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Nice Sophie. I really like your Celtic spiral, the Irish connection and the idea of our ancestors observing the Sun, Moon, seasons and cycles of nature so closely. It would be a lovely Art, Science and Irish culture activity to do with the children for sure.
One thing I really took from this module is the richness of the night sky across song, poetry, art, folklore and storytelling. It is amazing to think about how, throughout history, people have looked up at the stars and tried to make sense of what they see, turning that sense of wonder into music, stories, paintings and poems. From Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, Frank Sinatra’s Fly Me to the Moon, The Frames’ Star, Star to Van Gogh’s The Starry Night, Gerard Manley Hopkins’s “The Starlight Night and Bealach na Bó Finne and lots, lots more, the night sky has clearly captured imagination across the arts and across generations and cultures.
Michael D. Higgins’ poem Stardust is fantastic and one I hadn’t dissected previously. The line “It is of stardust we are” beautifully captures the idea that we are not separate from the universe but actually part of it. He describes us as “moulded by vapours and fragments / From the making and breaking of galaxies”, which gives children a really powerful way of thinking about their connection to space. I also love the idea that “Our wonder invites us to make a journey” – something that perfectly sums up what poetry, art, music and storytelling can do. I envision being able to use this poem as a wonderful stimulus to literacy, SESE, and Visual Arts and an integrated unit of work.Agreed Elizabeth. I really enjoyed this module, esp because it showed that dark skies are about much more than astronomy. I liked the way it connected the night sky with art, music, poetry, folklore, history and Irish culture. The section on how our ancestors used the night sky for navigation and storytelling was so interesting as you said Elizabeth. I also loved the Irish links, from Newgrange and Irish mythology to the history of electricity in Ireland. This module has given me lots of ideas for making the topic more creative and meaningful for children.
Our school already has a really strong focus on biodiversity through our Green Schools work and our school garden. We have a pond, native trees, wildflower areas, a hedgerow, dead hedge, bird boxes, a bat box and pollinator-friendly spaces, so the children already have lots of opportunities to observe and learn about wildlife. Not bad going for an inner city school!
We could build on this by getting the children to think about what happens in our garden after dark and the needs of nocturnal species. We could investigate what animals might be active at night and consider whether the unavoidable light pollution could be affecting them. We could look specifically at bats, moths and other nocturnal insects and discuss how artiificial lighting might affect their behaviour and habitats. We could also avail of the resources on the urban fox as they tend to frequent our garden fairly often too.I like your plan Lyndsey, the idea of having the child working on it on home environs where they could record sightings of nocturals and other wildlife is good. I think it would encourage families to think about their everyday choices, like leaving outdoor lights on, and volume of noise etc. and how such can affect wildlife.
I’m so envious Michael! What an incredible resource to have right on your doorstep. Killarney National Park, such a perfect place, endless opportunities for children to explore, observe and learn in such a rich biodiverse haven!
I agree Grainne, Chromebooks would be a really nice addition to this activity. The children could explore the light-pollution maps themselves and compare a city with a much darker area like the Dark Sky Reserves of Kerry or Mayo. I think seeing that difference on the screen, alongside what they have actually observed in the night sky, would make the learning much more real and interesting for them.
Creating a teaching resource using the “Globe at Night” citizen science programme
“Why can I see so many stars in Kerry but far fewer from Dublin 8?”
For this, I would create a simple teaching resource using the Globe at Night citizen science programme to explore light pollution in the local area of Dublin 8. As our school is in a busy inner-city area, light pollution is something the children can easily comprehend with the constant glow from streetlights, houses and the surrounding city being hard to avoid!
I would start with a simple question: “Why can I see so many stars in Kerry but far fewer from Dublin 8?” As I am from Kerry and grew up near the Kerry International Dark Sky Reserve, I think it would make the topic more meaningful for the children. The difference between the Dublin and Kerry skies is honestly incredible. We could use Stellarium to explore what the night sky should look like and identify some constellations before introducing Globe at Night’s Constellation/Star Charts. The children can use these charts to compare what they can see in the sky with the different levels of light pollution.
We could also compare our Dublin 8 observations with Kerry and see just how stark the difference is. In Dublin, light pollution washes out most of the stars, whereas in Kerry, the Dark Sky Reserve will give an amazing, crystal-clear view of countless stars and constellations. It really shows just how much of the night sky people in cities miss because of light pollution.Plan to Observe the Moon
As our school is located in Dublin 8, I would plan this investigation for the first full week back after the summer holidays. I would carry out the observations from 4th–10th September, when the Moon is moving from the Last Quarter phase into the waning crescent phase. (Provided the Moon is visible in the sky during the school morning!)
To introduce the activity, I could use the ESERO “Day and Night in the World” resource to revise the relationship between the Earth and the Sun, and we could explore the different phases of the Moon and discuss any ideas or misconceptions the children may have about why the Moon changes shape. As Michelle said, this may also address the misconception that the moon is only out at night.
Before heading outside, pupils could use Stellarium Web to predict where the Moon should appear in the Dublin 8 sky. This would allow them to compare a digital prediction with their real-life observations and see how technology can support scientific investigation.
At the same time each morning (around 9.30–10.00 am), the class would go outside to observe the Moon. Pupils would sketch what they see, record the date, time, weather conditions and make use of the recording sheet and incorporate digital literacy here, as Michelle suggested, maybe taking photographs. By using photographs you could also compare them to the different phases of the moon and this would be very useful and allow for meaningful engagement hopefully.I like the idea of using the constellation wheel at home, as it gives the children a reason to continue learning outside of school, instilling intrinsic motivation. Getting the children to compare two or three constellations and look at similarities and differences in the number and arrangement of stars. They could even create their own constellation and give it a name, integrating with Art and literacy (creative writing) here.
Emily, absolutely love this idea of providing practical homework like this. I think letting them off some of the more traditional homework would yield very positive results too and make for better engagement with this unit of learning. Nice one.
Having read Unravelling STEM: Beyond the Acronym of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, it reinforced for me that STEM is about much more than teaching four separate subjects. It is about encouraging children to be curious, ask questions, investigate, problem-solve and make connections across different areas of learning. In my classroom, I try to provide practical, hands-on experiences where pupils can actively engage with their learning. The ESERO 30 “Day and Night in the World” activity is a nice example of this. It would children understand why we experience day and night by exploring the Earth’s rotation and how different parts of the Earth move into and out of sunlight. Working off the starting question, “Why is it daytime in Ireland when it is night-time somewhere else in the world?”, I would use a globe and torch to represent the Earth and Sun. Children could work in collaborative groups to model day and night, record their findings and explain their understanding to others. There are great cross-curricular links, such as exploring time zones and sequencing time in Maths, while Gaeilge vocabulary such as an ghrian, an Domhan, lá, oíche, could be naturally incorporated, i can envision Drama being incorporated here too. This activity shows how STEM can bring different areas of learning together through meaningful, practical experiences. Looking forward to giving it a go.
Lovely lesson idea Evin, I really like the way this lesson could link with other areas of the curriculum. As Una mentioned about the possibilities for PE with compass directions. There are nice opportunities too to integrate Maths by measuring and comparing the length of shadows, and Gaeilge by using simple directional vocabulary such as tuaisceart deisceart srl, meaning and engaging cross curricular links.