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Hi Siobhan, using music, poetry and art together is a great way to make the topic interesting for children and gives them lots of different ways to learn. I think Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star would be a big hit with younger classes, and I also like the idea of using The Starry Night to inspire an art lesson, this would be suitable for a lot of classes. You shared some lovely ideas that would work really well in the classroom.
I would use the design your own dark sky place activity with my second class because I think they would enjoy being creative. I would start by asking the children what they think a dark sky place is. We would look at some pictures and talk about why it is important to have places where we can see the stars. We then might create a mind map and add to it.
We would talk about what we would like to have in our own dark sky place. The children might suggest trees, flowers, benches, walking paths and places to look at the stars. We would also discuss why we should not have too many bright lights and how this helps animals that come out at night.
The children would then draw their own dark sky place and label the different parts. They could work in pairs and explain their ideas to the class.
At the end of the lesson, we would talk about simple ways we can help protect the night sky, such as turning off lights when they are not needed. I think this would be a fun activity that encourages children to use their imagination, work together and learn about looking after the environment.I really enjoyed reading Sandra’s post. I like how she started with the two maps because it gets the children thinking and asking questions straight away. The biodiversity walk is a great hands on activity, and I also like the home task as it involves families in the learning which I’m in favour of. Your lesson gives the children lots of opportunities to observe, discuss and learn about how they can help protect wildlife.
After completing this module, I learned more about how light pollution can affect animals that come out at night. I think this is an important topic for second class because children enjoy learning about animals and how we can help them.
I would start by asking the children if they know any animals that are awake at night. We would talk about bats, hedgehogs and owls and discuss why they need darkness. We would look at pictures and watch a short video to help the children understand how bright lights can make it harder for these animals to find food and move around.
We would go outside and look around the school grounds. The children would think of ways to make our school more friendly for wildlife. We could plant flowers for insects, make a bug hotel and talk about only using lights when they are needed.
To finish the lesson, the children would make a poster showing one way they can help animals that are active at night. I think this would be a fun activity that helps children learn about nature while also encouraging them to care for the environment.
I really enjoyed reading Aoifes post. I like how she included the Globe at Night activity as it gives the children a chance to take part in a real science project. The homework idea is lovely because it gets families involved as well. I also like how the children use their own observations to create graphs and discuss their findings. The poster activity at the end is a great way to encourage them to think about how we can all help reduce light pollution. It sounds like a fun and engaging lesson that the children would really enjoy.
After reading this module, I realised that many children may not know what light pollution is or how it affects the night sky. In our area there are so many street lights, houses and traffic, so it can be hard to see many stars. I think this would be an interesting topic for second class because it encourages children to observe the world around them and think about how we can help the environment.
I would begin the lesson by asking the children if they have ever looked at the stars and what they noticed. We would look at pictures of a bright city sky and a dark countryside sky and discuss why they look different. The children could then sort pictures into good lighting and too much lighting and explain their choices.
As a class, we would create a list of simple ways to reduce light pollution, such as turning off lights when they are not needed and closing curtains at night. The children could then design a poster to share one message about protecting the night sky.
I think this activity would be enjoyable because it gives the children the chance to ask questions, work together and learn how small actions can make a difference. It also links well with Science, Geography and SPHE while helping children develop their STEM skills.
This is a really nice plan, Sarah. I like that the children get to make their own predictions before they start observing the moon. Choosing the last quarter Moon is a great idea because it can be seen during the school day.
I also like that the children observe and record what they see over a few mornings. Using the torch and ball afterwards is a lovely way to help them understand why the moon changes shape. It gives the children a chance to compare what they saw with the model. I think this is a fun and practical activity that would work really well with any class.
I have chosen Option 1:Create an observing plan for autumn that shows which planets are visible in the evening sky.
I would use this activity with my second class as a way of introducing them to the planets that can be seen in the evening sky over the autumn months. To begin, I would ask the children whether they have ever looked up at the night sky and what they noticed when they did. This would lead into a class discussion on the difference between stars and planets, and I would explain that some planets are visible to the naked eye, without any need for a telescope.
Next, I would show the children a simple diagram of the solar system, highlighting the planets that can be seen during autumn, such as Saturn and Jupiter. Using a basic sky map or an app such as Stellarium, we would identify where in the evening sky these planets are likely to appear.
Following this, I would encourage the children to take on the role of sky watchers at home with their families. On a clear evening, they would spend a few minutes outside trying to spot one of the planets we discussed. Afterwards, they could either draw what they saw or write one or two sentences describing their observation. I would reassure the children that if they weren’t able to spot a planet, that’s okay, as cloud cover or poor weather can often get in the way.
Back in the classroom, we would come together to share our observations and compare notes on what different children noticed. This would open up a discussion about how the night sky changes from one evening to the next, and how people have observed the stars and planets for thousands of years.
I really like this activity because it gets children observing the world around them and shows them that science extends well beyond the classroom. It also brings families into the learning experience and helps build the children’s skills in observation, communication and recording.
Hi Tommy, I really enjoyed reading your post. I like how you’ve adapted the activity for Junior Infants by making it language rich and play based. The idea of starting with the children’s own experiences is a great way to keep them engaged, and I especially like the drawing activity at the end. Using the lamp and globe is such a simple but effective way to help young children understand day and night. It sounds like a fun lesson that encourages lots of discussion, curiosity and active learning.
After reading the article, I thought about how STEM can be part of everyday learning in the classroom. I chose Option 5, One Year on Earth: Understanding the Seasons because it is suitable for a second class and links with topics we already teach.
I would start by talking about the four seasons and asking the children what changes they notice during the year. We would use a globe and a torch to show how the Earth moves around the Sun and how this gives us the seasons. The children would ask questions and share their ideas.
Next, the children would work in small groups to make a seasons wheel with pictures and words for each season. We would also go outside to observe the weather and record what we see. The children could compare their observations over time and talk about how the seasons change.
This activity includes Science, Maths, Technology and Art. It gives the children a chance to work together, make observations and learn through hands-on activities. I think this is a fun and engaging way for young children to learn about the world around them while developing their STEM skills.
Mind map: What is Space? Space is that massive area all around us, beyond Earth, where we find the Sun, Moon, stars, and all the other planets. It is also home to galaxies, comets, asteroids and satellites. Astronauts travel to space in rockets to explore and learn more about it. What else is out there for us to discover?
I really like Louise’s ideas for this lesson. Starting by discussing what the children already know is a great way to get them thinking and involved from the start. The paper rocket activity sounds like a fun way for the children to explore and learn how rockets work. I also like that they can try different designs and see how this changes how the rocket flies. It sounds like a lesson that would keep all the children interested in especially if they can design the rocket in their own way.
I would create a simple Space Week plan for my second class because I think some of the children would really enjoy learning about space in different ways throughout the week.
I would start by asking the children what they already know about space, and we would make a mind map together. As we learn more each day, we would add new ideas to our map.
Throughout the week, we would read space themed stories and videos. We would look at pictures of planets, stars and astronauts. We would do simple art activities, like making a rocket, creating a night sky picture and designing our own alien, We would also use online videos and pictures to explore the Solar System, and encourage children to ask questions and share their ideas.
To finish the Space Week the children could dress up as an astronaut or their favourite planet, we would do a show and tell in which the children would explain why they chose their costume and to share one fun fact they learned.
I think it links well with Art, English. It allows the children the chance to be creative and use their imagination as well as involving their parent in helping them to make their costume. I would hope the activity would make the children eager to learn more about space.Space is that massive area all around is, beyond Earth, where we find the Sun, Moon, stars, and all the other planets. It is also where we find galaxies, constellations, comets, asteroids, meteors, satellites and astronauts exploring space. We can use telescopes and spacecrafts to learn more about space. What else is out there for us to discover?
