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Inquiry Based Lesson – What material would be best to make an umbrella for teddy?
I would begin the lesson by telling the children a story about our class teddy bear going on a trip to visit his family on a rainy day.
We would have a whole class discussion about the properties of materials that are waterproof. In small groups the children could handle and examine different materials. What does waterproof mean? Can you think of anything you own that is waterproof? What does it look/feel like? Is the material strong? What is it made from?
I would show the children some examples of different umbrellas and in groups they can sketch and design an umbrella. The children are then given a variety of materials to choose from that they can make their umbrella.
The children will perform a fair test on the umbrellas using water to test their durability and see if they keep our teddy dry. The children will discuss what made the umbrellas fit for purpose or what could be improved in their designs.
This lesson promotes creativity, collaboration and cooperation, critical thinking, and communication.
This is an engaging lesson for children in the junior end. They love chatting about space and the moon in my class so would love this lesson.
Hi, I’m Alison. I am teaching Senior Infants next year. My class last year loved learning about space. A fact about space is that there are more stars in the universe than grains of sand on the earth.
Engaging Senior Infants in Exploring Biodiversity and Light Pollution: I teach in a rural school in Wexford. It has a large school garden with a bug hotel. Native trees have been planted around the school and we recently installed owl boxes. To introduce Senior Infants to the concept of biodiversity and the impact of light pollution, I would design a hands-on, play-based learning experience such as building homes for bats and owls using lego or recycled materials . We would begin with nature walks around the school grounds, encouraging children to observe and talk about what they see—birds, insects, plants, and animals. Using magnifying glasses and picture charts, pupils would explore the bug hotel and garden to discover minibeasts and identify species. We would observe where more insects are present in the hotel and discuss why the dark areas are more populated. To introduce light pollution, we would compare day and night environments. Through storytelling and simple shadow play, children would learn how artificial light can confuse nocturnal animals like owls. We would discuss why the owl boxes are designed in this way. We might also create a nocturnal animal ( bats and owls) art project and discuss why dark skies are important for local wildlife. Throughout, we would use songs, picture books, and nature journals to reinforce learning. Engaging the senses and encouraging questioning will help foster a connection to nature and an early awareness of how human actions, like light pollution, can affect local biodiversity.
Project Plan: Collecting Piseógs, Traditions, and Stories of the Night
Objective:
To engage primary school students in exploring and collecting local piseógs, night-time traditions, and folklore stories, encouraging cultural awareness and storytelling skills.
Plan of Action:
1. Introduction to Folklore:
I would begin with a class discussion on Irish folklore using simple examples such as the banshee, fairy rings, and Halloween traditions. I would use age-appropriate videos and stories from the Dúchas.ie website to introduce the concept. We would also use the Heritage Ireland website and contact storytellers.
2. Story Collection Activity:
I would assign students a task to interview a family member, neighbour, or elder in their community by providing a simple questionnaire to guide their conversation, including prompts like:
• Do you know any stories or superstitions about the night?
• Do you know any stories about the night that your parents would have told you?
• Were there things you were told not to do after dark?
3. Creative Presentation: Depending on age and ability the children will write, record or draw the stories they collect and share them in class. They can also act out stories in groups, encouraging drama and imagination.
4. Class Folklore Book: The class will compile the collected stories into a class book or digital slideshow to share with parents and grandparents
Resources Needed:
• Access to Dúchas.ie/ Hertiage School Ireland
• Printed worksheets and story prompts
• Art supplies for drawing stories
• Audio recorders or tablets (optional) for capturing interviews
• School library folklore books (e.g. Irish Legends for Children)I love the idea of bat boxes. We are currently undertaking the Creative Schools project and think that this would be a great idea that could be incorporated.
Our school is located in rural Co. Wexford and light pollution is gradually becoming more prominent in the area, especially with the growth of nearby towns and an increase in residential and street lighting. On clear nights, it’s often difficult to see many stars that were once easily visible. This artificial brightness can affect local wildlife—disrupting nocturnal animals and confusing migratory patterns, particularly for birds and insects. It also impacts our own circadian rhythms, which are influenced by natural light cycles.
To explore this issue with 1st and 2nd class learners, I would begin with a story-based approach, using picture books that focus on the stars, nighttime, and animals affected by light such as How to Catch a Star by Oliver Jeffers and The Darkest Dark by Chris Hadfield. From there, we could do simple activities like comparing pictures of starry skies versus light-polluted skies. A fun class project might involve a “Night Sky Diary,” where children record what they can see at night from home. We could also make star viewers and learn about constellations in a darkened classroom environment. We would discuss simple ways to reduce light pollution—like turning off unnecessary lights—and create posters for a school campaign promoting Dark Sky Awareness.
Autumn Planet Observing Plan – Wexford, Ireland (1st & 2nd Class)
I teach 1st and 2nd class and would like to engage in an autumn sky-watching activity. Next year we will create a simple Planet Observing Plan focused on the evening sky in Wexford from September to November. Our main focus will be on Jupiter and Saturn, which will be the most visible and brightest planets in the evening sky during this time.
To begin the plan we would discuss the planets in our solar system using child-friendly videos and images such as the storybooks on EPIC Library. We would discover where to look in the sky by using Stellarium app on the interactive whiteboard. Through teacher modelling, the children would create a large planet-tracking chart in the classroom, where we record our observations once a week.
Pupils will be invited, with support from parents, to observe the evening sky at home around 8:00 pm, especially facing south to southeast. We’ll look for bright “stars” that don’t twinkle—these are likely planets like Jupiter and Saturn. In school, we’ll record their sightings by drawing pictures or using simple sentence starters such as, “I saw a bright planet. It was low in the sky.”
We’ll link this activity with SESE – Science and Geography, oral language, and digital learning, using iPads for sky map exploration. The activity supports curiosity, connects home and school learning, and introduces children to observation skills in a fun and age-appropriate way.
Autumn Planet Observing Plan – Wexford, Ireland (1st & 2nd Class)
To engage my 1st and 2nd class pupils in an autumn sky-watching activity, we will create a simple Planet Observing Plan focused on the evening sky in Wexford from September to November. Our main focus will be on Jupiter and Saturn, which will be the most visible and brightest planets in the evening sky during this time.
We will begin by discussing the planets in our solar system using child-friendly videos and images such as the storybooks on EPIC Library. I will introduce the activity by showing where to look in the sky using an app like Stellarium on the interactive whiteboard. The children will help create a large planet-tracking chart in the classroom, where we record our observations once a week.
Pupils will be invited, with support from parents, to observe the evening sky at home around 8:00 pm, especially facing south to southeast. We’ll look for bright “stars” that don’t twinkle—these are likely planets like Jupiter and Saturn. In school, we’ll record their sightings by drawing pictures or using simple sentence starters such as, “I saw a bright planet. It was low in the sky.”
We’ll link this activity with SESE – Science and Geography, oral language, and digital learning, using iPads for sky map exploration. The activity supports curiosity, connects home and school learning, and introduces children to observation skills in a fun and age-appropriate way.
Descriptor: Observing and Recording the Position of the Sun – 1st & 2nd Class
To engage my 1st and 2nd class pupils in observing and recording the position of the sun, I would plan a simple, hands-on science and geography integration project over the course of a few days. We would begin with a discussion about the sun—its importance, safety when observing it, and how its position changes throughout the day.
As a class, we would use our school yard to choose a consistent observation spot. At three set times each day (e.g., 9:00am, 12:00pm, and 2:00pm), small groups of pupils would go outside to observe the sun’s position using shadows cast by a fixed object like a yardstick or flagpole. They would take photos using iPads and draw diagrams showing the direction and length of the shadow.
We would use Book Creator to compile our findings, including photos, pupil drawings, and short audio descriptions about what they observed. By the end of the week, pupils would compare the photos and shadow positions to identify patterns—e.g., “the sun is low in the sky in the morning” or “shadows are shortest at midday.” This activity supports scientific skills like observation and recording, and promotes digital learning through meaningful technology use.
