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<p class=”isSelectedEnd”>I think the children would really benefit from investigating the lighting around their own school and local area as it makes the issue of light pollution much more meaningful and relevant to them. I also love the idea of using picture books to introduce the topic, as they would be a fantastic way to spark discussion and curiosity.</p>
The survey and mapping activities are lovely cross curricular links and would help the children to develop important geographical skills. I particularly like your suggestion of extending the investigation beyond the school gates and encouraging the children to share their findings with local representatives. It is a great way to show them that they can play an active role in looking after their local environment.I have chosen to detail how light pollution is impacting my local area and how I would engage my learners to explore this. Although many of the children in my Senior Infants and 1st class live in rural areas, there is still a lot more artificial light than there would have been in the past. Street lights, floodlights at sports clubs and lights outside homes can all make it more difficult to see the stars clearly at night.
To introduce the topic, I would begin by reading a picture book linked to the night sky and asking the children what they can see when they look out of their windows after dark. We would discuss whether everyone sees the same number of stars and why some places might have darker skies than others.
The children would then become Night Sky Detectives. With the help of an adult, they would spend a few minutes outside one evening looking at the sky and drawing what they can see. Back in school, we would compare our pictures and talk about any differences between observations from the countryside and the village.
As an art activity, the children could create chalk or paint pictures of the night sky, while in oral language we could discuss ways to reduce unnecessary lighting. I think this is a lovely way to introduce young children to the idea of light pollution while encouraging curiosity, observation and an appreciation of the world around them.
I think giving the children the opportunity to choose an aspect of space that interests them is a great idea as it would encourage engagement and curiosity from the beginning. Like you, I had never come across Stellarium before this course and I was surprised by how many different ways it could be used in the classroom. I also like that the children would get the chance to share their findings with the class, as it would allow everyone to learn about different topics while developing their presentation and communication skills.
I have chosen to plan an observation of the Moon. I will be teaching Senior Infants and 1st Class and I think it would work well because children are naturally fascinated when they realise that the Moon can sometimes be seen during the day. Many children think that the Moon only appears at night, so this activity would challenge that idea and encourage lots of questioning.
Before going outside, I would read the story Whatever Next! by Jill Murphy. We would discuss where the Moon is during the day and whether the children think we will be able to spot it from our school yard. The class would make predictions and draw what they think the Moon might look like.
We would then become Moon Detectives and go outside, the children would work in pairs to search the sky and, once they found the Moon, they would record what they saw. They could draw the shape of the Moon, describe the weather and place a sticker on a picture of the sky to show where they spotted it.
Back in the classroom, we would compare our drawings and talk about how the Moon changes shape throughout the month. As an extension activity, I would encourage the children to look for the Moon at home with their families and share their observations with the class. I think this is a lovely way to encourage curiosity and observation skills while linking Science, oral language and art in a way that is appropriate for younger children.
I really like how this activity gives the children a chance to compare the different tubes and discuss their observations together. I think working in pairs would encourage lots of good conversations and allow everyone to contribute. Recording their findings afterwards is also a nice way to help them reflect on what they discovered rather than just completing the activity. It sounds like a fun and memorable lesson that would really bring the concept of gravity to life.
One activity I would love to do is Earth Tube and Planet Tube investigation. I think this is something my class would really enjoy because anything to do with space always grabs their attention. It’s the type of lesson where the children are learning without even realising it because they’re so busy exploring and discussing what they notice.
I’d start by showing a short video of astronauts walking on the Moon and ask the class why they think the astronauts move differently to us. I’d let the children come up with their own ideas before introducing the word gravity. Rather than explaining everything straight away, I’d encourage them to test the Earth Tube alongside another planet tube and decide for themselves why the marble moves differently in each one.
The children would work in pairs to decorate their tubes to match their chosen planet. I think giving them ownership over the activity makes them much more invested in it. As they test the tubes, I’d ask questions like, Which planet do you think has the strongest gravity? or How would it feel to jump there?
To finish, we’d come back together and chat about what surprised us. I think this is where a lot of the real learning happens because children love comparing their ideas and explaining their thinking. After reading Liston (2018), this is what STEM should look like in the classroom. Children are curious, asking questions, working together and learning through doing instead of just listening to the teacher.
