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The night sky has inspired countless songs, poems, and works of art that help learners develop an emotional connection with nature and the universe. President Michael D. Higgins’ poem Stardust reflects on humanity’s place in the cosmos, encouraging wonder, reflection, and our shared connection with the stars. Other examples include Van Gogh’s The Starry Night, which captures the beauty and mystery of the night sky, and songs such as Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, Fly Me to the Moon, and Across the Universe by The Beatles. Poetry by W.B. Yeats, including The Song of Wandering Aengus, also uses stars and the night as symbols of hope and imagination. Using these creative works alongside science activities can encourage learners to appreciate both the artistic and scientific significance of the night sky. Integrating literature, music, and art promotes curiosity, creativity, and a deeper understanding of our place within the natural world.
Using the videos and letting the children understand the importance is great because it will increase engagement and investment in the project.
Working with this overtime also is a great idea to continue the project and even as the kids move on they can see the impact they had
Engaging learners in exploring local biodiversity can be achieved through hands-on, inquiry-based activities. I would organise a nature walk around the school grounds or a nearby park where learners identify and record local plants, insects, birds, and other wildlife using observation sheets or biodiversity apps. Learners could compare habitats and discuss why different species are found in certain areas.
To investigate light pollution, they could observe the same location during the day and at night, or examine images and case studies showing how artificial lighting affects nocturnal animals such as bats, moths, and hedgehogs. Group discussions and simple investigations would encourage learners to consider how human activities influence ecosystems.
Finally, learners could create posters or presentations suggesting practical ways to reduce light pollution, such as using shielded outdoor lighting or switching off unnecessary lights. This approach promotes environmental awareness, scientific enquiry, and a sense of responsibility for protecting local biodiversity.I would agree that learning about constellations for children in urban areas is more abstract because of light pollution.
Connecting with a rural school will create great understanding and connection between the two schools. Survey on sleep quality is very interesting
Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
I would show the children the light pollution map from 1997 and 2015 and let them speculate what these maps could mean. Is it population, waste, air pollution light, light pollution. Whatever reason they think it is they have to then share in what ways that would impact the lives of the people. Population, less open fields etc.
It will be explained that it does show light pollution, we will discuss what this is and the impacts it has. Examples of night time sky will be shown from areas that have the clear sky, the class will be asked have they ever seen stars like that outside their own house.
We will complete the planetrium experiment to show the different impact on artifical lights to the night sky. We will research lights that are better to reduce pollution. I will let the children then choose what action do they want to complete. Write a letter to the local counsel, letter to someone that has a clear night sky and get them to describe and explain it. We will come up with ideas as a class
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<li style=”font-weight: 400;” aria-level=”1″><span style=”font-weight: 400;”>ESERO 30 Day and Night in the World</span>
<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>I would engage the children in the activity by posing to them a problem I have a cousin in America and when I tried to call her to chat on the way to work she doesn’t answer, but another teacher has phone calls with her sister on the way to work and they are in Australia. Why might this be the case?</span>
<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>I will let the children discuss and gather their information and then pose further questions to continue their wondering.</span>
<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>We will then begin creating our 2D models that will help highlight when it is dark and light in different places of the world. We will make connections as what areas are similar in time and what is different.</span>
<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>We can discuss how the darker evenings or longer evenings impact us and our moods. Then I would connect to the starting activity about dirunal and nocturnal animals. How they have adapted to this. This could lead into connection on how we have adapted based on the sunlight we get</span>
ESERO 30 Day and Night in the World
I would engage the children in the activity by posing to them a problem I have a cousin in America and when I tried to call her to chat on the way to work she doesn’t answer, but another teacher has phone calls with her sister on the way to work and they are in Australia. Why might this be the case?I will let the children discuss and gather their information and then pose further questions to continue their wondering.
We will then begin creating our 2D models that will help highlight when it is dark and light in different places of the world. We will make connections as what areas are similar in time and what is different.
We can discuss how the darker evenings or longer evenings impact us and our moods. Then I would connect to the starting activity about dirunal and nocturnal animals. How they have adapted to this. This could lead into connection on how we have adapted based on the sunlight we get
- Select from one of the activities in the Framework for Inquiry
Making a star consetllation wheel following studies of the plough constellation will give the children a broad understanding and investment into the world around them.
After becoming familiar with the various consetllations I would set the children the task of making their own planetrium including one star constillation that has been assigned to them. We would then go through each group and have to work our which one they were assigned. The children will have to justify their answers.
Following from this I would let the children design their own constellation. Then with integration I would ask they create a background story, an old myth about the constellation and how it received it’s name.
Select from one of the activities in the Framework for Inquiry
Making a star consetllation wheel following studies of the plough constellation will give the children a broad understanding and investment into the world around them.After becoming familiar with the various consetllations I would set the children the task of making their own planetrium including one star constillation that has been assigned to them. We would then go through each group and have to work our which one they were assigned. The children will have to justify their answers.
Following from this I would let the children design their own constellation. Then with integration I would ask they create a background story, an old myth about the constellation and how it received it’s name.
- Select from one of the activities in the Framework for Inquiry
Making a star consetllation wheel following studies of the plough constellation will give the children a broad understanding and investment into the world around them.
After becoming familiar with the various consetllations I would set the children the task of making their own planetrium including one star constillation that has been assigned to them. We would then go through each group and have to work our which one they were assigned. The children will have to justify their answers.
Following from this I would let the children design their own constellation. Then with integration I would ask they create a background story, an old myth about the constellation and how it received it’s name.
I agree that this activity deepens the children’s understanding and interest by being a hands on activity. There are great curricular links with this project measuring and predicting. Even including graphs is excellent idea. Bringing in other seasons is really interesting and great to continue the learning further.
- ESERO 30 Day and Night in the World
I would engage the children in the activity by posing to them a problem I have a cousin in America and when I tried to call her to chat on the way to work she doesn’t answer, but another teacher has phone calls with her sister on the way to work and they are in Australia. Why might this be the case?
I will let the children discuss and gather their information and then pose further questions to continue their wondering.
We will then begin creating our 2D models that will help highlight when it is dark and light in different places of the world. We will make connections as what areas are similar in time and what is different.
We can discuss how the darker evenings or longer evenings impact us and our moods. Then I would connect to the starting activity about dirunal and nocturnal animals. How they have adapted to this. This could lead into connection on how we have adapted based on the sunlight we get
Visiting different habitats and taking time to explore them, identify creatures living there and become more familiar is a great idea. It will show the children the diversity in their immediate natural environment, which could connect to bigger discussion about the diversity of the world. It sounds overall like a great project
Research a famous scientist or engineer associated with your local area and describe how you would use that person as inspiration for classroom science investigations
William Hamiliton was a scientist from my area. I would introduce the topic by actiing in role the story of when Hamiliton had is light bulb moment and wrote it on Broombridge. I would ask the children what they thought of the story with out revealing that it was a true story.
I would take the class on a walk and point out a maths problem beside the local dart station. I will let the class wonder and think about what this might mean. We will then visit the bridge where there is a plaque up for this scientist. I will let the children make the connection between the story, the maths problem and this plaque.
I would show a series of photos and let them wonder how are these connected to our scientist. We will watch videos and research to discover what links they can make. As a class we will try test out having our own light bulb moment by setting ourselves a problem that we have to solve.