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I would have loved to have seen Chris Hadfield Donal. I thin he is such and inspiration and has really brought the beauty of space to such a wider audience. My son has his book that he wrote, The Darkest Dark” and he absolutely loves it. I think it is such a wonderful and inspiring read for young kids
I love the idea of building a model from Lego Anna, I think the children would really enjoy this and it almost brings it to life.
Describe how you could implement a version of “Design you own Dark Sky Place” in your school/classroom.
I really like the idea of this project, and I think it would be a brilliant way of connecting children back to nature and to appreciate the night sky and its marvellous wonders.
I would begin by showing real life examples of Dark Sky Places in Ireland such as Mayo and Kerry international dark sky place and what they have to offer. I would show them where they are located and why as well as their own designs and layout. What does a Dark Sky Place need…free from artificial light /advantageous viewing points that are unobstructed, while at the same time have safety in mind for access for visitors by using low level lighting and down lighting.
I would then allow the children, in groups, to map the school grounds and pick out the most suitable area for a Dark Sky Place with uninterrupted views away from natural light. The children would then build/draw their own model of what they wanted to create, identifying areas for viewing and what sort of lighting may be needed for access/safety at night.
The children could link their activity to nature, identifying what wildlife benefit from dark skies, e.g. bats/moths/barn owls. It could also be linked to SESE, identifying what constellations can be seen, their names, their importance in history, and for navigation.
Great ideas Derbhla, even such simple but effective ones such as down lighting and replacing the harsher bulbs. Everything can have an impact and I do feel nocturnal animals are often the forgotten cousins as the more common diurnal animals commonly named in classrooms.
A great idea Helen, highlighting the affects of security lights on nocturnal animals. I have heard of night cams for wildlife that record animal activity during the night using night vision so the animals are not affected. I think the children would be fascinated to see what wildlife is around the school grounds while the children are at home!
How would you engage your learners to explore biodiversity in your local area and the possible impacts of light pollution on local biodiversity
I would begin by introducing the term Biodiversity to the class and discussing its relevance and importance. I would then explain that biodiversity is the variety of plant and animal life in the world or in a particular habitat. I would use the video from slide 8 in this module from the Ireland ESERO website to reinforce this.
I would then take the class on a walk around the school grounds, and we are very lucky to have a large field at the back of the school with hedgerows for them to explore. I would put them into groups with a biodiversity spotter sheet to see what they can identify.
Upon returning to the classroom the children could then plan their ideas for a terrarium, bug hotel or bird box. Over the coming days they could collect material needed to create their project.
Meanwhile, the class could be mapping the school and planning where their project could and should be located. Discuss that bug hotels should be in a damp shady spot. Bird boxes should be near other trees to provide shelter, protection etc.
When ready, they can place their project in a location of suitability. Let children observe changes over time (e.g., ants carrying food, snails moving, birds visiting feeders).
Record observations in a Biodiversity Journal with drawings and notes.
Discuss the food chain links with the wildlife they connected with. Is their habitat affected by light pollution, i.e. are there streetlights constantly on that affect the hunting capabilities of nocturnal animals. They could even place their project at home in their garden and observe the impacts from there. Could they make changes to the habitat in their garden, e.g. turning off outside lights when not needed, using a lower watt bulb or ones with less blue light, turn lights away from hedgerows where animals live.
Loved your idea at the end Helena of a public speaking campaign, allowing the children’s voices to be heard
I really like the idea of highlighting how light pollution also affects the wildlife Anna, a great awareness campaign.
1. Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
I would begin by discussing the term pollution with my class (4th) and the various types that affect us today. Introduce the term “light Pollution” if it is not brought up in introductory discussion. Ask the children what they think it may be and how it affects us.
Brainstorm ways in which their local area is affected by light pollution and the sources of light at night in their area. For example, streetlights, shop signs, advertisement, floodlights etc… Complete a quick survey in groups to see how many different sources of light there are in their area. Which ones are necessary and which ones being unnecessary. Discuss the need for safety using lights.
I would introduce the slide showing how light pollution falls into four main categories, Glare/Sky Glow/Light Trespass/Clutter. Can they give examples of light pollution in their area. Have they ever been affected by light pollution, streetlights outside their house. I would then allow them time to discuss and put forward ideas how this could be improved. e.g. timers/restricted use, motion sensors.
Develop the lesson by introducing the Globe at Night how light pollution is monitored and discussing how light pollution affects wildlife in their area. How less and less rural space is in complete darkness at night, and wildlife depend on darkness. Nocturnal animals come out at night. Some animals need the darkness to use their night vision to hunt and their for survive. Class can complete a visual display or food chain to show affected wildlife.
Class could continue lesson individually at home by becoming light detectives and observing areas affected by unnecessary light and light pollution
Brilliant way to start the day Ciara, they would be immediately intrigued and excited, which is always a challenge at the start of any school day!
Love this idea Ann, I think chidren would love seeing real live science in action by observing and locating stars/planets themselves
Create a short teaching resource using Stellarium.
I would begin by discussing the most common names of star constellations that some of the children may have heard of already. For example, Big Bear/Ursa Major/The Big Dipper or Orion’s Belt. Where have they heard of these already e,g. books/movies/tv/family.
I would then introduce them to the Stellarium App and what it can be used for. How it gives a 3D version of the night sky and how constellations can be easily identified and located. At the same time discussing what are the difficulties of doing this at night…cloud/light pollution/poor weather.
Children then use the Stellarium App to locate constellations that can be found in the night sky. This can the be linked to art by creating their own 2D and 3D model. I really liked the “Plough Activity” using black card, tinfoil and string. It was and excellent way of teaching the children that this is how a constellation looks like from Earth but from elsewhere in space it would look completely different.
Lesson can also be linked to History and Mythology. Stories/Legends/Myths that involved names of constellations we use today, e.g. Orion’s Belt.
Also in math by discussing star signs and graphing children’s star sign.
Excellent idea Olive to bring the connection of Newgrange and how important it was to people thousands of years ago and how it is still relevant today
A “sky Diary”, such a brilliant and simple idea. A great way of getting pupils to track their observations!
3.Plan how your students could “observe and record the positions of the sun when rising and setting and at different times of the day”
Here is a simple lesson that could be done with pupils (8-12year olds) observing and recording the position of the sun when rising and setting and at different times during the day.
Before you begin it is imperative that you tell the child that they should never look directly at the sun as it can be harmful to their eyesight.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this lesson, students will:
Observe and describe the sun’s position at sunrise, midday, and sunset.
Record observations using drawings, compass directions, and time.
Identify changes in the sun’s position across the day.
Materials:Compass (or compass app on a tablet/phone)
Clipboards with observation sheets
Pencils and coloured pencils
A safe shaded viewing point for sunrise and sunset
Chalk (if marking positions on the ground)
Large outdoor clock or watches
Optional: camera/tablet for time-lapse or photos
Lesson Sequence:1. Introduction (15 minutes)
Ask: “Where does the sun rise and set?” Let students share guesses.
Show them a simple diagram of the Earth’s rotation.
Explain that today they will be sun trackers, recording the sun’s position.
2. First Observation – SunriseTiming: Arrange for students to observe sunrise with teacher/parents (if possible before school) or use an early morning session.
Face east with a compass.
Mark where the sun first appears using:
Landmark description (“between the tall tree and the red roof”)
Compass direction (e.g., 75° east-northeast)
Draw the horizon and sun’s position on the observation sheet.
Record time.
3. Midday ObservationGo outside around solar noon (when shadows are shortest).
Use a stick in the ground to see how short the shadow is.
Note compass direction of the sun.
Record the sun’s height in the sky with a simple scale (low, medium, high).
4. Sunset Observation (This can be done individually by children at home over the course of the days)Face west with a compass.
Mark the spot where the sun disappears behind the horizon.
Record time, compass direction.
Draw the sunset position.
5. Recording Over Multiple DaysRepeat sunrise, midday, and sunset observations for at least 3–5 days.
Students note if positions shift slightly along the horizon.
6. Wrap-up and DiscussionIndoors, compile results on a class sun map:
Use a large sheet to plot east–west horizon line and each day’s sunrise/sunset points.
Discuss patterns:
Is the sun directly overhead? (No, except near the equator.)
Are sunrise/sunset points moving along the horizon? (Seasonal effect.)
Connect to Earth’s tilt and seasons.
Extension Ideas:Compare results with an online sunrise/sunset tracker to see accuracy.
Link to shadow tracking: measure stick shadows at different times.
Make a simple paper sundial and test it.
