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Module 5: Consider how many Songs / Poems /Art can you think of to connect us with the Night Sky?
The night sky has inspired countless songs, poems and works of art throughout history. Its beauty is universal and creates a sense of connection between people. When we look up at the stars, we may simply admire their beauty, but we can also find inspiration, comfort, guidance and a sense of wonder. For some, the night sky can even feel like a connection to loved ones who are no longer with us.
From childhood, the night sky becomes part of our lives through lullabies such as Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star and star-themed mobiles above our beds. Music continues to use the night sky as a symbol of dreams and possibility, from Reach for the Stars to the beautiful Moon River. Others include A Sky Full of Stars by Coldplay, “Fly Me to the Moon” by Frank Sinatra and “Rocket Man” by Elton John.
Poetry also captures the magic of the night. Wordsworth’s I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud uses imagery of stars to create a sense of wonder, while Edward Lear’s The Owl and the Pussy-Cat celebrates the joy of dancing “by the light of the moon.”
Art has also been strongly influenced by the night sky. Vincent van Gogh’s The Starry Night is one of the most recognisable examples, with its swirling, vibrant sky expressing both beauty and emotion. “The Great Wave off Kanagawa”by Hokusai this could lead to discussion about the sky, natural forces and perspective.
These could provide great cross-curricular opportunities, allowing children to write their own space poems, create night-sky artwork, listen to space-themed music and explore how different artists and writers have been inspired by the stars, Moon and planets.
How you would engage your learners to explore biodiversity in your local area and the possible impacts of light pollution on local biodiversity.
Laois County Council has some excellent resources on biodiversity in the garden, including videos, books and colouring books, which can be ordered free of charge for pupils or added to the class library. I would use these resources to introduce biodiversity, along with the David Attenborough video on biodiversity.
It is important that children understand how every living thing has a role to play and contributes to the health of our planet. We depend on one another and on healthy ecosystems for life to continue. By encouraging children to appreciate the nature around them, we can help them understand why protecting biodiversity is so important.
We need to address issues such as pollution and climate change and protect species that are under threat. Starting at a local level can help children become more aware of the wildlife and plants in their own communities. Birds, bees and many other species in Ireland are facing challenges, so encouraging children to observe and value their local environment is a great starting point.
I found the RTÉ clip about the long-eared bat particularly interesting. Learning about Ireland’s different bat species and the threats they face, including light pollution, would be fascinating for children. The conservation work with the lesser horseshoe bat in Mayo was also inspiring. Activities such as the Bat Moth Game would make learning about echolocation enjoyable and memorable. The ESERO Day and Night in the World resource also offers useful activities exploring how artificial light affects plants and animals.
Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
This module has really opened my eyes to the impact light pollution can have. I think it will be interesting to hear the responses to questions such as, “What can you tell me about light pollution?” and “What are the impacts of light pollution?” I don’t think the children in my class will realise that light pollution is an issue. The Dark Sky planning guidelines provide practical advice on how we can reduce light pollution while supporting astronomers in carrying out research. The IDA’s Five Principles for Responsible Outdoor Lighting—targeted, useful, low, controlled and coloured would also provide a simple framework for the children to understand and follow. The children could carry out investigations in school, at home and within their local communities to explore how light pollution affects their surroundings. The ESERO 9 Light and Darkness activity pack would be a useful starting point, while the Magic of Light packs from the ESA PRO6 resource could provide additional activities. Although we are a rural school where light pollution may not be as noticeable as in urban areas, there are still ways it can be reduced. Raising awareness is therefore important. The children could create posters for the school and local community and use the school website to promote their campaign. It would be fantastic if our efforts could eventually contribute to becoming recognised on the Official Dark Sky Places map for the Island of Ireland, alongside areas such as Kerry and Mayo.
Create an observing plan for autumn that shows which planets are visible in the evening sky.
Autumn is an ideal time for stargazing, and resources such as Timeanddate.com, Stellarium and Stargazing Ireland provide excellent support for exploring the night sky. In early September, pupils should be able to see Jupiter, Saturn, Mars and Venus with the naked eye, while Uranus and Neptune can be observed using a telescope or good binoculars.
I would differentiate the activity by providing some pupils with a template and a prepared list of dates and times for observations. Other pupils could independently choose which planets, stars or constellations they would like to observe and decide how to record their findings. Before beginning, we would explore the differences between stars, planets and constellations and create our own Starwheels.
During the lesson, I would introduce pupils to Timeanddate.com and Stellarium using the iPads and share the relevant links with parents. Pupils could follow a suggested observing plan or create their own. They could take photographs, create drawings, or digitally label images of their observations and share their work on the interactive whiteboard.
Although planets would be the main focus, pupils could also explore stars and constellations. As an after-school activity, some additional support may be needed for pupils with limited access to technology. However, it would be an achievable and engaging task that could also encourage parents to participate and enjoy stargazing with their children.
One Year on Earth- Understanding the Seasons Resource (ESA)
After reading Liston’s Unravelling STEM, I am aware that effective STEM education should be more than simply combining Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. It should provide children with opportunities to investigate, problem-solve, collaborate and apply their learning to real-world situations. Children are definitely more engaged when they are investigating something that relates to them. I would engage my 4th class with the ESA’s One Year on Earth – Understanding the Seasons resource by beginning with a discussion about the four seasons and asking the children what changes they notice throughout the year. The children could then work in small groups to investigate why we experience different seasons. Using a globe and a light source, children could create a model of the Earth orbiting the Sun and investigate how the Earth’s tilt affects sunlight. This hands-on investigation would encourage questioning, observation, teamwork and problem-solving, reflecting Liston’s view of meaningful STEM learning. The children could record their observations, discuss their findings and explain their models to the class.
I completely agree, Elizabeth. Older generations had so many fascinating beliefs and traditions surrounding the night sky. I think it would be a lovely activity for children to interview a parent, grandparent or older relative about what they remember hearing about stars, the Moon, eclipses, shooting stars or weather signs. They could then compare these traditional beliefs with what we understand from science today, making for a really interesting and meaningful learning experience.
I completely agree Sarah. Using photographs, drawings and checklists would make the activity both engaging and accessible, while also supporting different learning styles and allowing all children to participate and demonstrate their understanding.
I completely agree, Lyndsy. Many areas that would have been considered rural years ago have become much more modernised, and as a result, light pollution is becoming an increasing issue. I think it is important to help children understand how our everyday choices can contribute to this problem and, more importantly, show them the simple changes we can make in our daily lives to help reduce it before it becomes even more widespread.
Great idea Seán! I also agree that introducing the constellations first would really spark their curiosity. Asking the children to guess the names before revealing them would be a fun way to encourage observation, discussion and imagination, and it would be interesting to see what ideas they come up with!
Absolutely agree Emma! The globe and torch are brilliant on a dark winter’s day. They make such a simple, engaging starting point for exploring shadows, people and different places, and, if you have a split-able globe, you can take it even further by delving into the Earth’s layers and core.
Research question: How could installing solar panels on homes in our rural community help reduce carbon emissions and reliance on non-renewable energy?
I would encourage pupils to participate by connecting the investigation to their own homes and local community. Solar panels are a relevant climate issue because they provide a renewable source of energy and could help reduce the amount of electricity produced from fossil fuels. I would begin by brainstorming the research question as a whole class asking pupils what they already know about solar energy and whether they have solar panels at home, seen solar panels on homes or other buildings in the local area.
Pupils could work in groups to investigate how solar panels work, how much sunlight is available in our area and the potential benefits of installing them. They could collect information from local households, where appropriate, and compare homes with and without solar panels. Pupils could also use simple calculations to explore potential energy and carbon savings.
I would give pupils different roles so that everyone can contribute, including researching, collecting data, recording results and presenting findings. Allowing pupils to share their conclusions with the school and wider community would help them understand that their research can contribute to meaningful climate action. A follow on project could be to research whether solar panels could be installed on our school.
I chose Assignment 3, “Nose High Up in the Sky.”
It includes three activities: Talking About Weather, Sensing the Weather, and Build Your Weather Station.
I thought this was a fantastic, hands-on and engaging resource that is also very practical. The activities provide many opportunities to develop STEM skills, while encouraging children to observe, discuss, ask questions and interpret data. The activity sheets are attractively presented, clear and easy to follow.
I particularly liked the use of weather proverbs. This is a clever way of helping children learn about weather in a fun and memorable way. As weather is such an important part of everyday life in Ireland, this topic is highly relevant. I also liked that the activities demonstrate that we do not always need technology to understand the weather, as nature provides many signs that can help us predict what is coming.
I really enjoyed the simplicity of the Sensing the Weather activity, as children can use their own senses to observe and describe the weather around them.
Build Your Weather Station offers wonderful opportunities for creativity, problem-solving and hands-on learning. Children can design and develop their own simple weather instruments and then use them to collect and observe results.
I look forward to using this resource in my classroom.
A very interesting question which I’m sure the children would really enjoy participating in all the research areas. A question which is meaningful to the children and they can see.
Hi Claire, I also found it really interesting to learn about the different satellites that pass over Ireland, their individual purposes, and the key information each one provides.
The film Home is a powerful and visually engaging documentary that highlights the impact human actions are having on our planet. Directed by Yann Arthus-Bertrand, it uses stunning aerial footage from around the world to show both the beauty of Earth and the damage being caused to our environment. I am really looking forward to using this resource in my classroom, as this was my first time coming across the film. I found it very impressive. However, I think it is important to use it carefully, as some of the content may be quite intense and overwhelming for certain children.
To introduce the topic, I would begin with a class discussion using questions such as, “What do you already know about the beauty of our planet?” and “How are human actions affecting Earth?” I would then select short, age-appropriate sections of Home, such as scenes showing melting ice caps or large cities, to stimulate discussion and visual awareness.
In small groups, children could create posters, research mini-projects or write reports about ways to help the planet. They could then work together to prepare a whole-
school presentation focusing on an issue such as water use, farming or deforestation.
