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Hi Shona,
Welcome to the course. I like how you plan to explore the concepts of shadows first before moving on to the sundial. Pupils love to explore shadows and tracing them on the yard allows for comparison and critical thinking. I like how you plan to let the pupils work on developing the sundial and recording each hour. This will give them real ownership of their learning and connect their learning about shadows and the sundial. It is also a great topic for integration as you have mentioned.
Hi Roisin
I think it is a great idea to explore the local area initially with pupils and using the Seek app the pupils can take ownership of their learning as they record their observations. I also like how you plan to use flags for each discovery rather than picking wildflowers. Citizen Science projects are a fantastic opportunity for pupils to engage in, as they can record their own data and compare it to others. it is real-life data collection and as you have mentioned an opportunity for pupils to engage with nature and gain a better understanding of biodiversity and become real-life scientists as they gather data. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Michelle
Welcome to the course thanks for your feedback regarding the resources in this module. Using familiar topics and examples from the pupils’ own experiences will engage pupils and give them opportunities to reflect on real-life problems and discuss possible solutions. This may lead to more natural integration with maths whether it is data or using measurements. I agree that STEM education does allow for many opportunities for critical thinking and lots of skills development across different curricular areas in a hands on and active approach as you have mentioned. I hope you enjoy the course and the many more resources across these modules.
Hi Cliodhna
Welcome to the course, thanks for sharing your views on the documentary Home. I agree that is is visually amazing and would grab the attention of senior pupils. I like how you plan to show different clips and show the contrast between healthy forests and cleared land. It would encourage the pupils to observe and critically think about the changes and the effects on the environment. I also agree that showing clips from this documentary depends on the pupils in your class. At times there can be high levels of anxiety among pupils regarding climate change and we have to focus on positive aspects such as the pupils themselves being agents of change and empowering them to make changes in their own locality. As you have said, it is about making it real and hopeful for the students.
Hi Lisa
What a fantastic opportunity to use the pupils’ own local heritage site to bring engineering to life in the classroom. Lots of opportunities for a fully integrated STEM project to explore the pyramid and the history behind it also.
Hi Liadhan
What a fantastic outdoor space to have in your school and so engaging for the pupils to learn about the biodiversity in their local area and become active in planting and digging in the garden too. So many learning opportunities and encouraging pupils to be active in supporting biodiversity in their local area. It is great!
Hi Lisa,
As teachers we can often underestimate the level of resources available in our local tourist office when exploring maps. I really like how you plan to use the tourist map to build on it and create layers to represent woodland, human features etc. This would draw on the pupils’ observation skills and allow for lots of critical thinking and discussion. Linking it with digital tools will allow for more real life connections to their learning and mapping skills.
Hi Margaret,
Welcome to the course. What an ideal location for your school to be in close proximity to Birr Castle and be able to visit the telescope and make meaningful connections with your learning on light.
Third class pupils will need lots of opportunities to explore mirrors and even a level of free play for them to be curious and ask their own questions. As you have said lots of opportunities to explore mirrors and lens over a number of lessons would be ideal for the children to develop their own problems or investigations and then bring that knowledge together in a design and make task.
Hi Maria
Welcome to the course and thanks for sharing your thoughts on Liston’s paper. We are all guilty of covering STEM areas as individual subjects and as a disconnected approach but this paper does make us reflect on our approaches and how to make it more meaningful for the pupils, ideally by linking with real-world problems or scenarios.
I am not sure if you are familiar with the STEPS to Engineering project that runs in Term 1. Pupils from 3rd and 4th class identify problems in their local area and then create a prototype or model of solutions to these problems. It is a great project and there are lots of opportunities for skills development across all areas of STEM. As you have mentioned it builds critical thinking, creativity and active citizenship in our pupils.
Hi Michael
Stellarium is a fantastic resource to use in the classroom. You can focus on the sky in your own location to get an accurate view and encourage the pupils to note what they could see later in the evening.
There are many constellations on Stellarium and you could link with history to research the story behind some of the constellations or create a profile as you have mentioned. Similarly, there is an activity online to make a 3D model of The Plough/Big Dipper which may class have really enjoyed. While they make stars of different sizes they are of different lengths which allows for integration with Maths.
Hi Mark
Welcome to the course. I agree that the mindful observations will help pupils connect with their learning and recognise the patterns in nature. Taking the time and encouraging the pupils to sit and observe across the day and over a period of time would build on their observation skills and as you have said noting the location of the sun in relation to landmarks or trees in the school grounds. The stick and shadow will also provide for lots of critical thinking and discussion. You could consider taking photos of this across the day for comparison also.
Hi Julie,
You have lots of lovely ideas for thematic planning around the night sky theme. It would be lovely to explore these during Space Week in October to incorporate lots of language development as you have mentioned and also to link with play based learning.
Thematic planning gives the pupils lots of opportunities to use the topic specific vocabulary in different contexts and make connections across subjects specific to the night sky.
Starry Night by Van Gogh is always a great art lesson across all ages. Thanks for sharing
Hi Stephanie
Thanks for sharing lot of ideas on exploring the weather across different classes. Pupils love weather proverbs and weather lore. I have asked my own class to chat to their older relatives about weather proverbs and they loved it, I think this oral part of history is often forgotten and it can be brought to the fore when exploring weather in Geography.
Through creating their own weather station the pupils begin to take ownership of their own learning and will also get to work with their own real life data making graphs as you have said. I also like how you plan to team up with a school in another country to explore weather patterns and climate there. This would be fascinating for the pupils.
Hi John
The Paxi video would help to build pupils knowledge and understanding and this could be further developed with the use of the Teal Tool. I like how you plan to get different groups to explore different areas using the Teal tool and presenting this information in different ways to allow for multiple means of representation (UDL). Pupils can also show their learning and encourage others to make small changes and as you have said to be more mindful of the environment. I think it is important to focus on the positive actions pupils can do to empower them to make changes and encourage others to do so too.
Hi Dolores,
Exploring nocturnal animals through images, videos and stories is a great approach for third class pupils. It would encourage lots of discussion on the effects of light pollution on these animals. I like how you are planning for multiple ways for the students to create their own Dark Sky Place including digital tools. It is a fantastic way for all pupils to engage in the task suited to their own individual strengths.
A multi-curricular approach to the Dark Sky Place will make connections with real-life scenarios and many areas of the curriculum and as you have said this will empower the pupils to make changes where they can.
