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That sounds great John. It’s effective to explore something common and tangible that children can see and explore. I will definitely investigate waste in September with my class.
Climate Detectives – Our Big Question!
1. What is something we’ve noticed changing in our area?
We’ve seen more buildings and roads in our town—trees and green spaces are disappearing.2. Why do we think this is important?
Trees help keep the air clean and cool us down. If we lose too many trees, it could make our town hotter and affect animals and people.3. What tools or ideas can help us find out more?
We can use satellite pictures from EO Browser to look at our town from above. We can see what it looked like before and what it looks like now!4. What’s our big question?
How has our town changed in the last 10 years, and what has happened to the trees and temperature?Reflection – How will we get everyone excited to join?
To get the class involved, I would start with a fun story or video showing how satellites take pictures of Earth. Then we’d look at our town on EO Browser—students love spotting their school or their neighborhood from space! I’d ask them to be “climate detectives” and help solve a mystery: Where did the green go?We’d split into small groups, and each team would have a special job—like map readers, question askers, or nature spotters. We could also go outside and look for changes near our school to compare with what we see on the screen.
Finally, we’d create posters, stories, or videos to share what we found with parents or the school. This makes them feel proud of helping the planet and shows them their voices matter in protecting nature.
This all sounds great Marian. I must download the tracker app too and try it out with the children in September.
Number 2: Pitch on EO Browser
The EO Browser is a free, user-friendly web tool developed by the European Space Agency (ESA) that allows users to visualize, analyze, and download satellite imagery from multiple Earth observation missions like Sentinel, Landsat, and MODIS. Whether you’re tracking deforestation, monitoring urban growth, or observing climate change, EO Browser gives you real-time access to satellite data from anywhere in the world—no special software or advanced technical skills required.
Classroom Use:
In class, I’d use EO Browser to bring geography, environmental science, and data analysis to life. For example, students could explore changes in vegetation over time using NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) or study the impact of natural disasters by comparing satellite images before and after an event. It’s a hands-on way to engage students with real-world issues using authentic data, encouraging critical thinking, scientific inquiry, and digital literacy in a practical, visual format.
Hi Colin,
Carbon footprint tracking is a great idea! I will definitely give this a try in September.
Thanks for sharing Rachel. I really like that idea of designing a dream world poster. I may use this idea with my class also.
The video HOME is a visually clear and powerful documentary that highlights the interconnectedness of Earth’s ecosystems and the impact human activity has had on the planet. Its aerial footage and message make it both informative and emotionally compelling, offering a global perspective on climate change, deforestation, water scarcity, and overconsumption. It’s a strong reminder of the urgency of environmental action and the need for sustainable living.
Other videos in the module, such as the Paxi explanation of greenhouse gases and the interactive tools, provide age-appropriate and engaging ways to break down complex topics. They complement HOME well by offering both the big picture and more focused, understandable science-based explanations.
For my pupils, I would introduce these climate change facts through a combination of visual media, class discussion, and hands-on projects. I would ask the children to record their thoughts on seesaw in a mini podcast review. Starting with visual storytelling helps capture interest, after which we could explore local data, sustainability challenges, and real-world actions they can take in their own communities.
Thanks for sharing Carmel. I agree the teal resource could definitely be more interactive for the children. It’s great for planning but not as practical.
Activity 3 provides a clear and engaging way to introduce students to the concept of greenhouse gases and their role in climate change. The Paxi video is particularly effective for younger audiences, as it uses animation and simple language to explain complex processes. For senior students, it could serve as a good recap or a springboard for deeper discussion. The interactive temperature prediction tool is a great visual way for pupils to explore the impact of different CO₂ emission scenarios on future global temperatures. It allows them to see immediate consequences of human action, making the learning experience both relevant and urgent.
In my class, I could integrate this activity during our science or geography lessons, pairing it with data collection from our school’s weather monitoring project. This would help students connect global climate issues with local data.
One improvement could be to include a downloadable worksheet that guides students in recording their predictions and findings. Many videos do this now.
Hi Una, that sounds like a great idea integrating the data discovering regarding weather into your school weekly podcast. I will definitely bring this suggestion to our student council in September.
The integration of weather data collection into our senior school curriculum could be described as a truly enriching experience, bridging multiple subjects including mathematics, geography, science, and ICT. This year, our Green School committee could engage in comprehensive data collection project. Using electronic sensors to monitor both soil and roof-level conditions, students could actively participate in collecting real-time weather data, which they could then analyzed digitally.
This could broaden their ICT skills but also enable them to engage with meaningful data directly linked to their school environment. The ability to access the data from home further increased their involvement and facilitated independent learning outside the classroom. By relating the project to their immediate surroundings, students are able to see the tangible impact of environmental factors, thus deepening their understanding of sustainability and climate change.
The hands-on nature of the project, combined with its cross-curricular focus, sparked a deeper interest in environmental sciences and data analysis. Students developed a greater appreciation for how technology can be used to monitor and address real-world issues. This initiative could lay a strong foundation for further exploration into environmental studies and sustainable practices in our school community.
