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I agree Tommy. These lessons could be integrated in so many ways. It is such a great tool to use in the classroom.
The ARC online lessons are fantastic. They provide a simple way to introduce young children to STEM. For first class, I would use pictures, short videos and stories, and hands-on activities from ARC to explore topics such as fish, the sea, and how people work together to farm fish. These activities give children opportunities to sort, count, measure, and ask questions—early skills that connect naturally to math, language, SESE, science and more.
The lessons also support the aims of the STEM Education Policy by encouraging children to explore, think critically, and collaborate. As part of the SSE process, our school could use ARC resources in an age-appropriate way, with each class engaging in similar activities suited to their level. This approach would allow us to create a whole-school plan that grows with the children.
Overall, the ARC online lessons lessons highlight how STEM is part of everyday life and show children how these skills are used within our communities.
In Ireland, fish and shellfish farms are usually found along the coast in calm bays and sheltered waters, where it is good for growing seafood. Many farms are in small towns or coastal areas where there is a smaller population and are not as many jobs. in turnt his can mean that the local people work in the Aquaculture. It creates other jobs, like driving boats, selling fish, or making equipment and can support families and the local economy. In school, we can link this topic to geography and science by looking at how people use the sea. It also connects to SPHE, as it teaches about community and caring for the environment. Learning about aquaculture helps children see how people and nature are connected, why local jobs matter, and how we can use natural resources in a fair and responsible way.
I completely agree here. If only I had known about this resource. I too live and teach by the coast.
Within this module we can see how aquaculture and the idea of social license can be brought into the primary classroom in engaging and meaningful ways. Aquaculture has strong links with SESE and Science, introducing children to how food is sourced from the sea and how fish can be farmed sustainably. It encourages pupils to think about caring for the environment and to consider the journey of their food from sea to table.
Social license means earning the trust and support of the community. It helps us talk about fairness, being responsible, and working together. This links well with SPHE, where children learn to make good choices and understand their place in society.
Including resources such as videos, stories, and real-life examples from the module will help bring these topics to life and capture the children’s interests. This learning encourages children to become more conscious of the wider world and to recognise their own role in protecting and sustaining it.
Question 2,
As a lover of all things music and using it a lot throughout my teaching there are many songs with I can link with the topic of stars and night time.
Songs for first class:(I like to sing for the class a lot so all songs are possible for them to listen too)
1.Fly Me to the Moon – Frank Sinatra
2. Little twinkle Star – christmas nativity
3. twinkle twinkle – nursery rhyme
4. Moon River
5. Night Changes – One Direction
6. Yellow – Coldplay
7. When You Wish Upon a StarPoems
1. The Star – Jane Taylor
2. The Moon – Robert Louis Stevenson.
3. Silver – Walter de la MareArt
1. Starry Night – Vincent van Gogh
2. Starry Night Over the Rhône
3. Two Men Contemplating the MoonI love the connection to the life cycle of the lady bird. Senior infants would love this. I love the ideas about the mini beast walk also. I could image how excited the children would be.
Question 1.
Exploring biodiversity in the local area.
Learning intentions:
1. Understand what biodiversity means (This would be one lesson on its own. This is so important for the children to grasp before they begin to understand how it impacts their local community)
2. Recognise the importance ecosystems (especially coastal and dune in our area).
3. Identify local plants, insects, birds, and marine life.
4. Understand human impacts on biodiversity.Areas to put the learning intentions to practice:
1. The beaches and dunes in our local area looking at coastal flora, grass, wildlife such as birds, crabs, shellfish.
2. Rock Pools at Low Tide looking for sea anemones, limpets, barnacles, seaweed species.
3. Nearby Wetlands/Marshes if safe to do so– ducks, swans, waders, frogs, and insect life.Children observation
1. From the areas above the children will be able to observe the importance of these places, the human impacts while identifying all the plants and wildlife associated with the areas.
2. Understanding the importance of these areas in our environment.Task:
After observation
1. Create a Rosslare Biodiversity Wall Chart:
2. Photos/sketches
3. Species names
4. Notes on habitat & adaptations
Write a short paragraph: “My favourite discovery”.A Class mural would be a fab was to collect and display everyone’s work as this is a very interesting class topic.
Question 1:
A very interesting question, which really got me thinking about where I live and the light pollution is impacting our area. After reading a little about it, I know the children inn my class would be very interested to find out more.
When looking at the light pollution map of Ireland, I can see that light pollution in our area is moderate as we are located on the coast of Ireland. Studying this map alone with the children, would bring a considerate amount of information and question to our classroom. A map I will definitely bring to the class this year for discussion.
Some local knowledge for 6th class on our area.
1. Moderate light pollution: Rosslare lies in a semi-rural zone—enough local lighting from housing and tourism spills upward, brightening the night sky and reducing visible stars.
2. Loss of the Milky Way: Over 50% of Irish residents can no longer see the Milky Way from home, likely including those in Rosslare, especially nearer to built-up areas
3. Energy waste: Upward-facing or excessive lighting in the village and surrounding developments contributes to wasted energy and a brighter sky domeThese alone could be observed through a lesson with the children by
1. Observation and recording
2. Taking action as to how to reduce light pollution
3. Making people in the area more aware of what is happening due to light pollution in the area.
4. Comparing areas on the map (red/orange areas) and bring a it the attention of other areas future afield.
5. Invite local council or Dark Sky Ireland to discuss best-practice lighting.
6. Host a “Lights-Off Challenge” evening where households dim non-essential lighting and students measure night-sky differences before and afterReflection – there would be so much to discuss from the above tasks. children would share and compare.
Autumn Planet Observations (6th Class)
Leaning Intentions:
Identify Mars in the evening sky over multiple weeks.
Record its position, brightness, and motion relative to stars.What will they need: Evening-sky star observation Diary
Observation log sheets with date, time, sketch, direction, brightness
Pencils, coloured pencils
Compass for direction1.Understanding the sky and the planets. Recapping over the solar system.
Present the evening sky chart with labelled planets
Highlight which planets are visible in the evening this autumn—focus on Mars.Understand
Why planets move compared to fixed stars.
Model the chart
Show how to use the chart to find Mars just after sunset.
Demonstrate filling out the observation sheet3.Outdoor observation – DAY 1
30–60 minutes after sunset.
Guide students in locating Mars using the chart and compass app.
Pupils record its position and sketch it, and where it sits relative to horizon and constellations.
4. week observations. approx. 2 times per week.
Record date, time, direction, and sketch.
Note changes—does it move each week? Is brightness changing?5. Reflection
Children will share their observations.
Children will conclude by answering“Why does Mars change position nightly?”
Some fabulous ideas here, that could lead into other beautiful and meaningful lessons. Thank you for sharing with us.
Plan how your students could “observe and record the positions of the sun when rising and setting and at different times of the day”
Observing and Recording the Sun’s Position
Class Level: First Class
Lesson: To investigate how the sun’s position in the sky changes over the course of the day and across several days, and to record observations using drawings, notes, and a simple chart.
Safe, pre-marked observation spot
Simple sun dial (or a fixed stick in the ground)
Whiteboard and markers
Individual recording sheets with space for drawings and labels
Wall chart for class results
Stickers or coloured markers
Sun-themed songs or rhymesBring the class outside at 3 set times each day: morning, midday and before hometime.
Stand in the same safe spot each time for accuracy.
Use the sun dial to demonstrate how the shadow changes position and length.
Discussion & Questioning“Where is the sun now compared to this morning?”
“Are the shadows longer or shorter?”
“What direction is the shadow pointing?”
Introduce or revise terms such as east, south, west, horizon, overhead.
Recording ObservationsOn the whiteboard, draw the sun’s position for each time of day and label the drawings – children can copy this down into their observation journal
Children draw and label their own observations on recording sheets.
Encourage them to note shadow length and even measure it using a metre stick.Add each day’s results to a class wall chart.
Use stickers or colours to show different times of day.
Note any differences day by day and overall at the end.Sing a short sun song or rhyme to close each observation.
Link to other learning, e.g., how the sun helps plants grow or why we need sun protection.
