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Tracey, I think a whole-school project based on local piseógs, traditions and stories of the night would be incredibly engaging for children and a wonderful way to connect learning with the local community.
Consider how many Songs / Poems /Art can you think of to connect us with the Night Sky?
When thinking about ways to connect children with the night sky, it is amazing to realise just how many songs, poems, stories, and works of art have been inspired by what people see when they look up at the stars.
Songs
- Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
- Zoom, Zoom, Zoom, We’re Going to the Moon
- Mr Sun, Sun, Mr Golden Sun
- A Sky Full of Stars by Coldplay (selected lyrics/themes).
- Fly Me to the Moon by Frank Sinatra.
Poems
- The Moon by Robert Louis Stevenson.
- Silver by Walter de la Mare.
- Stardust by Michael D Higgins
Stories
- How to Catch a Star – Oliver Jeffers
- Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me – Eric Carle
- Goodnight Moon – Margaret Wise Brown
- Owl Babies by Martin Waddell
Art
- Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh
- Starry Night Over the Rhône by Vincent van Gogh
How you would engage your learners to explore biodiversity in your local area and the possible impacts of light pollution on local biodiversity.
This year my class participated in the 8-Week Climate Literacy Programme provided by Education for Sustainability. The programme encouraged students to develop an understanding of climate change, biodiversity loss and the actions that individuals and communities can take to create a more sustainable future.
The children learned all about biodiversity and the importance of protecting local habitats. Through a range of hands-on activities and discussions, they explored the variety of plants, animals, and insects that live in our local environment and learned about the vital role each species plays within an ecosystem. They also examined how human activities can impact biodiversity and considered practical ways to support wildlife in our school community.
One of the most engaging aspects of the programme was the creation of a bug hotel for our school garden. The children worked collaboratively to design and construct the bug hotel using natural and recycled materials such as sticks, pine cones, bark, and straw. Throughout the process, they learned about the habitat needs of different insects, including bees, ladybirds, and beetles. The bug hotel provided a safe shelter for these species while also increasing biodiversity within the school grounds.
Tracey, what a lovely idea to make use of the local environment in Dungarvan to help the children connect with biodiversity in a meaningful way.
Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
As I live in a small village in County Limerick, light pollution is less severe than in larger towns and cities, but it is still noticeable. Streetlights, security lights, illuminated signs and lights from nearby homes can make it more difficult to see faint stars and constellations in the night sky. While many bright stars and planets remain visible, the glow from artificial lighting can reduce the overall darkness of the night sky.
To help the children to explore the impact of light pollution, I would begin with a class discussion about what light pollution is and where it comes from. The children would be encouraged to think about sources of artificial light in our local area and how these might affect our view of the night sky.
As a practical activity, the children could carry out a simple star count at home on a clear night. They would count the number of stars visible from their garden. We would then compare results in class and discuss why some children may have seen more stars than others. Children could also identify areas of the village where light pollution is greater and consider ways to reduce unnecessary lighting.
Some lovely ideas here Evin. The local walk provides a meaningful real-world context for investigating light pollution and the poster activity is a great way to develop awareness and encourage environmental responsibility.
Michael, this is a great STEM lesson that is both interactive and relevant for 6th class pupils. The use of Stellarium or WorldWide Telescope provides a hands-on way for children to explore the night sky and develop their observational skills.
Create an observing plan for autumn that shows which planets are visible in the evening sky.
This is a lovely activity which could be given as an alternative to the usual homework tasks one night a week over a four-week period. I would ask the children to observe the evening sky at home with an adult and to record their findings on an observation sheet which I would provide the children with.
Each week, we will focus on finding one of the bright planets visible during autumn such as Venus, Jupiter, or Saturn, depending on what is visible at the time. Children will complete a simple observation sheet which includes:
- Date and time of observation
- Weather conditions
- Name of the planet
- A simple drawing of the planet’s position in the sky
At the end of each week, the children will share their observations with the class. We will discuss which planets were easiest to find, how planets appear different from stars, whether the planets appeared in the same place each evening and so on. A lovely activity to help develop their observation and recording skills.
Laura, this is an excellent, practical activity that encourages active learning and scientific inquiry. I really like how it encourages the children to make their own observations and discover patterns over time.
<u>ESERO 30 Day and Night in the World</u>
- Lessons on the topic of day and night are always firm favourite in the classroom. When introducing the theme, especially in the junior end of the school, I would present the children with a Mystery Box. In this box I will put various items linked to day and night; sunglasses, teddy bear, sunscreen, picture of sun, picture of moon and so on. Children then take turns pulling out an item and discuss when the item is use, is it for day/night, how do you know, etc. This gets children thinking and talking about the differences between day and night and it’s a lovely way of introducing the topic.
- The Paxi – Day, Night and the Seasons video is another excellent engaging resource for introducing the topic of day and night to children in the classroom. The video uses age appropriate language and provides a clear visual explanation of why we experience day and night. It provides plenty of opportunities for explaining, discussing and reflecting.
- The Animals In The Night activity is another lovely lesson to develop the children’s understanding of day and night and how the time of the day affects the lives of our animals in the same way as it affects us.