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Hi Ann,
Welcome to the course. I do agree that this activity is best prepared for in class and conducted at home so it is important to support and collaborate with parents prior to this activity being sent home.
I like how you plan to share a sky map with the pupils to support their observations at home. You could also consider the Stellarium resource mentioned in this module to display in class and support their learning as they know what to look for in the sky with the sky map. Your simple guide will also be very supportive to both pupils and parents. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Rachael
Welcome to the course
I like how you plan to use story telling to introduce the topic and to support their learning through drawing tasks following their observations. You could consider taking photographs of specific landmarks and compare the sun’s position across the day to allow for critical thinking also.
Infant classes love to make and explore with shadows, you can also trace their shadows with outdoor chalk which mine have always loved. This would also allow them to compare the location of the sun and how the shadows have changed.
I like how you plan for lots of integration with the arts through art and music to support the learning. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Patrick
Welcome to the course. It is great to hear your feedback on the framework and how you will apply this to your STEM lessons in the next school year. When exploring the concepts of light and lenses questioning will elicit the learners’ prior knowledge and also help to guide the lesson as they have their own questions. Pupils can also make predictions on what could happen when exploring lenses. As you have said the lessons on light also allow for lots of cross curricular learning to make meaningful connections between the different subject areas.
It is important to support all learners and STEM allows for lots of skills development which will support the learning and as you have mentioned it will help to foster curiosity about the local scientific heritage. Thanks for sharing.
Hi James
Welcome to the course.
As you have mentioned map making should be playful in the younger classes with a focus on the familiar areas around them. You could also introduce the concept of map making through picture books such as Rosie’s walk. This could be used prior to your activity in exploring a nearby playground. It could introduce the pupils to noticing landmarks at the playground too.
With the older classes, exploring Google Maps or Geo Hive allows for comparison of their local area over the last few years and integration with maths for scale as you have mentioned. Pupils could also create their own map of the local area and as you have said compare their map with that seen on Google Maps to further develop their critical thinking and integrate digital skills and tools. Thanks for sharing, I hope you enjoy the other modules in this course.
Hi Cliodhna
Welcome to the course, it is great to hear your feedback on the Paxi video and how your class will enjoy it. It is really engaging and informative for the learners. I agree that follow up tasks and activities will also support their learning about this topic.
I like how you plan to support the learners understanding of the Teal Tool with child friendly explanations that link back to other lessons on climate change. It is great opportunity for the learners to explore this tool and compare different areas and different scenarios. As you have mentioned it is also important to make the learners aware of the positive changes they can make and how these differences can have big impacts later.
I hope you enjoy the other modules in this course.
Hi Megan
Welcome to the course. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on reflecting on the weather for a joint experience initially, this will engage all pupils and you can then reflect on the weather for their individual birthdays. Using these examples is a great way to recognise the difference between the concepts of weather and climate in a meaningful way with examples and connections to real-life.
Integrating the trend graph of temperature with maths is a really engaging task for the pupils as it gives them meaningful purpose to the graphs they are creating. You can also explore averages as you have mentioned. I agree that learning how to use and read a thermometer is a skill for the pupils and they must recognise it must be left in the shade and if possible mounted on the wall for accurate readings. These are all valuable learning experiences for the pupils. I hope you enjoy the other modules in this course.
Hi Michelle,
Thanks for sharing such lovely ideas to engage the younger pupils. Picture books are such a fantastic learning resource for all ages, I must check out the one you have recommended.
I like how you are planning to use the information gained from the book and apply it to the local park which the pupils will all be well familiar with and through drawings the pupils can show their learning, this could also be used as an assessment if needed.
Hi Anne
I really like how you plan to support parents by sending links home to Stellarium. I also like how you are planning to support all children through different resources, offering more structure to the observation, or allowing pupils to create their own observation plan. Having multiple ways for the pupils to engage will really support a Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Thanks for sharing.
Hi Patricia.
Welcome to the course, it is great to hear that pupils will enjoy the different tasks and activities in this module.
I agree that activity 1 allows for lots of discussion which pupils do love as they can offer their opinions and as you have mentioned tease out their ideas without the pressure of writing. Through participating in the discussions it does allow for assessment as the teacher can assess whether they have fully grasped the concepts of weather and climate.
I also agree that activity 2 allows for lots of critical thinking, as you have mentioned pupils are asked to think about what resources are needed rather than it being led by the teacher or a set of instructions. I also think that the pupils may find the task on finding averages of the temperature more meaningful as they are using their own data and as you have said this is a practical way to apply a maths concept to an everyday problem.
These activities do lend themselves towards a weather station which will be outlined in another resource from ESERO. I hope you enjoy the course.
Hi Patricia.
Welcome to the course.
I really like how you plan to introduce the concept of a sundial through story telling and creating a problem. This would be very engaging for the pupils and allow for critical thinking and lots of discussion. You have also linked it to ancient civilisations from the History curriculum which is great. I really like how you will support skills development with comparing and contrasting how people have been able to tell the time across periods of History.
You could also consider taking photographs of the sundial each hour to compare them and also allow for more discussion on the difference in the length of the shadow at different times in the day and allow for more critical thinking as they can compare photos.
Thanks for sharing your idea and I hope you enjoy the course.
Hi Sean
Welcome to the course. I am delighted that you have found the resources helpful and thank you for your feedback on this module.
The Curious Minds Framework is a great starting point which you can use to plan for many child-led and inquiry based learning in Science. From my own class different questions have arisen from different lessons leading to the pupils planning their own investigation. I also like in the framework how it is not centred around just the investigation part and allows for development of ideas and knowledge.
The unit on light gives a very structured approach and you could consider exploring this in October to link with Space Week.
I hope you enjoy the other modules.
Hi Aimee.
Welcome to the course. I agree that eliciting prior knowledge is necessary at the start of lessons on this topic to explore what they know and also address any misconceptions they may have. The Paxi video is a great way to introduce explore the concept in an interesting and engaging way for the pupils. Your use of photos of recent events such as floods or fires would also allow for lots of discussion and pupils applying what they learned in the video in the discussion.
The Teal tool allows the pupils to explore the changes of temperatures and predict how this will change in their local area or in a contrasting area.
Hi Brid.
This would be a very interesting topic to explore as they also explore the history of their school. I think getting some past pupils or past principals back to talk to the pupils would be really engaging as can learn about what the school was like with 30 pupils rather than the 150 you have today.
Unfortunately as the school grows so too does the building area and as you have mentioned the loss of trees, grass areas and hedgerows and the impact that can have on biodiversity in the area along with the carbon footprint. There are lots the pupils can learn and explore about in this project.
Hi Andrea,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the resource Nose High Up in the Sky. I agree that there are lots of options in these lessons to ensure they are accessible to all levels.
My own class have really enjoyed exploring weather proverbs from older relatives. It is a great opportunity to link with the lives of people in History and look at weather lore specific to the local area.
I agree that this lesson also encourages pupils to take responsibility for their own learning and allows for lots of skills development too.
Hi Liz,
That is a great point to send the information and link home to parents and encourage them to watch the video themselves prior to the lesson in school. I also think that is a good idea that the pupils have covered some lessons prior to watching the video so they have knowledge and it would reaffirm the class discussions as you have mentioned. Thanks for sharing.
