[Shannon Wilson]

Hi Lauren,

Welcome to the course.

The photograph of Christmas on a beach in Australia is a brilliant hook, as it immediately gives pupils a real-world reason to wonder why it can be winter in Ireland while it is summer in the Southern Hemisphere.

I also really like how you used practical demonstrations with a torch and globe, as well as the ‘human axis’ game to get the students both learning and moving. It sounds like a lot of fun while also helping pupils visualise the Earth’s tilt and understand how different parts of the Earth receive different amounts of sunlight.

The One Year on Earth model sounds like a great next step, as building and tracking the Sun-Earth relationship across the year would further consolidate understanding. Looking at satellite images would also strengthen the geography and digital learning links.

THanks for sharing and hope you enjoy the course.

[Shannon Wilson]

Hi Heather,

Welcome to the course. Thanks for sharing such a detailed and well-structured autumn observing plan for your senior pupils. I really like how you have broken the activity into September, October and November, as this would help pupils understand that the evening sky changes over time.

Your observation record is particularly strong. This would support careful scientific observation and help pupils compare evidence from week to week. The Autumn Planet Diary would be a lovely way to consolidate learning and present findings. Including the reminder about adult supervision and never looking directly at the Sun is also very important. The solar eclipse yesterday showed us that many people still do not know these important things.

You could strengthen this further by using Stellarium in class before the home observations, allowing pupils to practise locating Saturn and compare the predicted sky with what they later observe. A shared class sky map or planet diary could also help pupils identify patterns across the autumn months also.

Thanks for sharing, and hope you enjoy the course.

[Shannon Wilson]

Hi Sean,

Welcome to the course. Thanks for sharing your response.

I like that you would begin with a whole-class discussion and encourage pupils to think about areas near them where excessive lighting may be an issue. This would help make the topic relevant to their own lives and local environment. Linking light pollution to the loss of our view of the night sky is also a very accessible way to help children understand why dark skies matter.

Looking at Ireland’s Dark Sky areas would be a lovely visual comparison and could prompt discussion about how different the night sky can look in protected areas. To develop this further, pupils could carry out a simple light audit of the school grounds or local area and suggest practical ways to reduce unnecessary lighting.

Hope you enjoy the rest of the course.

[Shannon Wilson]

Hi Ciara,

Welcome to the course and thank you for sharing your reflection. I really like how you have highlighted that STEM in an infant classroom often happens very naturally through play, curiosity, exploring and everyday activities. This is such an important point, as young children are already developing STEM skills when they build, sort, predict, compare, test and problem-solve.

Your examples are very clear, especially linking Science with water, plants, animals, light and materials, Maths with counting, sorting and patterns, and Engineering with block play and construction. I also like the simple teacher prompts you included, as these kinds of questions really support inquiry-based learning in an age-appropriate way.

Just a small note, it looks like some formatting code copied into your post. When copying from Word or another programme, it can help to paste as plain text by right clicking in the text box.

Hope you enjoy the course.

[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!

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