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Hi Hazel,
I too was really impressed with all of the resources available online for a biodiversity project. I love that many of them are inexpensive or free also.
There is so much scope for agentic inquiry and exploration here for the children and many of the resources encourage collaboration too.
Task 3:
I love the idea of this project now that I’m aware of the cost‑free resources available to schools.
To begin, I would focus on sparking curiosity through local walks, using big books in literacy, and showing recommended biodiversity videos. Introducing phenology works well for younger classes because seasonal change is so tangible and easy for them to observe.
Throughout the year, pupils could complete wildflower walk challenges using picture guides such as Irish Wildflowers and Wildflowers Ireland, and free scavenger hunts from CarlowSports.ie. The Tree Council of Ireland’s tree hunt and the Garden Bird Survey checklists would support ongoing recording. Apps like Seek and PictureThis can complement books. There would be many opportunities for peer and cross‑class collaboration. If financial resources were available, my school might invest in a trail‑cam, and it’s helpful that affordable options exist.
Learning Environments is one of the key principles in the redeveloped curriculum and much research highlights the benefits of getting outside for learnng. It is considered great practice for inclusive learning.
Outdoor learning would take place monthly, with noticing walks in between. Integration would include Maths data, Art sketching, Music soundscapes, and STEM design tasks like making bird feeders. Outdoor education supports inclusive learning and aligns strongly with the redeveloped curriculum.
Naomi, I love the idea of introducing a key/legend for the whole class. Generic symbols would really help to simplify the process and would allow familiarity and peer discussion amongst learners.
Task 2:
If I was planning a map making lesson for the younger classes, I would start by showing the children the video from “The Heritage Council” website to begin. I would then start exploring areas that the children are familiar with like the school grounds. This would help them to understand that a map is a way of showing real spaces from above. We would take a short walk outside so children can notice important features, paths, and landmarks. Back in the classroom, they would draw what they remember, focusing on the main shapes and details rather than accuracy and starting with a small space.
To extend this, I would introduce digital maps. Using Google Maps, we could look at the school from a bird’s eye view and compare it with their sketches. This helps them see how maps use symbols and simplified outlines. With Geohive, I could show a more detailed Irish map and point out features like parks, roads, or rivers in the local area.
Finally, pupils would create a clearer, more organised map using simple symbols, colours, and a key, combining what they observed outdoors with what they explored online.Having read Liston’s 2018 article, I’ve realised that STEM in my 2nd class classroom already aligns with some of her key ideas, even if I didn’t name it as STEM before. One point she makes is that meaningful, real world problems should drive STEM learning. When I think about moments where children build, test, or redesign something in class, I can see how naturally they engage when the problem feels genuine. I’m now more conscious of slowing down and letting those moments become the lesson rather than rushing on.
Liston also highlights that STEM literacy grows through inquiry and the design process. I can see this clearly when pupils explain why their idea might work, compare results, or decide how to improve something they’ve made. Reading the article helped me recognise that these everyday interactions are valuable STEM experiences. It’s encouraged me to notice them more and give children the space to explore their thinking.Hi CJ, I totally agree with you here. AS teachers, sometimes we can get caught up in programmes and textbooks but really stripping back the layers and bringing it back to the children’s own lives is where we need to begin.
I love the idea of getting the children to be the moon, stars etc. They enjoy being involved in learning so much and ill definitely remember the concepts being taught here!
The Bears Shadow activity is one that really stood out for me in this module.
I believe the lesson is fantastic in integrating various areas of the curriculum and would give children many opportunities to explore day and night across the school day, playfully.
Literacy: The story is a great stimulus to begin such a lesson. I would begin by encouraging the children can make connections with their own lives. We would discuss when they have made shadows before/ the times of day they have made shadows etc. This is something that they are familiar with and experience in their day to day lives.
The children would then be encouraged to look closely and carefully at the pictures in their story and to take note of all the details. Children may at this point come up with their own questions for investigation from the story, leading to the basis of an inquiry based investigation.
STEAM:
Station teaching is an amazing idea in terms of giving the children full exposure to the materials available and they are guided and encouraged to get involved in the challenge cards at each station.
The children would be encouraged to engage in a hands on activity and we are familiar with the various research that proves this is the way young learners learn. The challenge cards provide a focus for the children here and there is great differentiation at play also.
I believe that extending the lesson to an outdoor activity involving shadows would really consolidate learning for the children.
Apologies, my previous post appears to have been formatted in an interesting manner!!
Inquiry Based Activity in the classroom
Forces
Junior/ Senior Infants
The trigger: a formula one racing clip and race car models lined up on a teacher made race track
Wonder: How will we make the red car win the race?
Exploring: Allow the children to experiment with the cars and the various resources that could make up ramps and pose various focus questions: Are the cars similar/different to each other? What is different about the vehicles? What happens when you let the car go down a really steep ramp?
Starter Question: Is there a way that we can change the track to make the red car go faster?
Predictions: Will starting on a ramp increase the speed of the car?
Conducting the investigations:
The children are assigned groups and given various materials to experiment with. They carry out the experiment in their groups and record findings on a worksheet/whiteboard.
Interpreting the results: The children will compare their results to their predictions
Next steps:
Can the children set up a new race between the vehicles?
Is there a way to slow down the vehicles?
How can we make this a fair race?
Sarah this sounds like an amazing lesson. I love the integration across all subject areas and believe Aistear lends itself to this so well.
The Zoom call was such a good idea in allowing the children to ask their own questions also!