[Sarah Griffin]

Hi Michelle,

This is a really practical research question and it is something all schools could try. I think that encouraging children to make small changes in school and to share their results, can empower them to make these changes at home too.

[Sarah Griffin]

Research Question: How is melting land ice in the polar regions contributing to sea level rise, and what can we learn from tracking glaciers over time?

I’d start by getting pupils curious through simple, hands-on activities from The Ice is Melting. The land ice vs. sea ice melting experiment is a great hook,  it’s visual, easy to set up, and really makes the difference clear. I’d follow it with the temperature experiment to show how the loss of ice speeds up warming. Using real satellite images of glaciers, pupils could see for themselves how much they’ve shrunk over the years.

We’d work like real climate detectives, collecting data, spotting patterns, and thinking about what these changes mean. Finally, pupils could come up with actions they could take, like awareness posters, assemblies, or linking with another school to share findings. I think this is a great way for pupils to see that small everyday changes can make a big impact.

[Sarah Griffin]

I agree, Margaret. I know many pupils in my class have a huge interest in space; they are always teaching me! This online resource is a fantastic tool for showing children how satellites work in real-time.

[Sarah Griffin]

I really enjoyed the From the Ground and From the Sky activities because they made me look at familiar places in a completely new way. Matching the photos taken from the ground, the ISS, and satellites was like piecing together a puzzle: the same location, but with totally different perspectives. It was fascinating to see how much detail you can spot from the ground compared to the “big picture” you get from space. The Rome photos, one taken in daylight on the ground and one from space at night, were especially striking. They really showed how each viewpoint has its own strengths.

If I used this with my class, I’d make it a team challenge where pupils work together to match the images and share what they notice. I think they’d love the visual element and the chance to see the Earth like astronauts do. It’s a great way to build curiosity and awareness about our planet.

[Sarah Griffin]

Watching HOME opened my eyes to just how incredible our planet is, and how much damage we’ve already done. The aerial shots of forests, oceans, and cities are stunning, but it’s hard to enjoy them fully when you see the destruction happening alongside them. Greta Thunberg’s speeches and the Climate Aid 2020 clip made the message even clearer: climate change isn’t just a distant problem, it’s happening now, and it’s about real people and real futures.

With my pupils, I’d start by focusing on the beauty of nature and why it’s worth protecting. We could share photos, go on a short nature walk, or watch short video clips that show the beauty in nature across a variety of climates. Then, we could discuss the idea of small, positive actions we can take, like turning off lights, using less plastic, or planting flowers for pollinators. I would aim to leave them feeling hopeful and ready to make a difference, even in little ways.

[Sarah Griffin]

Hi Bríd, I agree that showing children Ireland’s climate action plan is important so they can understand that we have a shared responsibility and can see what we are working towards and discuss how this can best be achieved.

[Sarah Griffin]

Hi Siobhán,

I agree that the visual element in the TEAL tool is very engaging and helps children to better understand the concepts. It also sparks lots of discussions and allows for collaboration, questioning, and even justifying…all important skills.

[Sarah Griffin]

The resources in module 2 are a great way to get pupils thinking about the future of our planet. I’d start with Paxi’s video so they can understand what greenhouse gases are and where they come from. Then we’d use the TEAL tool to look at what our local climate might be like in 2050 under different emission scenarios. Working in groups, pupils could fill in the climate summary and compare it with today’s temperatures and rainfall. They’d see how even small changes can make a big difference over time. This activity brings together science, technology, engineering, and maths in a hands-on way, but also sparks important conversations about what we can do to help. I’d add a visual element, like making posters or short videos with ideas for action, and share them at assembly or on a school noticeboard. That way, the whole school learns from their work and feels part of the solution.

[Sarah Griffin]

Module 1 helped me understand the difference between weather and climate, why accurate measurements matter, and how these ideas link to STEM skills. The ESA activities Nose Up High in the Sky and Weather vs Climate are perfect for making learning hands-on and fun. I would set up a school weather station so pupils could build simple tools like thermometers, anemometers, and rain gauges to record daily temperature, wind, and rainfall. This would bring together science (observing), technology (using tools), engineering (making), and maths (measuring and graphing). We could compare our results with long-term climate data to see the bigger picture of change over time. I would encourage the class  in sharing our findings on a noticeboard or in assemblies so every class feels part of the project. This could be a lovely project to ‘carry over’ from year to year to allow more comparisons.

[Sarah Griffin]

I agree, Ciara. The ESA resources offer a lot of scope for cross-curricular linkage with maths, Irish, and STEM. They link well with the new PMC by allowing students to make connections with real-world experiences, particularly with data or calculating averages.

[Sarah Griffin]

This is a great list. I agree that children would love an opportunity to come up with their own list!

[Sarah Griffin]

Module 5

In Ireland, the night skies have inspired a wealth of artistic expressions through songs, poems, and art. President Michael D. Higgins’ poem “Stardust” beautifully encapsulates the wonder and mystery of the universe. Other works include:

Songs:
“Moondance” by Van Morrison:
“Spancil Hill”
“Space Oddity” by David Bowie
“Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin
“Vincent” by Don McLean

Poems:
“He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven” by W.B. Yeats:
“The Stolen Child” by W.B. Yeats
“The Night Piece, to Julia” by Robert Herrick
“To the Moon” by Percy Bysshe Shelley
“The Moon and the Yew Tree” by Sylvia Plath

Art Pieces:
“A Connemara Village” by Paul Henry
“Starry Night over the Rhône” by Vincent van Gogh
“Starry Night” by Vincent van Gogh
“The Night Watch” by Rembrandt
“Nocturne in Black and Gold: The Falling Rocket” by James McNeill Whistler

These works from various artists and writers in Ireland and around the world demonstrate the universal fascination with the night sky and its  influence on human creativity.

[Sarah Griffin]

Module 4:

To engage my students in exploring biodiversity and the impact of light pollution in our local area, I would start by showing them video clips explaining what biodiversity means. Then, I would take the children on a nature walk around the school or our nearby park. I would give them clipboards and magnifying glasses to observe and document various plants, insects, and animals they encounter. Each year, we engage with a local ecologist, and I would invite him to join our nature walk if possible to help the children with this identification. We would discuss the importance of each species and their roles in the ecosystem.

After the nature walk, we could discuss various ways to improve biodiversity in our school, such as planting a wildflower garden, participating in “No Mow May,” designing a bug hotel, or building bat boxes or boxes for a barn owl (if a suitable location exists on the grounds).

I would introduce light pollution through a simple experiment: comparing observations of the night sky from a brightly lit area and a dark area. I would highlight how artificial lights affect nocturnal animals like bats and moths, using storytelling to illustrate how light pollution disrupts animal behaviours, such as hunting and mating.

I would encourage my class to create posters or drawings showing their findings and present them to the class. Additionally, I would initiate a project where they design solutions (in groups or pairs) to reduce light pollution, such as creating awareness posters for the community or writing letters to local authorities advocating for better lighting practices.

[Sarah Griffin]

I love the idea of setting up a camera to capture nocturnal animals. I think this would really engage and challenge the children to think about animals in their locality and how we can protect them.

[Sarah Griffin]

I live in an urban area in County Limerick and light pollution is impacting our environment and quality of life. The excessive artificial light from street lamps, buildings, and vehicles obscures our view of the night sky and disrupts the natural behaviour of local wildlife. Nocturnal animals, such as bats and moths, rely on darkness for their feeding and breeding patterns, which are now being disturbed. The loss of a clear night sky also disconnects us from the wonder of stargazing. Additionally, light pollution can disrupt our sleep patterns, potentially leading to various health issues.

It is important that the children recognise how the lighting in our environment affects our ability to see the night sky. To engage my students, I would get them to conduct a survey about the sources of light in our locality and map these. We could discuss the necessity for these lights and explore better alternatives.

Additionally, I would use resources such as the videos “What is Light Pollution?” and “Exploring Colour” to increase the children’s understanding of the topic. I would encourage the children to discuss how light pollution is impacting nocturnal animals and human health. We could also participate in the “Globe at Night” program to measure and document light pollution levels in our county, contributing to a global database. Integrating art and science, we could create posters to raise awareness in our school and wider community about the importance of reducing light pollution.

[Author]

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