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This is an inspiring figure from my native county whose remarkable work can spark curiosity and scientific thinking in any classroom.
John Desmond Bernal (1901-1971) Born in Nenagh, Co. Tipperary. He was a pioneering physicist who played a foundational role in developing modern X -ray crystallography- the technique that allowed scientists to visualise the three dimensional structures of protein, viruses and nucleic acids. He was a professor at Birbeck College, University of London.His work not only transformed biology and chemistry but also had a significant impact on medicine and pharmacology.
I could lead some hands-on ,inquiry driven sciencce investigations inspired by Bernal’s legacy.
Growing our own crystals by using household materials like salt or sugar. Observing their size, shape and pattern under magnification.
X-ray Art. Creating shadowgrams using light and layered items eg lego bricks
Protein puzzle. recreating simple molecule models eg water and co2 using balls and sticks.
Bernal shows how curiosity and persistence can unlock unseen worlds and his x-ray crystallography led directly to breakthroughs like understanding DNA,enzymes and developing medicines.
I would use the Ballina – Killaloe bridge area to create an exciting STEM and maths challenge for 6th class.
The goal would be to design and make a model bridge inspired by the Ballina -Killaloe bridge which would take two to three weeks broken into research, planning, building and testing. Our setting would be the classroom and school yard plus one local field trip if possible.
We could visit the actual bridge in the Tipperary ara or use Google Street View and local history resources. The students would record how the bridge is supported, length of spans,materials used and its purpose.
In teams, the children would design and build a model suspension bridge that spans at least 50cm between two desks, can hold a minimum weight of 500g without collasping, use limited materials and incorporate an actual scale based on the real bridge.
I would integrate key strands from the maths curriculum; measures – measuring bridge length, height of towers etc, shape and space; explore triangles in the trusses for strength, symmetry for design, angles of cables. Number;apply ratio and proportion to scale down measurements. Data;record and graph test results on weight held. Problem solving; work within given material limits.
The children would draw up bridge plans using scale drawings eg 1m =1 cm. They would build a model using wooden skewers, lollipop sticks and string. I would give them a budgeting challenge. I would assign prices to materials and the pupils must keep under a set budget of 20 euro.
We would have a testing day and create data analysis. Each group would present their original scale plan, photos of stage building and test results and discuss what worked and what would they change and we would link this back to our real bridge in Co Tipperary.
Hi Brid.
You are very lucky to have this resource and have accesss to your own large sensory area on school grounds.We have an upcoming build approaching and it is very difficult to access any meaningful grass area at present and we are hemmed in on both sides by housing estates so I tend to look outside the school for green space.
Here is a Seasonal Biodiversity Plan for my school that would work across the school year. I will register my school in the upcoming days for the Pollinator programme.
Autumn (September to November)
My focus would be habitat creation and biodiversity surveys. The children would record plants,insects and birds around the school to set up a baseline using National Biodiversity Data Centre recording sheets. We would take part in wildflower bulb planting. We would choose pollinator friendly bulbs eg crocus and hyacinth. We would plant native tree species like hawthorn and rowan to provide food and shelter for the wildlife. We would build a bug motel to observe the habitats for insects.
Winter (December – February)
My focus would be to observe and care for winter wildlife with a bird feeder project. The pupils would design, build and maintain feeders and observe visiting birds. We would take a winter walk around the school grounds identifying evergreens and winter buds and signs of animal activity.We would keep clssroom insect overwintering jars to observe how some species hibernate.
Spring (March to May)
Our focus are pollinators and plant growth. We will sow wildflowers, introducing pollinator friendly species in line with the Pollinator Plan. We will take part in bug hunts identifying early pollinators like queen bees and record sightings. The children will sketch and write about changes they see each week in their Nature Journals. We will go on a “Wildflower Walk Safari” by visiting a pollinator friendly site.
Summer (June to August)
The focus would be on celebration and biodiversity awareness. We would have a biodiversity day and invite the parents and community to showcase pupil’s nature work and run a “mini beast safari” on school grounds.
I really like this idea David. Always enjoy doing anything GAA related in my classroom and its a great way to discuss games that went on in the locality or in the county over the weekend and include Maths at the same time.
Here’s how I would structure and explain a map making lesson for 7- 10 year olds keeping it hands on,visual and curiosity driven while using tools like Google Maps and Geohive.
My warm up question would be “If a friend came to visit our school for the first time, how would you help them find the playground?” Let children share ideas.This introduces the concept of maps as tools for giving directions. I would show an example of a treasure map,a simple road map and a digital google map side by side and ask “what’s the same? and what’s different?”
I would then project Google Maps on the board. i would start with the school’s location and would zoom in and out to show streets, town, country. I woud then switch it to satelitte view so they could see buildings and fields. i would use the measure distance tool to show how far the playground is from the front gate.
Using the Geohive online tool I would show them how to search for a place, how to turn on/off different maps and compare an older map wih today’s one.
I woud then teach key map parts using a poster, title,compass rose,symbols and keys and scale.
I would then give them a blank sheet of paper and ask them to draw a map of the classroom or school grounds. I would encourage them to add a title, include symbols and legends, show directions with a compass rode and use colour coding. The children will then present their maps and show how their maps match what’s seen in Google Maps or Geohive eg school building outline or nearby road.
Hi Maria
I really like this lesson you have outlined and would definitely like to explore it more next school year.
Having reviewed Maeve Liston’s “Unravelling STEM”, several key ideas resonate when considering what STEM education looks like in a clssroom context- particularly the call to move beyond siloed disciplines and to emphasise real world learning.Liston emphasises curiousity and inquiry as central to meaningful STEM education. In my classroom, this looks like project-based learning where students tackle authentic problems-like designing a sustainable school garden or coding a simple app to track energy usage throughouth school year.These tasks require students to draw on science ( biology,environmental science), technology( digital tools,apps)engineering (design and construction) and maths (data analysis and measurement) merging the disciplines together rather than treating them as standalone subjects.Liston emphasises curiosity and inquiry as central to meaningful STEM education and I aim to foster this through open ended investigations and inquiry base tasks. Rather than simply teaching formulas, pupils would be able to explore patterns and relationships through hands on experiments or data collection. This gives them a sense of ownership and their learning and encourages meaningful engagement. Liston’s vision reminds me that STEM isin’t just about preparing students for jobs- it’s about equipping them to question, create and contribute meaningfully to the world.