[Patrick Curran]

Hi Elizibeth,

Thanks so much for posting such a comprehensive list. I have already book marked some of the songs and stories to use over the coming year.

[Patrick Curran]

I really like your idea and project about Irish traditions, stories and folklore connected to the night. I think the infants would love talking to their parents and grandparents and coming in to tell their classmates what they learned.

[Patrick Curran]

As our school has a very diverse population, with children from over 80 different nationalities, I think there is a wonderful opportunity to explore the many songs, poems and pieces of art that connect us with the night sky. The children could work on a project where they research an example from their own culture and share it with the class. This could help us discover how different cultures have interpreted the Moon, stars and night sky through music, poetry and art.

There are many examples that could be explored. In Ireland, the children could look at President Michael D. Higgins’ “Stardust”. Other possibilities include “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”, “Fly Me to the Moon”, and “Moon River”. In poetry, children could explore “The Moon” by Robert Louis Stevenson or Japanese haiku about the Moon and stars. Art could include Vincent van Gogh’s The Starry Night, as well as traditional artwork and star stories from different cultures.

This could become a very interesting class project, with each child contributing something from their own cultural background. It would demonstrate how the night sky has inspired people all over the world and would celebrate the diversity within our school.

[Patrick Curran]

Hi Emma,

I really like your idea about creating habitats and supporting habitats in the school environement.  This could become a whole school project where other classes at all levels can be on the look out for any new animals.

[Patrick Curran]

When considering how I would engage my learners in exploring biodiversity in our local area and the possible impacts of light pollution, I think our own school environment in Adamstown provides a great starting point. We have recently had a visit from a fox, and we also have a family of hedgehogs living in our school garden. These real-life examples would make the topic more meaningful and give the children an opportunity to explore in more details the nocturnal animals that live around us.
Using their Chromebooks, learners could research animals such as foxes, hedgehogs, bats, owls. They could investigate what they eat, where they live, when they are active and how artificial light at night can affect them. This could also be linked with literacy through report writing.The children could structure their reports using headings such as habitat, diet, behaviour and Nocturnal Adaptations, threats and light pollution, and how we can protect them.
I think this project would make biodiversity learning engaging while encouraging the class to think about how we can reduce light pollution and protect nocturnal wildlife.

[Patrick Curran]

Hi Denise,

I really like that your children will all have different experiences when it comes to light pollution. It’s nice that they will have an opportunity to compare and discuss the differences and the reasons for their findings. I really like that their art will all be unique to what they see when they look out their window at night. Thanks for sharing this.

[Patrick Curran]

I would use Stellarium with my 4th class to introduce the children to the night sky and help them explore space in an interactive way. The children will be using Chromebooks both in school and for homework next year, so I think this would be a great way to combine technology with Science.
I would begin by asking the children what they already know about the Moon, planets and stars. I would then introduce Stellarium and show them how they can use it to explore the sky. Working in pairs, the children could use their Chromebooks to find different planets and constellations and see where they appear in the sky.
I could give each pair a simple question to investigate, such as “Can you find Mars?” or “What constellations can you see?” They could take screenshots of what they find and create a short Google Slides presentation to share with the class.
I think this activity would be enjoyable for 4th class as it is hands-on, interactive and allows the children to explore and discover things for themselves. It would also encourage them to share any facts they have learned on their key questions using a class padlet

[Patrick Curran]

Light Pollution in Our Local Area

For this activity, I would explore light pollution with my class by looking at how much artificial light we have around us and how this can affect our view of the night sky.
Living in Adamstown, the children are surrounded by streetlights, houses,apartments, shopping centres and many other sources of artificial light, so this is something they will be able to relate to.
I would begin by asking the children what they can see in the night sky from their homes for homework. I would ask if they can see many stars and whether they think the sky would look different in a darker area. We could discuss where light comes from in our local area and why we use it.
The children could work in groups to investigate different areas around Adamstown and record the sources of artificial light they might see at night. They could then use Chromebooks to research light pollution and its effects on people, animals and our ability to see stars.
I think this would be an interesting activity, as it would allow them to explore an important issue in their local environment.

[Patrick Curran]

<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>Hi Seán,</span>

<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>I think the hands-on activity with the torch, ball and child representing Earth would be a great way to help children understand the Moon’s phases. I could definitely see myself using this with my class next year.</span>

[Patrick Curran]

<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>I would use Stellarium with my 4th class to introduce the children to the night sky and help them explore space in an interactive way. The children will be using Chromebooks both in school and for homework next year, so I think this would be a great way to combine technology with Science.</span>

<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>I would begin by asking the children what they already know about the Moon, planets and stars. I would then introduce Stellarium and show them how they can use it to explore the sky. Working in pairs, the children could use their Chromebooks to find different planets and constellations and see where they appear in the sky.</span>

<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>I could give each pair a simple question to investigate, such as “Can you find Mars?” or “What constellations can you see?” They could take screenshots of what they find and create a short Google Slides presentation to share with the class.</span>

<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>I think this activity would be enjoyable for 4th class as it is hands-on, interactive and allows the children to explore and discover things for themselves. It would also encourage them to share any facts they have learned on their key questions using a class Padlet. </span>

[Patrick Curran]

Hi Miriam ,

As a 4th class teacher, I agree that the children are much more engaged with lessons that are new, exciting and fun.I like that the children will complete this activity over one week and I think this timeline will keep them excited and really give them opportunities for  discussion about their findings.

[Patrick Curran]

For this STEM activity for 4th class, I would use our school yard as the setting for the kids to investigate the movement of the Sun throughout the school day. Our classroom window looks out onto the yard, and we are fortunate to have yards on both sides of the school which receive sunlight at different times. This provides an excellent opportunity for students to observe, record and compare the Sun’s position.

I would begin by asking students to predict where the Sun will be at different times of the day and whether its position will appear to change. At regular intervals, we could go outside to observe the Sun safely, recording the time and its position in relation to fixed features such as the school building,local apartments and the train line that runs beside the school. Students could take photographs safely using their chromebooks or make drawings to compare their observations.

This activity would incorporate Science, Mathematics and Technology. The children would then use tablets to photograph and record their findings. Working in groups, students could then create a Google Slides project to present their observations. They could include photographs, drawings, recorded times, predictions and their findings, and compare how the Sun’s position changed throughout the day and between the two yards.

[Patrick Curran]

Hi Frances,

Yes, that’s it. It has always gone down very well with my classes in the past.

[Patrick Curran]

I think that The Man in the Moon activity looks like a fun, hands-on task for my class.

I would use the book Moonbeam Bear as a stimulus for this activity. I have used this book many times with classes over the years and it is a really lovely story that the children always love.

I would first discuss with the children what they know about the moon based on the story, what they imagine the moon to look like up close, what patterns they might see, etc. I would then show them a paper plate (as per the lesson activity) and use this as a further basis for discussion. Does it look like the real moon? How is it the same/different? I would then explain to them that we are going to explore what the moon really looks like.

Children would then be given time to complete the art activity using as many materials as they would like. They would be given adequate time afterwards to present their moon and to engage in discussion both with me and their classmates. I would ask them if there is anything about the moon’s real shape that they notice is different to our art. This would lead into a discussion about the moon as a sphere. I would use images on the interactive whiteboard to further enhance this part of the lesson.

I would conclude the lesson with the moon rhyme. This is a lovely little rhyme that could be used in circle time regularly.

I think that I would hold off on the Figures in the Moon activity until a follow-up lesson as I feel that there is plenty in the lesson already for a junior class.

[Patrick Curran]

I really like the use of the bears to demonstrate day and night as well. It’s a very simple but effective way to teach the concept to the children. I have used a torch and a globe to teach about day and night before, but would definitely look to add in this extra element in the future.

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