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Hi Sean, I love the idea of linking the lesson with history. I think climate change is more accessible for younger children when they explore it in the context of recent history. They can see the impact of human action more clearly then. I think it’s a great question because it is relevant and meaningful for them.
The research question I would pose is ‘how does increasing the number and variety of trees in our school grounds affect biodiversity, shade, and local temperature throughout the year?’
This question encourages pupils to investigate a real environmental issue within their own school grounds while developing scientific enquiry skills. To encourage participation, I would begin with a discussion about the importance of trees in tackling climate change, supporting wildlife, and improving our wellbeing. I would ask pupils what they already know about the trees around the school and what they would like to discover.
Pupils could work collaboratively in small groups to research the topic. There would be a variety of roles, such as measuring temperature in shaded and unshaded areas, identifying tree species, recording observations of insects and birds, taking photographs, and analysing the data collected. Providing opportunities for hands-on outdoor learning makes the investigation engaging and meaningful while catering to different learning styles.
As we’ve touched on in other modules it’s important that pupils have a genuine audience to present their findings to so I would ask them to present their findings and recommendations to the school community. If the evidence suggests that additional trees would benefit biodiversity or reduce heat in the playground, pupils could create an action plan or participate in a tree-planting initiative.I agree Heather, you could lose hours of your day watching the app. I had no idea so many were in orbit (or the fact that so many are now redundant). I definitely think there is great scope here for a really informative and engaging lesson. I think it brings the concept of space into the classroom in a tangible way for kids. I’ll definitely be bringing these apps into school in September.
I have to admit before engaging with this module I literally had no idea so many satellites passed over Ireland on a daily basis! I had obviously heard of the International Space Station and one or two others but it was fascinating to learn about so many others. I could honestly have spent hours looking them up and I really think my 6th class pupils would engage with this lesson really well.
I used a satellite tracking website to identify satellites that have recently passed over Ireland. Some examples are the International Space Station (ISS), Hubble Space Telescope, NOAA-20, Landsat 8, and a Starlink satellite. These satellites all have different missions.
The ISS is a research laboratory where astronauts conduct experiments in science, medicine, and technology.
Hubble observes distant galaxies, stars, and planets, helping scientists understand the universe.
NOAA-20 is a weather satellite that collects data used for weather forecasting and monitoring climate conditions.
Landsat 8 takes detailed images of Earth’s surface, which are used to study forests, agriculture, water resources, and environmental changes.
Starlink satellites are part of a large communication network that provides high-speed internet coverage around the world, especially in remote areas.
These are obviously only the smallest fraction of the satellites that pass over Ireland each day and I’ll be keeping an eye out to try and see more going forward!I agree Mark, I’ve always felt like this is a crucial balance to get right when covering the topic of climate change. You want to get across the gravity of the situation without invoking the sense that there’s no hope so why bother. It’s important to me that pupils always have a sense that they can make a difference and that action will still bring rewards. The HOME video is excellent but it needs to be framed in the sense of what can we learn and what can we do.
The video clips are powerful and thought-provoking. The stunning aerial footage highlights both the beauty of our planet and the significant impact human activity has had on it. The videos also do an excellent job of explaining complex issues such as climate change, carbon footprints, and environmental sustainability in an engaging and accessible way.
At the same time, it is important to present these issues in a balanced way. While the seriousness of the climate crisis must be acknowledged, focusing solely on the scale of the problem can leave young people feeling overwhelmed or hopeless, particularly at a time when many are already experiencing anxiety so I do think it’s important to make sure pupils feel encouraged to act and make a change as opposed to overwhelmed and powerless.
For this reason, lessons should conclude with hope and practical action. As another contributor also noted David Attenborough’s message in the final module is a strong example of this approach, emphasising that positive change is still possible if we work together. In the classroom, I would begin by exploring pupils’ existing knowledge and observations about climate change before using selected clips from HOME to stimulate discussion. This could be followed by practical, local activities such as reducing waste in school, planting flowers or trees, or organising a class recycling project. Ending with achievable actions helps pupils understand that, while the challenge is significant, their choices matter and collective action can make a real difference.Hi Ann, I also use the book creator app with my pupils and I think it could lend itself very nicely to this topic also. It would be a great way for pupils to record and present their learning and hopefully ensure they are engaged with the topic. As you mentioned I think it’s important that pupils have a genuine audience to report to. I think encouraging the pupils to become climate reporters would ensure they would have a sense of responsibility and investment in the topic.
As others have outlined here the the Paxi video on greenhouse gases and the tool for predicting future temperatures is a really fantastic resource to use with senior classes but younger classes would need help to access it I feel. In particular, a lot of the vocabulary would have to be pre taught so that the pupils could engage with the content of the lesson.
That being said the video is colourful, engaging and attractive for pupils. I think it can be really beneficial to combine digital technology with scientific learning as this is the world they are growing up in and any opportunity to use technology to really enhance and deepen understanding should be welcomed. For the younger classes they would be attracted to the graphics and it would be a great way to ‘hook’ ‘their attention.
This video is a great spring board for further learning and exploration of the topic and I can definitely see myself using it with my senior classes next year.Hi Rebecca, I agree with your comments that including more broad and opened ended questions might facilitate more engagement and further exploration of the topic of climate and weather. I haven’t taught in a special class setting so I find it really interesting to see how lessons can be adapted and used in different settings. The idea of thematic teaching is really beneficial across the board and something I would like to do more 0f in my own class.
In Liston’s article Liston’s (2018) Unravelling STEM: Beyond the Acronym of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths the author makes the case that authentic STEM learning is most effective when understood as an integrated, interdisciplinary approach rather than as four isolated subjects. The author suggests that currently many teachers make the mistake of teaching one component in isolation and calling that a STEM lesson. The integration of these four separate components allows for deeper learning. Students develop stronger understanding and problem-solving skills when they investigate authentic problems that require knowledge and practices from multiple STEM disciplines.
Liston also argues that learning should be inquiry-based and collaborative. Rather than focusing on memorising content within individual subjects, STEM education should encourage creativity, critical thinking, communication, and teamwork. To this end the activities outlined in this module would really support inquiry-based, collaborative learning. Activity one is ideal for the younger classes while I felt the second activity would be more suited to the older classes. I’ve seen other people here suggest that a nice ‘hook’ for the activity may be to use the context of children’s holidays and what the weather was abroad to explore whether we are talking about weather or climate. I think this is simple and effective as young children love doscussing their holidays and it makes it tangible for them.