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This is an excellent reflection and a really strong example of how digital tools can bring local geography and science to life for pupils. Your choice of resources—Geohive, Met Éireann, Yr, and Google Earth—shows how technology can make abstract concepts like soil types, land use, and weather patterns much more concrete and accessible.
I really like how you’ve thought carefully about cross-curricular links. The way you connect Geography, Science, Maths, English, and Art makes the learning holistic and meaningful for children, while also making efficient use of teaching time. Having pupils measure rainfall, chart weather data, and compare soil information with local farming practices will give them a genuine sense of how their environment works and why it matters.
This integrated approach not only builds STEM skills but also deepens pupils’ sense of place and connection to their own community around Kells.
It’s wonderful to see how you are taking the ideas from the STEM Education Policy Statement and applying them in creative and age-appropriate ways for senior infants. Your integrated approach to the theme of Space is a fantastic example of how STEM thinking can be woven naturally across subjects—through art, music, literacy, and science. The activities you’ve planned, from constructing telescopes to singing space-themed songs and exploring Baby Loves Aerospace Engineering, will no doubt spark curiosity and excitement for your pupils.
It’s also inspiring to hear that your school is committing to organising an annual science field trip. Linking classroom learning on space with a visit to Birr Castle to see the Great Telescope will provide the children with a truly memorable and meaningful learning experience. It’s clear that this module has given you both practical strategies and confidence to embed STEM more fully in your teaching.
I really like how you’ve chosen Lough Boora Parklands as a learning stimulus—its combination of history, wildlife, and art offers so many opportunities for creative and cross-curricular learning. I think starting with photos and videos before the field trip is a great way to engage pupils’ curiosity and help them observe with intention.
The field trip activities, from sketching and leaf rubbings to freeze-frame scenes, are fantastic for hands-on learning and imagination. I also love the way you’ve linked these experiences back to classroom work with poetry, stories, and digital media projects. This approach not only deepens pupils’ understanding of the local environment but also encourages creativity, observation skills, and storytelling. It sounds like a really rich and engaging project!
Drawing inspiration from all five modules, I would design a cross-curricular class project exploring the scientific and natural heritage of our local area:
Term One:
Map the school grounds.
Identify local plants and animals using the Seek app and Biodiversity Data Centre resources.
Revisit the area each term to observe seasonal changes, linking these to phenology and climate.
Term Two:Focus on engineering in the local area.
Examine local bridges and buildings.
Run a design-and-make challenge using recycled materials.
Term Three:Research a scientist or engineer connected to our county.
Produce group presentations, posters, or a class drama based on their work.
Cross-Curricular Links:Integrates Science, Geography, Maths, Art, English, and Drama.
Ensures all pupils can engage in different ways.
Culmination:A class showcase for parents and the wider school community to celebrate learning.
This is a really engaging and well-thought-out activity! Using the Ha’penny Bridge as a real-world example is a great way to make the challenge relatable for students. I like how you’ve combined hands-on building with Maths skills like measuring, recording data, and exploring shapes and geometry.
The focus on teamwork, problem-solving, and reflection makes this more than just a craft activity—it’s a genuine STEM learning experience. I also like that you’ve kept the challenge achievable, with a clear goal and simple materials, while still encouraging creativity and critical thinking.
I am very familiar with Birr Castle, which is close to where I live. The suspension bridge in the Demesne is a great real-life example for a bridge-building challenge.
To start, we could visit the bridge or use photos and videos to look at its design and structure. We would talk about how it stays up, what materials it is made of, and what forces act on it, like weight and tension.
Back in the classroom, students would work in small groups to plan, design, and build their own model bridges. They could use materials like lollipop sticks, string, paper, and recycled cardboard. The challenge could be to build a bridge that spans 30 cm and can hold a small weight, such as a toy car or block.
Maths would be part of the project too. Students could measure materials using rulers or tape measures, record data in tables, and use simple addition and multiplication to work out how much material they need. They could also explore symmetry and shapes when designing their bridges.
This project combines hands-on STEM learning with real-life application. It helps develop Maths skills while encouraging collaboration, problem-solving, and creativity in a fun and engaging way
I really like your ideas! Using phenology and the farmer’s calendar is such a clever way to connect with the children’s backgrounds, especially in a rural school – it will make the learning so meaningful for them. The seasonal focus on different areas like birds, trees, and flowers keeps the project fresh and exciting too.
I think the weekly outdoor recording sessions are a brilliant idea, as the children will love getting hands-on while also building a great bank of data over time. The way you’ve linked it into other subjects like Art, Maths, Science, English, Irish, and PE shows just how rich and wide-ranging this project can be. It sounds like a really engaging and enjoyable way for the children to learn about biodiversity.
We are fortunate to have a garden and outdoor learning space, which provides an ideal setting for a seasonal biodiversity project. Using resources such as the Exploring Biodiversity toolkit, SESE Primary Science supports, nature guides, and the Biodiversity Ireland app, students would observe and record changes in plants, insects, and animals throughout the year.
Project Outline:
Monthly outdoor sessions to record seasonal changes
Recording sheets with:Species tick-lists
Space for sketches
Weather notes
Equipment: magnifying glasses, bug viewers, tablets for photos/notes
Classroom nature table to bring the outdoors inside
Curriculum Integration:English: nature journals, report writing
Maths: graphing sightings, measuring plant growth
Visual Arts: sketching and painting from nature
SPHE: discussions on environmental care
Geography: habitats, seasonal cycles
Technology: digital presentations, species identification apps
Overall Aim:Encourage curiosity and observation
Build a strong connection to the local environment
Link learning meaningfully across the curriculumThis is a really strong, hands-on mapping lesson with a perfect balance of curiosity, visuals, and real-world tools. I like how you’ve started with an open-ended, relatable question to hook their interest and build the idea of maps as tools for giving directions. Comparing a treasure map, a road map, and a digital map side by side is an excellent way to encourage observation and critical thinking.
To introduce the lesson, I would display a map of a familiar location, such as the zoo or Lough Boora Discovery Park. I’d prompt pupils with questions like: Do you know what this is? What information does it give us? Where is it located? Why might we use it? After an active discussion in small groups and as a whole class, we would then explore our own locality on Google Maps or Geohive, again encouraging pupils to think critically through guided questions.
Working in groups, pupils would brainstorm possible places to create maps of, with guidance towards mapping the school grounds, yard, or local area. They would then make their maps in groups on A3 paper, using Google Maps or Geohive to help them if mapping the local area.
From here, the activity would shift to a hands-on mapping project where pupils create map layers of the school grounds. We would begin by introducing the concept of map layers—such as land use, vegetation, and species sightings—and explain how scientists and planners use them to make informed decisions. Using Geohive, pupils would examine aerial images and map features around the school.
We would then head outside with clipboards, base maps, and coloured pencils to create our own layers. Groups could map variables such as tree species, flower patches, insect sightings, bird calls, and areas of shade or sunlight. Swatches and field guides would be provided to help identify plants and animals.
Back in the classroom, pupils’ findings would be compared with Biodiversity Ireland maps to see if similar species have been recorded nearby. They would discuss questions like: Which part of the school grounds has the most biodiversity? Why might that be? How could we protect or enhance these areas?
To extend the activity, we could integrate our Beebots. Pupils could design Beebot maps of the school or their chosen area, incorporating key features from their fieldwork. This would combine digital skills, navigation, and problem-solving in a playful, hands-on way.
This approach not only develops mapping and observation skills, but also builds pupils’ awareness of local habitats and their role in protecting them.
I will definitely make use of the Curious Minds/ESERO Framework for Inquiry in my STEM teaching in the coming school year. I find it to be a very structured and organised approach that supports meaningful, hands-on learning experiences and promotes active participation from students in their own learning journey.
One of the key strengths of the framework is how it sparks curiosity through engaging, practical activities. The accompanying planning guide is comprehensive and clearly designed to support teachers in delivering high-quality STEM lessons. I am confident that this approach will make the teaching and learning of STEM subjects more effective, engaging, and child-centred.
In particular, the ‘Investigate’ stage of the framework really stands out to me. It provides students with opportunities to ask questions, make predictions, and conduct investigations—all of which place them at the centre of the learning process. This not only supports the development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills, but also fosters a sense of ownership and excitement around learning.
Overall, I see the ESERO Framework as a valuable tool to help create a more enquiry-based, student-led approach to STEM in my classroom.
