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Songs, Poems and Art Connected to the Night Sky
There are lots of songs, poems and pieces of art that could be connected to the night sky.
A poem I would use is The Star by Jane Taylor, which is the poem behind Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.
There are also lots of songs that children might already know. Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star is an obvious one, but I would also include Starships by Nicki Minaj, which has the line “Starships were meant to fly”. Other songs that could be used are A Sky Full of Stars by Coldplay, Fly Me to the Moon by Frank Sinatra and Counting Stars by OneRepublic. The children could listen to some of these and discuss how stars, the moon and the night sky are used in the songs.
For art, I would use Vincent van Gogh’s The Starry Night. We could look at the colours, shapes and movement in the painting and then let the children create their own night-sky artwork.
I think using songs, poems and art would be a nice way to explore the night sky because it shows that space can inspire creativity and imagination as well as science.
I really like the idea of creating a biodiversity map as it would make the children more aware of the wildlife around them and how we can make the school more wildlife-friendly.
Biodiversity and Light Pollution
As I teach in Cork City, I think exploring biodiversity in our local area would be a good way to get the children outside and looking more closely at what is around them. We could start by taking a walk around the school grounds and seeing what plants, insects, birds and other wildlife we can find. The children could work in small groups and make a simple record of what they see. As our school has a large yard and green space, there would be lots for them to investigate.
We could then talk about light pollution and how artificial light at night might affect some of the wildlife around us. I would ask the children questions such as, “What animals might be out at night?” and “What do you think happens when there are lots of bright lights around?” We could investigate how lights might affect insects, birds and bats.
The children could then look at lights around the school and discuss whether they think they could disturb wildlife. As a class, we could come up with ideas for reducing unnecessary lighting while still keeping the school safe. I think this would help the children see how our everyday choices can affect the environment around us.
I really like the design challenge idea as it gets the children actively investigating their own surroundings and thinking of practical ways to reduce light pollution.
Light Pollution
As I teach in Cork City on the north side, light pollution is something that my pupils are surrounded by, even if they might not realise it. There are lots of street lights, buildings and other sources of artificial light, which can make it difficult to see many stars in the night sky. I would start by asking the children if they can see many stars from their homes and if they think the sky would look the same somewhere more rural.
I have experienced this myself when visiting my parents’ mobile home in Kilbrittain in West Cork. The difference is really noticeable. On a clear night, there are so many more stars visible and the sky looks completely different compared to Cork City. I think this would be a great way to get the children interested in the topic.
In class, I would show the children photos of the night sky taken in a city compared with one taken in a rural area. We could discuss the differences and why they think this happens. We could then investigate light pollution around our school by identifying different sources of light and discussing whether they are necessary. The children could also design a poster or come up with ideas for reducing light pollution while still keeping people safe. This would make the topic relevant to their own lives and local area.
I like the idea of comparing everyone’s observations in class as it would be interesting to see if everyone spotted the same planets.
As I will have 3rd class next year, I think observing the planets in the autumn evening sky would be a fun activity for this age group. I would start by introducing the children to a few planets that they might be able to see and explain that stars twinkle, while planets usually look more like bright, steady lights.
I would give each child a simple “Planet Spotter” sheet to take home. They could go outside with a parent or family member on a clear evening and see if they can spot anything interesting in the sky. They could record the date, time and weather and draw a picture of what they saw. I would also include a simple sky map to help them work out which direction to look.
Back in school, we could compare what everyone saw and see if different children noticed the same objects. We could use Stellarium on the interactive whiteboard to check what should have been visible on the night they made their observation. I think the children would enjoy seeing if their guesses were correct.
I would also encourage the children to keep their sheets and add to them whenever they get another chance to observe the sky. This would make it more of an ongoing activity rather than just a once-off lesson and would hopefully encourage them to take more notice of the night sky outside of school.
I really like the idea of using the chalk outlines as it gives the children a fun and visual way to see how the position of the sun and shadows change throughout the day.
I would use our large school yard and green space for this activity. I think it would be much more interesting for the children to actually go outside and observe the sun rather than just learning about it from a book.
We could go outside in the morning and look at where the sun is in the sky. The children could work in small groups and draw or mark where they think the sun is on a simple map of the school yard. We could then go outside again at different times, such as 10am, 12pm and 2pm, and record where the sun has moved to.
We could also look at the shadows made by trees, buildings and the children themselves. The children could measure or compare the shadows at different times and see if they change.
At the end, we could look at all of our results together and talk about what we noticed. I think this would be a nice STEM activity because the children are outside, working together, collecting information, using maths to compare their results and trying to explain what they have observed. It also gives them a chance to learn through doing rather than just listening to the teacher.
I like how you linked sustainability to your own local area and showed that children can learn about protecting the environment using places that are familiar to them.
This module made me think more about sustainability and how we can all do small things to help look after the environment. I teach infants in Cork City, and many of the children in my class don’t get many chances to visit the beach. The nearest beach is about 40 minutes away, and not every family has a car, so it isn’t something they get to experience very often. Because of this, I think it’s important to bring learning about the sea and the environment into the classroom.
I’m from Bandon, so I grew up not far from Kinsale and spent a lot of time by the sea. When I visit now, I often notice beach clean-ups, recycling bins and signs asking people to protect wildlife. It’s nice to see how the local community works together to keep these places clean.
In the classroom, I would keep the activities simple and fun. We could talk about recycling, looking after animals and why it’s important not to litter. During Aistear, the children could have a recycling station or a seaside role-play area, and in art we could make sea creatures using recycled materials. We could also go on a nature walk around the school to collect leaves and sticks or look for different plants and insects. I think teaching children these small habits from a young age will help them understand that everyone can do their bit to look after the environment.
I like how you linked the topic with different subjects and encouraged children to learn about healthy eating in a way that respects different families and cultures.
Before completing this module, I never really thought about the nutritional value of seafood. To be honest, the only seafood I eat regularly is tuna from a can. Looking back, I wish I had been introduced to more types of seafood when I was younger, as I think I would be much more willing to try it now. This module has made me realise how important it is to expose children to a variety of healthy foods from an early age.
As an infant teacher, I think this topic could be taught in a fun and simple way. We could read stories about life under the sea, look at pictures of different types of seafood, talk about where they come from and discuss how they help us grow strong and healthy. The children could sort healthy foods, create sea-themed artwork and explore shells and sea animals during Aistear. These activities would link well with SPHE, SESE and oral language.
Many of the children I teach in Cork City may not get much exposure to seafood at home, so school can be a great place to introduce them to new foods and encourage healthy eating habits. This module has also made me think about my own family. My partner and I don’t really eat seafood, apart from canned tuna, but I don’t want that to stop our own children from trying it. I would like them to have opportunities to taste different seafood and make up their own minds. Overall, this module has encouraged me to think differently about seafood and the positive role it can play in a healthy diet.