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I like the idea of doing an after school ‘Dark Sky’ event. I feel that it would be great for the children and as a community in general. I reckon you could get a lot of people on board with the event and it could become something annualy or bi-annualy. Great idea to make it fun, active and conducive to learning.
Design Your Own Dark Sky Place
I would begin by asking the children what they know about the night sky and whether they can see many stars, make out any constellations from their homes. We would discuss the concept of light pollution and the negative impact artificial light can have on our ability to see the stars and how it can impact wildlife. I would then divide the class into small groups and ask each group to design a Dark Sky Place for our school or local area. I would allow them to use the school grounds as the starting point.
As a class, we could carry out a school light audit. The children could identify sources of artificial light around the school, record when and where lights are used, and consider whether they are necessary. Using resources such as Stellarium and light-pollution maps, the pupils could compare the night sky from a dark location with a more light-polluted area. (Comparing our rural location to a more urbanised location)
Working in groups, pupils would then design/brainstorm their own ‘Dark Sky School’. The children would create a plan or model of their ideal Dark Sky school. They could consider using downward-facing or shielded lights, motion sensors, timers and warmer, less intrusive lighting, while also identifying areas where lighting could simply be reduced or switched off. They could include wildflower areas, trees, hedges or other habitats that support local biodiversity.I think this is a great idea Michael. It is also a great way on introducing them to the term nocturnal and learning about animals within that category. Great idea doing a survey of the school grounds biodiversity and then following up with the school plan that makes them research and become aware of how best to support local biodiversity and develop their environmental awareness.
Living and teaching in west of Ireland, more specifically Galway, provides an excellent opportunity to explore biodiversity through the pupils’ own local environment. My local area is surrounded by a variety of habitats, including bogland, wetlands, hedgerows, woodland and areas connected to Lough Corrib and many other smaller connected lakes. The bogs are particularly valuable as a local biodiversity resource and provide an accessible context for pupils to investigate habitats and species.
I would like engage learners through doing a biodiversity investigation in the local area. Perhaps beginning with a nature walk, which is accessible from our school. Here children could record plants, insects, birds and other wildlife they observe. They could use identification guides or digital tools to photograph and identify species and create a class biodiversity map. I would supply cameras to groups of students to take pictures of birds they may see and then use the online Birdwatch Ireland website and give them the task of identifying them. This could then lead to an investigation into how light pollution might affect local wildlife.
Pupils could research how artificial light can disrupt nocturnal animals, particularly insects and bats (my local area is an area whereby the Lesser Horseshoe Bat is commonly found). This is especially relevant locally, as ecological assessments around us have identified concerns about artificial lighting affecting bat commuting and foraging routes.I like this idea and think it would be a great lesson for the younger classes. Introducing the topic as a story, then getting the children to compare photographs of their own areas vs another area both urban and rural. Great opportunity for discussion in this lesson plan.
A reflective piece on how light pollution is impacting
your local area and how you would engage your
learners to explore this:Learning about light pollution has made me reflect more closely on the night sky in particular in my own my local area of Moycullen, Galway in the west of Ireland. Although Moycullen is a rural community, its proximity to Galway City means that artificial light from homes, businesses, roads and other developments contributes to some degree of skyglow. Ireland’s western regions retain some of the country’s darkest skies, as seen on heatmaps throughout this course. With Conamara recorded among areas with particularly low levels of artificial light. However, light pollution is increasing and can reduce our ability to see stars and other astronomical objects. I would like to use this topic in school as an opportunity for pupils to investigate a real issue within their own community and to think of the broader picture in other pats of the world. Using Stellarium, pupils could compare what the night sky should look like with what they can actually observe from their own homes. They could carry out a simple survey, recording the number of visible stars from different locations and times, and use digital maps or light-pollution maps to compare their findings. They could also investigate how artificial light affects nocturnal wildlife such as insects, hedgehogs,badgers and bats. I would like to further develop these ideas into a STEM investigation and/or project work where they could identify sources of unnecessary lighting and propose solutions, such as shielded or warmer lighting etc. I would then allow them to present their findings through posters, graphs or presentations, helping them develop scientific inquiry, digital literacy and environmental awareness while becoming more active participants in their local community.
I think this sounds like a great lesson for children in the younger classes. Introducing the topic through the stimulus (Lucy and the Planets) is a great way of catching their attention, while integrating other subjects. I think that is a great lesson overall and very hands on. Like you said, showing some follow up videos like some of those attached in the module would reinforce the learning and also extend the learning to some of those more interested in the topic.
Using multiple resources such as TimeandDate.com, Heavensabove, Stellarium and WorldwideTelescope I would create an observing plan for Autumn that shows which planets are available to see in the evening sky. After learning about Stellarium, I would introduce this in class and give children basic knowledge on how best to use it at home.
I would begin by introducing the children to a few planets that they might be able to see and explain that stars twinkle, while planets usually look more like bright, steady lights. I would give each child a simple “Planet Spotter” sheet to take home. They could go outside with a parent or family member on a clear evening and see if they can spot anything interesting in the sky. They could record the date, time and weather and draw a picture of what they saw. I would also include a simple sky map to help them work out which direction to look.
Focusing on the months of October and November I would give children the task of investigating a planet; with the following prompts.
They would be asked to record the following –Where is the planet in the sky? What direction should we look? What time is it visible? How bright does it appear? Can it be seen with the naked eye? What equipment would help?
The children would be encouraged to use Stellarium to compare their findings with the actual sky.
STEM has the goal of encouraging children to engage, investigate and extend their knowledge. For that reason I would ask the children to create their own Astronomy journal which could consist of the following topics:
Date and time
Weather conditions
Location
What I predicted I would see
What I actually saw
Planet/constellation identified
Drawing or Stellarium screenshot
Equipment used
Questions I have
Something new I learnedI think that is a great lesson and I think the read aloud idea is great to get the children listening and involved from the beginning. They love to hear a story instead of reading themselves. I agree, the Paxi day and night videos were really good and I will be using them in my own class. They provided great information with great visuals.
I also really like your idea of using the torch, sticker, globe and lights out. It’s great them watching it but actually showing them in class is much more engaging and gives them opportunities for discussion.
I would choose the option ‘Construct a sundial in your immediate area or plan for your school grounds to see where a sundial can be placed’.
I think this would be a really interesting and fun project for children to create their own sundial and see it work. I think it would be eye opening for them to see how clocks and telling time actually came about. Prior to completing the construction phase I would like to incorporate all the other aspects of time, the earth, its rotation and gravity. I think it would be beneficial to teach the children the basics of how the earth is in space, earths rotation and gravitational pull. Then, I would continue the order of lessons introducing them to where the 24 hour clock stems from using the education and engaging videos shown in this module. I believe the videos are pitched to a great level for children in primary school and has good opportunity for engagement throughout.
I would use the sundial project and investigation for children in 5th and/or 6th class. Collaboratively in small groups, pupils would investigate different locations around the school grounds to identify the most suitable place for a sundial and we would begin the investigation. They would observe the movement of the Sun, investigating where shadows fall throughout the day marking it with a stick like in the example shown using a bamboo stick. Children would be observing, questioning, investigating and communicating their findings. This opportunity also reinforces their prior learning of directions and will give them an opportunity to use a compass. I would support students throughout this activity and follow the step by step video while creating the sundials. Overall, this lesson would provide great opportunities for collaboration, investigation, discussion, questioning and exploration.I like your practical ideas Bronagh. I like the ideas of growing foods it’s something that I have tried years ago and it gives children a great appreciation of the work involved in growing their own foods and supplies. It gives them a realistic outlook on food production. Each year, I like the create posters with my class about looking after the environment, I allow the children create their own ideas and it’s amazing to see different ideas they come up with. You mentioned the bottle return and recycling facilities which is something I forgot to mention.
Reflecting on sustainability in my local area has made me more aware of the many ways in which sustainable practices can be incorporated into everyday life. In my local community, sustainability can be seen through the Tidy Towns initiative whereby locals come together working in the community, recycling and planting community gardens. As my local area is just 15 minutes from the coastline I think it is important to start putting forward the importance of protecting our coastline and marine environment and supporting sustainable food production, including responsible fishing and aquaculture. I believe by using local examples, it may help children understand that sustainability is not simply a global issue but something that can be addressed within their own community/region.
In my school community, we encourage and promote sustainability through recycling, monitoring energy usage and water usage. I also like that we often hold a book swap, uniform swap whereby children are allowed bring in old books/clothes and/or school clothes and can give them to others who may need them. It is a great way of children passing on things they don’t need and it makes sure it goes to good use.I agree with you Claire, this module educates children on the importance of seafood for our own bodies. Not only how it provides opportunity for employment and economy development.
The practical classroom activities are great ideas, especially analysing food labels. Children love doing detective work so I think that is a great way of getting them to develop their own awareness.
I believe that teaching children about the nutritional value of seafood is very important for a healthy and balanced diet. I’ve learned that seafood can provide high-quality protein and is an important source of nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, vitamin B12, iodine and selenium. This has encouraged me to consider my own diet and in take of seafood, and encourages me to make informed food choices for healthy eating and nutrition.
In the classroom, I could incorporate this learning across a number of areas such as SPHE, particularly the strand of Myself and the strand unit Taking Care of My Body, students could explore healthy eating, food groups and the importance of having a varied and balanced diet. Children could also investigate different types of seafood, identify their nutritional benefits and compare them with other sources of protein. They could link with maths and perform experiments to see what weight of fish has the same sources of protein as various meats etc. I think it would be a very good activity to learn about how their foods come from source to table and understand the journey it takes in order to be ready for us to eat. It may develop children’s appreciation and respect for food, food suppliers and local businesses.I have to agree Olive, it’s something I would have never considered when we think of cooking in the classroom or developing children’s knowledge of food. In hindsight, it is so important and like you said giving children the exposure to fish as valid options and sources is so important considering the demand.
There is countless ties to the curriculum in relation to aquaculture, none more important than sustainability and nutrition and linking it to wellbeing. I also agreed with Naomi that objectives and content covered within the lessons are cross curricular and therefore teachers have much more scope to broaden their plans.