[Shona Ward]

Thanks for sharing, Catherine! I also teach 6th class, and I love how you’ve blended hands-on science with AI pattern recognition here. Linking the Dream Space TV episode with a outdoor nature walk is such a fantastic way to make machine learning concepts real for this age group. Focusing on how AI makes predictions based on training data rather than knowing facts is brilliant. It builds genuine AI literacy by helping pupils see technology as a tool to question rather than an undeniable authority.

• This reply was modified 3 months ago by TeachNet Support.

[Shona Ward]

Class Stage: 6th Class

Curriculum Area & Learning Intention:

SESE (Science / Environmental Awareness) & Literacy. The intention is for pupils to critically evaluate an AI-generated text about local wildlife to spot factual errors and biases.

AI Concept Explored: AI Hallucinations, Accuracy, and Authorship.

Activity Outline:

I’ll give the class a short, AI-generated article about Irish woodland habitats containing a few subtle inaccuracies. Working in pairs, pupils will cross-check the AI text against reliable reference books and trusted websites to fact-check the claims.

Critical Question: “Just because an AI writes something confidently, does that automatically make it true or accurate?”

Responsible-Use Consideration: AI should be used as a starting tool for ideas, not as an unquestioned source of truth without human fact-checking.

Supporting Critical Thinking & Evidence of Learning:

Pupils will highlight errors using a color-coded system (green for facts, yellow for myths). I’ll gather evidence through their annotated sheets and a quick exit ticket reflecting on why fact-checking AI is essential.

[Shona Ward]

Great post, Orla! I really love your choice of the Bad Connection world and how clearly you’ve tied it to the SPHE curriculum and digital citizenship. Your suggestion to slow the pacing down for reflection and follow up with a class agreement on positive online communication is fantastic—it’s such a practical way to ensure the learning carries over into their everyday interactions. Thanks so much for sharing your idea

[Shona Ward]

Chosen Demo World: Fantastic Fairgrounds

Overview:

In this demo world, pupils explore a interactive fairground environment where they complete coding tasks using the MakeCode block editor to build, repair, and operate various fairground attractions.

Lesson Summary & Objectives:

The lesson plan focuses on teaching foundational computer science concepts such as loops, events, and spatial reasoning. Pupils use block code to construct rides and automate mini-games, supported by downloadable educator guides and coding cheat sheets.

Irish Curriculum Link:

This aligns directly with the Mathematics Curriculum (Shape and Space / Measures) and SESE Science (Design and Technology). Pupils apply geometry, perimeter, and area concepts while designing structures, alongside problem-solving through code.

Classroom Adaptation:

Rather than using it strictly as-is, I would modify the pacing to suit 6th class. I’d introduce a structured follow-up discussion where pupils present their coded attractions, explaining their design choices and debugging processes to build communication and critical thinking skills.

[Shona Ward]

I love how intuitive and engaging the theme is, having the monkey collect heart-shaped cookies makes the gameplay immediately accessible and fun for pupils. The immediate visual feedback from the score counter works brilliantly with your Maths objective, helping children connect counting directly to their actions on screen. One small suggestion to extend the maths learning even further could be adding a special golden cookie worth 2 or 5 points, which would give pupils a chance to practice mental addition or skip-counting while they play. I also completely agree with your thoughts on debugging, it really is such a powerful way to build patience and resilience in the classroom!

[Shona Ward]

Game Title: Ocean Cleanup CollectorGame Type: Timed catch/collectMakeCode Arcade Link: https://arcade.makecode.com/_E23dH3P98LzmCurriculum Area & Objective:Curriculum Area: Social, Environmental and Scientific Education (SESE) – Science / Environmental Awareness & Care.Objective: Pupils will demonstrate an understanding of environmental conservation by identifying marine pollutants and collecting as many plastic items as possible within a 30-second timeframe to earn points.Simple Storyboard:Location: An underwater ocean backdrop.Player: A sea turtle sprite controlled by the directional buttons.Game Elements: Plastic bottles and trash spawn randomly across the screen every few seconds.Rules: The player moves the turtle to collect plastic items to score points. A 30-second countdown timer runs continuously. To win, the player must collect at least 15 items of trash before time runs out. If time expires before reaching the target score, the game is over.Computational Thinking:Algorithm Design: I used algorithm design to structure the main gameplay logic. This involved setting up sequential conditional statements: if the turtle sprite overlaps with a plastic sprite, then increase the score by 1, play a collection sound effect, and destroy/re-spawn the plastic sprite at a random $(x, y)$ coordinate.

[Shona Ward]

Thanks Aoife, the digital dice project is such a brilliant, versatile choice for the classroom.

I love how seamlessly you’ve integrated STEM concepts here—using the shake sensor and adding sound effects makes it so engaging for pupils, and linking it directly to Maths through probability, tallying, and testing randomness is a fantastic idea. It’s a wonderful way to blend coding with practical, hands-on learning. Thanks for sharing your project link

[Shona Ward]

For this task, I chose the “Flashing Heart” tutorial on MakeCode for the BBC micro:bit.

In this tutorial, I programmed a micro:bit to display a flashing heart pattern on its LED grid. When the micro:bit powers on, it alternates continuously between a large heart and a small heart icon, creating a dynamic beating effect. The code utilizes basic loops, pause commands, and basic LED outputs, making it an ideal entry point to coding for senior primary classes.

My MakeCode project share link is: https://makecode.microbit.org/_41m3822vA69K

For integrated STEM learning, this project links brilliantly across subjects. In Science, pupils can explore the human circulatory system and heart rates. In Maths, they can measure beat intervals using timers or graph beat frequencies. In Literacy, students can draft step-by-step procedural texts for programming the pattern.

It is a fantastic, hands-on task for 6th class that combines basic coding with key STEM concepts.

[Shona Ward]

I completely agree with your point about balancing digital tools with unplugged activities—some of the best problem-solving and critical thinking happen when pupils are collaborating and discussing ideas face-to-face.

I love your idea of combining an unplugged design thinking activity with digital reflection, as well as letting pupils choose their preferred digital revision tools to build agency. It’s a fantastic, balanced approach to the Digital Learning Framework.

[Shona Ward]

The digital learning framework focus I have chosen centers on empowering pupils to reflect on their own learning progress and foster independence. In 6th class, building this autonomy is crucial as students prepare for the transition to post-primary school and take greater responsibility for their education.

In my current practice, a key strength is incorporating platforms like Padlet and Mentimeter, allowing students to share thoughts, showcase project research, and complete quick check-ins. My 6th class particularly enjoys using interactive quizzes to demonstrate understanding in a collaborative, engaging way.

An area I would like to develop further is guiding pupils to set individual, actionable learning targets using digital learning logs, moving beyond quick check-ins toward deeper self-evaluation.

My three actions would be:

Introduce a bi-weekly digital learning journal where pupils set and track personal academic goals.

Implement regular digital exit tickets to gather meaningful student feedback at the end of key units.

Dedicate regular monthly time for pupils to review their digital portfolios and evaluate their overall growth.

[Shona Ward]

Hi Colin, I like your idea to analyse temperature and precipitation patterns with the pupils to give the pupils a real understanding.

[Shona Ward]

Our community has been experiencing more frequent heavy rainfall events, leading to flooding. This has caused damage to homes, businesses, and infrastructure, particularly in areas around us near the River Shannon and its tributaries. This flooding has lead to inundation of agricultural land, residential areas, and roads, causing significant disruption and economic loss.
There has been an increase in the frequency and intensity of storms, which can cause property damage, power outages, and transportation disruptions. This has a knock-on effect as increased risk of flooding and storm damage has lead to higher insurance premiums for homeowners and businesses.
Changes in weather patterns has impacted livestock health and productivity for local farmers.
Local organizations and government bodies are working to raise awareness about climate change and its impacts. This includes community meetings, IFA meetings, educational programs in schools, and public information talks.
In school we can; encourage students to work on projects related to climate change, start a school garden where students can learn about sustainable practices, the importance of biodiversity, and how climate affects growing conditions, involve students in school-wide sustainability projects like recycling programs, energy conservation efforts, and reducing plastic use.
Three actions we can take:
1. Reduce energy consumption
2. Use public transport/carpool/walk cycle etc
3. Stay informed/advocate change etc

[Shona Ward]

Hi Sean, I like your idea of a buddy system!

[Shona Ward]

In our school we have many children from diverse backgrounds. Our school along with organisations such as ‘Longford Community Resources’ work hard to support and welcome refugees into our school and community.
Our HSCP organises workshops, and classroom and parent discussions to educate students and parents.
We have invited speakers from refugee backgrounds such as Ukraine to share their stories and insights with the pupils and staff.
Our school provides English as an additional Language (EAL) programs for refugee students to help them overcome language barriers.
We organize cultural/international days where students can share their traditions, food, music, and stories with the school community. This promotes mutual understanding and appreciation of diverse cultures.
Often, our school and community would conduct school-wide donation drives to collect essential items such as clothing, school supplies, and hygiene products for refugee families. Similarly, we organize fundraising events like bake sales, fun days, etc to raise money for local refugee support organizations. We encourage students to take an active role in these events.

[Shona Ward]

Hi Colin, I like your idea of field trips and guest speakers. It would benefit their understanding of the topic before beginning the project.

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