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Research Question: How can we make our school grounds more biodiversity-friendly?
I chose this question because it is something the children can really relate to and have a chance to make a difference in. As I am involved with our Student Council, I think it would be a lovely project for them to lead with support from the whole-school.
We would use the Climate Detectives process throughout the investigation. First, the children would identify the issue by exploring the school grounds to see what habitats and wildlife are already there. They could take photographs, record their observations and use the EO Browser to compare our school and local area with satellite images before carrying out their own observations on the ground.
Next, they would investigate possible ways to improve biodiversity by gathering ideas from other classes and researching actions such as planting pollinator-friendly flowers, creating additional habitats or adding a bug hotel. Finally, the Student Council could present their findings and recommendations to staff and the wider school community during an assembly (for example) and help put some of these ideas into action. I think giving children a voice in projects like this makes the learning much more meaningful, as they can see that their ideas have the potential to create positive change.
I like that your research question gives the children the opportunity to investigate something that has a real purpose and would have a lasting impact on the school environment Sinéad. It would be lovely to revisit the wildflower area throughout the year and compare observations across the seasons.
If you’re looking for a way to make Geography, Science and STEM more engaging, I’d definitely recommend having a look at the EO Browser. It’s a free, easy-to-use resource that gives children access to real satellite images of places all over the world. Instead of just reading about floods, volcanoes or climate change, they can actually see these events from space and explore how places have changed over time.
I can see myself using it with my 3rd class to investigate our own local area, compare satellite images with what we observe around the school and ask questions about what we notice. It would be a great starting point for inquiry-based learning and would naturally link with Geography, Science, Maths and even Oral Language as children discuss and explain their observations. What I like most is that it helps children think like real scientists, using genuine satellite data to explore the world around them. It’s a resource I could see becoming part of my teaching throughout the year, rather than something I’d use just once.
I was also surprised by the number and variety of satellites passing over Ireland and how many different jobs they carry out. I think this activity would really capture children’s interest too, especially if they could use a tracking app to spot satellites themselves and find out what each one is used for.
The ‘HOME’ documentary really highlights how connected our planet is and how our everyday actions can have a positive or negative impact on the environment. While some of the images and messages are quite powerful, I think they are an important reminder of why climate education is so relevant in our classrooms. I also enjoyed the other videos throughout the module, particularly the Greta Thunberg TedX Speech on Climate Change as she was very clear and informative and she is a young inspirirng figure that the children may be familiar with already.
With my class, I would use carefully selected clips from HOME rather than showing the full documentary. I would use these as a stimulus for discussion, encouraging the children to notice the beauty of our planet before exploring how human activity can affect it. We could then relate these ideas to our own local environment by looking at ways we can care for our school grounds and community.
I think it is important that children leave these lessons feeling hopeful rather than overwhelmed. We would finish by creating a class action plan with simple, achievable ways to make a positive difference, such as reducing waste, protecting biodiversity and saving energy, helping the children realise that even small actions can have a meaningful impact.
Hi Gráinne, I agree that linking the global issues in the documentary to children’s own local area is so important, as it makes the learning much more meaningful. I also like your idea of following the clips with practical activities. I think giving children opportunities to discuss simple actions they can take at home or in school helps them leave the lesson feeling hopeful and reminds them that everyone can play a part in caring for our planet.
I enjoyed Activity 3: Climate Reporters as it encourages children to think beyond the weather they experience each day and consider how our climate may change in the future. The Paxi video was a great introduction to greenhouse gases, explaining a complex topic in a simple and engaging way. I also liked the temperature prediction tool, as it gave children the opportunity to interpret data and discuss how different climate scenarios could affect everyday life.
I will be teaching 3rd next year and I think this activity would work well for this age group. I would begin with the Paxi video before allowing the children to work in pairs to explore the temperature projections and discuss the possible impacts on our local area. This would lead naturally into conversations about positive actions we can all take to reduce our impact on the environment.
One addition I would make would be to include a local element. For example, pupils could compare the projected temperatures with weather data they have collected themselves or investigate how climate change might affect the local village in the future. I think this would make the learning more meaningful and relevant to them.
I agree Rachel. I also thought the Paxi video explained quite a complex topic in a very child-friendly way. I like your idea of having the children work in groups to discuss their predictions, as it would encourage plenty of conversation and sharing of ideas. I also think creating posters with practical ways to reduce climate change would help children see that even small actions can make a difference in their everyday lives.
After reading Liston’s paper, it made me reflect on what authentic STEM education looks like in my own classroom. One point that really stood out to me was that STEM is much more than teaching Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths alongside one another. Instead, children should be given meaningful, real-world problems where they can question, investigate, collaborate and apply their learning. I also liked the emphasis on the Engineering Design Process, as it encourages children to test ideas, learn from mistakes and improve their thinking.
I enjoyed both the ‘Is it Weather or Climate?’ and ‘Weather Detectives’ activities. They are practical, encourage discussion and help children understand the important difference between weather and climate. I would use these with my 3rd class by setting up a simple weather station where pupils could record temperature, rainfall and cloud cover over time. They could graph their findings in Maths and compare them with local weather forecasts. One improvement I would make would be to include a simple engineering challenge, such as designing and building a rain gauge or anemometer using recycled materials, to strengthen the engineering aspect of STEM.
I agree with you Bernie. I find that when children are given a real problem to solve, they’re much more engaged in the learning. I also like your point about teamwork. I’ve found that when children work together, they often come up with ideas that they wouldn’t have thought of on their own. It makes the learning much more meaningful and enjoyable for them.
I would adapt the ‘Design Your Own Dark Sky Place’ activity to reflect our own school and local community. After learning about light pollution and biodiversity, I would ask the children to work in small groups to design a dark sky area for our school grounds. Before planning, we would walk around the school to identify existing lighting, wildlife habitats and spaces that could be improved. As we already have wildlife cameras, bird boxes with cameras, bug hotels and a wormery, pupils could consider how these habitats could be protected while still ensuring the school remains safe and welcoming.
The children could then create maps, drawings or models of their ideas and explain the thinking behind their designs. I like that this activity naturally integrates Science, Geography, Art and Oral Language while encouraging teamwork and problem-solving. It also helps children see that they can make a positive contribution to caring for their local environment and protecting the night sky. I also think it would be a nice addition for the children to present their ideas to the Green Schools Committee or Student Council, giving the children a voice in improving their school environment.
I really enjoyed reading your post Gary, especially the story your father used to tell about the fairies. It really shows how local folklore can spark children’s curiosity and imagination. I also like your idea of using Dúchas, as it would help pupils make meaningful connections between the stories they hear at home and the history of their own locality. Creating a collection to share with the wider community would be a lovely way to preserve these traditions while linking STEM with History, Irish culture and Oral Language.
For this assignment, I have chosen to discuss how I would incorporate the needs of nocturnal species, particularly those that rely on dark skies, into our school biodiversity plan.
In our school, we are fortunate to already have some initiatives in place to support biodiversity, and I think these provide an excellent foundation for considering the needs of nocturnal species. We recently installed wildlife cameras to capture the animals that visit our school grounds at night, along with bird boxes fitted with cameras. These have sparked great curiosity among the children and encouraged them to ask questions about the wildlife that shares our environment. The local Men’s Shed has also supported our school by making bird boxes, bug hotels and a wormery for our garden, helping to create habitats for a range of species.
Building on these initiatives, I would encourage pupils to investigate how artificial light might affect nocturnal wildlife such as bats, moths and owls. We could review the lighting around the school grounds and discuss simple changes to reduce unnecessary light while continuing to create safe, wildlife-friendly spaces. I think this would help children appreciate that even small actions can make a positive difference to local biodiversity.
Hi Aine, I really like your idea of using Google Lens during a nature walk. It gives the children ownership of their learning and makes identifying local plants and wildlife much more engaging!
I also agree that observing over a period of time would give a much clearer picture of how biodiversity changes and how factors such as light pollution might have an impact.
I have chosen to discuss the first option out of the assignments: A reflective piece on how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
Although the area my school is located in is a relatively rural village, light pollution is becoming more noticeable with increased housing, street lighting, businesses and sports facilities. While these lights are important for safety, they can reduce our view of the night sky, affect local wildlife and result in unnecessary energy use if they are brighter than needed or left on throughout the night.
I think exploring this issue locally would make the learning much more meaningful for my 3rd class. Following the Curious Minds/ESERO Framework for Inquiry, pupils could investigate the different sources of artificial light around the village and carry out a survey of the local area. They could map where lights are located, identify examples of dark sky friendly and non-friendly lighting, and discuss practical ways to reduce light pollution, such as directing light where it is needed or using warmer, lower-level lighting. I like that this investigation encourages children to become active, informed citizens while developing their scientific inquiry skills and awareness of how small actions can help protect our local environment.