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I really enjoyed reading your idea. I like how you’ve combined local folklore with science while also encouraging children to learn from older generations in their community. I would take a very similar approach in my own classroom, as I think projects like this provide meaningful opportunities to develop oral language, history, science and an appreciation of our local heritage. It’s a great way to show pupils that traditional stories and scientific understanding can complement one another while fostering curiosity and strengthening home-school links.
I would love to carry out a whole-school project based on collecting Piseógs, traditions and stories of the night from our local community. Inspired by the Dúchas Folklore Collection, the children would interview parents, grandparents and older neighbours to discover stories they remember about the Moon, stars, weather signs, fairies, Samhain, the Banshee or other traditions connected with the night.
As I teach in a primary school in County Waterford, I think this would be a wonderful opportunity to connect children with their own local heritage while also developing oral language, history, geography, science and literacy skills. The children could record their interviews, write up the stories, illustrate them and create a class “Night Sky Folklore Book” to share with families. We could also map where each story came from and compare similar traditions from different parts of Ireland.
Following this, we would discuss which stories are based on folklore and which can now be explained through science. For example, we could compare traditional beliefs about shooting stars, eclipses or the phases of the Moon with scientific explanations. This would encourage curiosity while helping children appreciate both our rich cultural traditions and our growing understanding of astronomy.
I also like how this project encourages children to speak with older generations. In today’s busy world, these conversations are becoming less common, yet they are an important way of preserving local history and traditions before they are lost. It would be a meaningful way to celebrate Ireland’s storytelling heritage while fostering an appreciation of the night sky and its importance in both the past and the present.I really enjoyed reading your ideas Laura and I also liked Michelle’s suggestion of comparing photos of the night sky in urban and rural areas. Your inquiry-based approach, combined with the engineering challenge, gives pupils a chance to investigate a real local issue while developing problem-solving and critical thinking skills. Great ideas!
I agree that teaching children about local biodiversity is so important, as it helps them build a connection with the wildlife around them. I also liked your practical investigation into light pollution, as it encourages pupils to think critically and come up with meaningful, real-world solutions to help protect birds.
• How you would engage your learners to explore biodiversity in your local area and
the possible impacts of light pollution on local biodiversity.
I would engage my learners in exploring biodiversity in our local area by encouraging them to investigate the variety of plants and animals that live around us. Living in Dungarvan, we are lucky to have a range of habitats nearby, including the coast, Colligan River, various woodlands and the Comeragh Mountains. I would begin with a simple biodiversity survey around the school grounds, allowing the children to record and map the different plants, insects, birds and other wildlife they observe.
We could then explore the less visible nocturnal biodiversity in our area, e.g. bats, moths and owls. The children could investigate how these animals are adapted to living at night and consider how artificial light might affect their feeding, movement and behaviour. We could combine our biodiversity survey with a lighting survey, identifying artificial light sources around the school and discussing whether they are necessary or could be changed.
I would encourage the children to suggest ways of making our school and local environment more welcoming to biodiversity, such as planting native wildflowers and trees, visit our school glasshouse and look at pollinator friendly planting e.g marigolds beside our tomatoes while reducing unnecessary lighting around and they will look into chatting to their families and neighbours about removing these or limiting lights at night time around their yards. This would help them understand how our actions can have an impact on the natural world and how small changes can make a positive difference.1. Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
Living in Dungarvan, I have noticed how the area has changed over time, with more housing, roads, street lighting and development around the town. Nearby areas such as the Comeragh Mountains still offer darker surroundings. I agree that artificial light can affect our view of the night sky and the natural environment. Darkness is important for wildlife such as bats, moths and owls especially for feeding and movement.
I would begin by introducing the children to the issue of light pollution and asking them what they notice about light and darkness in their local area. During the day, we could carry out a survey around the school grounds, identifying and mapping different light sources and considering their purpose. I would then ask pupils to observe the night sky from home with their families, recording how many stars they can see and any sources of artificial light. We could compare our findings from different areas and discuss the impact on people and wildlife. Finally, we would explore ways to make lighting more dark-sky friendly by considering whether lights are useful, targeted, low-level, controlled and warmer in colour.Observing Plan: Which Planets Can We See in the Evening Sky?
As part of our Space and Planet Earth unit, I would organise a simple evening sky observation activity for a class of ten-year-old pupils. Families would be invited to spend about 10 minutes outside on one or two evenings during the week, shortly after sunset, to look for any bright planets that are visible. Pupils would use a simple sky map or astronomy app to help identify what they can see and record their observations in their copies.
We would compare our findings and discuss why some planets appear brighter than others and why the planets are not always visible at the same time of year. They would then create a display showing the planets they observed, along with interesting facts about each one. A star Wheel could help identify constellations and help understand how the night sky changes throughout the year. We would also discuss the importance of making careful observations and recognising patterns over time. We would look at the Stellarium app to show which planets are visible from our location. This activity would be a fun way of getting parents involved in their childs learning.I really enjoyed reading your plan. I think it’s a great idea to schedule the observations for the same day each month, as it gives children a chance to notice how the Moon changes over time. I also like how you’ve included a practical demonstration of the Moon’s phases, as hands-on activities really help children understand difficult concepts. Using technology to plan the observations is a nice idea and it links well to Maths. They would definitely enjoy this activitiy and using photos taken on their ipads to compare them to the different phases makes it a lovely hands on group activity
One Year on Earth: Understanding the Seasons (3rd Class)
The ESA provides excellent educational resources to help children understand how the Earth’s movement around the Sun creates the seasons. I would use the One Year on Earth resource to support pupils in exploring why different parts of the Earth experience seasonal changes throughout the year. The animations and satellite images make this easy to understand for primary age kids and I know my 3rd class group would engage well with it.
To introduce the topic, I would begin with a class discussion about the signs of each season that pupils notice around them. We are very close to woods that we regularly visit so would focus on changes in the trees and along the paths looking at photos we have taken on our nature walks throughot the year. Pupils would then use the ESA interactive resources to observe changes in daylight, weather, and vegetation across the year. Working in small groups, they would create a seasonal wheel showing how the Earth’s position relates to the changing seasons. They would also compare photographs of the same location in different seasons and discuss the differences they observe.
For my 9 and 10 year olds I’d keep the language and discussion very hands-on and linked to their everyday experiences. I’d also encourage lots of talk and sharing of ideas and experiences.
This activity encourages curiosity, scientific thinking, collaboration, and observation skills while helping pupils develop a clear understanding of the relationship between the Earth, the Sun, and the changing seasons.I really like how you used the globe and torch to make the concept of day and night easy for children to understand. The hands-on activity is engaging and gives pupils the opportunity to visualise the Earth’s rotation, while the follow-up drawing task helps to reinforce their learning in a meaningful way.