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This is a great list of songs, art and poetry and I hope to use them when making connection with the dark sky theme with the arts!
Firstly, following the ESERO framework, I would teach what are ‘dark sky places’ and what are their uses and benefits in terms on Biodiversity. Use trigger questions such as what is special about these places? I would focus in on the Mayo dark sky park and the Kerry dark sky park.
I would put the children into groups. Ask them to consider factors when planning a dark sky park? Is there light pollution in the area? Are there viewing sites and what facilities do you think are essential? Building on previous lessons; what activities would you include to promote biodiversity at night? E.g bat walks etc What astronomy activities could there be? Recap on stargazing tips from previous lessons.
When the key facilities and activities have been established, the children can plan a map detailing the layout of the dark sky park.
The next lesson would be to create a brochure detailing all the facilities and activities of the park.
I would put evaluation to the children to allow for reflection on their work – is our plan realistic? Does it have a positive effect on our environment?It’s a great idea that there is an emphasis on including plants that encourage nocturnal insects as often we are focused on what is needed for animals/ birds insects during the day but I will definitely make more an effort to include the nocturnal species!
How you would engage your learners to explore biodiversity in your local area and
the possible impacts of light pollution on local biodiversity.
Firstly, I would teach the concept of biodiversity to the class. What is it? Why is it important?
The children could do a mini beast hunt and identify what insects they have found. They could observe what birds live in the hedgerow and trees on the yard. What mammals may enter the school ground exploring when the children are not in school.
We could go on a walk around the school grounds and see already what is in place that promotes biodiversity. We would then brainstorm ideas on how to improve biodiversity. A good idea is the bug hotel. We could make a simple own one with the help of the caretaker. A second idea would be to plant wildflowers in a section of the yard. A third idea would be to let a part of the school grounds go wild to encourage pollinator friendly plants to grow such as brambles, ivy etc. A particular emphasis could be put on planting plants that attract nocturnal species such as moths.
I like to take part in ‘No Mow May’ and ‘Let it Bloom in June’ – the children enjoy seeing the area develop over the 2 months and observe the bees that are attracted to it.
The children could explore the impacts of light pollution on biodiversity and we could come up with ideas on how to interact it with the use sensor lights and using warmer lights. Perhaps the children could share their ideas with their parents when installing lights around their house.Hi Rory, that’s a great idea to get the children to do a survey it’s a lovely way to integrate maths and can also make for a lovely display
Firstly, I would begin with doing PRK on light pollution. I would use the framework to plan the lesson. Firstly I would use prompts for the lesson. I would use the video Siding Springs video and I would show satellite photos of Ireland from space. I would display a variety of photos that shows different types of light pollution.
The lesson would be developed further by exploring the light pollution map online on their tablet; is light pollution affecting their area? There are a number of children that live in the country and the town so answers can be compared. The children could then explore what is causing the light pollution in the town?
Pupils could explore why do we need artificial light at night? Others could explore how does artificial light affect nocturnal animals as my group had a particular nature in animals. The different groups could research the two questions and perhaps could turn it into a debate.
A nice art lesson would be to design a dark sky at night and to include the constellations that they have learnt in previous lesson and compare that to an art lesson where they design a night sky where there is light pollution across a city.This is a great lesson for infants with useful and practical resources. Stellarium is a great resource as it can be used across a range of ages. The planets is a great topic to use as in art as it can make for lovely displays around the class
1. Create a short teaching resource using Stellarium/ WorldWide Telescope
Firstly I would check for the children’s PRK of the planets. I would give 1 tablet per group. Ensure that the children change their location and time on the app. The children will be given a prompt sheet with the questions?
List the planets can you see?
What position is it in?
Is the planet bright or dim?
Are there any planets near the moon?
Is it near any constellations?A differentiation activity would be to chose one planet; change the time and then observe the planet’s position as per the time. Children can investigate on stellarium why the position of the planet changes.
After they have done that, they can make comparisons with the list of planets. They can take a planet each and present their chosen planet to the class.
An early finishers activity would be to draw the planets and include any notable features.Hi Geraldine,
I like how you would find the children’s PRK before getting into the content of the lesson. The use of the ESERO framework is very beneficial and gives a good structure to teacher and student. It’s also a great idea to apply the integration of history to the topic of the sundial as in what ancient civilisations used them before! Your lesson is very clear and easy to follow!
One Year on Earth – Understanding the Seasons Resource (ESA)
A lesson that I chose to engage the pupils with was ‘Colours on Earth in the Four Seasons’.
I would begin with a KWL chart. This will help with establishing what the students already know, what they want to know and what they will have learnt. The children will be given an image of the same tree but in a different season. They will explore and examine the differences between the trees as per the season noting the colours of the leaves. We are lucky to have a wide variety of mature trees on our school grounds so I would take a picture of the trees at the different seasons and display them on a board. The children could collect leaves and nuts (acorns etc) to show different seasons (mainly spring/autumn for this) and put them on a nature table to highlight the difference autumn in particular has compared to other seasons. I would incorporate images of shrubs and flowers at different seasons aswell.
Relating the images to the children’s lives is nice as they could be asked what clothes would they wear if they stood next to the tree/ would they play outside in that season/ would they spend time sitting under the tree? Why/ Why not?
It’s always nice to incorporate an art lesson to highlight the difference in the colour of the leaves to compare the seasons.