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Alan,
Great idea to get Green Schools involved. i had totally forgotten we have a whole group of pupils, teachers and SNAs who would be interested in reducing all kinds of pollution
Light pollution is affecting Kilkenny City by making it harder to see the night sky. Bright lights from streetlights, shops, homes, and cars can shine into the sky and create a glow that blocks our view of the stars and planets. This not only reduces our connection to nature and space, but it can also disturb wildlife like bats and birds that rely on natural darkness to find food or rest. It can even affect people’s sleep by making nights feel too bright.
To teach pupils about light pollution, I would begin with a simple experiment: comparing the sky in a bright area to a darker one nearby. Pupils could keep a “star diary,” drawing what they see each night. I would use models or torches to show how light travels and explain how shielding lights and turning off unnecessary ones can help.
Students can help reduce light pollution by making small changes: turning off lights when not needed, using curtains at night, and encouraging their families to use outdoor lights with motion sensors or warm-coloured bulbs. A class campaign or poster project could also raise awareness in their community. Learning about light pollution empowers pupils to protect their night sky.
Thanks for the info on the Super moon in November, that gives time to plan for a unit of work before hand!
In Autumn students could take on a research project at home spotting bright planets in the evening sky. They would need a compass, which most devices have (this could be filtered into the Digital learning Plan in school as part of the wider SSE Cycle). In Autumn the planet Saturn is in the south west, looks like a star but the difference is it will not twinkle like a star. All of the pre learning and vocab could be explored in class. Just above it later in the evening, Jupiter shines even brighter and is slightly bigger. The students could keep a journal of there findings for the Autumn months. By November it could be possible to see Mars also
The Curious Minds activity sheets on planets and the solar system could be used to prepare the class. Children can draw what they see and learn how planets move across the sky.
Shauna,
Totally agree with your observation on workbooks. I work in a special school and sometimes the literacy makes them inaccessible. Hand on learning is of value to all. I do think the new framework is moving us towards that direction too!
To see the effects of natural light and shadow in our school environment, we could make a simple sundial .The sundial would help the students observe how the Sun’s position changes throughout the day, encouraging awareness of natural timekeeping and the importance of light in our daily lives. Using concrete materials and a project based approach would be very beneficial to our students as we are a special school
We could collaborate with the Woodwork teacher and use flat board marked with hourly intervals and a fixed vertical stick in the centre. This hands-on activity not only connected with the STEM curriculum (particularly in maths and science), but also helped children understand Earth’s rotation and the concept of solar time.
The best location we identified for a permanent sundial was an open grassy area on the south-facing side of the school, free from buildings or trees that could block sunlight. This project could also raise awareness about the importance of protecting our dark skies from artificial light pollution. This would be an interesting experiment given we are a city school. By integrating this activity into our school grounds, students would gain a practical understanding of natural cycles while developing curiosity about astronomy and the Earth’s place in space.