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Globe at Night is a fantastic way to encourage children to become more aware of the night sky and the impact that light pollution has on our environment.
To introduce the topic, I would begin by asking the children if they have ever looked up at the night sky and whether they think everyone sees the same number of stars. We would discuss why some places have darker skies than others and explore the term light pollution. Living in Ireland, many children have experienced events such as the Northern Lights in recent years, which would provide an excellent starting point for discussion about the night sky and what can affect our ability to observe it.
Using the Globe at Night website, I would demonstrate how to compare the night sky in our local area with the star charts provided. The children would work in groups to predict whether they think our area experiences high or low levels of light pollution and explain their reasoning. As homework, the children would carry out observations at home with a family member and record the number of stars they can see, the time, the weather conditions and their location.
Back in school, we would compare our results and upload our findings to the Globe at Night project. The children could present their observations using graphs and charts and discuss why some locations had darker skies than others. As an extension activity, we could investigate ways of reducing unnecessary light pollution and design posters encouraging people to protect our night sky.
I like how you have focused on the waning crescent Moon as it makes the activity much more manageable during the school day. Using Stellarium beforehand is a great idea as it would help the children know what to look for before heading outside. I also think the Moon journal is a lovely extension activity because it encourages the children to spot patterns and compare their observations over time. This sounds like a really engaging way to develop the children’s curiosity about space and the night sky.
I teach 3rd to 6th class and I think the children would really enjoy being able to explore the night sky from our own locality. Many children have seen stars and the Moon, but they may not realise how much more there is to discover.
To introduce the lesson, I would ask the class what they can see in the sky during the day and at night. We would make a KWL chart and discuss any planets or constellations they have heard of. Using Stellarium on the interactive whiteboard, we would set our location to our school and investigate what the sky looks like above us. I would demonstrate how to search for objects and use the time controls to see how the night sky changes throughout the year.
The children would then work in pairs on the Chromebooks with a checklist of objects to find, including the Moon, Jupiter, the Plough and the International Space Station. Each pair would record one interesting fact and create a short information card about their favourite object.
To extend the lesson, the children could use Stellarium at home with their families and keep a simple Night Sky Journal for one week. They could sketch what they observe and compare their findings in class.
I love the idea of using music as a starting point as it’s something I hadn’t considered. It would be a lovely way to get the children thinking about the passing of time before introducing the sundial. I also like how you’ve linked the activity with so many other subjects, especially History and Art. Giving the children the opportunity to create their own sundials would make the learning much more memorable.
Question 3:
After reading, it made me think about how STEM works best when children are actively involved in their learning. I think children learn far more when they are investigating, asking questions and figuring things out for themselves instead of just being told the answers. In my classroom, I try to include as many hands-on activities as possible and encourage the children to work together to solve problems.For this activity, I would have the children observe and record the position of the Sun at different times during the school day. Before going outside, we’d have a chat about where they think the Sun is in the morning, at lunchtime and in the afternoon. I’d ask them to make predictions and explain their thinking.
Outside, we’d place a metre stick in the same spot in the yard and use it to observe the shadow at three different times during the day. The children would work in groups to measure the shadow, draw what they see and record the time in their science copies. They could also use the class iPads to take photos so we could compare them later.
At the end of the week, we’d look back over all our observations and discuss any patterns we noticed. This would lead into a discussion about why the Sun appears to move across the sky and how the Earth’s rotation causes this. I like this activity because it gets the children outdoors, encourages teamwork and links really well with Maths through measuring and recording data. It’s a simple activity but one that gives children the chance to investigate something they see every day and helps make STEM meaningful.
I like how you linked climate change directly to the children’s everyday lives, like the parks they play in and the food they eat. This makes the issue feel so much more real and relevant for them.
Your ideas for using nature walks, weather logs, and interviews are fantastic. They are simple but effective ways to help pupils observe and understand what’s happening around them. I also think your three actions are very achievable and would give children a real sense of ownership. The idea of lunchbox audits is great, it’s practical and gets families involved too.
Climate change has become very noticeable in our area over recent years. We are seeing more heavy rain, flooding in local roads and parks, and unusually warm periods in early spring and late autumn. These unpredictable patterns are affecting local wildlife, farming and even how safe it is for children to get to school.
In my classroom, I would start by discussing these local changes with pupils, asking them what they have noticed themselves and how it has affected their families. We could create weather diaries, track rainfall and temperatures over a term, and compare them with data from previous years. Bringing in guest speakers, like local farmers or environmental volunteers, would help children see that climate change impacts everyone.
Three actions we could take as a class to slow down climate change are:
Reduce Waste: Set up a recycling and composting station and have pupils act as monitors.
Save Energy: Create an “Energy Heroes” team to check lights, computers and heating are turned off when not needed.
Promote Green Travel: Organise “Walk or Cycle to School” weeks to reduce car use.
The Development Education modules connect well to School Self-Evaluation by helping us focus on sustainability, global citizenship and pupil voice. Embedding this learning into our SSE will make our school more aware, active and responsible in tackling climate challenges.
I love your ideas. Using storybooks like Homeland is a great way to build empathy and understanding. Encouraging pupils to write to elected officials is a brilliant example of active citizenship. Celebrating Pride and cultural diversity together shows a strong commitment to inclusion.
In County Kerry, the Tralee International Resource Centre provides crucial supports for refugees, including English classes, school liaison services, and family programmes. Knowing these services exist helps schools plan how best to welcome and include refugee pupils.
In our school, we could build on this by creating a “Welcome Committee” of staff and pupils to prepare multilingual welcome packs and organise buddy systems so children feel supported from day one. We could also invite the Tralee International Resource Centre staff to run workshops or storytelling sessions about migration and belonging.
Development Education can help pupils understand why people become refugees and explore ideas like empathy, human rights, and global citizenship. This could be woven into lessons in SPHE and Geography, helping children reflect on their own role in building an inclusive community.
From an SSE perspective, recording actions like buddy systems, translated materials, and cultural days will help us measure and improve our commitment to inclusion and wellbeing over time.
You’ve shared practical ideas that make sustainability feel real and achievable for children. Exploring fast fashion and packaging is so relevant and helps them see how their choices have an impact. I love how you linked it all to the Green Schools work and SSE.
Climate Action is an essential area for children to explore because they can see and feel its impact both locally and globally. In Ireland, more frequent storms, flooding, and extreme weather events have disrupted daily life, school closures, and even the local water supply. Globally, children are affected by drought, food shortages, and displacement caused by climate change. I would start by connecting climate action to students’ lived experiences in our own community. For example, we could investigate how rainfall patterns have changed or carry out a biodiversity audit of our school grounds.
To take local action, we could launch a “Reduce Our Carbon Footprint” campaign, with pupils leading energy audits, designing posters about switching off lights, and creating reminders to limit waste. Linking this work with our Green Schools programme and revisiting our existing Green Flag can give students a sense of purpose and achievement.
We could also connect with local organisations such as Tidy Towns or the council to participate in community clean-ups or tree planting. As part of SSE, we could survey students on their understanding of sustainability before and after the project, gathering reflections on how empowered they feel to make change. These activities help children develop as active citizens who understand that even small local actions contribute to tackling a global issue.
I really liked your example about your student wearing a skirt and how the class environment supported him to feel comfortable. It shows just how powerful it can be when we challenge stereotypes early on. Your focus on creating a safe and inclusive space is really inspiring.
Gender stereotypes can start shaping children’s beliefs about themselves and others from a very young age. One example I’ve observed happened during Aistear in a Junior Infants classroom. The children were choosing activities when a boy told another child that “the kitchen is only for girls” and that “boys should be builders.” The comment seemed harmless on the surface, but it clearly showed how early and naturally these assumptions form. Moments like this can influence children’s confidence, limit their interests, and send messages about what is considered acceptable for their gender.
Development education can help tackle this by encouraging critical thinking and empathy. For example, storybooks that show boys caring for babies or girls working as engineers can broaden children’s understanding of roles. Role-play can allow children to experience different perspectives and challenge stereotypes in a safe space.
From an SSE perspective, integrating development education into our school plans could focus on promoting inclusion and equality. Gathering pupil voice, observing play choices, and creating action plans to address gender bias would help ensure all children feel free to explore their interests without judgement. Over time, these small steps can lead to a more open, fair, and respectful classroom culture.
I really enjoyed reading your post. I like how clearly you described practical ways to embed Development Education across so many subjects. Your idea of organising multicultural days is fantastic, it would give children a real sense of ownership and pride in their backgrounds while helping others learn and appreciate different cultures.
Dedicating a Croke Park hour to plan and share resources is such a good suggestion too. It would make Development Education feel more achievable for everyone and create a consistent whole school approach. Inviting a guest speaker would definitely bring it to life and show pupils how these issues connect to the real world.
Ehigie’s paper really struck me because it reminded me that education is not just about passing on facts but about helping children see themselves as part of something bigger. Development Education feels more important than ever. We have pupils in our classrooms who already know so much about the world through social media and news, yet they often feel powerless to change anything. I think our role is to show them that small actions matter and that they can be part of the solution.
In my own teaching, I would start by weaving in global themes through SPHE and SESE, like looking at climate justice or fair trade. Class discussions, projects and even simple activities like tracking where our food comes from can build understanding.
To encourage colleagues, I’d suggest we pick a shared focus for a term, maybe linking it to a global goal, so we are all working together. This makes it feel manageable and more meaningful.
SSE provides a perfect framework for this. We could set targets for inclusion, empathy and pupil voice, then use observations, pupil feedback and samples of work to see the impact. Development Education is not an extra subject, it is a mindset that supports all areas of school life.