[eimear hernon]

Hi Emma, I’m definitely going to look into the Globe at night campaign as I think it would really engage both the children and their families.

Thanks for sharing these activities.

[eimear hernon]

Living in Kilcock, there is persistent orange glow on the horizon, maybe from Dublin or else as I live close to the motorway, which is a constant reminder of light pollution. There is never true darkness or sometimes there isn’t stars either. This isn’t just an aesthetic loss; I worry about our local bats, birds, and insects, whose natural rhythms are disrupted by the constant artificial light, impacting their navigation and foraging. Even our own sleep can be affected.

To engage learners, I’d make it a real-life experience. We’d start with simple night sky observations. We’d become “Light Detectives”, auditing local lighting to identify wasted light and glare. The children would research how light impacts nocturnal animals and would connect them to the ecological consequences. Finally, we’d explore solutions, identifying suggestions for dark-sky friendly lighting in our community. It’s about understanding the problem and becoming advocates of change for our shared night sky.

[eimear hernon]

This is a lovely, clear plan that will have the children as centre tot he investigation. They always love a nature walk and when they open their eyes to their surroundings they begin to learn.

Also even thought the word biodiversity is spoken about a lot, an understanding isn’t always there so starting off with basics is also a great idea.

[eimear hernon]

I have decided to plan an Evening Sky Observing Plan aimed at a 5th class. the main aim of the lesson is to encourage the children to dip their toes into stargazing and to become more familiar with the planets and to realise and identify that some planets are visible in the evening sky, for the purpose of this lesson we will focus on Autumn.

Darkness is key for this exercise- as I teach in an urban area this will be an obstacle for many of the children and this is an area of concern for me. I will remind the children that this activity will need patience and maybe if the naked eye fails, that they can use binoculars.

I will introduce the children to the timeanddate app to give them guidance.

Stellarium is also another site I will encourage the children to use.

Each child will have an Observation Diary and keep entries throughout the month of September. I will encourage the children to keep notes, drawings, record any research they have done.

While I will be encourage a lot of independent investigation I will also guide the children and suggest what they may be looking to identify e.g. Venus will be visible as a bright, shining “star” in the Western sky after sunset, usually the first star to be seen aften sunset.

At the end of the month we can compile a class observation chart and share with each other what was observed.

 

 

[eimear hernon]

This sounds like a really well thought out plan and I love how you have blende hands on activities like the solar system model with the interactive activities using Stellarium. This will prepare them well for the viewing night. I think this will keep them engaged and focussed.

[eimear hernon]

Thanks for sharing these great ideas. I look forward to having a look at that website you mention. The lesson will make for good cross curricular planning also.

[eimear hernon]

Here’s a lesson plan for a 5th-class STEM activity focusing on sundial construction:

Building a Sundial!

 

Learning Objective: Students will understand how the sun’s position changes throughout the day and apply this knowledge to construct a functional sundial.

Materials: Large paper/cardboard, ruler, pencil, a straight stick/gnomon (approx. 30cm), small rocks or markers, compass (optional).

Procedure:

* Engage (10 min): “How do we tell time? Did people always have clocks? Today, we’ll be ancient time-tellers!” Introduce the concept of a sundial and its historical significance.

* Explore (20 min): Go outside to a sunny, open area. Have students observe their own shadows at different times (if possible, before and during the lesson). Discuss how shadows move and change length.

* Construct (25 min):

* Place the paper on flat ground.

* Stand the stick (gnomon) upright in the center of the paper, securing it with small rocks.

* Every 15 minutes, mark the tip of the gnomon’s shadow on the paper and label it with the current time. Explain this represents the hours.

* Discuss how the sundial relies on the Earth’s rotation and the sun’s apparent movement.

* Extend (5 min): Brainstorm how sundials could be useful today. Discuss challenges (cloudy days, night).

The child gets the opportunity to experience each area of STEM through this lesson.

[eimear hernon]

The sky diary is such a great interactive idea and one the kids will love. It will also be easily differentiated for different learners.

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