[Shannon Wilson]

Hi Keith,

This is a lovely approach to designing a Dark Sky place with an infant class. I really like how you would begin with discussion around dark skies, light pollution and what children might see on a clear night, as this gives them a clear starting point before moving into the design task.

The role-play element is a lovely addition! Giving children different shoes to fill would help them think about the needs of different people and living things in an empathetic and playful way.

I also like that you would bring the children around the school grounds to choose a suitable area. The prompts around safety, biodiversity and improving the experience for stargazers would encourage problem-solving and discussion. Creating maps and presenting their ideas would also support communication, teamwork and creativity. Thanks for sharing and hope that you enjoyed the course.

[Shannon Wilson]

Hi Shonagh,

Thank you for sharing your response.

You have identified a really strong way to use Nose High Up in the Sky as part of thematic, cross-curricular learning. I particularly like your idea of beginning with pupils’ own weather knowledge before moving into the video, as this gives them a clear purpose for watching and helps activate prior understanding.

The weather walk is a lovely extension, especially for younger pupils, as it encourages close observation through the senses before moving into recording and pattern-spotting. Keeping a daily weather chart over several weeks would help pupils begin to notice change over time in a very concrete way.

Your idea of making simple instruments, such as a rain gauge or wind vane, is especially strong. This brings in the Engineering Design Process through designing, making, testing and improving, while keeping the learning hands-on and accessible.

Hope you enjoy the course.

[Shannon Wilson]

Hi Eimear,

Welcome to the course. I agree with your point about the progression in the lesson offering structure to the pupils, from the Paxi video introducing the key science, to pupils then engaging with real climate data and finally moving towards action planning. That structure is very effective, as it helps pupils move from understanding the greenhouse effect to seeing how climate scientists use data to model possible futures.

I also agree that vocabulary and digital scaffolding would be important. A glossary, pre-teaching session and simple recording table would help pupils focus on the key learning rather than becoming overwhelmed by the tool. It also could be a great opportunity for peer-to-peer learning, with older classes supporting younger ones in the use of the tools.

Thanks and hope you enjoy the rest of the modules.

[Shannon Wilson]

Hi Patrick,

Welcome to the course. I really like that you would build up to the activity by exploring time, the Earth’s rotation, gravity and the 24-hour clock first. This would give pupils a stronger understanding of the science behind the sundial before they begin making one, and would give them plenty of opportunity to explore and ask questions.

Your idea of having pupils work collaboratively to investigate different locations around the school grounds is great. It would encourage them to think carefully about sunlight, shadow, direction and the suitability of each space, while also giving them the agency in making these choices.

I also like how you would include compass work and regular shadow observations, as this links well with geography, maths and science. Thanks for sharing.

[Shannon Wilson]

Hi Sophie,

Welcome to the course and thanks for sharing your response. Your outlined approach is very inquiry based, which is great to see. I really like that you would begin with pupils’ own experiences of travelling around Ballyfermot after dark, and getting them to ask lots of questions would help make the learning relevant to their everyday lives.

Your planned school grounds investigation is also great. Counting lights, recording brightness and creating a simple map would support observation, geography and data-handling skills. I also like how pupils would move from identifying the issue to suggesting solutions for reducing unnecessary lighting. You could get them to develop presentations that they could pitch to the class or wider school and see which wins the most votes.

Just a small note, it looks like some formatting code may have copied into your post. If you try right clicking and pasting as plain text it might help.

[Shannon Wilson]

Hi Catherine,

This sounds like a fantastic bridge-building project with a very strong inquiry and design focus. I really like how you would begin with a KWL chart and connect the learning to local bridges, the bridges at Birr Castle and well-known landmark bridges. This would help pupils see engineering as something connected to both their own locality and the wider world.

The emphasis on the process rather than just the final product is excellent. Prompting, wondering, exploring, planning, making and evaluating really supports pupils to think and work like engineers. I also like how pupils would investigate material properties before designing, as this gives them a strong scientific basis for their choices.

The variety of construction options, including recyclable materials, Lego, polydrons, wooden blocks and Minecraft, is a great example of differentiation and Universal Design for Learning. Your ‘Special Bridge Day’ would be a lovely way to celebrate learning, reflection and sharing with the school community.

You could also include a fair test element, such as measuring which bridge can hold the most weight or span the widest gap.

Thanks and hope you enjoy the course.

[Shannon Wilson]

Hi Sinead,

This is a really thoughtful reflection on using a multi-disciplinary approach to explore local scientific and natural heritage. I really like how you have considered the different ways pupils might engage with and express their learning, and how these different styles would allow pupils to work to their strengths while still developing curiosity, communication, collaboration and creativity.

The idea of setting up different stations is especially lovely. An art station, composing station, reporters’ desk and improvisation corner would make the learning very active and engaging, while also giving pupils choice in how they respond. As you have noted, it would also be a great way for groups to share their learning with peers or younger classes, which is all part of scientific reporting!

Just a small reminder too: you have completed your own post in Module 1, but don’t forget to go back and leave a response to another learner there as part of the course requirements.

Thanks, and hope you enjoyed the course.

[Shannon Wilson]

Hi Ailbhe,

Welcome ot the course. I really like how you have considered the infant classroom context, where weather is already part of daily routines such as morning meetings. This is a very natural starting point, as pupils can observe what is happening outside in the moment before gradually building towards the more abstract idea of climate.

Your suggestion of linking climate to typical weather in Ireland, and comparing it with places children may have visited, is a lovely way to make the concept more accessible. Using pictorial graphs for younger classes and support from an older pupil is a thoughtful way to scaffold the activity and encourage peer-to-peer learning. It would also be great to hear how this connects with Liston’s ideas around integrated STEM learning in your classroom.

Hope you enjoy the course.

[Shannon Wilson]

Hi Helen,

Thank you for sharing your response to Module 2.

I really like how you have broken the activity down into clear sections, as this makes the different parts of the resource easier to consider. Your idea of beginning with “good choices” and “not so good choices” around caring for the environment is a lovely age-appropriate starting point. It helps younger children connect climate learning to everyday actions before moving into more complex ideas such as predictions and future temperatures.

I also like your suggestion of using Draw & Tell. Giving pupils the chance to record their ideas orally or visually would support different learning styles and allow them to explain their thinking in their own words. To strengthen the STEM element, pupils could make simple predictions, record results pictorially and compare their ideas as a class.

Hope you enjoy the rest of the course.

[Shannon Wilson]

Hi Michelle,

Welcome to the course and thank you for sharing your response.

Your points about celebrating the beauty of the film’s visual power while also being mindful that some content may feel intense for certain pupils are very important. Selecting short, age-appropriate clips is a very sensible approach, as it allows children to engage with the key messages without becoming overwhelmed.

Your opening questions would work well as a starting point, encouraging pupils to think about both the beauty of the planet and the impact of human activity. I also like your idea of using group posters, mini-projects or reports to help pupils process what they have learned in a creative way, which would build well on skillsets such as communication, linguistics and presentation. To extend this further, they could link their chosen issue to one practical action the class or school could take.

Hope you enjoy the rest of the modules.

[Shannon Wilson]

Hi Laura,

Welcome to the course.

Your ideas for approaching the sundial activity with your 4th class sound really hands on. I really like that you would begin by asking how people told the time before clocks were invented, as this would encourage discussion, curiosity and links with history. There are also so many amazing stories and visuals that could be used to engage this discussion further, such as Alice in Wonderland’s White Rabbit.

Asking pupils to predict how the shadow of a stick might change throughout the day is a great way to promote scientific thinking before they begin testing their ideas. Working in small groups to design and construct their own sundials would also support teamwork, problem-solving and communication.

You could extend this further by asking pupils to test the accuracy of their sundials against a classroom clock and then make improvements to their design. This would add a lovely engineering-design element, encouraging pupils to predict, test, evaluate and refine their work.

Thanks for sharing, and hope you enjoy the course!

[Shannon Wilson]

Hi Eanna,

Welcome to the course. There are some great cross-curricular links with history with the KWL chart on time, and taking a tour of the school grounds to identify possible sundial locations is a great way to make the activity investigative. It would encourage pupils to think carefully about sunlight, shadows, direction and the impact of buildings or trees. I also like how pupils would work in groups to plan, measure, use a compass and test their ideas. The reflection and presentation element at the end is very valuable, as it builds on so many skills while also giving students the chance to expand their learning and decide where the experiment goes next.

It would be interesting to hear more about your thoughts on Liston’s paper and what STEM teaching is like in your classroom. Thanks for sharing and hope you enjoy the rest of the modules.

[Shannon Wilson]

Hi Sasha,

Welcome to the course.

Thanks for sharing such a creative approach to connecting the night sky with music, poetry and art. I really like how you would begin with familiar songs, as these would give pupils an accessible starting point for discussion and imagination. Exploring poems about stars, the Moon and space would also create lovely opportunities for language development, especially through rhyme, descriptive language and imagery. I really like the idea of pupils writing their own night-sky poems in response, that sounds beautiful. It could link well also to history and folklore.

Just a small note, some of your replies seem to be posted as separate topics rather than in the forums they were meant to be responding to. Could you review your replies and copy and paste them into the relevant forum threads so they are easier to track?

[Shannon Wilson]

Hi Erica,

Welcome to the course.

It’s great to read your reflections on the sundial activity and how you would approach it through using the curious minds framework. Beginning with the question, How did people used to tell the time in the past? is a lovely way to spark curiosity and connect the activity with cross-curricular history.

Investigating shadows around the school grounds before designing their own sundials would give pupils a meaningful opportunity to test ideas in a real-world context. Thanks for sharing and hope you enjoy the rest of the modules.

[Shannon Wilson]

Hi Ciara,

Welcome to the course. I really appreciate your balanced reflection on Liston’s paper, particularly the observation that Maths or Science may sometimes need focused teaching in isolation. The key seems to be knowing when pupils need direct practice and when they are ready to apply that learning through a richer, integrated STEM task.

Your birthday example is lovely, and shows exactly why the Weather and Climate resource could work so well. Personal memories make the learning more meaningful and give pupils a natural starting point for discussion. Activity 2 could build on this nicely by having pupils collect real weather data, compare observations and perhaps even design simple weather instruments, bringing in the Engineering Design Process more explicitly.

Hope you enjoy the rest of the modules.

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