Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
The videos clearly demonstrate the causes and impacts of climate change while highlighting the importance of taking action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Home is such an amazingly graphic movie that it would be difficult to not be moved by the scenes portrayed. Listening to Greta speak at such a young age and so eloquently about such a serious topic makes one feel that we all should be doing more in the fight against climate change.
With my 6th class, I would introduce these ideas by first discussing the difference between weather and climate before showing snippets of the videos. I would encourage pupils to record key facts while watching and then work collaboratively to create posters, presentations or short videos explaining the greenhouse effect and climate change in their own words. We could also relate the learning to our local area in Kildare, discussing how climate change might affect farming, biodiversity and weather patterns. This would provide a meaningful context while developing pupils’ scientific understanding, critical thinking, communication and digital literacy skills through an engaging, enquiry-based STEM approach.
I agree that the Paxi video is an excellent starting point. Although it is aimed at younger pupils, I think it would still work well with my 6th class in Kildare. I like your idea of having pupils create their own posters or videos afterwards, as it encourages them to process the information in their own words. It would also be a great way to develop communication and digital skills while reinforcing their understanding of greenhouse gases and climate change.
Climate Reporters was an engaging activity that helped pupils understand how climate change may affect Ireland in the future by using real climate data and comparing different emissions scenarios. It is well suited to 6th class as it develops data handling, critical thinking and communication skills while encouraging pupils to consider the impact of climate change on their own lives. I would use this activity as part of a cross-curricular unit linking Science, Geography, Mathematics and Digital Technologies, with pupils comparing future climate projections to weather data collected from our own school weather station.
One improvement would be to include an Irish case study showing how climate change could affect farming, biodiversity or coastal communities. I would also add a simple engineering challenge where pupils design a solution to help reduce the school’s environmental impact, such as creating a biodiversity area or suggesting ways to reduce energy use. This would strengthen the STEM focus while making the activity even more relevant and engaging.
I really like the idea of setting up a simple weather station in the school grounds, as it gives pupils ownership of the learning and makes data collection more meaningful. I also think displaying the results on a classroom or whole-school weather board is a great way to keep pupils engaged. I would definitely try something similar with my own 6th class, particularly the idea of comparing our observations with Met Éireann’s data to encourage discussion about accuracy and weather patterns.
Reviewing Unravelling STEM reinforces that effective STEM learning integrates Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics through meaningful, real-world activities rather than teaching each subject separately. As a 6th class teacher, I found both activities practical and engaging. ‘Activity 1: Is it Weather or Climate?’ encourages discussion and helps pupils understand the difference between weather and climate, while ‘Activity 2: Weather Detectives’ develops scientific enquiry and mathematical skills through collecting temperature data, calculating averages and creating graphs.
I would use these activities as part of a cross-curricular unit linking Science, Maths and Geography. Pupils could record their findings using digital tools and compare their results with official weather data. To strengthen the STEM focus, I would add an engineering challenge by asking pupils to design and build a simple weather shelter for the thermometer. Overall, these activities are well suited to 6th class and provide meaningful opportunities for collaboration, problem-solving and applying learning in a real-world context.
That’s a brilliant idea, Patricia. My 6th class would really enjoy designing their own Dark Sky Place because it mixes art with science. Making maps, models, or posters would engage them hugely, while the fair would be a great way to share learning and inspire others. It would definitely be time consuming, but worth it all the same.
2. Consider how many Songs / Poems /Art can you think of to connect us with the Night Sky?
Poem – “Nightsky & Butterfly” by Stephen James Smith
Not a poem I had heard of before bu came across while working on this assignment. A poem that will confuse my class as they always expect rhyming, but will definitely bring discussion. The poem describes Orion appearing in the sky. It could be fun for children to read while spotting Orion on Stellarium.Amhráin – “Báidín Fheilimí”
Though mostly about a little boat, it includes gentle references to journeys under the night sky and works well for linking to navigation by stars. I both remember learning this as a child and teaching it in my early years.Irish Folklore – The Children of Lir
This famous legend tells of children turned into swans, flying over lakes and under the stars for hundreds of years. I’ve recently bought this book in English and Irish to work on with my new class. You can use it to discuss how night and nature feature in Irish storytelling.Pop Song – “Counting Stars” by OneRepublic
This is upbeat and mentions stars in the sky. You could focus on the imagery of the night sky and use it to discuss patterns, light, and reflection with older children in a relatable way. Using pop songs is a great way to encourage engagement, especially in senior classes.Sounds good Kathy. I would definitely try some of these out with my senior class too, adapting for progression where necessary. We could go outside and note what animals or insects we spot in brighter places compared to darker ones. Back in class, the children could make posters or slideshows to share what they learned and think about easy ways to help wildlife at night.
1. How you would engage your learners to explore biodiversity in your local area and the possible impacts of light pollution on local biodiversity.
To engage my 6th class in exploring biodiversity in our local area of Naas, I would begin with nature walks around the school grounds and nearby green spaces. Pupils could keep simple field journals to record plants, insects, and birds they notice, helping them build observation skills. We could create a class biodiversity map to show the variety of life around us. To deepen their learning, I would invite Paddy Madden, a Heritage in Schools expert, to visit. His hands-on activities and knowledge would inspire pupils to value their local environment and encourage them to protect biodiversity in Naas.
In Kildare, as in many areas that are becoming more built up, too many bright lights at night can upset local wildlife. Bats and owls find it harder to hunt, and insects often get stuck flying around lamps instead of spreading out. This means fewer animals get food, and nature around us doesn’t stay as balanced as it should.
Hi Patricia, I really like your “Rising Star” project idea. What class do you teach? I feel my 6th class will enjoy learning about dark skies and spotting stars at home. Using Stellarium and recording what we see will definitely engage them more and we could also create posters to share what we’ve learned to help protect the night sky.
1. Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
Around Naas in Co. Kildare, artificial lights from street lamps, homes, and businesses are making the night sky significantly brighter than it would naturally be. This makes it much harder for people to observe stars and planets clearly and reduces the chance to enjoy the natural beauty of the night sky. The increased light can also disrupt local wildlife, such as bats, owls, and other nocturnal animals, altering their normal behaviours and patterns. Humans can be affected too, with sleep patterns being disturbed and them having a weaker connection to nature because of the constant glow above the town.
To help my 6th class students explore light pollution further, I could get them involved in practical, hands-on activities. They could compare the brightness of the night sky where they live in comparison to their classmates using simple measurements or a mobile app, record the stars and planets they can see, and observe how local wildlife behaves at night. As their is a variety of students living in both urban and rural areas around, the results should be interesting. Discussions, sketches, and mini research projects could help them understand the effects of artificial light and consider practical ways to reduce it in their own community.
Nice idea Siobhan. I really enjoyed the video explaining the phases of the moon, as sometimes it can be quite hard to explain in words. I also think that creating a Moon Observation Log could get a lot of buy in and interest from children, especially if they are taking photographs at home with their families and uploading them to their google classroom account for the rest of the class to see.
2, Create a Short Teaching Resource using Stellarium.
In this activity the class would use Stellarium Web on tablets to explore what the night sky would look like in Kildare, as this is where I teach. Pupils would open Stellarium Web, set the location to Kildare, Ireland, and make sure the time would be set to “Now.” They would then swipe around the sky on the screen and notice how the sky would look now before switching to nighttime. We will also discuss and compare the difference between this view and what they might see if they went outside at night themselves.
The next step would be to find a bright planet such as Jupiter or Venus. By tapping on it, pupils would see the planet’s name and some extra information. They would then choose a constellation, such as Orion, and turn on the constellation lines to reveal its pattern. Pupils would sketch the constellation in their copies and write down the name of the planet they would have spotted.
At the end, the class would share their findings and discuss which planets and constellations they might see in the Kildare night sky during the autumn evenings.
Hi Susie, sounds like a lovely idea for your Junior Infants. I really do like the idea of creating a sundial and have even seen a 3rd class teacher in my school doing it before. While watching the video in this module, however, I did wonder how it could be adapted for my 6th class in order to show real progression. Perhaps different groups making different sundials to show the time from different time zones? This would also link with maths.
Gravity/Weight – Assemble an Earth Tube and one other planet tube – decorate in a suitable manner.
I have been teaching mainstream mixed 6th class for the past three years and will continue to do so in September. While going through this module, the Earth Tube idea stood out to me the most.
The way I would see this working would be through an integrated art and science lesson and is something I feel the class would thoroughly enjoy. I will have 28 students in my class this year. I would divide my class into 8 groups and give each group a different planet to create artistically; following this I would give each group the exact weight to mimic the feeling of weight on that particular planet.
Before going through the exact feeling of gravity on each of the planets, I would work on predictions to make it like a game for them, possibly even have a prize for anyone that can guess on which planet gravity feels heavier. Giving everyone the opportunity to left each container and leaving it as an interactive classroom display would also add to their engagement.
