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I really like how you have made the research question relevant to the children’s local area. The idea of involving local people and using real experiences would make the topic much more meaningful and engaging for pupils. I also think your focus on children understanding that climate change affects them directly is a really strong point.
Research question: Does the amount of rainfall affect how well plants grow in our school garden?
I think this would be a good research question for pupils as it is something they can investigate themselves in the school environment. I would begin by asking the children what they think plants need to grow and whether they think rainfall makes a difference. They could make predictions before starting the investigation.
I would divide the class into small groups and have them measure the rainfall and observe the plants over a number of weeks. They could record their findings in a simple table and use graphs to show their results. This would give them opportunities to develop their Science and Maths skills while working together.
I think allowing the children to collect their own data would encourage them to get involved, as they would be able to see the results of their investigation. I would also encourage them to come up with their own questions as they go, which could lead to further investigations.
I agree that using a satellite tracker would be a great way to get children interested in space and STEM. I like the idea of linking it with Geography, as it gives children a different view of places and features they are familiar with. It could also be a good opportunity for children to work in groups and research the different satellites they see. I think using a live tracker would make the activity even more exciting for the children. It’s a simple activity that could lead to lots of interesting questions and discussions.
I found the From the Ground and from the Sky resource really interesting. I liked how the activities allow children to look at familiar places from different viewpoints and compare photographs taken from the ground, the ISS and satellites. I think this would be a good way of introducing children to Earth observation and showing them how satellites can be used to learn more about our planet.
I would use this resource in my classroom as I think the activities are practical and encourage children to look closely at the images and explain what they notice. It also links well with Geography and Science and gives opportunities for group work and discussion. Some of the satellite images could be challenging, so I would provide extra questioning and support. I would also use short videos to support the lesson and give pupils a better understanding of how satellites collect images from space. I could extend the activity by getting pupils to find a local area using satellite images and compare it with a photograph taken from the ground.I agree that HOME is a powerful resource, but I also think some parts would be difficult for younger pupils to understand. I like the idea of using selected clips followed by practical activities, as this would help make the topic more meaningful and easier for children to relate to.
I found HOME very interesting, especially seeing how much the planet has changed over time and the impact that humans have had on it. I think the videos in this module are a good way of introducing climate change as they give children something visual to focus on. Some of the information could be quite difficult for younger children to understand, so I think it would be important to keep the discussion simple and relate it to things they already know.
As I will have 3rd Class in the coming year, I would probably use shorter clips from HOME rather than showing the whole film. I would pause the video to ask questions and give the children opportunities to discuss what they have seen. I could then link this to things in their everyday lives, such as recycling, saving electricity and looking after their local environment.
I think finishing with a class discussion or poster activity would be a good way for the children to share what they have learned as a class.I agree that the Paxi video would be a great starting point for 3rd Class, as it makes a difficult topic easier to understand. I also like the idea of children creating posters, as it would give them a chance to share what they have learned with others.
I think Activity 3 is a good activity for helping children understand climate change and the causes of it. The Paxi video is a nice introduction as it explains greenhouse gases in a way that is easy for children to understand. The temperature prediction tool is also useful as it allows pupils to see how temperatures could change in the future.
As I will have 3rd Class in the coming year, I would use plenty of discussion and questioning to make sure the children understand what they are looking at. I would also allow pupils to work in groups when using the prediction tool. One addition I would make is getting pupils to create their own graphs using the data from the tool and comparing predicted temperatures with current local temperatures. This would link the activity with Maths and allow me to assess how well pupils can understand and use the data.
Differentiated worksheets could also support pupils who need extra help.I agree, especially with your point about adapting Activity 2 for younger pupils, as I think this would work really well with my 3rd Class by using pictograms and simple data collection.
After reading Liston’s paper and completing Activities 1 and 2, I think the Weather and Climate resource is a good way to introduce STEM in the classroom. Activity 1 helps pupils understand the difference between weather and climate, while Activity 2 allows them to collect and record weather data.
As I will have 3rd Class in the coming year, I think these activities would be suitable for their age. I would begin with Activity 1 before looking at local weather forecasts and discussing seasonal weather patterns in Ireland. Activity 2 could then become an ongoing class investigation, with pupils working in groups to collect data over a few weeks and present their findings using charts and graphs.
I would use differentiated recording sheets to support different abilities. I think adding more practical STEM challenges, extension activities and a simple assessment checklist would improve the resource further.