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Hi Irene, I really liked how interconnected these activities are. I think developing the connection to their own area first will get the students invested and engaged, and also develop a sense of empathy and a deeper understanding of universal issues which can arise. This will also develop their compassion and make them think like global citizens as well as developing their geographical knowledge of other towns in Ireland.
I agree Mark, it’s great that we have access to technology and so many important uses of satellites. But it is a huge amount of power for one person and a lot of data too.
I downloaded a satellite tracking app and was surprised by how many satellites pass over Ireland every day. Five that I spotted were the International Space Station, Sentinel-2A, Sentinel-1A, NOAA-20, and Starlink. The ISS is used for scientific research in space, with astronauts carrying out experiments that can’t be done on Earth. Sentinel-2A takes detailed images of the Earth’s surface to help monitor things like crops, forests, and lakes, while Sentinel-1A uses radar to track flooding and other changes, even through clouds. NOAA-20 collects weather and climate data, helping improve forecasts, and the Starlink satellites provide internet coverage in places where it’s harder to get a reliable connection. I thought it was really interesting to see how each satellite has a different job, and it made me realise just how much we rely on satellites in everyday life without even noticing them.
I agree with you about the taking action assisting with the anxiety. It is something that needs to be dealt with in a very sensitively. The link back to their local environment and area is a great idea. This could allow them to feel empowered to make a change and feel like they have some control over the state of the planet, despite it being such a big global issue,
I found the documentary Home, very engaging and cinematic. It would certainly engage and get the students interested in the topic at hand. I learn a lot of detail and more information about the planet and climate change myself. It does seem quite advanced for the younger years, however, I feel that short clips and some descriptions and images would be very useful for the middle year groups to hook them in, gain interest and create some wondering questions.
In 5th or 6th, I would carefully select some elements of the documentary to run mini investigations about different parts of the world, its formation and life. Making it into a student lead project, in which different small groups could explore, research, and suggest ways to take action would be a good way of keeping students engaged, giving them agency and developing STEM skills. There are some really good parts that could be used as a discussion prompt, maybe even as a debate for the older years. It would need to be modified greatly for the younger years and I am curious to hear suggestions of how it could work.
The Paxi video is a great explanation and a fun and light hearted to explain something which can be quite heavy and complex. The comparison to the glasshouse to grow plants was a great comparison and give the students an everyday context to understand the greenhouse effect.
I would probably stop the video for a paired discussion to allow students to brainstorm and discuss ideas that they think would help.
I think activity 3 is great as it encourages empathy, perspective and deepened understanding of the scenarios as they students explore these in groups. presenting to their peers will consolidate their understandings and deepen their knowledge. I would allow the students to present their new information in various ways of their choosing to give them choice and agency such as a digital poster, a hand made poster or presentation.
That’s such a great idea as an alternative for the younger classes. The log book would work really well for students of various abilities within the class, and the students that need extension could add key words or labels to further their learning.
I really like your idea of having a “no questions allowed” period, I haven’t tried this before but it sounds like it could help to encourage children to think independently and build confidence in their own problem-solving skills before asking for help. I also agree that the Weather Detectives activity would be really engaging because it gets students outside and learning through hands-on experiences. Your idea of teaching the key vocabulary first and using mixed-ability groups is a great way to support all learners while encouraging teamwork and collaboration, which are such important parts of STEM education.
I found this article really interesting because it highlights that STEM is much more than teaching science, technology, engineering and maths separately. One point that stood out to me was the importance of using authentic STEM activities in the classroom. I think this is essential because students learn best when they can solve real problems that connect to their own lives and experiences. These types of activities help develop engineering skills like designing, testing and improving ideas, while also building teamwork, creativity and problem-solving. For me, this shows how meaningful, real-world learning makes STEM more engaging and relevant for students.
The activities highlighted in the first module were great as they show activities that focus on process rather than just the end product. In my classroom, creating inquiry based learning experiences in which the children question and test their hypothesis which promotes integration of key language and new vocabulary throughout the tasks. The use of group activities in 4th class was very effective for this in my experience, allowing the students to also learn from their peers and problem solve together.
The first activity was a great opening point to engage the interest of the students and to allow them to connect with their prior knowledge. It also is a great oral language and listening task, and gives them a starting point that they are instantly interested and invested in.
Activity 2 seems like an effective and diverse lesson which integrates many skills and curriculum areas. It incorporates numeracy skills as data is collected and recorded in various ways. The hands on activity using their everyday environment and experiences would really engage my students as they test their results. I would also team this up with a non-fiction text type for literacy write or read an explanation text about the weather.