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Hi Sharon.
This sounds fantastic and you have put a lot of thought into this lesson. I really liked your idea about integrating the use of Beebots too. The kids would love it!
Consider the hands-on mapping activity on creating map layers outdoors and describe a lesson plan for using this with your class and integrating it with the use of online tools and resources. What variables might you map and what questions might you ask?
I would love to do a hands-on mapping activity to create map layers. I would use our local woodland area as our area for mapping. There has recently been a trail added by Coillte and the school regularly use it for walks and hunts/orienteering so it is an area they are familiar with.
To prompt the children, I would show them a map of the woods from the Coillte website. We could also examine the area using Geohive, Google Maps and Met Eireann. I would ask them if they recognise the area and what sort of things do they see in the woods when they are there. I would encourage the pupils to work in groups to think about the different biodiversity we see in the woods – wildlife, trees, ring forts etc and to think about the surface area of the woods – whether it is all flat or sloped. We would then break into groups and map different layers of the woods. Upon return to school, we would discuss our maps and the different layers. These could be displayed in the school corridor or shared with other classes as the woods is used by the whole-school. We could also use iPads to send images of the maps home to encourage further follow-up and discussion at home.
Hi David. This sounds like a great lesson and I think the children will love using iPads remotes and toys to explore sound and light. This is something I could do with my own class too.
Module 1 question: Describe how you could apply some of the concepts and skills you have learned in this module to your own teaching practice in line with the STEM Education policy statement
I was unfamiliar with the STEM Education policy statement prior to undertaking this course. Having now read the document, I think that the three key principles of STEM education will help me plan my lessons from now on. The principles of igniting curiosity, recognising STEM as interdisciplinary subjects and being creative has made me re-think how I teach and prepare STEM subjects.
I will also be able to draw on the many resources listed in this module which are aligned with these principles to encourage my students to explore and ask questions when it comes to STEM topics. These experiments and resources, alongside the Curious Minds/ESERO framework for inquiry, enable pupils to engage in active learning. One of the key points I would like to try and do next year is to begin STEM lessons by asking a question or using a prompt to encourage pupils to wonder and become curious about the lesson. This module has definitely made me re-evaluate how I teach STEM and I am looking forward to using these resources when I return to school.
Hi Jacqui. I really like your idea. I think it is achievable and would definitely give the children a sense of responsibility and ownership of the project.
Research question: What is the impact of climate change on bird species in Ireland?
Climate change is affecting the migration patterns of birds in Ireland and climate change globally means that new types of birds are flocking to Ireland. I would ask the children what they know about birds and what birds they expect to see in Ireland. I would then challenge them to think about how climate affects bird species. We would use websites to research the new migration patterns of birds, we could invite a speaker in to talk about the change in bird habits and I would also go on a nature walk to see what bird species we could see. The nature walk could be repeated at different times of the year to see if we notice any difference in bird activity. I would use video clips and pictures and the BirdWatch Ireland website has great ideas to explore with the class. We could then take action by creating bird boxes to feed the birds in our school or at home. There are great opportunities to integrate this with maths, art, geography and history.
Hi Claire. I also found it hard to get information on satellites but I will have to try and look again. Thanks for sharing.
I downloaded the activity from Slide 19 – From the Ground and From the Sky. This is a really interesting activity which is broken up into 3 parts. The first part involves looking at photos taken from the ISS of Earth. The children compare their initial thoughts of what Earth looks like from above to the photos shown. In the second part of the activity, children compare photos taken from the ISS and photos taken on earth of the same landscape. They must try and match each landmark to its photo taken from above. In the final part, the children will try and match different satellite photos to photos taken from the ground. I think these activities would be really enjoyable for the children because it opens up a whole new perspective to them. They may never have even considered or realised that there were so many satellites in the sky. There are opportunities for groupwork, pair work and individual work in this activity and I think it would be fascinating to do this with a middle to older class. I love the structure and resources provided in these activities and would like to do them next year with a class.
Hi Aisling.
Yes, I also felt this film was better suited to older classes. I think using Greta Thunberg’s Ted Talk would definitely appeal to students too and like you said, it would help focus on ‘us’ and our actions.
The film ‘Home’ by the French environmentalist Yann Arthus-Bertrand is a beautiful film. It delivers a powerful message but is full of stunning clips and images taken from around the world. The film highlights the beauty of nature and what can be seen on our globe. I think the film helps us to focus on our own impacts and how we can all play a role
The film is quite long so it is more suited to older classes, however, you could pick out clips that could be shown to all ages. This film would integrate with other subjects and topics including science, history and art.
I would focus on the message about how all things are linked. Water, land, food, transport and buildings are all related – the activities that we carry out all have an impact on the environment. The film shows us growth and change over time which would link nicely with previous activities that we looked at in Modules 1 and 2 when discussing climate change.Hi Grainne. I agree, I thought that the Paxi video was nice because it showed us the positive actions we can take to play our part when we talk about greenhouse emissions.
Activity 3 is a very interesting exploration of temperatures in our own country and around the world.
The Paxi video is a great way of introducing the topic of greenhouse gases and exploring how temperatures around the globe are increasing. There is lots to talk about in this video such as the role we play in reducing how much pollution enters the air.
Activity 3 lends itself easily to be integrated with maths and geography as children could explore the temperatures here and around the globe. I think this activity would be suitable for older classes but it could be simplified for younger classes by examining how an increase in heat will affect our weather and in turn, our clothes, activities etc.
If a school was participating in the Green Flag initiative, the Paxi video could be shown to all pupils to re-emphasise the importance of recycling and to generate a whole-school discussion and plan to help tackle climate change in our own way.
Hi Michelle.
That is a great idea about using recycled materials to make the rain gauge. I agree that the videos are very helpful and great for visual learners. You have some great ideas here.
Having read the paper by Dr. Liston, I think I could integrate more engineering and maths into my STEM lessons. She highlights the need for children to not just investigate a problem but to go and engineer a design to solve problems. I think I could take my STEM lessons further and challenge the pupils more in my classroom.
The Nose in the Sky activity is great and could involve the whole school community. I have found that children love talking about weather and proverbs. It would also be lovely to design a weather recording measurement such as a rain gauge. All of the classes in school could go and examine how much rain has fallen and it could be used from infants to 6th.
The Climate vs. Weather activity also has fantastic activities and resources included. Climate change and temperatures are being discussed regularly on the news so it would give children first-hand information on what is happening in the world around them. Again, there would be lots of opportunities to facilitate whole-school discussion and investigations.