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How you would incorporate the needs of nocturnal species, especially those that rely on dark skies into school biodiversity plans:
I would incorporate the needs of nocturnal species into our school biodiversity plans by encouraging the children to investigate how the school environment supports animals that are active at night. The children would be given the opportunity to carefully explore and investigate the world around them.
I would begin with a biodiversity survey of the school grounds. Working in groups, children could identify native plants, insects, birds and other animals that live in or visit the school environment. We could then investigate which animals are nocturnal and learn about species such as bats, moths, beetles and other invertebrates living in/ around our school. The children could explore how artificial light at night may affect these animals, particularly bats and insects, and discuss why dark areas with less artificial light are important for wildlife.
The children could record and organise their observations as data. They could create tables, tally charts and graphs showing the different species found or comparing areas with more and less artificial light. This information could then be used to improve biodiversity plans for our school.
Reflecting on this activity, I think it would help children understand that biodiversity is not only about what we can see during the daytime. It would encourage curiosity, teamwork and scientific questioning while giving the children an opportunity to make positive changes to their school environment. As a class, we could suggest practical actions such as reducing unnecessary outdoor lighting, protecting darker areas and planting native species that provide habitats for wildlife. This would make the learning purposeful and give children a sense of responsibility for their local environment.Option 1- Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this:
I think this would be a valuable STEM activity for primary school children because it connects science and maths to something they can observe in their own environment. Light pollution can make it difficult to see stars and other objects in the night sky, particularly in areas with lots of streetlights, buildings and other artificial lighting.
I would begin the lesson by showing the children the NSW video on Light Pollution, holding a whole class discussion to discuss their queries and spark their interest and engagement. The pupils could work in small groups to investigate how light pollution is affecting their local area/ street using http://www.lightpollutionmap.info on their school ipads. They could record the amount of visible stars, take screenshots or draw pictures based on the website. In Maths, pupils could organise their observations into tables and create simple graphs to compare the results (e.g. from years ago to now- how has light pollution affected the local area? In Science, they could investigate natural and artificial sources of light and explore how light pollution affects our view of the night sky- exploring what dark sky friendly lights are.
Children could then make observations and recordings of the night sky at home with their families. Recording how many stars they were able to see in the night sky, what the main causes of light pollution were and sketching ideas or a proposal to tackle this issue in the local area. Children would be learning about a real issue in their local environment and considering how small changes, such as reducing unnecessary lighting, could help protect the night sky.<p class=”isSelectedEnd”>Create a short teaching resource using Stellarium/ WorldWide Telescope:</p>
<p class=”isSelectedEnd”>In this activity I would use Stellarium/WorldWide Telescope to help the children to explore and learn about space in an interactive and engaging way. The lesson would begin by encouraging children to think about what they already know about the night sky. Children could share their ideas and develop questions they would like to investigate.</p>
Children could then use Stellarium or WorldWide Telescope to explore the night sky. Look for tand identifying the moon, planets, stars, and different constellations. children would be able to can change the date and time to see how the sky looks at different times with these digital resources, and discover that some objects appear to move or change position. Children can work in pairs or small groups to investigate simple questions and record what they notice through drawings, simple notes, or screenshots (using school ipads).I would ask the children guiding questions and encourage them to explain what they have discovered. At the end of the activity, children share their findings with the class. This activity encourages curiosity, questioning, observation, teamwork, digital skills, and scientific thinking, while helping children develop an understanding of the world beyond Earth.
2. Construct a sundial in your immediate area or plan for your school grounds to see where a sundial could be placed:
For this lesson, I would engage children through an enquiry based, hands on approach, working in small groups. I would begin by asking the children what they already know about keeping the time and how people told the time before clocks existed, hoping to spark curiosity and encourage them to make predictions about how a sundial works.
Working collaboratively in small groups, pupils would investigate different locations around the school grounds to identify the most suitable place for a sundial. They would observe the movement of the Sun, investigating where shadows fall throughout the day. Children would be observing, questioning, investigating and communicating their findings. When making their sun dials, I would include BCO Education’s video ‘how to make a sundial’ and talk the children through the activity in a step by step manner.
Aswell as using scientific reasoning when considering where the shadows fall throughout the day, this lesson also provides opportunities to develop mathematical understanding. Pupils would use measuring tapes and compasses to measure distances, identify directions such as north and south, estimate shadow lengths and record their observations in tables or simple graphs. They would compare measurements taken at different times of the day, identify patterns and use mathematical language to describe position, length and time.
I would differentiate this lesson by providing the children with visual supports, prompting questions and extension challenges, such as asking more capable pupils to explain why the shadow changes direction and length throughout the day. Throughout the investigation, I would encourage discussion using open-ended questions such as, <em data-start=”1663″ data-end=”1714″>”Why do you think this location would work best?” or <em data-start=”1718″ data-end=”1771″>”How could we improve the accuracy of our sundial?” The lesson would conclude with each group presenting and justifying their chosen location, allowing pupils to reflect on their findings, communicate their reasoning and appreciate the links between mathematics, science and everyday life.
