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That’s a great idea, and you’re very lucky to have your school located on the coast where pupils can regularly take part in beach cleans. Unfortunately, we are based in Mullingar, so we don’t have a beach nearby. However, we are lucky to have plenty of canals that could provide a similar opportunity for pupils to investigate the effects of litter and plastic pollution on our local environment.
I really like how your lesson begins with a photograph and a Think, Pair, Share activity, as it encourages children to observe, question and share their ideas. The SciShow Kids video is also a great way to make the topic engaging and age appropriate. I especially like the design challenge at the end because it gives pupils ownership of the learning and allows them to come up with realistic solutions that they can put into practice in school. Finishing by revisiting the research question is an excellent way to help pupils reflect on what they have learned and reinforce the key message.
Research Question:
How can we reduce single-use plastic in our school? (Teaching fourth class).I think this is a good research question for Fourth Class because it is easy for children to understand and is something they see every day. It links well with the Curriculum, especially Geography, Science and SPHE. It also gives pupils a chance to learn about climate change in a practical way.
To encourage pupils to take part, I would start with a class discussion about plastic and where we find it in school. We would look at lunchboxes, water bottles and classroom bins. The children would work in small groups to count how much single-use plastic we use over a week. They could record their results using simple charts and graphs.
Next, we would think of ways to reduce plastic, such as using reusable bottles and lunch containers. Pupils could design posters and share their ideas with other classes. Giving them responsibility would help them feel proud of making a difference.
At the end of the project, we would repeat our plastic count to see if we had improved. We would celebrate our success and discuss how small changes can help protect the environment. This would help pupils understand that everyone can play a part in caring for our planet.Option 1
For this assignment on Module 4, I downloaded the Satellite Tracker by Star Walk app. I had never used a satellite tracking app before, so it was interesting to see how it worked. I signed up for the 7-day free trial so I could use all of the features. It was easy to see which satellites were passing over Ireland and when they would be visible.
One satellite I found was Aqua. It collects information about Earth’s water, including clouds, rain, oceans, and ice. Scientists use this information to study weather and climate change.
Another satellite was ALOS, which takes images of Earth’s surface. It is used for mapping, monitoring forests, and helping after natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes.
I also saw Resurs-DK No. 1, which takes detailed pictures of Earth. These images are used for farming, environmental studies, and planning towns and cities.
The app also showed Tiangong, China’s space station. Astronauts live and work there while carrying out science experiments in space.
Finally, I tracked Envisat. It was used to study Earth’s land, oceans, atmosphere, and ice. Although it is no longer working, it is still orbiting Earth and can be tracked by the app.Hi Edwina,
I agree with your thoughts on the Nose High to the Sky resource. I also think it is a really engaging way to help children understand the connection between Earth and space. Comparing images taken from satellites, astronauts on the International Space Station, and from the ground is a great idea because it shows children that we can learn different things depending on where the picture is taken.
I also liked how the resource explains the importance of satellites in a simple way. Before completing this module, I did not realise how much we rely on satellites for things like weather forecasting, monitoring the environment, and even helping during natural disasters. It makes the learning feel relevant to everyday life.
I think the activities would encourage children to ask questions, make observations, and think critically about the world around them. They also provide good opportunities for discussion and group work in the classroom.
Like you, I would definitely use this resource in my own classroom. I think it would make learning about Earth and space more interesting and enjoyable while helping pupils develop important scientific skills.Denis, I agree with you that the Home film is a great resource for getting children’s attention. The amazing images help pupils see how beautiful our planet is and why it is important to look after it. I also think Greta Thunberg’s speech and the Climate Aid clips are useful because they help children understand why climate change is an important issue.
I also agree that younger children can struggle to understand large numbers and facts about carbon emissions and deforestation. I teach 4th class and I think it is better to focus on simple ideas that children can relate to. It is more important that they understand how their own actions can help the environment than trying to remember lots of facts and figures.
I really like your ideas about planting native plants, litter picking, and encouraging children to walk or cycle to school where possible. These are activities that pupils can take part in and see the difference they make. In my classroom, I would also encourage recycling, reducing waste, and saving electricity by turning off lights and devices when they are not needed. I think these small actions help children feel they can make a positive difference and build good habits for the future.I enjoyed the Home film and Greta Thunberg’s speech. The HOME film shows how beautiful the Earth is and explains how people are changing the environment through pollution and climate change. Greta’s speech shows how important climate change is and encourages people to take action to protect the planet.
I teach 4th class, so I would explain these ideas in a simple way. I would only show short clips because the full videos are too long and some parts are difficult for younger children. After each clip, I would ask simple questions like, “What did you see?”, “Why is it important to look after the Earth?”, and “What can we do to help?” This would give pupils a chance to share their ideas.
To finish the lesson, I would ask the class to work in small groups and make a poster about helping the environment. They could include ideas like recycling, picking up litter, saving water, turning off lights, and walking to school. I think this would help pupils understand that everyone can make a difference by doing small things every day.I enjoyed Activity 3, Climate Reporters, because it helps children understand climate change in a simple and engaging way. The activity encourages pupils to explore future climate scenarios, discuss the effects of climate change, and think about how they can make a difference. I liked that pupils work together in groups to create a climate report for the year 2050 using climate data and then present their findings to the class.
I teach 4th class and I think this activity would suit my pupils well. I would begin by showing the Paxi video about the greenhouse effect to introduce the topic, followed by a class discussion about how human activities affect the climate. I would then divide the class into small groups and help them complete the climate summary worksheet using data provided by the teacher. The pupils could present their reports as weather presenters, which would make the lesson enjoyable while also developing their speaking and teamwork skills.
One improvement I would make is to include more examples based on Ireland, as this would make the activity more meaningful for younger children. I would also provide simpler worksheets and more visual supports, such as maps, pictures, and graphs, to make the climate data easier for 4th class pupils to understand.I agree with your ideas Laura and I also really liked the Paxi video. I thought it explained greenhouse gases in a simple and fun way that children could understand. I liked your idea of having a class discussion after the video because it gives pupils a chance to share their thoughts about climate change and how people can help the environment. I teach 4th class, and I think this activity would work really well with my class. They enjoy using iPads, so they would like using the simulation tool to see how climate change affects different places. The temperature predictor is also a good way to show children that temperatures are different around the world and can change over time. After these activities, I would ask my class to make a poster with simple ideas for helping the environment, such as recycling, walking to school, or saving electricity. I think this would help them remember what they learned and encourage them to make small changes in their everyday lives.
After reading Liston (2018), I have a better understanding that authentic STEM is much more than teaching Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics as separate subjects. Effective STEM integrates all four areas through meaningful, real-world activities that encourage creativity, collaboration, critical thinking and problem-solving.
As a 4th class teacher, I aim to provide hands-on learning opportunities where pupils work together, investigate questions and make connections across the curriculum. I found Activities 1 and 2 to be practical, engaging and suitable for my class. Activity 1 clearly helps pupils understand the difference between weather and climate through discussion and simple examples. Activity 2 encourages children to become “Weather Detectives” by collecting and recording weather data, while naturally integrating Mathematics through measuring, graphing and interpreting results.
I would use these activities as part of a cross-curricular unit linking Science, Geography and Mathematics. My pupils would also enjoy comparing their weather recordings with those from other parts of Ireland and around the world.
One improvement would be to include a simple engineering challenge, such as designing and building rain gauge. This would strengthen the engineering aspect of STEM, which Liston identifies as central to authentic STEM learning.
I really like how you’ve linked the three activities together and shown how they could be integrated across different subjects. The use of videos to explain climate zones and weather terminology is a great way to build pupils’ understanding before they begin the practical activities. I also think the research task using images and the ESA resources would encourage collaboration and help pupils make connections between different climates around the world.
I teach 4th class, so I would adapt some of these activities to suit the age and ability of my pupils. For example, I would use shorter videos with more teacher-led discussion to reinforce the difference between weather and climate. Instead of asking pupils to independently research a wide range of climates, I would provide a selection of images and simple fact cards for groups to explore together.
I also agree that the weather recording activity would make Mathematics much more meaningful. My class would enjoy collecting and graphing weather data both at school and at home, although I would simplify the recording sheets where needed. For the prediction activity, I would also use pairs, as discussing their ideas with a partner would build confidence and develop their scientific reasoning. Overall, these activities are engaging and could easily be adapted for different class levels.