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Hi Una
Welcome to the course and it is great to hear that the resources from this module would work well in your classroom.
The activity allows for lots of discussion on the weather, whether it is on their birthday or maybe the weather if they were on holidays in a different country. This is a great opportunity to explore the concept of weather initially before exploring the concept of weather. With pupils of different nationalities it is a great opportunity to link with weather and climate in their country if they are willing to share as you have mentioned.
I also like how you are planning to predict the temperature before checking it, this will allow for consolidation of learning and skills. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Robert
Welcome to the course, thanks for sharing your thoughts on the planet tube activity.
I like how you plan to explore all 8 planets with your class in groups. This will give each group the opportunity to research and decorate their tube to represent their planet.
I also like how you plan to leave it as an interactive display in the classroom following the lesson so pupils can engage with it informally and this could also allow for more critical thinking outside of the lesson.
Hi Niall,
Welcome to the course. Thanks for sharing your lesson idea. Starting with class discussion will allow you to elicit prior knowledge from the pupils and also allow you to address any misconceptions they may have.
I like how you plan to incorporate technology such as using tables to show the results of their observations time vs shadow length for example. This will also give the pupils the opportunity to use data and technology in a meaningful and purposeful way. It is important that the pupils are encouraged to reflect on their work also, have you considered the reflective questions you could ask?
Hi Clodagh
Welcome to the course. I like your idea of creating a Sun Journey Wall to allow the pupils to document and share their learning for this topic. Using landmarks such as those you have suggested – goals, trees etc it will give the pupils a familiar starting point and I think that taking photographs will allow the pupils to compare the location of the sun and allow for critical thinking and discussion. Thanks for sharing, I hope you enjoy the course.
Hi Leanne
This looks like a very practical project for the learners in your school. As you have said you can begin with data collection allowing the learners responsibility of gathering the data. Then promote events in the school to reduce carbon footprint.
There is also an investigation from Green Schools that you could consider to further support the data in your project to conduct an Air Quality Survey https://greenschoolsireland.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/GS-Air-Quality-Survey.pdf
This could also be conducted at the beginning and during the Walk to School Challenge.
Hi Sarah
I agree that we should choose the relevant scenes from Home that are suitable for the learners in our class. At times there can be a high level of anxiety among learners relating to Climate Change and it is important to address climate change in the classroom in a positive manner and as you have mentioned to give the learners an insight as to how they can help the environment and acknowledge the changes they can make in their school, at home and in their wider community.
Hi Fiona
Welcome to the course and thanks for sharing your plan to observe the planets in the night time sky. You have planned for lots of discrete teaching prior to observing such as the ecliptic and supporting them in locating the planets in the night time sky.
Your plan outlines pupils working in groups, is this to facilitate pupils living in close proximity to each other to help with observations at home or to plan for the observations for the pupils in the class? I do agree that the pupils should do their observations with their family and record in a journal. You could also consider more collaboration with parents to support the learning at home and ensure parents are aware of the activity and have resources such as star charts so that they can get involved too as they may not have access to the binoculars or telescopes at home.
I agree that this approach of observing the night sky will allow for student autonomy and taking responsibility for their own learning.
Hi Gareth
Welcome to the course and thanks for sharing your thoughts on this activity. It is unfortunate that it may not work effectively due to the light pollution in your area. It is also important to raise awareness of this light pollution to your pupils as you have mentioned. This will also be explore in more detail in Module 3.
Stellarium is a fantastic resource, I used it with my own class last year and many pupils went online at home to further explore the resource and help with their own observations of the night sky. It takes practice as you have mentioned so worthwhile to explore it at home yourself first.
I agree that it is important to plan and collaborate with parents when exploring the night sky and setting tasks for home such as observing the night sky and identifying planets to ensure everyone is familiar with the task and parents can get involved with their children. I hope you enjoy the other modules in this course.
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.
