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I really like how your project focuses on finding a balance between the needs of people and the protection of wildlife and our night skies. The idea of creating a scaled plan is particularly effective as it gives the children an opportunity to apply their learning in a practical way while incorporating Mathematics, Geography and Visual Arts.
I also like that you have included safe pathways and carefully positioned, downward-facing lighting. This reinforces the message from the previous modules that reducing light pollution does not necessarily mean removing lighting completely, but rather thinking carefully about where, when and how we use it.
The opportunity to share their designs through posters or digital presentations would also give the pupils an authentic audience and help them become advocates for protecting dark skies within their wider community. It would be great to see if some of their ideas could eventually be implemented around the school, giving the children a real sense of ownership and showing that their designs can make a difference.
Describe how you could implement a version of “Design Your own Dark Sky place” in your school/classroom?
Building on the previous modules, I would implement “Design Your Own Dark Sky Place” as a practical, pupil-led project based around our own school grounds. As we are in Co. Mayo, the children can make a strong connection between their local area and the importance of protecting our naturally dark skies.
I would begin with a trigger or provocation, reminding the children of our previous investigations into light pollution and biodiversity. I would ask: “If we could redesign our school to become a Dark Sky Place, what would we change?” We would revisit what we have learned about the effects of artificial light on people, wildlife and our ability to see the night sky.
Working in small groups, the children would carry out a light pollution audit of the school grounds. They could identify where artificial lights are located, what they are used for, whether they are necessary and whether they shine upwards or into areas where light is not needed. They could also consider areas of the school grounds that could support biodiversity.
The children would then become “Dark Sky Designers”. Each group would create a plan or model of their ideal Dark Sky school. They could consider using downward-facing or shielded lights, motion sensors, timers and warmer, less intrusive lighting, while also identifying areas where lighting could simply be reduced or switched off. They could include wildflower areas, trees, hedges or other habitats that support local biodiversity.
Each group would present their design to the class and explain how it would reduce light pollution while maintaining safety and allowing the school community to use the grounds. We could compare the different designs and agree on some realistic changes that could be implemented in our own school.
Finally, I would encourage the children to create a “Dark Sky Action Plan” for the school. This could include simple actions such as switching off unnecessary lights, ensuring outdoor lighting is only used when required and raising awareness among pupils and families.This project would bring together the learning from the previous modules. The children would use science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics to investigate a real issue, design solutions and take action. Most importantly, they would see that they can play an active role in protecting Mayo’s dark skies and the biodiversity that depends on them.
I really like how you have built a strong connection between the school and the local community through the biodiversity garden. It gives the children a very authentic, hands-on opportunity to learn about local wildlife and, importantly, shows them practical ways they can support biodiversity themselves. The range of features in the garden, from bug hotels and ponds to wildflower areas and hedgehog shelters, would also provide lots of opportunities for observation and investigation.
I particularly like your idea of building on this existing learning by introducing light pollution. The children could investigate whether some of the biodiversity features they have already created might be affected by artificial light at night. This could lead to some interesting questions, such as “Where do insects go at night?” or “Would a hedgehog choose to travel through a brightly lit area?” It would be a great way to show the children that protecting biodiversity involves considering the whole environment, including the importance of darkness.
Option One: How you would engage your learners to explore biodiversity in your local area and the possible impacts of light pollution on local biodiversity.
Living in Co. Mayo provides a great opportunity for pupils to explore the biodiversity in their own local area and investigate how light pollution may affect it. As some pupils live on farms and others in towns and villages, they will have different experiences of local wildlife and artificial light.
I would begin with a trigger or provocation, asking the children: “What animals do you think are active when we are asleep?” We would create a class list of nocturnal animals they might find locally, such as bats, moths, owls, hedgehogs and other insects. I would then ask: “What do you think happens to these animals when we turn on lights at night?” This would introduce the idea that artificial light can affect the behaviour and habitats of nocturnal wildlife.
The children would become “Biodiversity Detectives” and investigate the wildlife around our school and local area. They could work in groups to identify plants, insects, birds and other animals they observe, using photographs, identification guides or suitable apps. We could compare areas with different levels of artificial light, for example, the school grounds, a village street and a darker rural location. Pupils could record what they find and look for differences in the types or numbers of wildlife present.
We would then investigate the possible impacts of artificial light. For example, bright lights can attract or disorient some insects, while other nocturnal animals may avoid illuminated areas. This could affect feeding, movement and predator-prey relationships. The children could explore these ideas through research, observation and simple data collection rather than simply being given the answers.
To bring the investigation together, I would ask: “How can we protect both people and wildlife while still having the lighting we need?” Groups could design a wildlife-friendly lighting solution, considering brightness, direction, timing, movement sensors and shielding. They could create models, drawings or digital presentations explaining how their designs could reduce the impact on biodiversity.
Finally, the children could identify an action we could take in our own school, such as ensuring unnecessary outdoor lights are switched off or encouraging the use of downward-facing, sensor-controlled lighting. This would allow them to see that biodiversity and dark skies are connected, and that even small changes in our local area can help protect wildlife.
I really like how you have made this activity so relevant to the children’s own community. The growing village and new housing estates provide an excellent opportunity for pupils to see how changes in their local environment can have unintended consequences. I particularly liked your opening question about being in a room with the lights on all the time, as it encourages the children to think about the importance of darkness before introducing the term light pollution.
The example of the GAA walkway is also a great way to demonstrate that lighting does not have to be completely removed to reduce its impact. The downward-facing sensor lights provide a practical example of how technology can be used to provide safety while reducing unnecessary light. I think it would be interesting to allow the children to investigate whether similar solutions could be used around the school or in other areas of the village.
I also like that you finish by focusing on actions the children can take themselves. It reinforces the idea that small changes, such as switching off unnecessary lights, can contribute to protecting our dark skies and local biodiversity.
Light Pollution in My Local Area
Living in Co. Mayo provides an excellent opportunity to explore light pollution as a local and meaningful environmental issue. While Mayo has large rural areas and some of Ireland’s darkest skies, light pollution is still present in our towns and villages. My pupils would have different experiences depending on where they live, with some living on farms with very little artificial light and others living in towns or villages with streetlights, security lights and illuminated buildings.
I would begin with a trigger or provocation, showing the children two images of the night sky – one from a dark rural location and another from a brightly lit town or city. I would ask: “What differences can you see? Why can we see more stars in one image than the other?” I would then ask the children what the night sky looks like from their own homes.
We would introduce the term light pollution and investigate how artificial light at night can affect our ability to see the stars, waste energy and impact biodiversity. Artificial light can interfere with nocturnal wildlife, including bats and other animals.
The children would then become “Dark Sky Detectives”, investigating light pollution around their school and local area. They could map different sources of artificial light, such as streetlights, security lights, house lights and floodlights. Pupils could compare observations from farms, villages and towns and use a simple scale or light-meter app to record how bright different locations are. They could then represent their findings using graphs or maps and look for patterns.
The investigation would lead to the question: “How could we reduce unnecessary light pollution while keeping our communities safe?” Groups could design a wildlife-friendly outdoor light, considering its brightness, direction, timing and whether it is shielded. They could present their designs through models, drawings or digital presentations.
Mayo provides an authentic context for this learning through the Mayo International Dark Sky Park. This allows pupils to recognise that dark skies are something special in their own county and worth protecting.
Finally, pupils could develop a “Protect Our Dark Skies” campaign for the school or local community. This activity would allow them to ask questions, collect and analyse evidence, collaborate, design solutions and take action on a genuine environmental issue within their own community.I really like your idea of using a trigger or provocation at the beginning of the activity. Asking the children when they think the Moon would be best observed from school would encourage them to make predictions and gives them ownership of the investigation. I also agree that using the Paxi video in shorter sections would work well, as it would allow opportunities for discussion and questioning rather than the children simply watching passively.
The Moon Observation Log is a particularly useful element of your plan as it encourages children to observe over a period of time and identify patterns in the Moon’s phases. I think this would also provide a great opportunity for children to compare their observations with their original predictions and discuss whether their ideas changed as they gathered evidence. Your activity would make the learning very practical and meaningful by connecting what the children learn about the Moon with what they can actually observe from their own school.
Create an observing plan for autumn that shows which planets are visible in the evening sky.
I would introduce an Autumn Skywatching Investigation with my class, encouraging the children to become astronomers and investigate which planets can be seen in the evening sky from Ireland. I would begin by asking questions such as, “Can we see planets every night?”, “Are the same planets visible throughout the year?” and “How can we tell a planet from a star?” The children would make predictions about what they think they might see.
Before going outside, I would use Stellarium to explore the evening sky and identify which planets are visible during the autumn months, where they will appear and approximately what time they can be observed. This would allow the children to become familiar with the night sky before making their own observations. ESERO encourages the use of space-based activities to develop questioning, observing, predicting, recording and communicating skills.
I would then send home a simple Autumn Skywatching Observation Sheet. On one clear evening each week, children could spend approximately 10–15 minutes observing the sky with an adult. They would record the date, time, weather conditions, direction they were looking, planets or other objects they identified and a simple sketch of what they observed. They could use a star map or Stellarium to help identify objects.
Back in school, we would compare our observations and look for patterns. We would discuss questions such as “Did we all see the same planets?”, “Did their positions appear to change?” and “Why might a planet not have been visible on a particular evening?” Children could plot their observations on a class chart and create a display showing the planets visible during autumn.
This activity would give children an opportunity to experience real scientific observation over time, rather than simply learning about planets from a textbook. It would also provide opportunities for children to work scientifically by asking questions, making predictions, observing, recording evidence, identifying patterns and communicating their findings. It could also encourage families to take an interest in astronomy and the importance of protecting our dark skies. ESERO Ireland highlights hands-on STEM experiences and the use of space to inspire curiosity and develop STEM skills.
I really like the practical and pupil-led approach you have taken. The Earth and planet tubes sound like a great way to engage pupils while developing collaboration and creativity. I particularly like the idea of pupils making predictions first and then researching and comparing their findings. It really demonstrates how STEM can move beyond the four individual subjects and become an integrated learning experience.
I would plan how my students could “observe and record the positions of the sun when rising and setting and at different times of the day”.
I would use this activity to demonstrate STEM as an integrated, inquiry-based approach, rather than teaching Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics as four separate subjects. This reflects Liston’s (2018) discussion in Unravelling STEM: Beyond the Acronym of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, which highlights the importance of making meaningful connections between disciplines and developing skills such as problem-solving, creativity and critical thinking.
Students would investigate the apparent movement of the Sun by observing and recording its position at different times of the day. They would make predictions and record the time, date, weather conditions and position of the Sun, using familiar landmarks such as trees or buildings as reference points. Observations could be made at school and supplemented with observations of sunrise and sunset at home.
I would ask my students to locate different countries on the globe and ask them to predict their sunrise and sunsets in reference to our location.
Students would then organise their results in a table or diagram, identify patterns and discuss why the Sun appears to move across the sky. This could lead to an exploration of the Earth’s rotation.
The activity incorporates Science through observation and investigation, Technology through recording and presenting data, Engineering through designing a simple sundial, and Mathematics through measuring time and analysing data. It therefore provides an authentic example of the interconnected approach to STEM advocated by Liston (2018).