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I decided to keep the focus of this lesson really simple with this question but I feel they will be able to go through the three phases of Climate Detectives.
“How does the size of our local river, lake, or reservoir change between winter and summer?”
And to keep the activities visual and hands on!
Spot the Difference: Pupils don’t need complex data—they just use EO Browser’s Split Screen slider to visually trace the shoreline of a local water body in January versus July. They will see water levels rise and fall on screen.
Simple Measuring Tools: Using EO Browser’s built-in Measure Tool, pupils draw a simple line across the widest point of the water body on both dates to measure the difference in meters.
Investigating the “Why”: Pupils link their visual findings to real weather by looking up simple local rainfall records for those months. They quickly make the connection between seasonal rainfall and water levels.
Classroom Presentation: Pupils take a simple screenshot comparison and write a three-sentence weather report explaining what happened to their local water source, keeping confidence high and the workload light.This is a great question and the activities that follow are very engaging. Also, thanks for sharing the curriculum links also, these are really helpful.
There’s such an emphasis on assessment in all areas it’s great to hear that this resource could be used to assess children’s learning .
Sentinel Hub’s EO Browser is a free, web-based platform that instantly visualizes satellite imagery across the globe. Instead of downloading massive data files, you can search locations, apply date or cloud-coverage filters, and render satellite bands (like Sentinel, Landsat, and MODIS) directly in your browser. With presets like NDVI, false-color composites, and split-screen comparison tools, it lets you monitor environmental changes—from deforestation to urban sprawl—in real time.
In a classroom I think this resource would transform a static lesson in to a real hand-on inquiry. It would be great for use for before and after analysis e.g. a study of the deforestation caused by wildfires that happened in Slievnamon, or flooding in the Shannon basin. There is also a time lapse generation ability where children could select a fast-changing landscape or landmark e.g. a melting glacier and create a GIF of the change.
A lot of support would be needed with using this resource as it is quite challenging.Nessa, I love how you have aimed this so well at a junior infant level with the activities and discussions targetting their abilities. However, you are still developing a sense of responsibilty for looking after our world.
The film HOME (directed by Yann Arthus-Bertrand) provides a striking, bird’s-eye perspective on humanity’s relationship with Earth, going evolution to early life forms to industrialization and the resulting climate crisis. The aerial imagery really shows how interconnected our ecosystems are and how rapidly resource depletion, intensive agriculture, deforestation, and fossil fuel consumption are disrupting the planet’s natural balance. While the film showed how ecological destruction is happening before our eyes, the film pivots toward hope, emphasizing solutions, renewable energy, and collective action.
To introduce climate change facts to my class I would start by showing short, impactful excerpts from HOME—such as the contrasts between pristine natural environments and hyper-urban landscapes or industrial farming. I think this would engage them visually while building empathy also.
I would then try to link this with more local examples such as the river Liffey which runs through the town I teach in maybe looking at reports of pollution in the area. We would discuss what action we could take as a community to combat these problems.Hi Sarah, I love how you are making this lesson so child-centred by getting the children to create their own graphs. Also, I agree a lot of base work will be necessary to increase learning and as you say a lot of discussion will be needed to encourage understanding.
The Paxi video gave clear basic information and then progresses to data interpretation using the C3S Edu Demo and then progresses to action planning. Using actual climate demonstrator data introduces the children to how real climate scientists model the future rather than using abstract figures giving an experience of real-world scientific tools. I really liked the part of the lesson where the class is divided into ‘Low Emissions’ vs High Emissions, it creates a fun activity while also groups must compare results to understand impact.
I do feel that some students would need vocabulary support e.g. anthropogenic. I pre-lesson would be needed or a glossary might be worthwhile. Also using the interactive tools could be tricky for some pupils so small groups will be necessary with step by step guidance. Also, the C3S Edu Demo can overwhelm pupils with complex options so I would provide a simple table worksheet to focus their attention and to scaffold the activity.Liston (2018) talks about how to create a true STEM activity where she talks about real world engineering design challenges, applying deeper science and maths concepts, include open ended problem solving and fostering creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and communication. In the Weather v Climate activity there is an opportunity to do all of this.
The Children will use critical thinking skills to learn and identify the difference between climate and weather. Using photo evidence to investigate and question bit also to become familiar with climatic zones. I would use globes rather than maps to further engage the children and to make it more real world.
The Weather Detectives activities require the students to apply deeper science and maths concepts. This activity will crossover with data in maths and allow group work in the classroom. This activity is very complicated and I think it would be best completed during an in class support time. However, I think it ticks all the boxes mentioned in Liston’s report.
Overall, I can see myself using each of these activities in the classroom.I completely agree that combining conceptual sorting with real-world data collection gives pupils a much deeper grasp of weather vs. climate. Having them explain their reasoning in Activity 1 is such a simple yet effective formative assessment tool.
I love your idea of bringing in an outdoor observation task—getting pupils outside with clipboards always boosts engagement! If you decide to add the graphing extension or local forecast comparison, let me know how it goes; I’d love to try a similar idea in my classroom.This is a lovely idea for infants and dioramas are always an effective way of displaying ideas.
I can also see myself doing an extended version of this with a 5th class asking them to think and plan further what would allow for an effective night sky and to include labels.This is a lovely idea for infants and dioramas are always an effective way of displaying ideas.
I can also see myself doing an extended version of this with a 5th class asking them to think and plan further what would allow for an effective night sky and to include labels.
Prepare a school project to collect Piseógs/Traditions/Stories of the Night.
Prior to doing this module I was unaware of the huge collection of stories, piseogs and pictures available through the National Folklore Collection. I think it would be a great resource for a school to use to investigate the past and to carry on the traditions of our ancestors.
As part of this as a school community we could collate out own collection of piseogs, stories and songs and even extend the callout to our diverse school community and create a multi-cultural collection of Dark Sky memorabilia.
As a joint project with the Parents Association and the student council we could make an initial callout to the school community and through socials extend it to the wider community.
An email address would be set up to share the information. As the content comes in classes could be assigned different piseogs/stories to reflect on through art and music.
As a culmination of the work carried out a day could be assigned to share and display stories, artwork, music, etc.Firstly, the plan should include a “Dark Sky Audit” of the school grounds. This would involve assessing all outdoor lighting for its impact on nocturnal life.
Secondly, the biodiversity plan should actively promote the creation and protection of nocturnal habitats. This could mean designating specific areas on school grounds as “night-friendly zones” where artificial light is minimized or absent. Planting native species that support nocturnal insects (which in turn support bats and other insectivores) would be a good idea. The plan could also include installing bat boxes or owl boxes in appropriate, dark locations. I have seen local environmental or animal rescue groups offering to install both.
Thirdly, curriculum integration would be key. The Green School committee could become involved here and share information with other classes.
Finally, the plan should link in with the wider community. The school could commit to sharing its dark-sky friendly practices with parents and the wider community