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What a beautiful and thoughtful project idea! I love how it blends oral history, folklore, and family engagement in such a meaningful way. Collecting Piseógs and night-time traditions from older relatives and neighbours is a powerful way to connect pupils with their heritage, and I think it’s especially important to preserve these stories before they’re lost.
Using duchas.ie as a resource is a great touch. It gives children a sense of how their own local area fits into the wider tradition of Irish folklore. The “Book of the Night” sounds like a fantastic outcome for the project, and involving families through a digital exhibition adds a modern, inclusive element that respects everyone’s contributions.
I also really like the idea of a storytelling circle—giving pupils the chance to share what they’ve learned aloud helps build confidence, listening skills, and appreciation for our cultural roots. I might adapt this idea for my own class—thank you for the inspiration!
Teaching in an urban school setting, I believe “Design Your Own Dark Sky Place” would be a brilliant and imaginative way to introduce my 3rd class pupils to the issue of light pollution and the importance of preserving our night skies, even in busy city environments.
We’d start by exploring what a Dark Sky Place is and why these areas are valuable—for both people and wildlife. Using videos and images of Irish Dark Sky Parks like those in Mayo or Kerry, the children would get a sense of what an unpolluted night sky really looks like. Then, we’d turn our attention to our own neighbourhood, talking about the level of artificial light we see at night and how that might affect star visibility or nocturnal animals such as bats, moths, and other insects.
In groups, the children would then create their own version of a Dark Sky Place. It could be based in a park, a section of the school grounds, or even a balcony or rooftop garden. They’d design maps or models, showing where lighting would be reduced, what types of eco-friendly lighting could be used, and how they would involve the community through signs, talks, or school events. We could display their projects throughout the school and perhaps collaborate with the Green Schools committee to bring some of their ideas to life.
I really like your plan. It’s so well thought out and hands-on, which is perfect for 3rd class! Starting with the local context and the Royal Canal makes the learning super relevant for the kids because it’s right on their doorstep. Taking them out for a walk with journals for sketching is such a great way to get them observing closely and connecting with nature.
Bringing in nocturnal animals like Daubenton’s bats is a smart move since it links well to light pollution and helps the kids understand that not all animals are active during the day. Using a light pollution map to compare urban and rural areas will make the issue more visible and concrete for them. I also love the idea of the insect survey—it’s simple but really effective for showing the impact of artificial light.
I’d engage my learners to explore biodiversity in our local area by starting with a nature walk around the school grounds or a nearby park. We’d observe and record different plants, insects, and animals we see during the day, making a simple biodiversity checklist together. Then, I’d introduce the concept of light pollution and how it can affect local wildlife, especially nocturnal species like bats, moths, and owls that rely on darkness to hunt and navigate. We’d look at pictures and videos to understand how artificial light disrupts their natural behaviors.
To make this real for the students, we could do a night-time or early evening walk (with parents’ help) to listen for bats or spot moths near outdoor lights. Back in class, students could brainstorm ideas for how our school can reduce light pollution, like installing motion sensor lights or using warm-coloured bulbs. This would then be part of our school’s biodiversity plan, helping protect local wildlife while raising awareness about light pollution’s impact.
That sounds like a great plan! Showing the difference between city and countryside skies will really help the kids understand how much light pollution affects what we can see at night. Having them go outside to spot stars on clear and cloudy nights is a cool way to get them involved and paying attention to the world around them. I also like the idea of making posters or starting a campaign—it makes the learning fun and gives the kids a chance to make a difference. Talking about how light pollution affects people and animals is important too because it helps the kids see why it matters. Overall, it sounds like a really hands-on and interesting way to get them thinking about something they might not notice every day!
Exploring Light Pollution with 5th/6th Class
Step 1: Introduction and Brainstorming
We’ll start with a group discussion about what light pollution means. I’ll ask the class what they already know about bright lights at night and if they’ve noticed anything strange about the night sky near where they live. We’ll create a KWL chart on the board—what we Know, what we Want to know, and later, what we Learned. Since we live near a busy town with lots of streetlights and a nearby motorway, the children will brainstorm different sources of light pollution in our community.Step 2: Group Research and Poster Creation
Next, I’ll divide the class into three groups. Each group will explore a different aspect of light pollution and record their findings on large posters:Group 1: Effects on People
Focus on how light pollution affects sleep, mood, and health.
Group 2: Effects on Animals and Nature
Look into how artificial light disrupts animal behavior, like confusing nocturnal animals or affecting bird migration.Group 3: Effects on the Night Sky
Investigate how light pollution causes skyglow, making it hard to see stars and planets.Each group will research briefly using classroom books, tablets, or printed resources and write their main points on the poster.
Step 3: Sharing and Discussion
Groups will present their posters to the class. We will discuss ways we might reduce light pollution locally, like turning off outdoor lights at night or using lower-intensity bulbs.Step 4: Follow-up Activity
To connect with science and art, we’ll study local nocturnal wildlife—especially garden birds and insects—then create drawings or simple models showing how light pollution might affect them.This sounds like such a fun plan! I love how you’re making it flexible for the children to choose what they want to look for — planets, stars, constellations — it takes it so much more exciting and personal for them. Stellarium and timeanddate.com are great tools, and showing them in class first is a smart move, especially for children who might need a bit more help at home.
Making Starwheels is a lovely idea too, hands-on stuff like that really helps it all make sense. Letting the children draw or take photos of what they see and bring it in is such a great mix of creativity and science. You could even make a little display in the classroom with their work or do a “What I Saw in the Sky” sharing circle.
Even just spotting one bright planet like Jupiter or Saturn can be so magical for them. I think they’ll love it — and probably teach their families a thing or two as well!
This year, I’m excited to bring a new focus to our SESE lessons by engaging my class in observing the Moon. The Moon is such a brilliant topic for young learners — it’s familiar, ever-changing, and easy for children to spot with their own eyes. Because it changes shape regularly, it keeps them curious and engaged. We’ll begin with a class discussion: What shape is the Moon today? From there, we’ll explore the idea that the Moon doesn’t actually change shape, but rather, we see different portions lit up depending on its position in relation to the Earth and Sun.
To help make this concept clearer, we’ll watch a short and engaging Paxi video from ESA that introduces the lunar cycle in a child-friendly way. We’ll follow this with a simple hands-on demonstration of the Earth–Moon–Sun system, using lamps and small balls, allowing children to act out the Moon’s phases themselves.
We’ll focus especially on the waning crescent and third quarter phases, which are perfect for early morning viewing. For the 2025–2026 school year, some ideal weeks for morning Moon watching include October 6–11, November 4–9, December 4–9, January 3–5, February 2, and March 3. Each child will keep a Moon Diary where they sketch the Moon’s shape and note where they saw it in the sky — perhaps above the trees, near a chimney, or just fading into the dawn.
To tie in creativity and cross-curricular links, we’ll use our observations to inspire lunar-themed art projects, like chalk pastels of the Moon phases or foil-embossed Moon textures. We might even try a simple engineering challenge — building a cardboard or paper “Moon viewer” frame so students can observe from the same place and direction each morning. As an optional tech integration, I’ll use the Stellarium app to show students where to look before we head outside.
At the end we will do a class display of our Moon Diaries, paintings, and maybe even a creative writing piece about “A Night on the Moon.” I love how this project blends scientific thinking, observation skills, and imagination — it’s a calm, reflective way to build a connection between the children and the world around them. I’m really looking forward to seeing how their curiosity grows as we watch the Moon together.
I really like how simple and fun you’ve made the whole activity! The idea of using a Sun Diary is lovely – kids will really enjoy drawing what they see, and it helps them feel part of the learning. I also think it’s great that you’re including parents by asking kids to observe the sunset at home. That adds a nice real-world connection and helps continue the learning outside school.
The daily observations and shadow tracing with chalk sound like something the children will look forward to. It’s such a hands-on way to show how the sun moves across the sky, and they’ll love comparing their shadows at different times. The big class chart is a smart way to bring everyone’s findings together and notice the pattern over time.
After reading Unravelling STEM: Beyond the acronym of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (Liston, 2018), it is clear that authentic STEM learning must move beyond surface-level integration of disciplines and instead promote real-world, interdisciplinary, problem-solving experiences. In my classroom, I strive to embed these principles by providing students with tasks that combine observation, design, and inquiry.
One activity I plan to implement involves guiding students to observe and record the sun’s position throughout the day and across several weeks. Using simple tools such as compasses, chalk, paper, and digital devices for recording data, students will work in small teams to map sunrise and sunset positions in our schoolyard. This project will include elements of science (astronomy and light), technology (data collection apps), engineering (designing a consistent observational tool or sun tracking chart), and mathematics (measuring angles, plotting data, recognizing patterns over time).
To extend this, students will be asked to interpret their data to understand how Earth’s tilt and rotation influence what they observe. They will then be challenged to design a model (physical or digital) that demonstrates these patterns to younger students, applying the Engineering Design Process (as highlighted in Liston’s paper). This ensures critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, and a clear real-world application – the hallmarks of authentic STEM education.
he rocket activity is an exciting, hands-on way to bring physics, engineering, and space science to life in the classroom. I would use this activity as a central feature of Space Week, a themed week of STEM-focused learning. Students would design and build simple rockets using materials like paper, straws, or plastic bottles and explore concepts such as force, motion, gravity, and air resistance. We’d launch the rockets outdoors, measure distances, and analyze variables that affected flight.
To consolidate this experience, I would build a full Space Week plan that includes cross-curricular links:
Science: Rocket launches, planet research
Math: Measuring flight distances, creating bar graphs
Art: Designing mission patches and rocket art
Literacy: Writing astronaut diaries or alien encounter stories
Digital Learning: Using simulation tools to model rocket trajectories
Throughout the week, students would record observations, reflect in journals, and showcase their work during a “Space Showcase” for parents and peers. This plan fosters inquiry, teamwork, and creativity—all key components of STEM learning.Hands-on, classroom-themed activities are essential for fostering engagement and deeper understanding in STEM education. In my classroom, I use these activities to help students make real-world connections to abstract scientific concepts. One example is a “Build a Mars Habitat” challenge, where students use recycled materials to design and construct a model habitat that could support human life on Mars. This project integrates science (planetary conditions, biology), technology (design tools), engineering (structural integrity), and math (scaling, measurement). Students collaborate, test materials, and present their solutions, gaining both content knowledge and 21st-century skills.
To take this further toward a STEM-focused SSE (School Self Evaluation), I would involve students in the evaluation process—gathering feedback on activities, tracking STEM skill development, and reflecting on their learning through journals or digital portfolios. I’d also collaborate with colleagues to embed more interdisciplinary STEM projects school-wide, creating a culture of inquiry, innovation, and reflection.
