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Introducing Home by Yann Arthus-Bertrand to pupils is a compelling way to engage them emotionally and intellectually with the realities of climate change. The documentary combines stunning aerial visuals with a compelling narrative about the planet’s environmental state.
I would envisage it being shown to older classes and being broken up into different sections so we could examine it properly as well as using sections of it to lead inquiry-based learning in the classroom. I feel these sections would be the most beneficial to show and work on with a class; Deforestation (Amazon), Melting ice caps (Arctic/Greenland), Desertification (Africa) and Urban sprawl (Mega-cities in Asia or USA).
The class could be broken up into groups and they could each research one climate issue mentioned in the film. When Gretta Thunberg speaks you can clearly see how passionately she feels about the current climate issues and this would also be a great video to show a class as they could see someone closer to their age speaking about climate change and how it will affect the world we live in. I feel both these clips could inspire older classes to action.I agree the Paxi video is very child-friendly and introduces the topic well. It is clear and concise and greenhouse gases are explained well.
Paxi guides children through how greenhouse gases trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere and contribute to global warming and what we can do about it. In a lesson including this video I would begin with a question that taps into their curiosity and hopefully hooks their interest in the topic.
Have you ever wondered why Earth is warm enough for us to live, instead of being an icy planet? I would then ask them what they know about ‘greenhouse gases’ or if they’ve heard of the greenhouse effect.
We would then watch the video, and I would ask the class to answer the following questions as they watch; one thing they learned, one thing they found surprising and one action they think they could do to help. We would have a class discussion and create a mind map with their ideas for actions that they/we could do to help.
Three hands-on activities we would complete under this topic would be.
Drawing a comic strip showing Paxi explaining the greenhouse effect/showing their action that could help, we could create a mini-greenhouse using jam jars and thermometers to observe how heat is trapped and finally we could make posters encouraging recycling, walking/biking/scooting to school and other small actions that could reduce emissions.great answer, you’ve made it very clear and used relatable activities for the children in your class.
STEM education in my classroom can look different depending on the day. I try to have as many hands-on activities as possible, but some topics can be a bit trickier than others in that regard. I am hoping through this course that I will become better equipped to teach topics such as climate and weather in a more fun and interactive way. The slide which explained the difference between weather and climate was beneficial and the Nose in the sky was an excellent way to help pupils to learn how their senses when describing weather conditions and not just in the traditional way in relation to food.
I tend to use an inquiry-based approach and pose questions to the class at the beginning of a topic. We make use of KWL charts regularly and the children’s curiosity and interest can guide their learning on a topic, with guidance from me when appropriate (depending on class level, curriculum etc).
Weather Detectives is a fitting example of this as the children are responsible for their learning by making use of an inquiry-based learning activity, with pupils observing and recording the weather every day for a certain period. The class would love making the different instruments to measure the weather; rain gauges, anemometers and even challenging them to create a new instrument to measure an aspect of the weather.
Hi,
Apologies for posting here but as the office is closed and I can’t contact moderators directly. I submitted my reflective log last night and when I went to check status of my course this morning if looked like I hadn’t submitted it. So I submitted it again and the same thing has happened. Just checking if this has happened for others? Have other courses to complete but can’t move on to them until this course is ‘complete’. Thanks for your help.
great plan for the week, the class would really enjoy it! I particularly like the postcards from space and table quiz day. Children don’t even realise they are learning when having fun with their friends during a quiz
Second Class Space Week Plan
Theme: Exploring Space — The Stars, Day and Night
Learning Objectives:
By the end of the week, the class will:
• Understand the basic differences between day and night
• Recognise that the Earth moves around the sun
• Identify stars as light sources and groupings of stars (constellations)
• Explore the phases of the moon
• Reflect creatively on what they see and feel about the night skyDay 1: What Is Space?
Activities:
Read a space-themed picture book (e.g. “There’s No Place Like Space!” by Dr. Seuss)
Discuss what children already know or wonder about space
Create a KWL chart about what the class know about spaceDay 2: Day and Night
Activities:
Use globe and torch to demonstrate rotation and how light reaches only part of Earth at a time (little person on the globe)
Have pupils draw a picture of their daily routine – what they do during the day and night
Whole-class discussion: What do we see in the sky during the day? At night?Day 3: The Stars
Activities:
Watch a short video (StoryBots: “What Is a Star?” on youtube)
Make a star lantern using paper cups or jars with pinpricks or holes
Turn off classroom lights and “light the stars” — discuss how it feels
Pupils will design their own constellations on black card. Inspiration – Van Gogh’s Starry NightDay 4: The Moon and Its Phases
Activities:
Demonstrate moon phases using Oreos or a simple paper cut-out model
Draw or model the moon’s phases
Sing a song about the moon or starsDay 5: Space Reflection and Showcase
Activities:
Pupils write a short reflection on the work they have completed this week and what they have learned:
‘What I see and feel when I look at the night sky…’
Display star lanterns, moon phase projects, and constellations art pieces
Share work in a Space Show for our other second class.Assessment:
Observation of discussion and participation
Review of art and science activities
Reflective writing (ideas, vocabulary, effort)
Ability to explain basic space concepts in simple languageI love the idea of integrating the game of two truths and a lie into STEM learning, definitely going to give this a go this year. Thanks for sharing.
I believe a STEM-focused SSE with hands-on classroom themed activities would be a great place to start. For example, I could use the question “How do animals keep themselves warm in the cold?” to guide a series of hands-on investigations. One key activity involved could be creating a “blubber glove” to model how marine animals use fat as insulation. This experiment allowed pupils to make predictions, test ideas, and analyse results in a meaningful context. The class could discuss their findings, especially when comparing their observations and discussing how different animals survive in extreme temperatures. These types of activities support the development of scientific vocabulary and provide opportunities for integration with Maths and Literacy. Cross-curricular planning like this as well as with other subjects like art that I mentioned in other modules is a great way to cement children’s learning on a topic. This approach aligns with a SSE focus on increasing active learning and inquiry in Science and STEM, and it can be used as a model for future thematic STEM planning.
Laura I loved this! Alien passports and making 3D models are fantastic ways to engage the children’s learning.
Continuing from my module 2 topic of day and night I would focus on the activity set associated with the stars, specifically the star lantern. I think this would be a great way to spark curiosity and wonder in the classroom.
I would first switch off the lights and shine the torch into the lantern, transforming the room. We would discuss why we see stars at night, how the Earth moves, and how ancient people used the stars to tell stories. I would draw on stories such as A Hundred Billion Trillion Stars by Seth Fishman to help the class connect with the quantity of stars that exist. The lantern activity has reminded me that learning doesn’t always have to come from facts alone — it can start with a feeling, a moment of awe, or a spark of wonder. I would also like to draw on Van Gogh’s Starry Night and encourage the class to create their own unique pieces with art with stars as their central focus. We could focus on constellations as well. My sister gave me a print for my daughter showing the exact layout of the stars at the time she was born and I think my class would find this fascinating to see (and curious to know how they were laid out when they were born!)
Using chalk is a great way for the children to track how the shadows move during the day, great idea thank you.
I would like to undertake the sun and shadows activities with my class as I feel they would be a natural progression from the activity I choose for module one; day and night.
I really liked the use of a puppet theatre as this is a fun and engaging way to continue/introduce the topic to the class. During the puppet theatre I would ask the question; ‘Why do our shadows change during the day?’
After a class discussion, referring to our KWL chart when necessary, we would undertake the activity of making sundials and examining/exploring shadows. These would be great especially for Science Week in school where they could explain their findings to their parents who would come to visit on one of the days. Some of the children in my class in September are extremely interested in dinosaurs so I would encourage them to line up their dinos in the sunshine and trace their shadows at different times of the school day and explain their findings in relation to their favourite toys and the sun.
