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Hi Eimear,
Welcome to the course. Thanks for your feedback on the activities and how they promote skills development along with knowledge of climate and weather.
Activity 1 explores the concepts of weather and climate in an age-appropriate way and I like how you are also exploring traditional weather lore with this task which could create links with home and older relatives.
While I have made rain gauges with my class, I hadn’t thought of using jelly in the bottom to make it more stable. Great idea, thanks for sharing. I think allowing the learners to create their own weather instruments and collect their own data is very engaging and gives them ownership of their learning.
Thanks for sharing, I hope you enjoy the course.
Hi Shandon,
Thank you for your contributions to all the modules in this course. It is great to hear your approaches to STEM learning but also the great work towards pollination and biodiversity in your school and Green Schools Committee.
It is great to hear how you would use the local area of Tralee and explore the local heritage from the lighthouse to the wetlands around Blennerville. I like how you are planning for different approaches to the Arts and also within the learners’ own creative writing pieces. Writing from the point of view of the lighthouse keeper would allow for creativity and even some critical thinking. I also like your final task which focuses on how the local area inspires the learning in your class.
Thanks for all your posts, I hope you enjoyed the course.
Hi Sarah,
Welcome to the course. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on Activity 3 and the Paxi video. This video is very engaging and discussing the concept of greenhouse gases in an age-appropriate manner. The Teal Tool allows for use of data sets to predict future temperatures building on knowledge from the video.
For 3rd class it is important, as you have mentioned, that there are plenty opportunities for discussion and the learners sharing their thinking to ensure they understand the concepts. While the Teal Tool is a great resource, you could consider a teacher led demonstration initially before the group work to ensure everyone is familiar with the tool. As with every resource, it is important to adapt the resources and worksheets to suit our own classes and as you have said differentiated worksheets could also support pupils who need extra help.
Thanks for sharing, I hope you enjoy the other modules in the course.
Hi Donal,
Welcome to the course. It is great to hear your thoughts on activity 1 & 2 in this module.
I agree that activity 1 allows for younger learners to explore the concepts of weather and climate and the use of weather on their birthday brings connection to their own lives also. The sorting activity would allow for lots of discussion and critical thinking as you have said where children can justify why a statement is in a particular category.
Activity 2 allows for lots of cross curricular links with opportunity to explore data using real life data sets or encouraging the learners to collect their own data. As Sarah has mentioned, the choice of data chart or graph can be adapted depending on the class level.
Lovely ideas, thanks for sharing. I hope you enjoy the course.
Hi Niamh
Welcome to the course and thanks for sharing your thoughts following the different activities in this module.
I like how you have taken the approach in Liston’s article and consider how to develop cross curricular approaches to the weather topic. I agree that exploring this topic across multiple curricular areas such as drama, science, geography and all you have mentioned allows for more meaningful learning and for the learners to make connections to their own lives. Thanks for sharing, I hope you enjoy the course.
Hi Naomi.
Welcome to the course. It is great to hear your thoughts on the Paxi video. It is a great starting point as you have mentioned and makes the topic of climate change more accessible and meaningful for the learners in our classes.
I think the Teal Tool is a great resource. However, I agree that using a worked example or using the tool as a demonstration, teacher led task initially would be more beneficial before the learners use it independently. I like how you are planning for different scenarios within the Climate Report for Ireland in 2050 task. This would allow for lots of collaboration and creativity. Lots of great ideas, thanks for sharing. I hope you enjoy the course.
Hi Eric,
Welcome to the course. It is great to hear that Liston’s approach to STEM would be valuable for your classroom.
I like how you are planning to observe the sun’s position in the sky initially and use that information to make connections with the sundial. I also like how you are planning to allow for data and using tables and graphs to estimate, measure and record patterns. You have allowed for engineering in designing their own sundial and allowing for reflection and modification too.
Great ideas, thanks for sharing. I hope you enjoy the other modules in the course.
Hi Robbie,
Welcome to the course. I like how you are planning to explore how people measured the time in history initially to engage the learners. This would also allow for lots of discussion to see what the learners already know about sundials too.
I like how you are planning for the learners to do the observations, mark and measure the shadow. It is a great opportunity to predict where the shadow will be next as you have mentioned. You could consider taking photographs to compare back in the classroom or in the days following the construction of the sundial for further discussion and connections with their learning. Thanks for sharing, I hope you enjoy the course.
Hi Katie,
Welcome to the course. Thanks for sharing your lesson ideas for observing planets in the autumn sky. I like how you are planning to support the observations at home with spotter sheets and a sky map. This will support everyone at home in engaging in the observations.
I like how you are planning to use Stellarium to check their observations and this could also be shared with home to allow for more exploration and to guide any further observations too. I agree that this should be more than a one off task or activity too. Thanks for sharing, I hope you enjoy the course.
Hi Natasha
Welcome to the course. It is great to hear how this module has helped your own understanding of STEM and how you could use the Curious Minds Framework for Inquiry with your own class.
This approach allows for the learners to ask their own questions and carry out investigations and activities to try and answer their own questions. As you have said it allows for lots of creativity and problem solving. It also allows for collaboration and critical thinking too as the learners work together to solve problems and explore and explain their results. As you have said it would give the learners the opportunity to work things out for themselves and learn from their mistakes.
Thanks for sharing, I hope you enjoy the course.
Hi Amy,
Welcome to the course. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the documentary Home. It has striking images and as you have said it helps the learners to understand the connection between people and the natural world.
I think that with 4th class it is important to choose specific clips that you feel are relevant and appropriate for the learners in your class. I like how you are planning to explore clips that lead to discussion on specific topics such as biodiversity when habitats are damaged. This gives the learners the opportunity to reflect on action they can take in their own community.
Thanks for sharing, I hope you enjoy the other modules in the course.
Hi Richard,
Welcome to the course. It is great to hear your feedback on Maeve Liston’s paper and how you plan to consider more stronger links to the curriculum in your own practice.
Thanks for your feedback on the weather based activities. I like how you are considering the digital element with using official data such as Met Eireann with the learners own data and compare the results. I also like how you will focus on the learners own predictions to encourage more critical thinking and make stronger connections between what they know and what they have practiced when recording the weather data.
Thanks for sharing, I hope you enjoy the other modules in the course.
Hi Keith,
Welcome to the course. Thanks for sharing your lesson ideas on light pollution. I like how you are planning to explore the meaning of pollution initially and support the vocab of the learners. You have then outlined the terms artificial and natural sources and I like how you are planning to use photographs to explore these concepts and give the learners opportunity for discussion and critical thinking.
I also like how you plan to explore the local area and also make connections to other areas in Ireland and around the world to explore light pollution in more detail. I like how you plan to encourage the learners to reflect on action that could be taken on the worksheet which represents reducing light pollution in their local area.
Great ideas, thanks for sharing. I hope you enjoy the course.
Hi Katie
Welcome to the course. Thanks for sharing your ideas on exploring shadows which will lead to the phases of the moon. While you have outlined a task for the learners to observe the moon at home. You should consider how to plan for specific observations in school. You have mentioned discussing it in assembly, but should consider oppportunities for specific and directed observations. This will also help to address the misconception that the moon is only out at night. The learners could observe where the moon is in relation to fixed landmarks such as trees, buildings etc. You can plan for these observations to ensure the moon is visible using timeanddate.com or other resources outlined in this module.
I hope you enjoy the other modules in the course.
Hi Eileen,
Welcome to the course. Thanks for sharing your reflection on STEM in your classroom. It is important to reflect on Liston’s article and as you have mentioned to consider how all 4 areas of STEM can be explored in solving real life problems. This allows for lots of creativity and as you have said opportunities for the class to learn from their mistakes.
The Earth tube and Planet tube allows the learners to explore the mass of a specific object across the planets, this is a very hands on task and as you have mentioned it would allow for some research for the older classes too. Thanks for sharing, I hope you enjoy the other modules in the course.
