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“Home” by Yann Arthus-Bertrand is a visually stunning and powerful documentary that provides an overview of the environmental challenges facing our planet. With its breathtaking aerial footage and poignant narration, the film explores the interconnectedness of Earth’s ecosystems and highlights the impact of human activity on the environment. It’s a compelling call to action for sustainable living and environmental stewardship.
In the classroom i would begin by explaining that you are going to watch parts of a beautiful film about our planet. Emphasize that it shows many different places on Earth and talks about how important it is to take care of them. Ask the students if they have ever thought about how all the different parts of the world are connected. For example, how the trees in a forest far away can affect the air we breathe here.
After showing each part, pause and discuss:
What Did You See?: Encourage children to describe what they saw in their own words.
How Did It Make You Feel?: Talk about the emotions the footage evoked.
Why Is It Important?: Explain in simple terms why it’s important to take care of the places and animals they saw.
When introducing Climate to 7 year olds I would explain that the world’s weather is changing in ways that can sometimes be harmful to people, animals, and plants. Use examples like “Have you noticed how some summers are much hotter than others?” or “Sometimes it rains a lot more than usual.” Read stories or show pictures of animals and plants affected by climate change.
Question: How do trees help keep our school playground cool on hot days?
Seven-year-olds are naturally curious and enjoy learning about the world around them. They can easily observe their surroundings and notice how weather changes affect their daily lives. This research question is designed to help young students understand the role of trees in moderating temperatures and making outdoor environments more comfortable, even on hot days. By focusing on a familiar setting like their school playground, the topic becomes more relatable and engaging.
Temperature Observation:
How does the temperature feel in the shade of a tree compared to areas without trees?
Can students measure temperature differences using simple tools like thermometers?
Tree Characteristics:
What types of trees are found on the playground?
How do the leaves and branches of these trees provide shade?
Cooling Effect of Trees:
How do trees help cool the air? (Introduce the concept of shade and transpiration in simple terms.)
Why is it more comfortable to play under a tree on a hot day?
Other Benefits of Trees:
Discuss additional benefits of trees, such as providing oxygen, homes for animals, and beauty.
Discuss the characteristics of each tree, such as leaf shape and size.
I chose this activity too Catherine. I find it so interesting to find out what’s up in the sky that we can’t see for ourselves.
Five satellites that have recently passed over Ireland are
International Space Station: this staion is a space environment research laboratory.
Sentinel-1: provides all weather, day and night radar imagery for land and ocean services.
NOAA-20: This satellite provides data for weather forecasting, extremem weather predictions and environmental monitoring.
Terra: It carries instruments that monitor Earth’s climate and environment, including the atmosphere, land, and oceans, and is crucial for understanding long-term climate changes and environmental shifts.
MetOp-B: This is a European meteorological satellite operated by EUMETSAT. It provides data on atmospheric temperature and humidity, ocean surface wind speed and direction, and data for climate monitoring and weather forecasting.
I would begin the lesson by showing the children the Paxi video on greenhouse gases, engaging in talk and discussion with the children. I would show pictures of common greenhouse gases like car exhaust, factory smoke and cow methane. We would then do a science experiment to explain how the green hose effect works. For this experiment I would place a container under a lamp and cover it with plastic wrap, this will represent greenhouse gases trapping the heat. I would then ask the children to predict the weather. I would give them a blank weather prediction chart for the week. They would then draw a symbol into each box which represented the weather. Each day we would compare their predictions with the weather.
Hi Zara, I love the idea of setting up a weather station in the classroom and in the school. We have a lovely garden that this would work well in.
Having review the paper ‘Unravelling STEM: Beyond the acronym of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics’ I can see clearly the STEM that I use in my class and areas where I can introduce STEM to use it cross-curricular. Also the amount of resources that I now have banked from this Module that I plan to incorporate into my lessons next year.
Weather or climate? I really liked this activity. It works well that straight away the children learn the difference between weather and climate. When this is made very clear it allows the children to learn more about each topic without confusion. I would use this daily as a talk and discussion exercise
Weather Detectives: I like that the children are the ones who are collecting the data. This allows them to have ownership over the exercises and helps retain their interest for longer. The children will also be able to make comparisons between different locations.
Activity: Straw Rocket Launch
Materials needed:
A drinking straw
Construction paper or lightweight cardstock
Tape
Scissors
Markers or crayons
Safety goggles (optional but recommended)
Instructions:
Begin by cutting out a triangle shape from the construction paper or cardstock. This will be the main body of the rocket. Help the child to make it about 4-5 inches tall and 2-3 inches wide.
Encourage the child to decorate the rocket body with markers or crayons. They can draw windows, flames, or any other design they like.
Once the rocket body is decorated, roll it into a cone shape and secure it with tape. This will be the nose of the rocket.
Cut small triangular fins out of the remaining construction paper or cardstock. You’ll need three fins for stability.
Attach the fins to the bottom of the rocket body using tape. Space them evenly around the circumference.
Now, it’s time to launch the rocket! Have the child put on safety goggles to protect their eyes.
Ask the child to place the straw at the bottom of the rocket, with the open end of the straw facing downwards.
Hold the rocket in one hand, making sure it’s pointed away from people and objects.
Instruct the child to blow forcefully into the straw, launching the rocket into the air.
Encourage the child to experiment with different blowing strengths to see how high they can make the rocket fly.
Thanks for the book recommendation. I find introducing a topic with the use of a book works very well and draws the children in.
Dressing for Different Weather Adventures
Introduce the topic to the children and explain brifely each of the five stations.
Dress-up Relay Race: Divide the children into teams and set up stations representing different climates (e.g., sunny, snowy, rainy, windy). At each station, place a basket of clothes suitable for that climate. The first player from each team runs to the station, puts on the appropriate clothing as quickly as possible, and returns to tag the next player. The team that completes the relay race first wins! Afterward, discuss each climate and the specific clothing items used.
Weather Dress-Up Game: Create weather cards representing various conditions like sunny, rainy, snowy, windy, and cloudy. Spread the weather cards on the floor. Have the children take turns picking a card and dressing up in clothes suitable for that weather. Encourage them to explain why they chose those clothes and how they protect against specific weather elements.
Match the Outfit: Prepare flashcards with images of different clothing items and weather conditions. Mix them up and lay them face-down on a table. Each child takes turns flipping over two cards. If the clothing item matches the weather condition, they keep the pair. The player with the most pairs at the end wins. Use this activity to discuss why certain clothes are suitable for specific weather conditions.
Weather Charades: Write different weather conditions on slips of paper and place them in a hat or bowl. Each child takes turns choosing a slip and acting out the weather condition without speaking. The other children try to guess the weather being acted out. Afterward, discuss appropriate clothing choices for each weather condition.
Create a Weather Wardrobe: Provide each child with a large piece of paper and art supplies. Ask them to draw a wardrobe with several doors or compartments. Label each door or compartment with a different weather condition (e.g., sunny, rainy, snowy). Then, have the children draw or cut out pictures of clothing items that would be suitable for each weather condition. They can stick or tape the clothes behind the appropriate doors or compartments.
Activity: Alien Craft
Materials needed:
Construction paper
Scissors
Glue stick
Googly eyes
Markers or crayons
Pipe cleaners
Popsicle sticks
Instructions:
First, cut out various shapes from the construction paper. The children will use their imagination and create alien body parts such as circles, squares, triangles, and ovals. They can also create spaceships, planets, and other outer space objects.
Once they have their shapes ready, they will use glue sticks and glue the shapes onto a larger piece of construction paper to create their alien characters. They can mix and match different shapes to create unique aliens.
After sticking the shapes, the children will get googly eyes to add to their alien’s face. They can choose the number of eyes their alien has and stick them on using glue.
The children will use markers or crayons to draw additional details on their aliens such as mouths, noses, antennas, and any other features they like.
To make the aliens even more interesting, the children will use pipe cleaners to create arms, legs, or antennas. They can twist and bend the pipe cleaners into different shapes and stick them onto their aliens.
Finally,popsicle sticks will be glued to their aliens onto the sticks. This will allow them to play with their creations and make them “fly” around like real aliens.
Once the aliens are complete, encourage the children to use their imagination and come up with stories or adventures for their aliens. They can pretend the aliens are exploring outer space or visiting Earth.
Great lesson plan. Such differentiation which will be suitable to all the different types of learners.
