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Hi Mary,
Your ideas are fantastic. I too will be teaching 5th class in September.
I really like your idea of a Dark Sky Charter with practical actions for the school community to adopt. This will make the activity all the more meaningful for your pupils.
Module 5 – Design Your Own Dark Sky Place
I could implement a “Design Your Own Dark Sky Place” project by encouraging pupils to investigate artificial light around the school and design a more wildlife-friendly and energy-efficient environment. First, I would take the class on a walk around the school grounds during the evening, where possible, or use photographs and observations of the school’s existing lighting. Pupils could identify areas that are brightly lit, areas that remain dark, and sources of unnecessary light. They could discuss how artificial light might affect nocturnal animals such as bats, moths, birds and other insects.
Next, pupils could work in small groups to create a map of the school grounds. They would mark existing lights and identify areas where lighting could be reduced, redirected or changed. They could research simple dark-sky principles, such as using lights only when needed, directing light downwards, reducing excessive brightness and avoiding unnecessary lighting.
Each group could then design its own “Dark Sky School” using a drawing, map or digital design. They could decide where lighting should be placed, where darker wildlife areas should be protected, and how the school could reduce light pollution while still keeping pupils and staff safe.
Finally, groups could present their designs to the class and explain how their ideas would benefit both people and local biodiversity. The class could then agree on practical actions that could be introduced in the school, such as switching off unnecessary lights, using timers or motion sensors, and protecting darker areas of the school grounds. This would allow pupils to apply their learning to a real local environmental issue and feel that they can make a positive difference.
I love using KWL charts with my senior pupils Eanna and we use them on a regular basis on various topics. The children always enjoy coming back to their charts at the end of a set of learning and filling in the ‘L’ to show how much they have learned. I find that they are so informative and useful for planning purposes – before, during and after topics too!
Module 4 – Exploring Biodiversity
I would begin with a local biodiversity walk. I would take my class to a nearby park, woodland, school grounds, riverbank or other natural area.
I would ask them to identify and record different plants, insects, birds and other organisms they encounter. I would encourage them to look for evidence of biodiversity such as nests, tracks, webs and feeding activity. The pupils could use identification guides or apps to help identify species.
I would introduce the idea of light pollution by asking learners where they notice artificial light at night, such as streetlights, buildings, car parks and sports facilities. Discuss how artificial light can change natural day/night cycles and potentially affect wildlife. For example, artificial light can attract or disorient insects, alter the behaviour of nocturnal animals and affect feeding, migration or reproduction.
The class could carry out a simple investigation. Compare areas with different levels of artificial lighting—for example, a brightly lit area and a darker area.
Record observations such as the number and types of insects seen, bird activity, vegetation and other signs of wildlife.
The children should consider other variables, such as weather, temperature, habitat type and time of year. To analyse and communicate our findings the children might organise their observations into tables, graphs or maps.
I would ask them: “Does the amount of artificial light appear to affect the biodiversity we observed?”
Emphasise that correlation does not necessarily prove that light pollution caused any difference. In groups, pupils could design a wildlife-friendly lighting plan for their school or local community.
They might consider measures such as reducing unnecessary lighting, using motion sensors, directing lights downwards, reducing brightness and protecting darker areas.Hopefully by using this approach it will make biodiversity local, practical and inquiry-based, while allowing learners to develop observation, data-collection, critical-thinking and environmental-awareness skills. It also gives children an opportunity to connect a global environmental issue—light pollution—with changes they can actually observe in their own community.
I thoroughly agree with you Seán about light pollution having a negative impact. Some of the children in our classrooms may have never actually seen a proper night sky as they are surrounded by illumination where they live. This is a really important topic for children to explore and with the current cost of electricity and everyone having to turn to solar to reduce costs, it is a poignant and meaningful one going forward.
Module Three – Light pollution in my local area
In my locality, light pollution is likely to be most noticeable around the town, major roads, commercial areas, sports facilities and residential developments, where street lighting, security lights and illuminated signs create artificial light at night. This can make the night sky considerably brighter than it would be in surrounding rural areas.
The main impacts include:
Astronomy and the night sky: Artificial light makes faint stars and celestial objects harder to see, reducing opportunities for people to experience and study the night sky.
Wildlife: Many nocturnal animals rely on natural darkness for feeding, movement and reproduction. Artificial light can disrupt these behaviours, particularly for insects, bats and birds.
Insects: Bright lights can attract and disorient nocturnal insects, potentially affecting feeding and reproduction and contributing to wider ecosystem changes.
Human wellbeing: Excessive or poorly directed light can interfere with natural darkness and sleep patterns, particularly where outdoor lighting enters homes.
Energy use: Lighting that is unnecessarily bright, poorly directed or left on when it is not needed wastes electricity and contributes unnecessarily to carbon emissions.
Sense of place: Excessive lighting can reduce the experience of a natural rural night sky, which is an important feature of Ireland’s countryside.How I would engage learners; I would make the topic local and enquiry-based, allowing my pupils to investigate the amount and effects of artificial light around their own community. I would start simply with observation. I would show learners photographs of a bright urban sky and a dark rural sky and ask:
What differences can you see?
Where does the light come from?
What happens to the stars when the sky becomes brighter?
Is all outdoor lighting necessary?This would introduce the idea of light pollution without presenting it simply as an environmental problem with one obvious solution. Next I would conduct a local light-pollution survey. Pupils could work in small groups to investigate different locations, such as the school grounds, town centre, residential areas and nearby rural locations. They could record:
the number and type of light sources;
whether lights point upwards, sideways or downwards;
whether lights are on when they appear unnecessary;
how bright the sky appears;
how many stars are visible.Where appropriate, the children could use a light-meter app or other simple measuring equipment and compare readings from different locations. After that an investigation on the effects on wildlife could take place. Learners could research how artificial light affects nocturnal species and then connect their research to observations from their own area. For example, they could investigate why insects gather around lights or consider how artificial lighting might affect bats and other nocturnal animals. The children could explore the night sky. On a suitable evening, learners could carry out a supervised sky-watching activity. They could compare the number of visible stars in a relatively dark location with those visible in a more brightly lit area. This would provide a memorable way of understanding how artificial light affects astronomical observation. Finally we would analyse and communicate our findings. Learners could map their observations and identify areas where lighting appears particularly excessive. They could then discuss the question: How can we provide safe lighting while protecting the natural darkness of our environment? In groups, they could develop recommendations for the school or local community, such as using downward-facing lights, reducing unnecessary illumination, using timers or motion sensors, and avoiding excessive brightness. I believe this approach would integrate science, geography, mathematics, environmental education and citizenship, while giving learners an opportunity to collect real evidence from their own surroundings and consider practical solutions rather than simply learning about light pollution from a textbook.
I enjoyed reading you post Sheelagh. Bringing real life experiences like today’s solar eclipse into the children’s learning is of utmost importance in ensuring that the learning taking place is meaningful for the children. I also liked the ESERO 62 lesson and think your idea of splitting the class into groups for investigation work will enhance the overall learning opportunities taking place.
I have chosen to plan for observing planets in the evening sky with my senior pupils.
Aim: Students will observe the evening sky over the autumn months and identify which planets are visible, recording their observations and looking for changes over time.
September – Getting Started
Begin by introducing students to the idea that planets appear to move across the sky during the night and that which planets we can see changes throughout the year. On a clear evening, students can observe the sky from home with an adult. They should record the date, time, weather conditions and which bright objects they can see. During early autumn, Saturn is an important evening target, while Uranus and Neptune may also be observable with suitable equipment, although they are not suitable for naked-eye observation.October – Regular Observations
Students should make one observation each week, ideally at approximately the same time. They can use a star map or a suitable astronomy app to help identify planets. Saturn is particularly worthwhile observing in October; it reaches opposition on 4 October 2026, making it especially well placed for observation. Students can sketch the position of Saturn and compare their sketches from week to week.November – Comparing Results
Students continue their weekly observations and compare their October and November records. Uranus reaches opposition on 25 November 2026, although it is too faint for most pupils to see without binoculars or a telescope. Students can investigate why some planets are easier to see than others.Observation Record:
Students could record:Date and time
Weather/cloud cover
Planet observed
Direction (e.g., east, south or west)
Approximate height above the horizon
Brightness/appearance
A small sketch of its position
Equipment used
As an extension, groups could create an “Autumn Planet Diary” and present their observations to the class at the end of November. This would develop students’ skills in observation, recording, comparing evidence and recognising patterns. For safety, pupils should never look directly at the Sun, and evening observations should be carried out with an adult.Hi Patrick,
You have shared some great ideas here and I do agree with you that the videos shared in this module are both engaging and educational. I can see them being used with senior pupils in my own school this year. Linking the sundial with Maths and time (clocks) will give the children the opportunity to explore real life situations and as you said they will explore how the clock we all use today came about.
Module One Assignment
I would engage my pupils in this activity by turning it into a practical investigation where they become “Sun Detectives.” I would begin by asking the students what they already know about where the Sun rises and sets, and whether they think it stays in the same position throughout the day. We could discuss predictions before going outside.
Working in small groups, students could observe the position of the Sun at several agreed times, for example, in the morning, around midday, and in the afternoon. They could safely observe the Sun’s position without looking directly at it by using landmarks such as trees, buildings, poles or playground features as reference points. They could record the time, date and approximate position of the Sun, such as east, south-east, south or west.
For a more visual record, students could make a simple sketch of the school grounds and mark the Sun’s position at each observation time. They could also use a shadow stick: placing a stick vertically in the ground and marking the end of its shadow at different times. Students could measure the shadow and record its length and direction in a table.
To investigate sunrise and sunset, students could observe these from home with a parent or guardian and record the time and the direction in which the Sun appeared or disappeared. Over several days, the class could compare their observations, discuss patterns and consider why the Sun appears to move across the sky. This would encourage observation, recording, teamwork and scientific questioning while linking the activity to real-life experiences.The research question I have chosen is to investigate vehicle idling and air pollution. The reason I have chosen this topic is due to the fact that my school is surrounded on three sides by busy town roads which seem to be getting busier each year. The fourth side of my school is the carpark in which parents wait with their ignitions on for twenty to thirty minutes each drop off and pick up time, so for our school community I think this is a really valuable area to study.
First and foremost we would find out how many vehicles idle outside the school. Pupils could observe the school gates and car park for 15-20 minutes during drop off and collection times in small groups.
Items that could be recorded include the number of cars, the amount of vehicles idling, estimated time each vehicle idles and other vehicles present eg. buses, bicycles.
The children could conduct a whole-school survey learning how our pupils travel to school each day. The children could then display the results as graphs.
The children could design an anti-idling campaign, creating posters, slogans, an assembly presentation to ensure the whole school understands the term and how we can do better. We could encourage local children to walk or cycle. encourage others to car-pool or even take the bus if one is available to them.
We could role-play as parents, school children, teachers etc to understand different viewpoints and we could hold a debate in the senior classes with the motion ‘cars should not be allowed to idle outside schools’ as there are young lungs at work.
We could conduct experiments for air pollution and measure noise levels. The class could undertake a plant investigation to explore how plants and trees help to improve air quality, comparing plants growing near the busy roads and in quieter areas. We could plant more plants and trees in the school grounds with the hope of improving the air quality.
To finalise the project, all data collected should be analysed and the class should decide on the action they wish to proceed with going forward. An article could be written in the school newsletter, the results could be shared with the parents and wider school community. An idle-free zone could be created with signs for the yard and carpark.
Irene, this is a really lovely idea to do with the infants. You have adapted the lessons to ensure a clear understanding for all children. Your questions are open-ended which will provide lots of opportunities for discussion. Finishing with an art activity is ideal to further support the children’s learning.
For this module I chose to do option number one as my assignment. I downloaded the Satellite Tracker app to my phone. It’s a pity that there is a charge for these apps as we have iPads in school and the app would be great to install on them if it were free to do so.
After using the app and becoming a little more familiar with it, I can not believe the amount of satellites orbiting our planet at every minute of the day. There are so many orbiting Ireland that I had no idea about – crazy!
Here are five that have orbited Ireland recently according to the app….
1. LARES – this is a passive satellite system covered in laser retroreflectors. It continuously reflects laser pulses beamed from Earth, allowing scientists to track its precise location. This is used to test Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity and improve measurements of Earth’s gravitational field.
2. Cosmos 2541 – this is a Russian military early-warning satellite designed to detect ballistic missile launches and transmit that data in real-time to Russian defense command centres.
3. Gosat (IBUKI) – this is the world’s first satellite dedicated to monitoring greenhouse gases from space. It actively measures the concentrations of carbon dioxide and methane across the globe.
4. Starlink -2156 – this is an actove, low-Earth orbit communications satellite that provides high-speed, low-latency internet to homes, businesses, mobile users and remote locations.
5. Tianquin 1/CAS-6 – this is a satellite that functions as a dual-purpose technology and educational spacecraft. It was launched in December 2019. It is primarily operating as a technology demonstrator and an amateur radio satellite.
I had no idea the amount of satellites that are in constant orbit and certainly no idea the amount passing Ireland daily. I downloaded the satellite tracker app on my phone and it’s addictive looking at them all and seeing the mission they are on. I can certainly envisage classes getting hooked and making notes about missions. They could make posters of each satellite that passes Ireland for display.
In my opinion Home by Yann Arthus-Bertrand is a powerful documentary and a useful learning resource that presents the beauty of our planet while highlighting the significant impact human activities have had on Earth’s ecosystems. The video uses stunning aerial imagery and compelling narration, but I do feel it could be overwhelming for younger children, so with this in mind I feel it would be more suitable for 5th or 6th classes. Some parts of the video could be upsetting for some children so it would be important to think of the class in front of you before showing this video. Instead of showing the entire documentary, I would select short clips that are relevant to planned learning objectives and those that are suitable for my pupils’ age and maturity. These clips would be used as discussion starters to encourage curiosity and critical thinking rather than fear or anxiety.
The documentary does encourage viewers to recognise that there are solutions and that collective action can make a positive difference. Showing videos about Greta Thunberg and discussing her voice on climate change and how she made such an impact around the globe would be useful to use here.
When introducing these climate change concepts to my pupils, I would ensure the information is presented in a hopeful way.
Before viewing, I would activate students’ prior knowledge by asking questions such as, “What do we already know about climate change?” and “How do people depend on nature in their everyday lives?” A KWL chart or something similar might be useful. During the viewing, students could record observations, questions and facts. Afterward, we would discuss them and the key messages of the film and distinguish between natural environmental changes and those caused by human activities.
To make the learning meaningful, I would connect the global issues shown in the film to our local community. My class could investigate how climate change may affect local weather patterns, native plants and animals, water resources, or the local community. This would help them understand that climate change is not only a global issue but also one that has impacts on a local level.
I would also encourage students to focus on positive action. As a class, we could develop a sustainability action plan by identifying practical ways to reduce waste, increase recycling, or support biodiversity within the school. We do have some knowledge in these areas as part of our Green school work. My class could create posters, digital presentations or short videos to raise awareness among other classes and the wider school community.
In summary, when used thoughtfully and positively, Home is a valuable educational resource because it combines scientific information with powerful visual storytelling.