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Option 3:
I would get my class to observe and record where the sun is at different times of day.
To begin the lesson I would ask the children where they see the sun in the morning on the way to school. I would explain that the sun seems to move across the sky during the day. We could check by looking out of the window where the sun is now. I might take this opportunity to introduce or revise North, South , East and West.
For the main activity to measure the movement of the sun I would take the class outside three times that day. Once in the morning, between the breaks and in the afternoon. Each time I would encourage the children to point to where the sun is and describe it using simple words: “low,” “high,” “behind the tree,” “near the school gate.”
I would get the children in pairs or small groups to choose a spot with a cone. One child would lie down with their feet at the cone facing the school and the other child will outline their shadow. The children can take turns doing this at the other times when they come out and they must ensure that they lie down in the same spot. The children could use their feet to walk along the shadow in order to measure the length of the shadow at the various times of the day.
I would then at the end of the day ask them what they observed with the shadows and why they think this happened. Children draw a simple picture of their findings to record what they have observed and learned. They could stick the three drawings in sequence on a “Sun’s Day” chart.
To conclude I would show them the read a loud story ‘The Day I Met My Shadow’ by Melissa Brun https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8L52xSUtJNgI like the idea of allowing the children to simlpy explore with shadows. It would link nicely with my own lesson idea for measuring the movement of the sun. Children love to make shadow puppets using torches. I have seen some ideas on twinkl that allow the children to copy them. It also allows for great pair work and turn taking if the children are working in pairs with only one torch. I’ve seen this in younger classes and it is interesting to see how they compromise!!
Irene
I think getting the children involved in such a lcoal project that is close to their hearts is a great way to ensure they fully engage in the project. It really allows for ownership over their work. I love the simple idea of planting some flowers or shrubs. The children would love to monitor and care for these as they watch them grow.
The research question I have chosen to work with is:
How has the average temperature in Dublin changed over the last 50 years and what does this mean for our future weather?
This research question connects with children’s everyday lives, making climate change feel real rather than distant and abstract. Beginning with something familiar like Dublin weather I feel would engage the children meaningfully.
I would start by asking children what they already know about weather and climate, to determine prior knowledge through discussion. Children would then examine simple temperature graphs showing Dublin weather patterns over decades, identifying changes and trends themselves. I would hope this would lend itself to the children having ownership over the task.
I think I would group the children into small groups to investigate different decades. They could record their work on a chart to later report to the class and display in the room. This will lead to extended communication and build on prior language while also building confidence.
Children might connect their findings to visible changes like shorter winters, more flooding or heavy rainfall. This is important so that children realise the effects of climate change on us all.
I would conclude the lesson with a focused discussion about what our class, school and families can do to help combat the results of climate change. The children can feel like they can make a difference
The Climate Detectives framework is excellent because it positions children as genuine scientists investigating real problems, which ismotivating and educational.
Irene
I had no idea the number of Satellites passing over IReland at any one time. The website was so interesting and the absolute magnitude of the number of satelittes was mind blowing! I have to say it became a bit addictive to click on the satelittes and see where they orginated from and how long they have been in orbit as well as what they do up there.
Here are the satellites that I discovered. I could not believe how many are in orbit!
1. STARLINK-35185 provides braodband internet to over 70 countries
2. GLOBALSTAR M053 is a communications satellite which provides the Emergency SOS on iphones currently
3.KUIPER-00493 is part of Amazon’s Project Kuiper and also is part of a consellation of broadband satellites
4. DRISHTI is an Indian satellite used for weather monitoring and environmental science
5. COSMOS 1257 is a Russian Defence Ministry satellite. It is an identifier for milatary and government space crafts.
Apologies the above was a reply in relation to Elspeth’s forum post. I forgot to click the reply button and just posted it instead!
This is a really well structured lesson. Starting with a brainstorm lets children share what they already know before watching the video, which is great practice. It gets every child thinking and talking straight away. Watching the Ireland Climate Action video gives the lesson a real local connection, making climate change feel relevant to the children. Discussing specific points like electric cars keeps children engaged and thinking critically. The poster activity is excellent because children are creating something real and meaningful. Linking the lesson to the Green Schools Committee is a brilliant idea, giving children a genuine audience for their work and making them feel their efforts actually matter.
The HOME video is immediately engaging for children. It’s photography creates amaxement and wonder, showing Earth’s beauty while simultaneously revealing the damage human’s can and have caused. The visual impact is far more powerful than reading about this in a book. The children would respond well to the images shown.The video effectively connects human behaviour to environmental consequences in a way children can understand and feel emotionally. Seeing deforestation, melting ice caps, and polluted waterways makes abstract climate concepts concrete and real. HOME is an exceptional classroom resource which I had never heard of before. It creates the emotional hook that makes children genuinely care about climate data they subsequently analyse, making all follow up STEM activities far more purposeful and personally meaningful.
Michael
Using history as a baseline before tracking temperature change over time gives children genuine context and makes the data meaningful. Graphing results is an excellent idea as the children see the trend visually rather than just reading numbers.
Your three stage structure works beautifully incorporating understand the past, analyse the present, predict the future. Finishing with what children can actually do is so important.
I feel I could use activity three with my class by firstly ensuring they are familiar with the vocabulary. After watching the video I would ask them for some familiar and unfamilar words which stood out for them. After ensuring the children have enough language to engage with the task. I think it will be important to reinforce that predictions use patterns from the past. The children could then work in groups using Teal to determine the outcome and represent it on posters through words, sentences or pictograms. Once the children have finished the main activity I think it would be nice to allow each group to present their chart to the class like a weather report.
Dolores I love doing various design and make tasks with the children. I recently took part in a pilot programme for the draft STE curriculum and we followed the engineering process. It worked well with even children as young as 1st class. We focused on using empathy as our strating point to create the problem and it really opened up the ideas for solving problems and creating new designs and prototypes for the children. It was all child led and the children were very invested in their work.
Weather and Climate Activity 1:
With regard to the Weather or Climate resource and activities. I really liked activity one and feel it could be very useful in pairs as suggested or in small group work where the children make their own signs, one saying ‘weather’ and one saying ‘climate’. Then they could write down a few sentences each or cut them out from a printed copy , depending on ability and sort them onto the signs. This would also be nice to display their own work in the classroom after which I always find the children enjoy. On completing the tasks they could compare and contrast their responses with other groups and engage in some debate and defending their answers if needed. Activity 2 content seemed a bit more advanced for the age that I would be teaching but for the older classes allows for determining their understanding of the topic in a hands on way.
Veronica that is such a fantastic and detailed plan for space week. Well done! There are so many engaging activities and I like the showcase on the final day.
I am looking forwward to doing the Rocket Mice activity. It seems to be highly appropriate and engaging for younger classes as it combines simple materials, movement, and fun to introduce early science concepts. Junior Infants learn best through hands-on, playful experiences, and Rocket Mice offers a perfect opportunity to explore cause and effect, forces, and motion in a way that’s both safe and exciting. The visual and physical nature of the activity captures their attention and encourages curiosity. It supports language development as children describe what they see and make predictions using everyday language. It also fosters social skills, such as sharing, taking turns, and working in pairs or small groups. The task is open-ended, allowing children to experiment and explore at their own level. Overall, Rocket Mice promotes engagement through fun while building a strong foundation in scientific thinking, making it ideal for early years learning across multiple areas of development.
