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Valerie, I like the idea of inviting an expert to come to talk with your class on the topic of your project. This gives the students a real opportunity to see a professional, and ask their questions directly.
How does annual rainfall patterns affect our school football pitch, and how can we use this information to protect the pitch when it is most vulnerable while maximising its use when the grass is well established? Furthermore, how might predicted increases in rainfall and temperature due to climate change affect grass growth in the Galway region (west of Ireland)?
This research question connects directly with children’s everyday experiences, making weather and climate change meaningful rather than abstract. By focusing on a familiar environment—the school football pitch and the weather in Galway—students are more likely to become engaged and invested in the investigation. The project also helps children understand the practical reasons why the pitch cannot always be used, particularly when excessive rainfall can lead to soil erosion and damage to the grass.
I would begin by exploring the children’s prior knowledge through discussion, asking what they already know about weather, climate, and climate change. Students would then investigate weather trends in the west of Ireland over the past decade, with a particular focus on rainfall and temperature data. This would help them recognise long-term patterns and distinguish between daily weather and climate.
To ensure that students have ownership of the project, the class would be divided into small groups. This approach promotes collaboration, peer learning, and confidence while supporting hands-on scientific enquiry. Each group would record observations, ideas, and findings in a project notebook. They would also create charts and visual displays to share with the class, encouraging communication, discussion, and the development of scientific language. At the end of each session, groups would present their findings, and key ideas would be collected on the interactive whiteboard and saved for future STEM lessons.
Students would carry out daily observations of both the weather and the condition of the school football pitch. These observations would be combined with Earth Observation (EO) satellite data to investigate changes in grass cover and environmental conditions over time. By comparing local observations with satellite data, students would be encouraged to make connections between scientific evidence and visible changes, such as warmer, wetter winters and their impact on grass growth. This helps children understand that climate change has real and measurable effects on their own community.
As the investigation progresses, students would analyse their evidence and work together to develop practical solutions. These recommendations could be presented to school management through the Student Council and shared with staff to help establish consistent guidelines for protecting the pitch. Students could also engage with the wider community by exploring practical solutions such as improving drainage, sowing more resilient grass varieties, or arranging alternative playing areas during particularly wet periods. They could even write to the local council to seek advice, resources, or possible funding to support their ideas.
The most valuable aspect of this project is that children experience the complete scientific process. They identify a real-world problem, collect and analyse evidence, discuss their findings, and develop evidence-based solutions. This empowers students by demonstrating that everyone can play a role in responding to climate change and that collaboration leads to stronger, more effective solutions.
The Climate Detective framework is particularly valuable because it positions children as genuine scientists investigating authentic local issues. This inquiry-based approach is highly motivating and enables students to develop scientific understanding, critical thinking, teamwork, and environmental responsibility while recognising the relevance of science in their own lives.
For the Module 4 Elevator Pitch on Satellite Tracking, I explored the Satellite Tracker app to identify satellites that had recently passed over Ireland, including the International Space Station (ISS), Sentinel-1A, Sentinel-2A, Sentinel-3A and NOAA-20. Each satellite plays an important role in monitoring Earth, supporting scientific research, weather forecasting and tracking environmental changes such as climate change.
This activity highlighted how satellites help us better understand our planet. I would use a satellite tracking app with my 6th class pupils to spark curiosity about space and technology. Children could track the ISS, discuss the purpose of satellites and create simple fact files, integrating Science, Geography, Mathematics and Digital Technologies in an engaging, age-appropriate and get them discussing how satellites help us in everyday life.
I also explored EO Browser, an interactive platform that provides access to satellite images of Earth from different space missions. It allows users to compare images over time, making it easy to observe changes to forests, rivers, cities and weather events. A 6th class children should be able “to discover” EO browser themselves and carry out some child-led learning.
In the classroom, I would use EO Browser to investigate familiar places or natural events such as floods, storms and seasonal changes. Comparing satellite images from different dates would encourage observation, discussion and questioning while helping pupils make meaningful links between Geography, Science and environmental awareness.This is just fascinating science, I never know there was so much activity / monitoring of our planet and focusing on critical changes that are happening in real time. If I was starting out again I would love to be involved with ESA. I know my class will love the EO browser.
Yes this clip really highlights how beautiful our Globe is and how fragile everything in it is balanced. It leaves the viewer in no doubt that humans are responsible and at the same time can find the solution – “There is no time for pessimism”.
I found *HOME* to be a powerful and engaging resource, and I believe it would be valuable for introducing climate change with my class. The stunning visuals, interesting facts and real-world examples would help spark discussion and deepen pupils’ understanding of environmental issues. However, I would not show the entire film to younger pupils, as some sections could be overwhelming and may cause unnecessary anxiety. Instead, I would carefully select shorter clips that suit their age and understanding.
Some of the language and concepts are quite advanced, so I would pre-teach key vocabulary, use subtitles and provide opportunities for discussion to ensure pupils can fully engage with the content. I particularly like the sections that encourage children to think about where food comes from and the environmental impact of everyday choices. These would promote meaningful conversations and empower pupils to identify simple actions they can take, such as reducing waste, reusing materials and recycling.
I believe it is important to balance awareness with hope. Rather than focusing solely on the seriousness of climate change, I would emphasise practical solutions and show pupils that small individual actions can make a positive difference. This approach helps develop responsible, informed and optimistic global citizens.
These resources also support our School Self-Evaluation by promoting active learning, pupil voice and inquiry-based learning. They encourage critical thinking, collaboration and problem-solving while connecting classroom learning to real-world issues. In addition, they align with our Digital Learning Plan through the use of videos, interactive resources and digital tools to explore and communicate learning.
Overall, *HOME* is an excellent resource that, when carefully adapted for younger learners, can develop environmental awareness, curiosity and a sense of responsibility while inspiring children to believe they can contribute to a more sustainable future.
I really enjoyed the Paxi video and found it to be an engaging and accessible resource for teaching climate change. As I teach 6th class, I would explicitly pre-teach key vocabulary, as much of the scientific terminology would be unfamiliar to many pupils. As a Green School working towards our Biodiversity Flag, this lesson would link well with existing initiatives such as our bug hotel and polytunnel. Pupils could investigate the conditions plants need to grow and use critical thinking to debate whether plants would thrive better in a polytunnel or an outdoor planter, justifying their opinions with evidence.
The TEAL tool is another excellent resource, providing a clear visual representation of greenhouse gases and their impact on our planet. The temperature prediction activity encourages pupils to interpret patterns, analyse evidence, and make informed predictions, making it an effective introduction to climate change.
After watching the Paxi video, I would organise pupils into small groups to discuss the content before using the prediction tool collaboratively. Groups could compare their findings and explain the reasoning behind their predictions, encouraging communication and teamwork. If a greenhouse or polytunnel was unavailable, a simple activity such as sitting under a play parachute could demonstrate how heat becomes trapped, making the greenhouse effect more tangible.
To extend the learning, pupils could design posters promoting ways to reduce climate change at home, with a class reward for the most creative ideas. Finally, I would ensure activities were differentiated to support the diverse learning needs of all pupils. Overall, these resources provide engaging, practical opportunities to develop scientific understanding, critical thinking, collaboration, and environmental awareness.
Hi Laura, I really like this topic as it is very topical at the moment. I will do this with my students too. Thank you for the great idea.
Hi Brendan, I like your inquiry based set up in this post / lesson on Temperature rising in Dublin city. You have set up and allowed the children time to digest your topic and given them time to process this information and this would support them to understand this topic better.
The ESA activities, particularly *Nose Up High in the Sky* and *Weather vs Climate*, provide engaging, practical opportunities for pupils to explore STEM through real-world learning. I found these resources easy to use and highly adaptable for classroom practice.
Reflecting on Liston (2018) reinforced the idea that STEM is most effective when taught as an integrated, hands-on approach rather than as separate subjects. In my classroom, I encourage children to investigate, collaborate, and solve authentic problems through inquiry-based learning.
To extend the ESA activities, I would establish a simple weather station within the school grounds. Younger pupils could record daily temperatures using thermometers, while older classes could collect additional data on rainfall, wind speed, and cloud cover. Pupils would use charts and digital tools to record, analyse, and compare results over time, helping them distinguish between short-term weather patterns and long-term climate trends.
This activity naturally integrates all aspects of STEM. Scientific skills are developed through observation and investigation, mathematical skills through measuring, recording, and interpreting data, technological skills through the use of digital devices, and engineering skills by designing, maintaining, and improving the weather station.
To promote collective practice, I would expand the project into a whole-school inquiry. Classes could collaborate across year groups, share findings through assemblies and digital platforms, and contribute to a central weather display. Pupils could also take responsibility for managing the weather station on a rotating basis, encouraging teamwork and ownership of learning.
Overall, this approach would foster curiosity, strengthen STEM understanding, and develop a shared appreciation of weather, climate, and environmental science across the school community.
Following investigations into light pollution and biodiversity, pupils would work collaboratively to design their own Dark Sky Place. I would begin by discussing what makes an area suitable for stargazing and exploring photographs of Dark Sky Reserves, identifying features such as low levels of artificial lighting, open spaces and rich wildlife habitats. Using maps of the local area, pupils would select a suitable site, such as the school grounds or a nearby park, before designing an outdoor space that balances the needs of people, wildlife and the environment.
Working in groups, pupils would apply their learning across Science, Geography, Mathematics and Visual Arts to produce scaled plans or 3D models. Their designs could include shielded or motion-sensor lighting, walking trails, stargazing areas, native planting, ponds, hedgerows and bat boxes. They would explain how these features reduce light pollution, protect nocturnal species and create safe, enjoyable spaces for the community.
Each group would present their design to the class, justifying their decisions and responding to peer feedback. As an extension, pupils could build models using recycled materials or compare their ideas with existing Irish Dark Sky Reserves. This cross-curricular project would foster creativity, teamwork, critical thinking and environmental stewardship while demonstrating how thoughtful planning can benefit both biodiversity and people’s connection with the night sky.
I love these music choices Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven and Clair de Lune by Claude Debussy, sometimes you forget to expose the children to more classical music time.
I agree with you the Green flag is a great way to get the children and staff motivated and help to maintain momentum during the academic year.
To engage learners in exploring biodiversity in our local area and the impacts of light pollution, I would begin by showing the class the video *How do Animals See in the Dark?* by Anna Stöckl, along with online identification resources from Buglife and MothsIreland. These would act as thought-provoking stimuli, encouraging pupils to discuss their ideas and develop their own theories about how light pollution might affect wildlife.
Next, the children would carry out a biodiversity blitz of the school grounds, working in small groups to identify and record different species, including flowering plants, trees, invertebrates, birds, and mammals. They would then create a map of the school grounds, identifying areas where artificial lighting may impact biodiversity. Pupils who live nearby could photograph the school at night, providing visual evidence for a class discussion on how lighting may affect nocturnal species such as bats and moths.
Using resources such as RTÉ’s *Living the Wildlife – Long-eared Bats*, Learn About Bats, and Bat Conservation Ireland, pupils would investigate local nocturnal wildlife and explore ways to make our school grounds more wildlife-friendly. Working with the school caretaker, they could suggest practical improvements, such as directing lights downward, reducing unnecessary lighting, and planting native hedgerows. Finally, the class would write to local councillors and TDs, advocating for wildlife-friendly lighting, before incorporating these actions into our school biodiversity plan.