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Hi Jennifer,
I love how you’ve connected the emotional and imaginative power of the night sky across different subjects. Your lesson ideas are so creative and accessible—especially using poetry and music to help children express their sense of wonder. Linking Twinkle, Twinkle with Starry Night and songs like A Sky Full of Stars really shows how the night sky has inspired artists of all kinds. I think your integration of English, Art, and Music makes for a rich, cross-curricular experience that will stay with the children long after the lessons are over.
I would love to explore the theme of the night sky through a school project focused on collecting piseógs, traditions, and stories from families and the wider community. Using the Dúchas Folklore Commission as inspiration, I’d invite children to talk with parents or grandparents about any old beliefs, superstitions, or customs related to the night—such as stories about stars, the moon, or what people used to believe about going out after dark. In class, we’d share these stories through drawing, drama, or simple writing, and create a “Night Folklore” book or wall display. This project would build oral language skills, cultural awareness, and a strong home-school connection. It’s also a great way to value the diversity in our school, as children from different backgrounds could share stories from their own cultures. Through these tales, we’d foster curiosity and a sense of wonder about the night.
Hi Susan,
Sounds like a really inclusive idea. Starting with familiar nocturnal animals makes the topic relatable, and I love how you’ve connected it to real-world changes pupils can be part of. The mix of sensory, hands-on activities and simple surveys is perfect for engaging all learners, especially in a diverse setting. It’s so empowering for children to see that even small actions can have a real impact—especially in an urban environment.
Exploring Biodiversity and Light Pollution
To help my pupils explore local biodiversity, I would start with nature walks around the school grounds and nearby green space to observe birds, insects, and plants. We’d create a “Biodiversity Map” of what we find and discuss how each species depends on its environment. To link this with light pollution, I’d guide the children to investigate how too much artificial light at night can affect animals—especially nocturnal species like bats, owls, and moths. We’d look at how light disrupts their feeding, nesting, and movement. Using simple experiments, like observing insect activity near outdoor lights, we’d build awareness of how our actions impact local wildlife. The children could design “Wildlife Friendly Lighting” posters with tips for homes and communities. By combining real-world observation with creative expression, they’d learn that protecting biodiversity includes caring for our night environment and considering the needs of animals that thrive in darkness.
Hi Aoife,
I really like how you’ve made the concept of light pollution accessible and meaningful for young learners. Giving the star-counting task as homework is a great idea—it gets families involved and gives children a chance to make real-world observations. Using a photo of a true dark sky for comparison is also really effective for sparking curiosity and discussion. The follow-up activities in class, like sharing observations, creating posters, and discussing impacts on animals and sleep, make the learning both personal and purposeful. You’re absolutely right that even small actions can make a difference, and it’s empowering for children to know they can help. This kind of activity not only builds awareness about light pollution but also nurtures responsible citizenship from a young age.
Light Pollution in our local area
Light pollution is becoming increasingly noticeable in our local area, especially with new housing developments and stronger outdoor lighting around roads and buildings. The sky at night is often washed out by artificial light, making it difficult to see stars beyond the brightest few. To help my students understand this issue, I would begin with a simple activity—going outside one evening (with their families) to count how many stars they can see. We would compare their findings using the “Globe at Night” star charts and record our data on the website as citizen scientists. Back in class, we’d map our results and discuss why we saw fewer stars than we expected. This would lead into conversations about responsible lighting, energy use, and the importance of preserving dark skies. Through stories, art, and hands-on activities, the children would begin to see the sky not just as background—but as something worth protecting.
Hi Donna,
I love how you’ve made the topic of planets so engaging and age-appropriate for senior infants. Using “There’s No Place Like Space” is a brilliant way to introduce the concept in a fun and accessible manner, and combining it with music, art, and integrated play really brings the learning to life. The idea of involving your old 6th class for peer teaching is not only a great way to model scale but also promotes leadership and cross-age collaboration. Linking the learning to home through Seesaw or Aladdin helps to extend the experience beyond the classroom and involve families. I also think using Stellarium is a fantastic visual tool—young children love seeing the planets “for real,” and it builds excitement. The homemade telescopes are a lovely touch and a great way to encourage curiosity at home.
To engage my class with observing the Moon, I would plan early morning sessions during the last quarter phase, as this is the best time to view the Moon clearly before school starts. During this phase, the Moon rises around midnight and is high in the sky at dawn, making it ideal for school-based observations. In the 2025–2026 school year, suitable dates include October 3, 2025, November 2, 2025, December 2, 2025, and January 1, 2026. We would begin each session with a “Moon Watch” journal where students sketch the Moon, note its shape, and describe the sky’s colour and cloud cover. We’d follow this with a class discussion linking their observations to the phases of the Moon and its orbit around Earth. This activity encourages inquiry, observation skills, and a sense of awe about the natural world—all while fitting seamlessly into a morning school routine.
Hi Sinéad,
I love how you’ve prioritised a flat, sunny area like the open courtyard—accessibility is so important for young learners. Your step-by-step process using a gnomon and marking the shadow hourly is a clear and effective way to show students how the sun’s movement relates to time. Aligning it with true north at noon adds that extra layer of accuracy while introducing basic compass skills. I can see how engaging this would be for junior classes—watching the shadow move and comparing its length and direction at different times makes abstract concepts like Earth’s rotation much more tangible. It’s also a great opportunity to integrate observation, recording, and prediction skills.
Liston’s paper critiques the overuse of the STEM acronym and emphasizes a deeper, more integrated understanding of its components. Instead of treating Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics as siloed subjects, Liston advocates for a transdisciplinary approach where real-world problems drive learning. STEM should be about curiosity, creativity, and context—going beyond coding and robotics to include storytelling, ethics, and cultural relevance. In my classroom, this approach means creating learning experiences where inquiry and exploration are central, allowing students to construct meaning across subjects. I aim to make STEM more about problem-solving than performance, where children see themselves as capable thinkers and doers.
Activity Choice – “Observe and record the positions of the sun…”
To engage junior students in observing the sun, I’d guide them through a daily “Sun Watch” journal. Each morning and afternoon, we’d go outside, mark the sun’s position using shadows, and draw it on a large poster. Over time, they’d begin to see patterns—how the sun rises in the east, shifts slightly through the seasons, and changes position in the sky. We’d incorporate storybooks about the sun, songs, and use simple compasses. This activity connects science with literacy, numeracy (measuring shadows), and environmental awareness. It fosters observation skills and encourages discussion and prediction, building foundational understanding of day/night and seasons.Hi Barbara,
That sounds fantastic—I completely agree with your approach. It’s brilliant to make such great use of the Greenway and is so involved with local initiatives like the Biodiversity Trail and Tidy Towns. These real-life, hands-on experiences really help children connect with nature and understand the importance of sustainability. Creating “eco-rules” at the start of the year is such a simple but powerful way to involve pupils in taking responsibility for their environment. I love the idea of using recycled materials in art and installing a water butt—small steps like these really add up and show students how their actions can make a difference. It’s clear your school is embedding sustainability into everyday learning in a meaningful and lasting way.
Hi Susan, I agree—seafood’s nutritional value often gets overlooked in primary classrooms, even though it’s such an important topic. I found it eye-opening to learn just how rich fish like salmon and shellfish are in essential nutrients. I think your point about teaching this in a non-judgemental, accessible way is so important, especially for children who may face challenges around diet and food access. The “Eye Spy in the Supermarket” activity is a great idea—it’s engaging, visual, and opens up so many cross-curricular links. I love your suggestion of tying it into SPHE, Science, and English; using real packaging and role-play would make it all the more meaningful and inclusive.
I completely agree—ARC’s online lessons are a brilliant way to spark curiosity and discussion around aquaculture while also supporting STEM learning. The activities are a great tool for checking understanding, and the floating fish farm activity is a perfect example of hands-on, enquiry-based learning. It’s fantastic to see how these lessons encourage key STEM skills like problem solving and collaboration, while also fitting so well into SSE and improving overall teaching and learning in the classroom.
Hi Barbara,
Absolutely, I agree. The west coast’s natural geography makes it ideal for aquaculture, and it’s great to see how the industry supports both the local economy and a wide range of career paths. It’s especially important for sustaining rural coastal communities where other job options may be limited.
Hi Michelle,
I totally agree—pupils in landlocked counties would get so much out of the ARC mobile classroom. A lot of the children we teach haven’t really had a chance to experience the sea or ocean up close. Learning more about marine life could really open their eyes and help them understand why it’s so important to look after our environment.