[Michelle Mannix]

Hi Jack,

Welcome to the course and thanks for sharing your thoughts on the resources in this module. I like how you plan to use the Teal Tool with visual supports for younger classes. This will allow them to recognise and explore the changes in temperature and encourage discussion, using the visual of the green house will also help the pupils to understand the concept. I had not heard of Dr Binocs on YouTube, but I will check it out. Thanks for sharing.

[Michelle Mannix]

Hi Shauna,

Welcome to the course and thanks for sharing your thoughts on this module. Liston’s paper would encourage reflection of our own approach to STEM education in the classroom to fully integrate all areas within STEM.

Weather V Climate is a great resource to explore and teach the difference between the two concepts. Setting up a weather station in an outdoor area would ensure that it is accessible for all, as you have mentioned. I also like your idea of a weather journal for pupils to keep a record of the data.

[Michelle Mannix]

Hi Niamh,

Welcome to the course and thanks for sharing your thoughts on the resources in this module. There are many great resources in this module and across the course that can be adapted and used in different classes.

I like the integration with maths also, I always feel that my own class engaged better when it was real life data and with the weather station they can collect their own data. There are many opportunities for class discussion across the lessons/resources and will provide for opportunities for critical thinking also. I hope you enjoy the course.

[Michelle Mannix]

Hi Shane,

Welcome to the course and thanks for sharing your thoughts on the resources in this module. It is important to teach the differences between weather and climate and as you have said the resource is very teacher friendly to explore this concept and relate it to the lives of the pupils in your class.

I agree that proverbs and weather lore allow for integration with History and getting older members of the family involved to recall weather lore they may have known. I did this with my own senior class this year and it worked really well. Our favourite one was Rain by seven, fine by eleven. Just in time for break.

[Michelle Mannix]

Hi Anita,

Welcome to the course and thank you for sharing your thoughts on the resource in this module. I also really like the link with History to explore proverbs and weather lore. There are so many from area to area and an ideal opportunity to link with older family members also.

I also really like the photos in this pack and have used them with my own senior class, there was great opportunities for critical thinking and class discussion to share their own thoughts and what they have learned. There are many great learning opportunities and resources across this course, I hope you enjoy using them with your own class in September.

[Michelle Mannix]

Hi Annie,
Welcome to the course and thanks for sharing your own thoughts on the resource from this module.

I agree that the photos within this pack are fascinating and allow the children to see what earth looks like from the ISS. Children at all levels really engage with the topic of Space. There are many opportunities within this resource for classroom discussion, as you have mentioned. The photos themselves also allow for critical thinking among the pupils. The pack also allows for integration with Geography to explore perspective and mapping skills.  I hope you enjoy the course.

[Michelle Mannix]

Hi Freda,

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the Paxi video and resources in this module. The Paxi video is a great stimulus as you have mentioned and would encourage class discussion and elicit the pupils prior knowledge.

I like how you plan to follow up on the video by modelling the green house effect. It is a good idea for the pupils to develop their learning further and to ensure they are active in recording the data and compare the temperatures.

[Michelle Mannix]

Hi Annie,

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the Home documentary. I agree that you could show specific sections to the class to allow for more discussion and follow up activities. I like how you plan to include a STEM activity where the pupils can design a water saving device in groups.

I hope you enjoy the course.

[Michelle Mannix]

Hi Caroline,
Welcome to the course and thanks for sharing your thoughts on the resources in this module. It is important to elicit the prior knowledge of the pupils and I like the idea of a concept map. In my own class, we create a concept map and at the end of the lesson we revisit it with a different colour pen to add to our learning.

I think that senior classes would enjoy using the Teal tool as you have mentioned and that for middle classes and younger it might be easier to show them the resource on the board.

I hope you enjoy the course.

[Michelle Mannix]

Hi Niamh,

Welcome to the course and thank you for sharing your thoughts on this module. Recording the data from weather instruments can easily become part of the classroom routine as you have mentioned. I had a class where we recorded the weather every day at 12 over the course of the month, the first year we did this in February and the following year we did it in October, then we could compare the results. This was a middle class and as you have said it might be easier to introduce one measurement at a time in your own class. I agree that there are so many resources in this module to make the weather topic more interactive and allow for active discovery. I hope you enjoy the rest of this course.

[Michelle Mannix]

Hi Hilary,

Welcome to the course and I am glad that you have enjoyed this module. It sounds like you have a great opportunity to develop a weather station in your school grounds and having it next to the poly tunnel will ensure that children can engage with the weather station on a regular basis.

The pupils will enjoy creating their own weather instruments and it allows them to take ownership of their learning too. My own class made anemometers last year and were really excited to use them particularly on a windy day.

I hope you enjoy the course.

[Michelle Mannix]

Hi Shane,

Thanks for sharing your own thoughts on the biodiversity in your school. I agree that children often respect initiatives more when they can assume a level of responsibility in them such as creating a bug hotel as you have mentioned and this also allows the pupils to explore their own local area and habitats in the environment and decide on how best to support them for biodiversity.

[Michelle Mannix]

Hi Hannah,

Thanks for sharing your own experience on the night sky in France and at home. From working on this course I am now very conscious of the lights in my own local area and light pollution. I was also travelling to the airport in the very early hours recently and was comparing the lights from one local area to another and into Cork city. In your own school it would be great for pupils to compare their own experience of the night sky depending on their area and this would open up a great discussion in the class on light pollution around them to increase awareness. There are many resources across this module such as those you have mentioned to further engage and support the learning.

[Michelle Mannix]

Hi Emma,

Thanks for sharing your plan to explore biodiversity in your local area. I like how you plan to explore the different areas within the village for biodiversity and having the pupils create posters for the local areas on the biodiversity. It is always important to start local when exploring biodiversity and living things. It is also a lovely way to connect with the wider school community and support biodiversity.

[Michelle Mannix]

Hi Rachel,

Thanks for sharing this comprehensive list of poems and art along with picture books that link with the night sky. I really like your idea to buddy up with the younger pupils for reading and learning about the night sky and biodiversity. I have teamed up with younger classes in my school for different events this year also and I found my own class loved the responsibility and it gave them confidence. Younger pupils also engage and can respond more when working with older pupils. It would be a lovely way to introduce the night sky during Space Week and build on collaborative work. Well done and I hope this goes well for you in the new school year.

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