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Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
Light pollution is definitely something we notice around Waterford. The bright glow from the city means you can only see the brightest stars on most nights. Even strings of satellites like Starlink can be distracting when you’re trying to look up at the night sky. One thing that has made a difference is Waterford City and County Council changing over to new LED streetlights. The new lights point down at the ground instead of spreading light in every direction, so there’s less light escaping up into the sky. They also use less energy, so it’s good for the environment as well as making the night sky a little darker.
I’d get the children thinking about this by asking them what they can actually see when they look up from their own homes. Some pupils living closer to the city might only spot a handful of stars, while others living further out might notice many more. We could record our observations, compare them in class and look for patterns.
I’d also encourage families to visit somewhere much darker like the Comeragh Mountains on a clear evening. The difference is incredible. On a good night, you can see the Milky Way stretching across the sky, something that’s almost impossible to experience from the city. The children could compare photographs, count visible stars or even use a simple stargazing app to identify constellations. We’d also discuss why reducing light pollution matters, not just for people who enjoy astronomy, but for wildlife, insects and birds that depend on natural darkness. It’s a great way to connect science with something the children can experience for themselves.
Your lesson sounds great Sean. I think this would connect really well with some STEM history and engineering through some lessons on Apollo 11 along with the famous Moon Rise photo. With Artemis going back to the moon, there’d be a lovely opportunity to compare the engineering and introduce the engineering process to the children too. There’s so much opportunity in this one area.
As a 5th class teacher, I think Stellarium is a fantastic way to make astronomy more accessible and engaging. I would start by asking the children what they already know about stars, planets and constellations before using the software to explore the night sky as it appears from Ireland on the IWB. This encourages children to wonder, ask questions and investigate rather than simply being given information.
Using Stellarium on the interactive whiteboard, we could identify familiar constellations such as The Plough and compare the movement of planets with the fixed patterns of the stars. It was really useful to be shown how to find Polaris. The children would make predictions about what they might see at different times of the year and then use the software to test their ideas.
As a follow-up activity, pupils could design their own constellation or create a star map, linking science with art and geography. I think this approach would really capture the interest of a 5th class while developing observation, critical thinking and digital skills. It also shows children that science is about curiosity, investigation and using evidence to answer questions, which is exactly the message I want them to take from STEM. The practical activity linking balls of foil with string or wool was really engaging.
Ultimately I think this would point to inviting the children and parents to come to the school with me on a dark, clear night and see the stars in reality!
Tracey I think your use of the real world resources around you is crucial to the core learning in STEM. Every time the children would return to the forest, they’d be considering what it looked like before; whether the leaves are the same, whether the shadows even are shorter or longer. With an older class I could see myself bringing some interesting short videos based on other forests around the world during different seasons etc. The possibilities there are endless and you’ve really emphasised how the resources we have around us can be used to great effect.
Reading the ISTA article made me reflect on how STEM has become much more than teaching science as a stand-alone subject. In my classroom, I try to create opportunities for pupils to investigate, ask questions, collaborate and solve problems. I have found that children are much more engaged when they are exploring ideas for themselves and can see connections between science, maths, technology and engineering. I’ve used space and aviation in particular to build on the foundation that every STEM based lesson or learning experience needs to be first based on real life events or examples.
The ESA One Year on Earth – Understanding the Seasons resource is an excellent example of this type of learning. I particularly like how it begins with pupils observing satellite images of the Earth throughout the year before introducing the scientific explanation. This encourages children to identify patterns, make predictions and develop their own ideas using evidence.
I think Google Earth is a great resource here that can be used on an IWB in the classroom to promote discussion. Some polystyrene balls and torches for each group would be the beginning of a really hands on activity.
This would combine hands-on investigation with digital technology and gives pupils opportunities to think critically, communicate their ideas and justify their conclusions.
Overall, both the article and the ESA resource reinforced that effective STEM education is about creating meaningful learning experiences where pupils are actively involved in the learning process. When children are encouraged to explore, question and test their thinking, they develop a much deeper understanding of scientific concepts while also building the problem-solving and teamwork skills that are at the heart of STEM.
It is essential though that this is done in a way that is practical as the reality of large classes is that hands on lessons like this can drift away from the objective very quickly.