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This is really interesting, it really can begin at such a young age! I agree that small changes can have a big impact!
One example I see regularly is during lunchtime football. Girls often want to join in but are told that football is “for boys,” or the boys won’t pass them the ball. After a while, some girls stop playing altogether because they feel left out or think they aren’t good enough. Another frequent one along the same line is during P.E some boys not being too pleased if there are ‘too many’ girls on their team, again coming from this stereotype that boys are naturally better at sport.
During golden time I’ve also noticed boys avoiding certain toys because they think it’s only for girls, while some girls are less confident joining construction or STEM activities because they believe boys are better at them.
I think development education methodologies are a great way to challenge these stereotypes. Rather than just telling children that boys and girls can do the same things, it’s more effective to get them thinking about why they believe these ideas in the first place. For example, during circle time or SPHE lessons, we can ask questions like, “Why do people think football is only for boys?” or “Can anyone be good at football if they practise?” These discussions encourage children to think critically and realise that these ideas come from society rather than being true.
Using mixed-gender groups in PE and classroom activities also helps. If everyone has an equal chance to take part and contribute, children begin to see each other’s strengths instead of focusing on whether they are a boy or a girl. Reading books and sharing stories about female footballers, male nurses, or women working in science can also help children see that people can follow any interest or career.
Our school took part in Olympic movement breaks as part of active schools this year. It was wonderful to see the mix of Olympians involved in that initiative and it gave the children some great male and female role models to look up to in Irish sport.Reading The Role of Global Citizens in Today’s World (Ehigie, 2021) reinforced my understanding of the importance of Development Education in preparing young people for life in an increasingly interconnected world. The paper highlights that global citizens are individuals who understand global issues, respect diversity, and recognise that their actions can have an impact on others locally and globally. This aligns closely with the aims of Development Education, which encourages learners to think critically, challenge stereotypes, and take informed action on issues such as equality, sustainability, human rights, and social justice.
As a teacher, I believe Development Education should be embedded across the curriculum rather than treated as a one-off topic. I would incorporate it through discussions on current global issues, project-based learning, and activities that encourage empathy, collaboration, and problem-solving. For example, I could use international case studies in geography, explore children’s rights in social studies, or encourage environmental responsibility through sustainability projects.
I would also encourage colleagues to integrate Development Education into their own teaching by sharing useful resources, discussing successful classroom activities, and collaborating on whole-school initiatives. Events such as Fairtrade campaigns, cultural awareness weeks, or sustainability projects can help create a school culture that values global citizenship. Working together as a staff ensures that students receive consistent opportunities to develop the knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes needed to contribute positively to society.
I think using songs, poetry and artwork is an ideal way to introduce a theme on the night sky because it allows children to respond emotionally and creatively before exploring the scientific concepts.
Michael D. Higgins’ poem Stardust, encouraging the children to listen with their eyes closed and imagine the images created by the words. We would discuss what the poem suggests about our connection with the stars and the universe and create a class mind map of words and feelings that the poem evokes. This could then lead into descriptive writing where pupils write their own short poem beginning with “I wonder…” or “When I look at the stars…”
Music also provides wonderful opportunities to engage children. Familiar songs such as Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, Mr Moon, Fly Me to the Moon, Moon River, When You Wish Upon a Star, Walking on the Moon, A Sky Full of Stars by Coldplay can all be used depending on the age of the class. Younger children could sing, perform actions and discuss the words, while older pupils could compare how different songs describe the stars and the moon. They could identify descriptive language, create storyboards inspired by the lyrics or even compose their own class song about space.
Artwork offers another powerful stimulus. Van Gogh’s The Starry Night immediately captures children’s attention with its swirling stars and bold colours. I would invite pupils to spend time simply looking at the painting before asking open-ended questions such as “What do you notice?”, “How do you think the artist felt?” and “What sounds might you hear if you were standing in this picture?”. Children could then experiment with oil pastels, chalk or paint to create their own expressive night sky, using movement and texture rather than trying to make it realistic. We could also compare The Starry Night with photographs of the Aurora Borealis and discuss how nature itself creates spectacular artwork in the sky.
Reading picture books such as Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me by Eric Carle, How to Catch a Star by Oliver Jeffers and The Darkest Dark by Chris Hadfield would provide further opportunities for prediction, comprehension and creative response.I really like this idea because it gives children the chance to learn through real-life experiences while exploring their local environment, thanks for sharing!
How you would incorporate the needs of nocturnal species, especially those that rely on dark skies into school biodiversity plans?
As a teacher, I would incorporate the needs of nocturnal species into our school biodiversity plan by first helping children understand the importance of dark skies for wildlife. I would teach pupils about animals such as bats, moths, hedgehogs, and owls, explaining how excessive artificial light can disrupt feeding, navigation, and breeding. Together, we would carry out a biodiversity audit of the school grounds to identify areas where unnecessary lighting could be reduced or managed responsibly.
I would encourage the class to create wildlife-friendly spaces by planting native species, installing bat or bird boxes, and leaving undisturbed habitats for nocturnal animals. The children would also develop information posters and presentations to raise awareness among the wider school community about reducing light pollution.By linking this work with Science, Geography, and SPHE, I would foster environmental stewardship while giving pupils practical opportunities to protect local biodiversity and appreciate the importance of preserving dark skies for wildlife.
Planning a project for the International Dark Sky Association’s Rising Star Programme –
To take part in the International Dark Sky Association’s Rising Star Awards Programme, I would plan an engaging cross-curricular project with my class. I would begin by introducing the concept of light pollution through stories, videos, and class discussions. I would then encourage the children to observe the night sky from their homes and record what they can see in a simple observation journal.
This would be interesting as I work in a school in a town and some children would live in the town where there would be street lights etc, with other children living in more rural areas with very little light pollution. We could discuss the differences in their findings and why that might be. In class, we would compare our findings, create graphs, and discuss how artificial light affects wildlife, people, and our view of the stars.
I would support the children in designing posters, presentations, and artwork to promote the importance of protecting dark skies. As a whole-school initiative, we could organise a family stargazing evening to involve the wider community. Through this project, I would develop the children’s scientific inquiry, environmental awareness, teamwork, and communication skills while fostering a sense of responsibility for protecting our natural world.Q3. Plan to observe the moon.
Pupils will investigate how the Moon changes shape and position over time. The lesson begins with the inquiry question, “Why does the Moon look different from one day to the next?” Pupils predict what they expect to see before carrying out morning observations of the Last Quarter Moon, when it is most visible during school hours. Over several mornings, pupils record the date, time, weather conditions, the Moon’s position, and its visible shape using labelled drawings. Back in the classroom, pupils use a torch (representing the Sun) and a white polystyrene ball or foam ball on a skewer (representing the Moon) to model the Moon’s orbit around the Earth. As they move the ball around themselves, they observe how the illuminated portion changes, helping them understand why the Moon appears to have different phases. Pupils compare the model with their recorded observations, discuss patterns, and communicate explanations supported by evidence.
Q.3
<p class=”p1″><span class=”s1″>Plan how your students could “observe and record the positions of the sun </span>when rising and setting and at different times of the day”.</p>
Using the ESERO Ireland Inquiry Framework, I would engage pupils in investigating how the Sun’s apparent position changes throughout the day. The lesson would begin with an inquiry question such as, “Does the Sun stay in the same place in the sky all day?” Pupils would share their predictions before planning how they will collect evidence.
At designated times during the school day, pupils observe the Sun recording the direction of shadows, the Sun’s approximate position, and the time of each observation. Where possible, sunrise and sunset observations can be completed at home with parental support. Depending on age group and ability levels, pupils could record their findings using tables and labelled drawings, compare results, and identify patterns.
During the discussion, they construct explanations linking the Sun’s apparent movement to the Earth’s rotation.Finally, in their groups pupils could communicate their conclusions and reflect on whether their evidence supported their original predictions, reinforcing the ESERO inquiry cycle of questioning, investigating, interpreting evidence, and communicating scientific understanding.
