging 4th class pupils I wo9uold focus on STEM inquiry on outddor active learning shadow play and matematical concepts.
– i would begin with bringing pupils outdoors on a sunny morning to stand in a disignated open space, pair them up to trace each others shadows with chalk and to input the time indside the outline.
– i would then return the class at noon and before hometime to trace their shadows again using different coloured chalk colours.
– this hands on visual would aim to spark curiosity.
– i would then intoruce the next part of the leson enginerring challenge. all the clocks have failed and not working in the school and they need to construct a timekeeper sun dial.
– i would place children into small groups and complete a site survey areas of maximum amount of sun spots.
– then the construction begins providing mateirals for childrenexcellent ideas here in your post. I also like the idea of bringing it to the school garden and dedicating a space.
To engage 5th Class learners in exploring local biodiversity and the impacts of light pollution using the Wild Things at School book i would blend classroom based literacy activities hands on learning and links to SESE curriculum.
– first id read the bat profile from Eanna Li Lamhnas’s Wild thnigs at school book in class focusing on key native/ local Irish species like the common pipisthelle.
i would introduce how bats navigate in pitch darkeness and play a game of moth and bat where blindfolded pupils use clapping to locate moths by listening for the return sound.
– then map out what bats eat from the book highlighting a single bat can eat over 2,000 insects a night connecting to local insect biodiversity.
– Explore local biodiversity. pupils learn outdoors using sweep nets to see what food sources are available for bats.
– trip to community beside our school – woodland area. teaching students to spot narrow crevices in mature trees, old stone walls etc.
– have students draw a basweline biodiversity plan for schools map.
– introduce how artificial light disrupts the behaviour of nocturnal animals.
– explore how birght LED lights act as invisible barriers.
– get children to write guidelines for loval schools and tidy towns advocating to protect noctuurnal animals
– dedicate corner of our school garden to nocturnal animalsI loved that you put a timeframe on this learning, also supporting the children to investigate and showcase their findings.
I would plan a visit to the Japanese gardens located in Kildare. we would look at the history of the gardens. As the Japanese gardens symbolise the life of man through the medium of trees, plants, water, rocks and lawns, I would support the childrens curiousity and investigate wildlife habitats, the history and nature through investigations of plants, water rocks and trees. as some elements of the Japanese Gardens are exotic, children can investigate this and compare findings to Irelands natural sourced plants, trees etc.
This would be active learning activities by incorporating hands on learning and experience of the local area and then showcase their findings to the school community through art, maps, photographs videos etc.
That is a really good idea that would spark interest and the children would enjoy. very hands on learning throughout.
As Naas Hospital is close to our school, I would use this building for students to explore, visit and use for engineering their own designs. I would begin with visiting with the group of students. I had done similar lessons in the past using Georgia O Keeffe – American artist which she focused on still life. As part of her journey she looked at new york buildings as part of her still life paintings. I would incorporate this cross curricular linkage to support this project. Especially for our L1L2 junior cert students and senior cert students in our special school. after visiting the hospital and collecting photographs, researching online, we would look at brainstorming ideas to set the criteria and use various natural and mechanical toys for designing. providing the children with the materials they will engage in inquiry based learning within small groups to generate their own designs. teacher will use various questioning differentiated and adapted to support all learners.