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This is a brilliant approach to exploring climate change with children. Using ice cube experiments to show melting, mapping coastal areas, and researching Irish towns makes the topic both tangible and local. I especially love the idea of dioramas and role-play; these creative tasks really help build empathy and engagement.
The question I would explore would be: How does littering in our school playground affect the local environment and contribute to climate change?
I’d encourage pupils to get involved by making the research feel fun, relevant, and important. I’d start by chatting with them about climate change in a way they can relate to like how rubbish on the playground could hurt animals or end up in the ocean. Then I’d explain that they get to be the scientists, asking real questions and looking for real answers. We’d work together to come up with ideas, like checking how much litter is found each day, categorise types of litter or making posters to raise awareness. Chatting about ways to reduce the litter or deter litter throwers.
To keep it exciting, I’d give them roles, maybe a litter detective, a note taker, or a photographer. They’d feel like part of a team, with each person’s contribution valued. Sharing our findings with the school, or even parents, would give them a sense of purpose. Most importantly, I’d celebrate effort over perfection. When kids feel their voice matters and that their actions can help the planet, they’re more likely to jump in and stay involved.
I completely agree that using the EO Browser encourages critical thinking and collaborative learning. Giving students the chance to explore real-world events through satellite imagery really helps them connect classroom lessons to current global issues in an engaging way.
I downloaded Orbitrack and couldn’t believe the amount of satellites passing over IReland. It took loads of my time playing around with it. Over the past couple of months, a bunch of satellites have flown over Ireland, doing all kinds of interesting stuff. First up, there’s EIRSAT-1, which is actually Ireland’s very first satellite. It’s a small CubeSat built by University College Dublin, and it’s mainly looking at cosmic events like gamma-ray bursts and testing new tech. There were lots of Starlink satellites from SpaceX have been passing by. Theirpurpose is to bring fast internet to people everywhere, even in remote areas. Amazon’s Project Kuiper satellites have also made an appearance. They’re similar to Starlink from a quick Google search. There are also NOAA weather satellites flying overhead, collecting data to help predict the weather and study climate changes. And of course, the International Space Station (ISS) keeps orbiting around us too, where astronauts do all kinds of science experiments. It was amazing to see this and I think it would be hugely beneficial for the kids to use these apps.
That sounds like a really nice way to do it. Showing clips and chatting about what the kids notice keeps it simple and meaningful. I love the idea of making posters as it gives them a way to share what they’ve learned without it feeling too heavy or scary.
Both the Home video and Greta Thunberg’s speech are powerful ways to help 5th class pupils connect with the reality of climate change. Home uses beautiful visuals to show how everything on Earth is connected; nature, people, and the climate. It’s eye-opening and really makes you stop and think about how humans affect the planet. Greta’s speech, on the other hand, is passionate and direct. Her words are strong, but they come from someone close to their age, which can really inspire pupils to care and speak up.
To share these with the class, I’d show short, selected clips from each one. With Home, I’d pause to talk about what they see and how it makes them feel. With Greta’s speech, I’d focus on her main message about taking action, then ask pupils what small changes they could make to help. We could create posters, poems, or a class pledge to protect the planet. It’s a great mix of emotion, discussion, and creativity.
I didn’t realise pop up greenhouses are a thing. This could be a great addition to the school garden especially with tight spaces and little funding for thos kinds of things.
The Climate Reporters activity is a great way to get my 5th class boys thinking about climate change in a real-world context. It encourages them to explore future scenarios using actual data, which helps build digital research skills and supports learning in science and geography. I really like how pupils become climate scientists themselves by working with temperature and precipitation data, spotting patterns, and imagining what life might be like in 2050. It also gets them thinking about how rising temperatures could affect their own lives, which makes the learning feel more personal and relevant.
I’d use this activity as a group project where each team explores a different emissions scenario, using online tools or teacher-provided data. They’d complete their climate summary and present it to the class. This creates lots of opportunities for discussion and reflection. To improve the lesson, I’d suggest including a creative element such as maybe designing a “2050 poster” showing how their local area might look in the future climate scenario. This would bring an artistic and imaginative side to the task and help visualise the science in a fun, memorable way.
Love the idea of using the proverbs to spark the interest in the lesson. This cross curricular approach would be great especially for senior classes.
The ESA “Teach with Space: Weather vs Climate” resource is a great way to help my 5th class pupils learn the difference between weather and climate through hands-on activities. I’d use it to set up a simple school weather station where pupils record daily temperatures and weather conditions. They could work in teams to gather data, make graphs, and spot patterns, which ties in well with maths and science. The activities also bring in geography and digital skills as pupils explore climate zones and use online tools to look at future climate predictions.
This would be a whole-class project with everyone taking turns collecting data and sharing results. It’s a brilliant chance to involve the wider school too and pupils could share findings in school assemblies, newsletters, or display boards. It encourages teamwork and leadership as the class works together to understand how weather and climate affect our lives. The resource is easy to follow, low-cost, and perfect for building STEM skills in a fun and meaningful way.