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Describe how you could implement a version of “Design Your own Dark Sky place” in your school/classroom:
I would begin with talk and discussion – what are dark skies and explaining light pollution and how reducing unnecessary light helps us to see more stars. We would also learn about star charts and how to use them.
After this I would organise an after school ‘Dark Sky’ event where we could all look at the night sky together. I think learning outside the classroom makes lessons more interesting for children. We would use our star charts to help identify constellations.
Back in the classroom the next day, we would discuss what everybody saw, talk about how light pollution reduced visibility, draw the constellations they spotted and create a display or write a short paragraph on their observations.
I think a project like this would be a fun way to learn as it gets children out of the classroom. I don’t think many people take time any more to look at the night sky with busy lives etc. A Dark Sky activity would help the children appreciate nature and understand why it is important to protect our night skies. I think children would remember an experience like this more than reading about it in a textbook.
I completely agree – Starry Night by Van Gogh is one of my favourites too. It always seems to capture children’s imagination and inspires such creative responses.
I had not come across The Planets by Gustav Holst before, so thank you for sharing that recommendation. I’m looking forward to exploring how it could be used alongside space-themed activities in the classroom.
I really like this idea too. I had not heard of Chatterpix before this course, so it’s great to pick up practical ideas from other teachers. It seems like a great way to combine ICT with outdoor learning and gives children a chance to share what they have discovered in a fun way. I will definitely be giving it a try with my class in September.
How you would incorporate the needs of nocturnal species, especially those that rely on dark skies into school biodiversity plans:
I think it is important for children to understand that biodiversity does not stop when the school day ends. As part of our school biodiversity plan, we could look at how outdoor lighting is used around the school and discuss whether all lights are needed once it gets dark. The children could carry out a survey of lights on the school grounds and think of ways to reduce unnecessary lighting while keeping the area safe.
We could also create habitats that support nocturnal wildlife, such as leaving a wild area for insects or planting flowers that attract night pollinators. I would encourage children to learn about local nocturnal animals and why darkness is an important part of their habitat. This would help them see that protecting biodiversity is not only about providing food and shelter, but also about protecting natural dark skies for the wildlife that depends on them.
In my local area I have noticed that there are a lot of street lights, house lights and lights from shops and sports facilities. Before enrolling on this course, I had not really thought about how these lights might affect wildlife or make it harder to see the night sky. The videos provided during the course were very useful in helping me understand how artificial light can disturb animals such as birds and bats as well as reduce opportunities for children to experience the stars.
In my classroom, I would encourage the children to explore light pollution through simple observations and investigations. We could compare the night sky in different locations, keep a diary of what we notice, and discuss how light at night affects people, plants and animals. The children could also create posters showing ways to reduce unnecessary lighting. I think these activities would help children become more aware of their local environment and show them how small changes can make a big difference.
I really enjoyed reading about your star jar activity and think it’s a great hands-on way to help children understand the effects of light pollution.
As someone living in Dublin I agree that our urban night sky is very different from the star-filled skies you can experience in rural areas.
Create a short teaching resource using Stellarium/ WorldWide Telescope:
Lesson: Exploring the Autumn Night Sky with Stellarium:
- Identify planets visible in the autumn evening sky.
- Develop observation and prediction skills.
Resources:
– Stellarium
– Interactive whiteboard
– Observation sheetActivity:
- Open Stellarium and set the location to our local area (our school).
- Set the date to an Autumn evening (in September).
- Ask the class to predict which planets they might see.
- Ask Stellarium to identify the visible planets.
- Discuss where the planets can be found and how they differ in brightness.
- Children will record the following:
- Date and Time
- Planets observed
- Direction in the sky
- A drawing or sketch of what they see
7. If possible, the children can observe the night sky at home with an adult and compare their observations with Stellarium.
Extension:
This activity could be repeated over several weeks and children can compare how the position of the planets changes throughout the autumn. Many skills such as observing, predicting, comparing and recording are covered.
Great idea! I really like the idea of of the Autumn Skywatching Diary. It’s an engaging way to get the children observing the night sky while developing their STEM skills.
To engage my Second Class pupils with the topic of Day and Night in the World, I would begin by referring back to the Paxi – Day, Night and the Seasons video, as I mentioned in my reply to an earlier post. I think it is an excellent resource for introducing the topic and sparking children’s curiosity. After watching the video, I would ask questions such as, “Is it nighttime everywhere in the world right now?” and “What do you think people on the other side of the world are doing while we are asleep?” This would encourage discussion and give me a chance to check prior knowledge.
I would then use a globe and a torch to demonstrate how the Earth rotates and how different parts of the world experience day and night at different times. The children could take turns holding the torch (the Sun) while another child slowly rotates the globe. This hands-on activity would help them visualise why one side of the Earth is in daylight while the other is in darkness.
As a follow-up activity, the children could create a drawing showing Ireland during the day and on the other half of the page show another country experiencing nighttime at the same moment. We would finish with a class discussion to reinforce that the Earth is constantly rotating, meaning that while it is daytime in one part of the world, it is nighttime somewhere else.
I have 2nd Class in September as well, so I really enjoyed reading your ideas. I like how you’ve broken the observations up throughout the day and the Paxi video is a lovely way to introduce the topic. I’ll definitely be borrowing a few of these ideas!
The resource I plan on using on return to school is Earth Mosaics. Once the templates are laid in a circle and the children discover there is no ‘up and down’ – a great way to break their fixation on up or down.
I think I will incorporate the Earth Mosaics resource with Art class. The template for this is very useful so each child will get a template and we will lay them on the floor to form a round mosaic. Visuals such as this completed mosaic are a great way to see for themselves – in this case the no real ‘up and down’ fact.
I believe this will work well with my class.I particularly liked the following resources/activities: What Clothes to Wear (ESERO) and Investigating Children’s Coats (Curious Minds) and feel these are activities which would engage my class.
I hope to use the resources to further enhance Science lessons – such as What Clothes to Wear and the dressing up box idea where children select suitable summer clothes and explain why these clothes in summer, and repeat the activity for winter. I will integrate this with oral language and also art and geography.
This will support the SSE process in school as I learnt how to examine science practice in our school and to find ways to improve science teaching and learning.
I am looking forward to using the ESERO resource – Lots and Lots of Stars along with the resource for making Star Lanterns (spaceweek.ie).
The plan is to create a starry sky by firstly looking at relevant images of night skies. Afterwards painting an A4 sheet to match the sky at night. Once this is dry the class will make stars using paint and toothbrushes. We will discuss the starry sky and use the worksheet to count the stars in the sky explaining that there are so many stars it takes a computer to count accurately.
