[Elisa Ripamonti]

Thank you, I will do my best.

Just nowadays, I’m reading a book “Cieli neri” (Black skys) about light pollution, for my second time(I read it in past times, without thinkung so much to children) , in order to have new ideas for children and i found a picture book for children: Lumen: chi ha nascosto le stelle) (Lumen who has hidden the stars? )I wrote an email to the publisher because they say this is avalaible even in English, so that I can let you kn ow, for interet and usage in your classes.

[Elisa Ripamonti]

Do you know what? I totally agree with you, but I think we should invite even adults, mayors, govenative rapresentatives….they are the ones who should remember what they are missing and regulate the street-lights, for example.

[Elisa Ripamonti]

Here in Italy I immidiately think of Rodary, who wrote a lot of short novels on stars, planets and moon and we can go through the topic using his ideas, they could help children to create a cross-culturale project.

Even the famus ” To the mooon” of leopardi could be great, maybe it’s just beacuse I love it, and his “Canto notturno di un pastore errante dell’Asia” ( A night-time song by a wandering shepherd from Asia) is great and show chiodren how since ever the Human being as look up at the sky and stars and moon…

About how to avoid I am afradi that our little voice couldn’t have any success in a big city as ours, but we can try to write to the mayor pointing out, for example, that having streetlights that only come on when people pass by could also save energy from an economic point of view; perhaps the financial aspect might carry more weight than the environmental one, unfortunately.

As a teacher I even try to educate my pupils about the aspect of “Waiting” I know that Miln, and s Monza, next to it, is a never-sleeping city but we need to slow down, to go back to the aspect of waiting, to evaluate our needs, is everything so necessary and so immidiately, now now? Is there something that could wait ? What is more worthy than going to a supermarket during the night? Or even cinema and so on?

[Elisa Ripamonti]

<p data-path-to-node=”3,0″>Using Stellarium is a brilliant way to make astronomy accessible and interactive for young learners, as it bridge the gap between classroom digital tools and real-world observation.</p>

<ul data-path-to-node=”3,2″>

• <p data-path-to-node=”3,2,0,0″>Clear Skill Integration: The lesson explicitly targets core scientific inquiry skills—observing, predicting, comparing, and recording.</p>
• <p data-path-to-node=”3,2,1,0″>Real-World Connection: Extending the task to home observation with an adult is fantastic for family engagement and making learning meaningful.</p>
• <p data-path-to-node=”3,2,2,0″>Iterative Learning (Extension): Repeating the observation over several weeks nicely introduces the concept of celestial movement and patterns over time.</p>

<p data-path-to-node=”3,3″>If I can suggest, I woould add</p>

<ul data-path-to-node=”3,4″>

• <p data-path-to-node=”3,4,0,0″>Scaffolding Predictions: You might want to provide a quick visual cue (or flashcards) during the prediction step so children know what planetary names or characteristics they are guessing (e.g., brightness, color).</p>
• <p data-path-to-node=”3,4,1,0″>Observation Sheet Template: To help younger or less confident writers, ensure the observation sheet includes a pre-drawn compass or simple grid for their sketch (e.g., showing the horizon to help with direction).</p>
• <p data-path-to-node=”3,4,2,0″>Tech Back-up: If the interactive whiteboard or internet has a glitch, having a few pre-saved screenshots of the Stellarium view for that date ensures the lesson runs smoothly!</p>

[Elisa Ripamonti]

Hi,

I discovered on my own that understanding the aspect of gravity is not so easy for young children, but even 9-10 years old. Once I used an old game I used to play as a child, we called it “Onion” .

The children sit on top of one another. The first in the line sits on a chair, and the others sit on the lap of the child in front of them. One child does not sit down and becomes the farmer who has to ‘harvest’ the onion by pulling the last child by the arms, whilst all the others try to hold him down. They immediately realise that there are either external forces that could make us float, or, for example, astronauts who need a force greater than gravity to go further and dock with the orbits they need to follow.

They enjoyed and immidiately understand gravity and forces

 

[Elisa Ripamonti]

Hi,

I like your idea!
<p data-path-to-node=”4,0,0″>Instead of using abstract textbook examples, using Salthill Promenade and the River Corrib grounds the learning in the children’s daily environment. Children engage far more deeply when they know the wildlife (the Pipistrelles and Daubenton’s bats) shares their immediate neighborhood.</p>
<p data-path-to-node=”4,1,0″>Ending the project with a presentation to the rest of the school shifts students from passive learners to active community advocates. They learn that science and data aren’t just for tests—they are tools to protect the environment.</p>

[Elisa Ripamonti]

Before being a teacher I used to work at the blind institute of Milan, and to answer some questions were in the video, yes, we can orinetate ourselves without light, using sounds and mapping the roads and the spaces, but sure, as Uhman being we can be educated doing this and live without sight, as animals? Wild animals? we should check the evolution line….I don’t know whthere evryone could be tamed.

I use to feed some birds in my garden during the arsh wintertime, and once I put a camera to let my children see which birds were approcching and a part from birds, we saw that during the nights even mices and a dormouse arrived…doing something similar could help us to observe the night life of the school yard

[Elisa Ripamonti]

I totally agree with you, we have such a waste of power evend during the day, that children do not understand that the loght is on and it is unuseful. Some years ago I read in class the “Guardiano della luce” a short novel, I can translate the title in Guardian of the light….

Here in my town, In Italy they assume that something in darkness is not safe, so we enlight everything and always, not to mention the rampant consumerism in Milan and the surrounding cities, where life never sleeps. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to get human life back on track as well, not just animal life.

[Elisa Ripamonti]

Hi and thank you for your post, I really like your idea because it shows taht everything is connected, in nature as well in our teaching subjects. I live in a big city in Italy and children don’t know either wild animals or fairy tales and I think that we, as teachers has to provide knoledge of such a things there where parents cannot afford to the “right access” to culture. It’s so interesting and with a bit of magic atmosphere. Thanks for you fox link

 

[Elisa Ripamonti]

As I told I live in Monza , Italy, a lot of light pollution.

I could use : Globe at night:

Students observe a specific constellation (e.g., Orion in winter or Cygnus/Cassiopeia in summer) and compare what they see with several visibility maps provided on the website to identify which stars are visible.
<p data-path-to-node=”4,0,1,1,0″>For example only Orion belt, or cassiopea.</p>
<p data-path-to-node=”4,0,1,1,0″>We will even check the light sources during the evening, using the 5IDA procniples: is the light directed upword or is it fully shielded downward?, is it blue, white or a warm colour?</p>
<p data-path-to-node=”4,0,1,1,0″>Comparing our (Monza) visible stars, with the one of my Irish teacher friend’s pupils</p>
<p data-path-to-node=”4,1,1,0,0″></p>

[Elisa Ripamonti]

If I have to choose among these activities, I would like the daily moon, beacuse it’s a real question and something meaningful. We always associate the moon to the night sky, but we can see it even during the day . Why? I will switch on a torch(The Sun) and give a child (The Earth) e stick with a ball (the oon) . If the Earth(Child) is facing the Sun, it is day, if he/she is giving shoulders to the torch, is night. Keeping the Moon in an hand and moving it like in the orbit, He/she will see that the Sunlight hit the moon even during the day and for this reason we can see the Moon in the morning.

Actually i really would like to use contellations to teach children geometry , to speak about points, lines, line segments, broken or closed lines, polygons….So I will come with a card, Orion for example, or Cassiopea and observing them I will ask: what do you see? Are these lines curved? Closed? How many shapes? And obviously I will teach them even stories or myths behind stars

[Elisa Ripamonti]

<p data-path-to-node=”6,0″>Hi! I’m writing from Italy, in September my pupils will be 8-9 years old. I would like to work on day and night, going even deeper in the concept of Shadow, compare to Sun position.</p>
<p data-path-to-node=”6,0″>Chosen Activity: 4. ESERO 30: Day and Night in the World (with Latitude Extension)</p>
<p data-path-to-node=”6,1″>Engagement Strategy:</p>
<p data-path-to-node=”6,2″>To introduce the concept of day, night, and sunlight angles, I would start by dimming the classroom lights and drawing the blinds to create a space-like atmosphere. I will spark curiosity with a real-world hook:</p>
<p data-path-to-node=”6,2″>Why in Australia are sleeping while we are here at school?</p>
<p data-path-to-node=”6,2″>Working in small collaborative groups, students will use a globe and a bright flashlight to simulate the Earth-Sun system. They will place a small marker (like a sticker or a miniature figure) on our current location and another on the opposite side of the planet. By slowly rotating the globe counterclockwise, students will visually explore how light and shadow change, discovering firsthand how the Earth’s rotation creates day, night, and different time zones.</p>
<p data-path-to-node=”6,2″>In addition : comparing shadow lengths in real-time with a partner classroom in Ireland.</p>
<p data-path-to-node=”6,3″>Since my school is located in Northern Italy (Monza, ~45.5° N) and my teacher  friends in Ireland (~53.3° N), students will measure the shadow of a standard 30 cm stick at solar noon on the same day. By exchanging photos and data, they will discover that, even at the same relative moment, shadows in Ireland are noticeably longer because the Sun sits lower on the horizon at higher latitudes.</p>
<p data-path-to-node=”6,5″>Rather than explaining the mechanics upfront, I will act as a facilitator, asking open-ended questions: “Why is the shadow longer for our friends in Ireland right now?” and “What happens to the shadow as the globe turns?” Students will document their findings through comparative diagrams, connecting concrete local observations with global astronomy concepts.</p>

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