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This is a great selection Micheal, and very suitable for the senior end where they offers food for discussion, debate, contemplation, and simply appreciation.
I have just come across a new song, Outer Space by Ad Infinitum, Released in April ’24, that I think my senior classes will enjoy working with. I think the surprise (the cosmic unknown if they have not already heard it) will be to listen to the song after studying the lyrics in each station. I would play the Music Video on the IWB. Genre – symphonic metal.
Here is an extract – from Outer Space by Ad Infinitum
My satellite is floating ’round and ’round
My whole world is turning upside down
In this celestial maze, you’re my guiding light
I know that every cage has a way out
I’m feeling paralyzed
When my mind is losing control
The abyss was calling my name
I needed to lose my horizonLesson Plan
I would set up three workstation (5th / 6th Class)1 .Reading. Word Study:
Use existing language skills and knowledge to decipher text in other languages.
Progression Step J: analyses and discusses the origins of words from a range of subject areas.
children highlight words associated with outer space. They will List the words and discuss any known morphemes within them, to help decipher true meaning. They may use ICT, or a high quality Dictionary children will discover their origin and true meaning.
2. Oral Language: Information Giving, Explanation and Justification.
Analyse and select information to communicate ideas and opinions for a variety of purposes, such as informing, debating, explaining, justifying and persuading.
Progression Step J – justifies their perspective and opinions based on evidence and personal experience
Children take it in turn to explain their perception or perhaps the artist’s perception in relation to feelings, opinions, desires etc.Their responses should reflect upon the artist’s use of ‘Space’ vocabulary. After each contribution the group can question and analyse each others’ responses if time permits.
3. Music: Composing –
• select from a wide variety of sound sources (voice,
body percussion, untuned and tuned percussion, melodic instrumentsand technology) for a range of musical purposesUsing tablets or other recording devices, pupils will compose and record themselves singing a section of this song, to express how they or the listener should feel when listening to it.
<p style=”text-align: center;”>Explore biodiversity in my local area and the possible impacts of light pollution on local biodiversity.</p>
I’d like my class to create a game similar to the one the Quality of Light Teaching Kit, from NOIR Lab, cited in the resource area of the Globe at Night website. The game would show the continents of Europe and Africa.At the very beginning of the topic of biodiversity in your local area and the possible impacts of light pollution on local biodiversity I will show the children the video explaining the game, and let them know that by the end of the fortnight I will expect a completed and laminated Irish version of the game, made by our class.
We will focus on learning about The Swallow and House Martin, and become citizen scientists through recording sightings of species on the National Biodiversity Data Centre .
Engage
Trigger: video Migratory Birds- the swallow
- Discuss topics focused on in the video.
- Explore the route the swallow takes (research video)
Investigate
English- Storytelling/ Listen for enjoyment Swallows Journey, by Ruth Merttens
Use of Atlas to chart and list cities and countries over which Swallows pass.
Nesting : In groups, children will discuss and research swallows, using encyclopedia, hard and soft copies, intervening family, neighbours and friends, watching documentaries etc.
Introduce children to the difficulties experienced by migratory birds
Using the video on Light Pollution and Migratory Birds
<p style=”text-align: center;”>Create a Migration Game </p>
Children will find the names of a number of migrating birds from our Amber and Red endangered species lists. They will research to find out where they migrate from, and how they breed, nest and feed. Using a shared Google Sheets collaborative file, through their Google Classroom (or similar platform) children will input positive and negative facts encountered by migrating birds. They will also source images of some examples of these birds to decorate their Migrating and Nesting playing cards, as shown below in a sample template I have begun.
Once printed, cut down through the middle black line, and along each horizontal printed line. Fold the instruction side behind the photo side before laminating. Ensure not to trim laminate too close to the paper to be sure it stays sealed.
Possible Teaching ICT moment: Using Google Sheets children will set cells to a given measurement, using the resize option when right clicking on a column or row (I prefer to use pixel measurements to resize my cells to keep them uniform). They will merge cells showing instructions of play. (note – when using chrome books a two fingered tap must be used to open the functions menu). Select four rows and columns to print.
Differentiation: Younger children may work from a shared template already measured out, for example the one above; Column width 300, title row height 30, picture row height 150 pixels).
I have created a resource that can be printed onto acetates to help measure light pollution in the night sky based on the Globe a nice citizen scientist program.
Here is the instruction page
<p style=”text-align: center;”>Measuring The Darkness Of The Night Sky.</p>
Choose the size that will best suit your age or ability group.Having a couple of copies of each may suit best.
Pages 2-6 are for larger booklets.
Pages 7-11 are for mini Booklet
- Step 1 Print out the Following pages onto printable Acetates.
- Pages 2-5 are for larger booklets.
- Pages 7-10 are for mini ones
- Step 2 Print the Cover pages, on white card, or paper. The plain white page ill be the back.
- Page 6 Cover for larger booklets.
- Page 11 are for mini ones
- Step 3 Cut along the Dotted Lines
- Step 4 Using a paper punch, punch holes in the left hand margin
- Step 5 Arrange the pages as follows (Front Cover, <7.5 mag, <6.5 mag, <5.5 mag, <4.5 mag, <3.5, <3.5, <1.5, <0.5, back cover)
- Step 6 Feed a key ring through each hole. The pages must move easily to enable them to flip over each other.
<p style=”text-align: center;”>To use the booklet</p>
Take a look at the night sky.Find Hercules. Using a Star wheel may help, or Stellarium in night mode on a tablet or smartphone, at https://stellarium-web.org/
Open the booklet at a page you think matches the pattern in you sky, keeping the white back cover behind the pages.
Now turn a page forward or backwards over your open page to see is it more like what you see in the sky.
Next keep your chosen page to the right and turn all other pages to the left hand side.
Hold the booklet up the the sky and see if you have reached an accurate choice of magnitude.
If you are not happy exchange this open page with one before or after it until you are satisfied.
To record your results as an international citizen scientist, open http://www.Globeatnight.org and in put your findings, along with other information on such as weather condition etc.
The following images are taken from Globe at Night https://app.globeatnight.org/?constellation=hercules with the intension of being used teach children how to recognise and record how dark their night sky is.
Please find an editable copy of this resource here
Or a PDF version here
Christine, thank you for drawing attention to that story ‘Lights Out‘, it is beautifully written and illustrated. I can imagine using it at a stimulus for drama, perhaps using shadow theater or even a debate with animals of the wild v humans.
I too live and work in a rural area, with pupils coming from the area as well as a local town. Making comparisons between both areas is a valuable lesson, as teaching the future engineers and professional it is important to instill in them how precious our environments are, not only to ourselves but in relation to light pollution in particular, the planet. Rural communities are constantly ‘developing’ their areas to be ‘safer’ and have amenities available to it’s residence, an awareness of short and long term effects of their ideas for ‘improvement’ is key to helping make positive future developments.
3. Plan to observe the moon.
Trigger video: How the Moon Affects Our lives on Earth, BBC Earth
Children can discuss the video and what they themselves already know about the moon.
Children can explore the phases of the moon with the help of Paxi, and the ESA
Children will investigate the phases of the moon
Pupils will rotate around 3 activities to facilitate diversity and differentiation.
Activity 1 Using tablets or Chromebooks children will use an interactive simulation of the moon phases.
Activity 2 Lunar Eclipse and Phases of the moon, ESERO 62 , Activity on page 375
Activity 3 : Draw and label the Twins.ie diagram of the phases of the moon into SESE copy. Activity sheets may be completed and stuck into copies by children with poor motor skill.
In using the Time and Date website I decided to focus on the phases of the moon from November 14th to December 15th as the moon may be visible during school hours, on most of these days. I have focused on a time in the afternoon instead of morning due to timetabling.
On days when the weather is poor children can use Stellarium on their Chromebooks to observe the moon.
They can compare and explore their results using Stellarium and or Havens Above and progress to explore other satellite and features in space using the home page.
Children will record their observations using the Moon Log template from ESERO
Sinéad, I completely agree with the fact that children may not know their North from South when at home, and how Stellarium can help them develop this awareness. Where I am myself, there is little to no GPS so digital compasses are not much good. In using Stellarium with the stars themselves I can get a true North and West direction in my back garden even without it lining up properly with the screen image.
3. Plan to Observe the Moon
<p style=”text-align: left;”>Trigger video: How the Moon Affects Our lives on Earth, BBC Earth</p>
Children can discuss the video and what they themselves already know about the moon.Children can explore the phases of the moon with the help of Paxi, and the ESA
Children will investigate the phases of the moon
Pupils will rotate around 3 activities to facilitate diversity and differentiation whilst leading about Mom phases.
Activity 1 Using tablets it Chromebooks children will use an interactive simulation of moon phases
Activity 2 Lunar Eclipse and Phases of the moon, ESERO 62 , Activity on page 375
Activity 3 : Draw and complete the diagram of phases of the moon, into SESE copy. Activity sheets may be completed and stuck into copies by children with poor motor skills.
In using the Time and Date website
I decided to focus on the phases of the moon from November 14th to December 15th as the moon may be visible during school hours, on most of these days. I have focused on a time in the afternoon instead of morning due to timetabling.
On days when the weather is poor children can use Stellarium on their Chromebooks to observe the moon.
They can compare and explore their results using Stellarium and or Heavens Above
and progress to explore other satellite and features in space using the home page.
Children will record their observations using the Moon Log template from ESERO, found at https://www.mayodarkskypark.ie/d
iscover/the-moon/
Hi Frances, you sound like you have a great engaging plan set out. Children may also like to explore how the night sky is different in Australia to our own. This can be a way of proving that although we spin on a somewhat vertical axis and orbit the sun we do not turn horizontally in space. Children could use https://stellarium-web.org// and choose an Australian city as their location.
Construct a Sundial
After exploring the school grounds and discussing the places with the least or no shadow throughout the day children will choose a place to build a sundial. They should also predict shadow at various times of the year, to ensure the sustainability of their sundial for a whole school year.
Using the new patio area as a predicted prime location, children will place a slalom pole as a marker to create shadow on the tiles.
One child will place themselves on the tile at the end of the pole’s shadow. Each hour another child will take their place on a new tile, according to the shadow, while the previous children return themselves to the tile they had been on.
Each tile will then mark the hour throughout the school day. Over the course of a week children will arrange themselves on the same tiles to check if the shadow is consistent.
Tying a ribbon from the slalom pole and holding it to the end of each shadow, children can measure the distance of the shadow using metric units. One child will record the measurements each day for a week using Google Sheets and create a graph to present a pattern, if any. Choosing a week in each month children will carry out the experiment to see if there are any changes in the shadows. Using the ribbon again, measurements will be taken, recorded and graphed.
Children could build their own sundial at home, and monitor it in the evening hours.In early Summer, they can take their learning to the ‘Next Step’ revisiting the sundial and the records taken throughout the course of the year, children can then discuss how sundials have been used throughout the course of time in relation to farming. They could, as a class, design a farm and a schedule to best facilitate a farmer’s time including livestock and crop management.
Schedule should also include feeding, milking, shearing, planting, weeding, watering, harvesting, and at what times of the day and year these may change, and possible costs that might arise.
To facilitate differentiation, further cross curricular engagement and areas of personal interest, children should try and incorporate diversity on the farm to enhance sustainability and biodiversity, eg. wild areas, wet area, bee hives, herb and salad gardens, a variety of animals with particular purpose.
Reference could also be made to the sale price of products at various times of the year, and problem solve carbon footprint issues relating to import food products.