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I agree with you Megan that it would be more meaningful when children can see that their actions are making a difference eg reducing the amount of waste going to landfill. It would be measured easily before bins go out and children would see the difference they are making.
Research Question
How has the average temperature in my area changed over the last 10 years?
Aim
To find out if the average temperature in my local area has changed over the past 10 years.
What we will needTemperature data for your local area (from a weather website or your country’s weather service).
A notebook or spreadsheet.
Graph paper or a computer to make a graph.Process:
1. Introduce/ revise the topic of climate change – identify what the children already know and how it relates to their own experiences2. Choose your local area.
3. Find the average yearly temperature for each of the last 10 years.
4. Record the temperatures in a table.
5. Draw a line graph showing the temperature for each year.
6. Look for patterns:
7. Is the temperature increasing?
8. Does it stay about the same?
9.Are there any unusually hot or cool years?
10. Write a short conclusion explaining what you found.Share this information with school/parents/community.
11. Decide what actions can be taken to offset the effects of climate change in the area – plant more trees, car pool more often, turn off electricity in clasrooms when not needed, participate in a No Idling Campaign (GreenSchools will be an important support here and the GS committee will be very experienced in supporting the Climate Detectives)Research Question
How has the average temperature in my area changed over the last 10 years?
Aim
To find out if the average temperature in my local area has changed over the past 10 years.
What we will needTemperature data for your local area (from a weather website or your country’s weather service).
A notebook or spreadsheet.
Graph paper or a computer to make a graph.Process:
Introduce/ revise the topic of climate change – identify what the children already know and how it relates to their own experiencesHello Alyson,
I agree when there is a huge interest in a particular topic it is the perfect opportunity to engage fully with it. The idea of having a Space Week is a really good idea. It is not something we participate in but it would be worthwhile and could even be included as part of Science week in November.
There are many satellites orbiting the earth’s atmosphere. I had a look at a few of these and this is what I found.
1. OKEAN-O (NORAD ID 25860) is an oceanographic and Earth resource remote sensing satellite originating from a joint Soviet successor program between Russia and Ukraine. It researches world oceans, ice-covered surfaces, and weather patterns. It is no longer actively functioning and remains an inactive object in orbit.
2. USA 81 (NORAD ID 21949) is a classified military reconnaissance and signals intelligence satellite that collects data, originates from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, and orbits Earth in a low-altitude polar path.
3. The Terra satellite (NORAD ID 25994) is a multi-national NASA Earth-observation mission from the United States that studies Earth’s atmosphere, land, oceans, snow and ice, and radiant energy budget. It orbits Earth every 99 minutes, collecting a continuous, long-term climate data record while slowly drifting from its original altitude.
4. COSMO-SkyMed 1 (NORAD ID 31598) is an Italian Earth observation radar satellite from Italy. It maps the Earth day and night in all-weather using X-band radar to track disasters, manage emergencies. Monitors environmental disasters like floods, earthquakes, landslides, and wildfires.
5. SPACEMOBILE-002 (NORAD ID 61048) is a commercial payload satellite from the United States that tests direct-to-cell space-based cellular broadband. It does not conduct traditional academic space research; instead, it orbits in Low Earth Orbit to help build a network that connects standard, unmodified smartphones directly to 4G/5G signals from space.
I discovered that a lot of satellites are orbiting the earth but many of them are not in use anymore. It is very interesting to look at the origins and purpose of many of them. I used the Satellite Tracker App to investigate these.I agree with Gillian that the video about Ireland’s Climate Action Plan is informative, fact based and has clear targets for what Ireland hopes/ expects to acheive by 20250. This would be appropriate to show children from 3rd up.
Watching HOME and the accompanying video clips encouraged me to reflect on the importance of climate education in the primary classroom. The film presents a powerful message about the interconnectedness of people, nature, and the environment.It demonstrates how human actions such as deforestation, pollution, overconsumption, and the burning of fossil fuels have contributed to climate change and biodiversity loss. While the issues presented are serious, the film also communicates a message of hope by showing that positive action and sustainable choices can help protect our planet.
The additional video clips in the module reinforced these ideas by explaining climate change in a clear and accessible way. I thought the resource to measure your own environmental footprint was excellent and could be used in the classroom or could be sent home children to do with their family.
Going forward I believe climate change education should be integrated across the curriculum rather than taught as an isolated topic. The Primary Curriculum Framework promotes active learning, inquiry, and developing children as responsible citizens, making sustainability a natural context for learning. Climate change provides meaningful opportunities for pupils to investigate real-world issues while developing critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, and communication skills.If I were introducing climate change to a primary class, I would begin by exploring children’s existing knowledge through discussion, picture prompts, or a KWL chart (What I Know, What I Want to Know, and What I Have Learned). I would then use age-appropriate storybooks and short animated videos to explain the basic science behind climate change in a reassuring and engaging way. It would be important to focus on the idea of caring for our environment rather than creating fear or anxiety.
Some children are aware of Greta Thunberg and it would be important to highlight that she is still advocating for an end to climate change and is a relevant role model for primary school students.Home is an excellent resource but is really geared towards older seniot children and is quite long so it would need to be shown in sections and then discussed at intervals.
I agree that children could work in groups to explore different geographical areas and this would link in very nicely with the study of a country from the geography curriculum – eg Ireland v Brazil in terms of changing rainfall, temperatures etc. This type of activity would suit different types of learning styles allowing all children to access the learning directly or through collaboration with their peers.
The activity was an engaging and effective way of introducing pupils to the concept of greenhouse gases and climate change. The Paxi video explained a complex scientific topic in a simple, age-appropriate way using clear language and colourful animations. It would help children understand how greenhouse gases trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere and why this contributes to global warming. Although children have probably heard the terms Climate Change and global warming especially in the senior classes it can still be difficult for some to explain exactly what it is
The future temperature prediction tool was particularly useful because it allowed learners to see how different levels of greenhouse gas emissions can affect global temperatures over time. This interactive element encourages pupils to think critically about the long-term consequences of human actions and supports enquiry-based learning. It also helps make climate change more relevant by allowing children to explore “what if” scenarios and also to zone in on their own place,country and those places where they may have friends/family.
They couls also go back in time to look at data that represents when their parents/grandparents were children.
I could use this activity with my class as part of a Science or Geography lesson on weather, climate, or environmental awareness. After watching the video and using the prediction tool, pupils could work in groups to discuss what they observed and suggest practical ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This could be followed by creating posters, writing persuasive letters, or carrying out a class project on reducing the school’s carbon footprint. The activity also supports the development of digital skills, communication, and critical thinking. Schools that participate in GreenSchools will have an excellent opportunity to explore climate change using this tool!One improvement would be to include more opportunities for pupils to record and compare their predictions or observations using worksheets or digital templates. Adding a quiz (Kahoot) at the end of the activity would also help reinforce key concepts and allow teachers to assess understanding. It would also be useful if the prediction tool included more local examples or showed how climate change might affect particular geographical areas within a country eg the ‘sunny south east’ or the wet west coast etc.
Overall, it is an excellent resource that combines engaging multimedia with interactive learning. It encourages pupils to explore scientific ideas, understand the impact of climate change, and consider how individual and collective actions can help protect the environment.
In reply to Enya Roche it would be important to differentiate within the class setting and the activities would lend itself easily to this. Students that were hands on learners would be able to access the activity and there would be lots of opportunities for children to record, report, draw etc covering a variety of learning styles.
The Eso has provided an easy to use lesson plan for children and teachers alike. Both activities Weather or Climate and Weather Detectives provide activities to explore aspects of weather and climate, work collaboratively and investigate data. There is ample opportunity for cross curricular links especially with maths – graphs, averages, researching online to compare data. Topics for discussions in activity 1 allows students to discuss statements and collabrate using their own lived experiences eg last year on my birthday it was sunny. I would use both activities in my classroom as they allow for enquiry, prediction, investigation and as mentioned cross curricular.
Hello Olivia, I agree as teachers we spend a significant amount of time looking for resources, a powerpoint/quiz/ additional reading material to support children’s learning. By using AI whether it is copilot of Quiziz the time spent is significantly less and the outcome is by far superior. The use of efficient or accurate prompts is the key to getting the most suitable outcome.
I would start to use AI in my classroom by using co pilot to create a lesson plan/ information on a topic the class might be learning for example the Famine.
I would be inclined to use copilot to create quizzes in all the SESE subjects and then copy and paste into Quiziz. I really liked this resource and feel it is effective, there is ease of use and it integrates easily with the likes of Kahoot which my children would be familiar with.
Lesson Plan: Discovering Ancient Egypt
Subject: History
Topic: Ancient Egypt
Grade Level: 4th class
Time Allotment: 60-75 minutes (adaptable)Learning Objectives:
Students will be able to:Identify key aspects of Ancient Egyptian civilization (e.g., Nile River, pharaohs, pyramids, mummification, hieroglyphs).
Understand the importance of the Nile River to Ancient Egyptian life.
Engage with AI tools to explore and present information about Ancient Egypt.
Materials:
Interactive whiteboard or projector
Computers/tablets (one per student or pair) with internet access
Use of copilot image creator and microsoft speaker coach
Art supplies (paper, pencils, markers, possibly clay or construction paper for pyramid building)
AI Integration Note: The AI tools will be used as a “presenter” and “research assistant” to make the learning engaging and interactive. The teacher will guide the children with the correct prompts to get a useful output.
Lesson Procedure:
1. Hook & Prior Knowledge Activation (10 minutes)Teacher uses an intriguing image from Ancient Egypt to get started, created by copilot.Display it on the screen.
Think-Pair-Share: “What do you notice about this image? What comes to mind when you think of Ancient Egypt? Share with your partner for one minute.”
Whole Class Share: Invite a few students to share their initial thoughts.
2. The Gift of the Nile (15 minutes)
Use the AI presentation tool to generate a short, child-friendly explanation of the Nile River’s importance (e.g., providing water, fertile land for farming, transportation). Include a map of Egypt and the Nile.
Discussion: “Why was the Nile so important? What would life be like without it?”
Activity: Nile River Story (Individual or Pair Work)
Teacher: “Imagine you are an Ancient Egyptian living by the Nile.
The AI generates a simple story prompt, e.g., “Write a short story about a farmer waking up by the Nile River. What do they see? What do they do?” Use Copilot Image Creator to help children with their writing.
Students write their short stories. Share a few examples.
I agree Ronan that Khan Academy offers support in many curriculum areas and that is could be a nice gentle introduction to AI for younger learners. Although it often amazes me how confident and competent our young learners are with technology and how new tools are exciting and accessible for them. I would like to explore the other curriculum areas in Khan especially transitions and other social aspects provided by the tools.