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That sounds like a really engaging Diarmuid! I love how you’re using visuals to make the topic more accessible. The idea of linking local research—like tree planting initiatives—is a brilliant way to help pupils see the real-world impact of their learning. I also think your use of group discussions and hands-on activities will really help children feel involved and confident in sharing their ideas. The cross-curricular links you’ve suggested open up so many creative possibilities too—especially the models and simulations, which could be a fun way to visualise forest loss or climate effects.
What happens when the Earth gets warmer, and how can we help protect animals and people who live near the sea?
Classroom Activities:
To explore this question, children can begin by watching short videos that explain global warming in simple terms. They can then investigate how rising temperatures cause polar ice to melt, using hands-on experiments like placing ice cubes on different surfaces and measuring how fast they melt.Next, pupils can look at maps to identify coastal areas and discuss what might happen if sea levels rise. They could create dioramas or drawings showing how homes, animals, and habitats might be affected. Children could research local Irish coastal towns and imagine how changes in sea level might impact them.
In groups, they can make posters suggesting ways to help—like planting trees, saving energy, or reducing plastic use. Role-playing as scientists or reporters can help them share their findings with the class. These activities build empathy, critical thinking, and teamwork while deepening their understanding of climate change and its local impact.
Hi Siobhán … I agree that The Satellite Tracker app by STAR Walk seems like a brilliant way to bring space science to life in the classroom. I love how it makes satellite tracking interactive and real-time—children would be fascinated to know that satellites are flying over them as they learn. The fact that it includes Irish satellites like EIRSAT-1 makes it even more relevant and exciting for pupils here. You could turn this into a class project where students track different satellites over a week, record their names, and research their purposes.
Question 3:
The ESA resource From the Ground and From the Sky is an engaging tool for teaching climate and environmental science to children. It introduces satellite imagery and Earth observation in a way that’s accessible and visually stimulating, helping pupils understand how scientists monitor changes in our planet from space.
In the classroom, this resource can be used to spark curiosity through hands-on activities. For example, children can compare satellite images with ground-level photos to identify changes in forests, oceans, or cities. Teachers can guide pupils in creating their own “Earth Watch” journals, where they record observations and predictions about environmental changes. The resource also supports map-reading skills and introduces basic geography concepts, making it ideal for cross-curricular learning.
Group discussions around topics like deforestation or melting ice caps can be paired with creative tasks such as drawing or storytelling. These activities not only build scientific understanding but also encourage empathy and a sense of responsibility toward the environment and the future of our planet.
Hi Mary…. I love your idea of linking it with Greta Thunberg’s activism; it gives the topic real-world relevance and shows students how young people can make a difference too! I agree with you that the carbon footprint questionnaire is a brilliant way to involve families and strengthen the Green School links. I was thinking that maybe it would be a good idea to even display class results in a visual format like a bar chart or footprint wall.
I like your ideas for cross-curricular links through debates and poems in English!! Definitely something I will consider doing with my 4th class next year as it will allow the children to showcase their learning in a creative manor.
The video “Causes and Effects of Climate Change” is a great way to introduce children to climate change in an engaging and age-appropriate way. After watching, students can take part in a “climate detectives” activity where they identify causes (like car emissions) and effects (like melting ice caps) using picture cards. To make it more interactive, children can role-play as scientists, animals, or weather reporters to explain how climate change affects different parts of the world. A simple experiment—like placing ice cubes in sunny and shady spots—can help them observe melting and discuss rising temperatures. Pupils can also create posters showing how to help the planet. These hands-on, creative tasks help reinforce the video’s message while making learning fun and memorable. It encourages curiosity, empathy, and action—perfect for young learners exploring big global issues.
I completely agree that it’s such an engaging way to bring a complex topic like climate change into the classroom in a meaningful and age-appropriate way. The creative angle of imagining life in 2050 really helps students connect emotionally to the issue, and I love how you’ve highlighted the blend of science and storytelling. It makes the learning more holistic and accessible, especially for 4th class (which I will have next year).
I also like your idea of a group discussion to wrap up the activity. At this age, giving students space to express their opinions and debate ideas not only builds communication skills but helps them process the bigger implications of climate change. It’s great that you’re thinking about ways to make the activity even more impactful.
This video is perfect for use in the classroom. It is short, powerful, and age-appropriate, making it an excellent springboard for a range of learning activities on sustainability. First, after watching, you could facilitate a class discussion: What are the problems the video points out? What actions can even children take? This encourages listening comprehension, empathy, and critical thinking.
I would do some hands on activities: ask pupils to design one small thing they can do at school or home to help the planet—like reducing waste, saving water, or planting a seed. They could draw a poster or create a short presentation (also building literacy and creative skills).
Hi Elaine…I love your idea of having the children make their own weather recording devices—it’s such a practical and engaging way to help them understand how each instrument works. Letting them figure out how to build things like rain gauges or anemometers encourages real problem-solving, and I agree it gives them a much deeper connection to the learning. It’s also a great way to promote teamwork, creativity, and critical thinking as they test and refine their designs together.
The way you plan to integrate the data collection into math lessons is really clever. Using their own results to make charts or compare with historical data adds real meaning to what could otherwise be abstract concepts. I also think your ideas for extending this into a whole-school project—like a Weather Club or weather reports on the intercom—would be brilliant for giving students ownership and a real audience for their work.
I completely agree Isobel.. I really like how you’re connecting STEM with real-world, hands-on learning—it’s such a powerful way to spark curiosity. I also found the “Weather vs Climate” resource really clear and practical, especially for helping younger students grasp those tricky concepts. Your idea of setting up a simple weather station sounds fantastic—it’s a great way to make abstract ideas concrete and memorable!
https://teachnet.ie/sfi/pdf/PR54_Weather_vs_Climate.pdf
The “Weather vs Climate” teaching resource is an excellent classroom tool because it combines hands-on activities with real-world data and critical thinking. It effectively supports cross-curricular learning, blending science, geography, mathematics, and literacy. The use of sorting tasks, temperature logging, and online climate models ensures engagement for diverse learning styles.
The resource also promotes active learning and student collaboration, especially in the Climate Reporters activity, which asks students to interpret future data and present findings—a great way to build confidence in public speaking and research.
To further enhance the resource, teachers could incorporate digital storytelling or creative projects (like posters or short videos) based on students’ climate findings. Linking the activities to local environmental issues or inviting a guest speaker, such as a meteorologist, could deepen relevance and community connection.What an excellent and interesting research question Alan! Children will definitely be interested in this topic. You have outlined excellent methods of encouraging the children to interact with the lesson!
Excellent ideas Marie! I love the idea of researching food products and food miles. It is something I had not considered before, but will definitely incorporate this into my lessons next year!
Research question: What can children do to prevent climate change?
I think that this is an important topic within climate change to explore as it is important for children to feel empowered, rather than disheartened, when it comes to climate change. I would also spend a few weeks on this with the children.
I would firstly explore different areas of climate change and how it is effecting different environments and wildlife around the world. I would have the children researching climate change and making projects in groups. Videos, and other resources from this module would be used to support and develop the children’s understanding of this topic. Once the children are familiar with climate change and its effects on the world we would then begin the discussion of what we can do to help.. and more specifically, what we can do in our school to help! I would show the children videos, such as the Great Thumberg video from the previous module. I would have various brainstorming activities planned for the children. I would also have the children create a questionnaire that they could maybe go around to different classroom and gather information. I would then incorporate English and Art and have the children create effective posters to hang around the school. The aim of these posters would be to educate other children and promote what children can do to help prevent climate change!Hi Ciara.. I also chose the resources from the ‘Nose up High in the Sky’ and found them to be fantastic. I agree I think that older classes in particular would enjoy these lessons and it is very much focused on active learning and would lend itself excellently to group work. I also like your mention of ‘reasoning’ skills here. I had not thought of it myself but I agree that children will have to reason and explain their thought process in activities such as matching satellite photos to photos taken on earth!!
