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A great list of music and art, I think it’s a great way to introduce the topic and creates a bit of fun and enjoyment in the class.
Describe how you could implement a version of “Design Your own Dark Sky place” in your school/classroom?
Our school is in the city and our pupils are mostly from suburban areas with a few from more rural villages. As I have mentioned in previous modules I think there’s a great opportunity to compare and contrast dark skies through the effects of light pollution and base our activity on how we could improve light pollution in our community. I can see that the ‘Design your own Dark Sky Place’ has great potential for getting the pupils involved and interested in a creative and collaborative way.
We would introduce what Darks skies are and discus its importance on wildlife and our own health and wellbeing as mentioned in previous modules. It would also be interesting to do a survey and compare and contrast the suburban and rural pupils experiences. For our project we could then work collaboratively in groups to design their own dark spaces, we are fortunate to be close to the phoenix park so it might be an idea to use that – we could survey the lighting and roads there and draw up a plan of how to reduce the light pollution e.g. could roads be closed at night, different lighting be used, do we actually need more lighting in some areas for safety? etc.
Pupils completed work could be displayed around the school and we could arrange an assembly where they share their project with the wider school community.
A great idea to use the Phoenix park and something we could do in. our school too as we are very close by!
How you would incorporate the needs of nocturnal species, especially those that rely on dark skies into school biodiversity plans
We are fortunate to have a horticulture area in our school with a bug hotel and have previously had green schools committees so some pupils will already have some insight into biodiversity. We could start by tapping into this and introducing the topic of biodiversity through mind mapping and group discussions, identifying what the various terms and definitions actually mean, which would be revision to some and new learning for others.
We could then specifically look at nocturnal animals and identify their behaviours, relationships with their surroundings and their place in the ecosystem. Specifically looking at why they are nocturnal and the importance of darkness to their way of life, survival and evolution. Once the pupils can identify, understand and empathise with these animals it would then give encouragement to see how we as a school community can help.
We would specifically look at light pollution and through research and surveys we could get an idea of what is causing it and how we can reduce it. We could survey our own schools impact and extend this to their homes with parent / guardian support. There would be plenty of opportunity for collaborative work and pupils would be empowered to contribute to positive change in their communities.
I agree, that’s a nice creative and active way of introducing the subject and something I wouldn’t have thought of to be honest. It would be nice to mix it up from the usual discussions, mind mapping and visuals etc.
1. Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
With our pupils mostly living in the urban and suburban environments light pollution is a very real issue and although it is unfortunate it does mean that the pupils can more easily relate to it than pupils from more rural areas. We could begin by mind mapping and class / group discussions with some visual prompts on the Interactive Whiteboard to assess what the pupils know or have experienced (have they experienced rural camping trips, scouts etc).
We could compare and contrast urban to rural skies and its impact on wildlife behaviour, human behaviour and the effects on stargazing which I discussed in module 2’s forum. Pupils could be encouraged to research what is being done and what more could be done to reduce light pollution and there are opportunities for group activities by making models of light bulb ‘shields’ with their science kits.
With parental support, students can assess their family’s impact on light pollution at home and list practical ways to reduce it, such as switching off unused lights or using alternative bulbs which would apply their learning to real-world situations and have a real impact on the light pollution issue.
Stellarium is a great interactive app and is very useful before taking on the observations and pre-planning but I think it’s important to give pupils plenty of time using it and to get comfortable with the app. Its also helpful if parents / guardians can have a look at it too to support the children.
1. Create an observing plan for autumn that shows which planets are visible in the evening sky.
I like the idea of creating an observation plan for the autumn, unfortunately we are based in Dublin so there is admittedly a challenge around light pollution but this would actually give an opportunity to discuss the causes and impact of light pollution and with some creativity is something that can be seen as an advantage. We would discus the importance of choosing the right night: clear skies and no cloud cover and if people can get further into some of the rural surrounding areas (reliant on parent / guardian support) this would give one perspective to potentially compare and contrast with those pupils unable to get out of the suburbs. Everyone would be included and report what they could see from where they were able to get to.
Having looked at Stellarium this is a good, engaging resource that could be used prior to the activity so that we all know roughly where and what we are looking at (pupils, parents and staff alike!). It would be worth taking a bit of time to practice and get used to the app as it’s a new resource and something I do think would be beneficial once you know how to use it properly.
ChatGPT can also be used to give an idea of whats visible and weather forecasts which would be useful for planning ahead. Parents and guardians would also need to be included and health and safety considered – pupils not to head out unsupervised etc so it is something that would need careful planning.
I agree, I think the building and design of the animal shelter is a great idea and would is sure to be an enjoyable way of learning which is what it is about.
2. Construct a sundial in your immediate area or plan for your school grounds to see where a sundial could be placed
This lesson plan presents opportunities to engage pupils across multiple subject areas and through various learning activities. The curriculum could cover the history of timekeeping and horology, as well as ancient methods of using the sun for measuring time.
The scientific principles related to sundials would be explained within the broader context of Earth’s position and movement in the solar system, along with its connection to time, including both daily and seasonal patterns. Models or video animations could be used to provide visual and hands-on educational experiences.
At my particular school, there would be an opportunity for pupils to construct a sundial for our horticulture area. Pupils could consider suitable materials and their properties, integrating materials science into the activity. Problem solving and group collaboration / teamwork would be involved as pupils decide on the sundial’s placement, considering scientific factors such as shadows and compass direction, as well as practical concerns like safety, accessibility, and protection from damage (away from football area etc) This would hopefully be an inclusive task that all our pupils would enjoy.