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Songs/Poems/Art that connect us to the night sky
Songs:
– “Space Oddity” by David Bowie. Our class were very lucky this year as they were involved in a zoom interview with the astronaut Chris Hadfield, who created a video of this song while in space. He is a really interesting man and the children were really intrigued and inspired by his life story.
– “Rocketman” by Elton John
– “Starry, Starry Night” by Don McLean
– “Golden Slumbers” by the Beatles (great cover version by Elbow also)
– “Silent Night”
– “Earth Song” by Michael Jackson
– “A Sky Full of Stars” by Coldplay
– “Counting Stars” by One Republic
– “Fly Me to the Moon” by Frank Sinatra
I could go on forever thinking of songs that connect us to the night sky and found it very enjoyable!
Poems:
Poetry is not my strong point, so unfortunately I could not think of any poetry that connects us to the night sky. However, I have no doubt that there are a vast number of poems with this theme.
Art:
– “The Starry Night” by Vincent van Gogh
– “Café Terrace at Night” by Vincent van Gogh
As with the poetry, I drew a bit of a blank when it came to the art. I know that I have seen plenty with a theme of the night sky but to name the artist or the painting is not possible!
We have a bug hotel in our school and it is something which the children, especially those in younger classes show great interest in. Resources such as this are simple yet effective in making children aware of the biodiversity in their area.
Module 4 Assignment
How you would engage your learners to explore biodiversity in your local area and the possible impacts of light pollution on local biodiversity.
To begin, I would have a talk and discussion session with the class in relation to what biodiversity means and how it relates to our daily lives. We would talk about aspects of biodiversity that we see in the area, negative impacts on this biodiversity, identify our positive inputs to diversity in the area, and what we can do to further improve biodiversity in the area.
From there, we would go on a biodiversity trail of the area, using the ‘Wild Things at School’ resource to become more familiar with local plants, animals and habitats in the locality.
We would recap on the observations previously carried out on light sources and possible light pollution in the area. We would discuss possible solutions which we could put in place in the school grounds to help with light pollution and decrease our impact in this area.
Having explored biodiversity in the area, the class would break into groups to identify what is working well in relation to positive impacts on biodiversity. We would look at how we could further improve in this area, e.g. our school field is regularly cut and we do not necessarily need all of the space. Is there a section in which we could plant wild flowers to encourage pollinators in the area?
Each group would report back to the class on what they came up with and together we would come up with a timeframe in which we would try to achieve some of our goals and a date on which we would assess our progress/success in this area.Fantastic idea in relation to simulating a clear night sky in the classroom. A wide variety of experiments could be carried out in this environment.
Module 3 Assignment: Light Pollution in My Area
Light pollution is so prevalent and the norm for so many people that they don’t even know that it is a problem, or realise that there is so much happening in the sky that we don’t even see. I’ve noticed over the past number of years when driving, particularly on the motorway, that the light pollution from towns and villages is becoming more and more pronounced in the form of sky glow. It really is a pity that this is the case.
I grew up in the countryside in quite a secluded area. We spent many summer nights looking at the stars, and when we were lucky enough, we also saw signs of the Northern Lights. Now living in a built up commuter area, there is very little to be seen in the sky due to light pollution. Having looked at the presentation on light pollution, it has made me even more aware of the extent of waste that is involved in lighting the area. In my estate alone, there are many street lights that constantly flicker, and ones that are situated in areas that have no need for them at all. I think the lighting fixtures in the estate are all partially shielded, so at least some attempts have been made at dark sky protection, but there is still a long way to go.
In the village that my school is located, it is very remote with very few houses and not many amenities. However, there is still quite a lot of light pollution. A new walking track has been developed around the GAA pitch with lighting installed that is constantly on. This alone is such a huge waste for such a small area. To make the children aware of light pollution and to identify ways in which we can solve the problem, I would begin by going on a light trail around the community. This would involve observing the lighting fixtures in the area, their locations, their purpose in that area, the ways in which they are shielded and the type of timer that they are on. From there we would make a presentation for the rest of the school and come up with an action plan within the school community. We would send home a copy of the action plan to parents and urge families to look at their homes and ways in which they could reduce light pollution and light waste at home.I agree that Stellarium is a fantastic resource for children. As you said, it is a great way of developing an interest in the night sky and there is also scope for children to use the app to challenge themselves and engage in learning at their own level. Setting the app for a particular date and time is great for whole class activities and would be an excellent trigger for discussion topics.
Using the DPSM/ESERO Framework for Inquiry, the following lesson plan is how I would teach the children about the moon and how to observe it
Strand(s):
Natural Environments
Energy and ForcesStrand Unit(s):
Planet Earth in Space: The Earth, moon and Solar System
Light
Curriculum Objectives: (5th and 6th Class)
• recognise that the Earth, its moon, the sun, other planets and their satellites are separate bodies and are parts of the solar system
• develop a simple understanding of the interrelationship of these bodies, including day and night and seasonal movements
• know that light travels from a source
ENGAGE:
The Trigger: Video: Paxi and Our Moon: Phases and Eclipses
Wondering: Talk about their own experiences of seeing the moon – when, where. Did they use binoculars?
Exploring: Think-pair-share in small groups. Identify features of nocturnal animals.
INVESTIGATE:
Starter Question: When can we see the moon?
Predicting: Discuss the question in small groups and record their predictions.
Conducting the Investigation:
Use the ESERO 62 investigation to show that we can see the moon during the day. Discuss why.
Spend one week observing the moon at the same time each morning. Discuss what they see and talk about why each day, e.g. we can’t see the moon this morning because it is cloudy outside
Sharing: Interpreting the Data/Results: Present their understanding of the investigation by creating a short presentation for the class.
TAKE THE NEXT STEP:
Applying Learning/Making Connections/Thoughtful Actions:
Make connections between their moon observations and the initial discussion about when and where they have previously seen the moon.
Use the moon observation lesson as a lead into a lesson on light – its sources and characteristics.
REFLECTION:
Completed KWL Charts
Compare their moon observations
Discuss anything that they are unsure of/unanswered questions.Hi Claire,
I think this would be a lovely lesson for infants. I’m sure they would love the hands on aspect of the activity and the active learning involved. It could also be differentiated to suit different abilities and different class levels to be used throughout the school.
ESERO 30 – Day and Night in the World
Using the DPSM/ESERO Framework for Inquiry, the following lesson plan is how I would use the ESERO 30 Day and Night in the World Resource
Strand(s):
Natural Environments
Living Things
Energy and ForcesStrand Unit(s):
Planet Earth in Space
Plant and Animal Life
Light
Curriculum Objectives: (3rd and 4th Class)
• observe, describe and record the positions of the sun when rising and setting and the changing lengths of day and night during the seasons
• observe and explore some ways in which plant and animal behaviour is influenced by, or adapted to, environmental conditions
• recognise that the sun gives us heat and light, without which people and animals could not survive
ENGAGE:
The Trigger: Photographs of various animals – both diurnal and nocturnal. Question: Which animals don’t sleep at night?
Wondering: Talk about similar/different features in each animal
Exploring: Categorise animals based on criteria which the children come up with. Think-pair-share in small groups. Identify features of nocturnal animals.
INVESTIGATE:
Starter Question: If it is day time for us in Europe, what is it for a child in Australia at the same time?
Predicting: Discuss the question in small groups and record their predictions.
Conducting the Investigation:
Explore the concept of night and day.
Look at the following video:
Investigate the concept of night and day using task 2 in the ESPERO 30 Day and Night in the World in small groups.
Sharing: Interpreting the Data/Results: Present their understanding of task 2 by making a video presentation which they share with the rest of the class. They can use the resources which they made in task 2, or come up with their own way of presenting their understanding of the concept of night and day.
TAKE THE NEXT STEP:
Applying Learning/Making Connections/Thoughtful Actions:
Apply their knowledge of what they learned about night and day to the introductory topic of nocturnal animals.
Discuss implications in everyday scenarios, e.g. talking to their family in Australia – choosing a time to suit both time zones
Debate: It is better to be a diurnal animal in nature.
REFLECTION:
Self/peer/teacher assess through questioning, two stars and a wish
Completed KWL Charts