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I teach in the junior end of the school so I wanted to pick a question that I feel would be suitable and relatable for this class level.
Is our local playground getting wetter or drier compared to when our parents were young?
To get the children involved I would first ask them what they notice when they play outside today. Do they think there are more puddles now or less? I would also ask if their parents or grandparents remember the same playground being wetter or drier when they were little. I would ask them to ask at home about memories of rainy days at school for their parents. Talking about the school yard makes it real for the children because it is about a place they know well and see every day. We could collect data by checking rainfall charts online and keeping our own weather diary. The pupils could draw puddles and make tally marks on rainy days. They could use their drawn puddles and fill a 3D bucket to show their results of all the rain. By making it fun and personal the children will feel like real climate detectives and will see how their work matters.
I love using google earth in the classroom. It’s an incredible resource and one that always holds their attention. You could be teaching about anything and tie it in. Love your idea of looking at satellite pictures of the schoool from different years.
Getting them to compare today’s weather with what their parents remember makes it real and personal. The mix of activities you’ve planned sounds great too! Keeping a weather diary, talking to older people, and even acting out weather reports will really bring the topic to life. I think the group work is a smart approach, since it lets every child play to their strengths. It’s a lovely way to help them see that even small investigations can connect to bigger issues like climate change.
I found it so fun too and something I have never tried before. Would be a lovely afternoon activity in school to incorporate ICT.
Lately there’s been loads of satellites passing over Ireland and some of them are pretty cool to spot. The ISS is one of the easiest, it shows up like a bright moving star and is packed with astronauts doing science experiments. Then there’s NOAA-19, that one’s all about checking the weather from space. TERRA is another, it keeps an eye on things like forests, oceans and ice, basically Earth’s health report. A Starlink satellite went over too, part of that massive internet project, sometimes they even line up and look like a train of lights which can freak people. METOP-B is another weather satellite, helping to track storms and temperatures.
So between astronauts, weather trackers, Earth check-ups and internet satellites, there’s a lot going on above us every night. Kind of mad to think that while we’re looking up, all these little machines are busy watching and working.
Hi Brid, yeah i found the images about the animals the toughest. We have a lot to think about after watching it.
Yann Arthus-Bertrand’s HOME is a breathtaking documentary that captures our planet’s fragile beauty and the damage caused by human activity. Its sweeping aerial shots of melting glaciers, rising seas, disappearing forests, and vulnerable ecosystems provide a powerful visual starting point for children to see how human choices shape the world around them. Alongside this, Greta Thunberg’s COP25 speech reminds us with clarity and urgency that time is short, and that bold action is needed now. In the classroom, I would begin with short, simple clips from HOME to spark awe and awareness, followed by Greta’s words to connect feeling with facts. Together, these resources balance hope with urgency, helping pupils recognise that they are part of a living system. By linking global challenges to small, local actions such as caring for our classroom and school grounds, students can begin to see how meaningful change starts with them.
Hi Ciara, yes I also thought a quiz at the end of the video would have been very beneficial. It also helps with concentration levels if you mention at the start that there is a quiz at the end!
I have used the Paxi greenhouse effect video before with my Junior Infants, and their eyes lit up as soon as it began.It’s fun, engaging and educational. At the time, we were running a whole-school Green Schools initiative on reducing our carbon footprint, and this was one of the resources suggested by our Green School reps. The children loved watching Paxi explain why the Earth gets warm, and it provided an excellent starting point for discussion. Afterwards, we built two mini “greenhouses” using clear plastic boxes (one sealed and one open) and placed them under a lamp to compare the temperature difference. The pupils were amazed by the warm air trapped inside and eagerly shared their observations. To deepen learning, I paired key vocabulary in Gaeilge (“teas,” “atmaisféar”) with their drawings of the experiment. Linking the video to our own environment in Dublin, we discussed how buildings and playgrounds feel hotter in summer, which gave the children a real-world connection and a strong visual anchor.
I have always loved geography and learning about weather and climate, and it’s something I really enjoy teaching because it connects so easily to everyday life. In our school, we often weave weather into daily Gaeilge neamhfhoirmiúil, which makes it fun and relevant for the children. The ESA activities Is it Weather or Climate? and Weather Detectives are a great way to bring this topic alive. In Activity 1, children talk about the weather on their birthdays, which they love (but this chat can go way off topic if not mananged carefully!), and it helps them see the difference between short-term weather and long-term climate. Activity 2 builds on this by setting up a weather station in the school grounds. When I tried this with Junior Infants, they were so enthusiastic. They reminded me every day to check the instruments! These activities foster curiosity, observation, and teamwork, while also developing maths and problem-solving skills. Sharing results across the school creates excitement and collective learning.
For a 3rd class in Dublin, I would adapt “Design Your Own Dark Sky Place” by imagining an urban park (e.g., Phoenix Park) that balances star visibility, wildlife protection, and safety. Start by showing photos of Irish Dark Sky sites and a light pollution map, comparing them to Dublin’s skies. Discuss nocturnal animals, light pollution, and safe, dark-friendly lighting. Assign students stakeholder roles: Lighting Designers, Stargazers, Conservation Rangers, and Local Residents. In groups, they brainstorm needs, then come together for a “town meeting” to design their park. Using a large map template, they mark star-viewing spots, wildlife areas, and safe pathways. They create a brochure with visitor tips, nocturnal wildlife info, and “best things to see.” Finally, groups present and reflect on environmental benefits, linking the project to caring for the local environment and sustainable living. This builds awareness of light pollution while encouraging creativity, teamwork, and responsibility.
Love this idea! Often Grandparents’ Day is the same every year so I would love to bring this idea to the staff to change it up a bit and the children always love storytelling so it would be very special if it was their own grandparents telling the stories.
After holidaying in Inis Meáin this summer, it was so interesting to learn about the biodiversity on islands compared to the busy city life I am used to. I loved learning all about island life and especially the impact on local marine biodiversity and the effects this had on local income.
How you would engage your learners to explore biodiversity in your local area and the possible impacts of light pollution on local biodiversity?
3rd Class in a south Dublin school
If I were bringing my 3rd class out in our local area to explore biodiversity, we’d start with a good wander around our local green spots maybe the little woodland edges or even the hedgerows near the school. The children would become “nature detectives,” spotting birds, bugs, and plants, and keeping a tally in their special explorer notebooks. Then I’d ask them to imagine what those creatures get up to at night. We’d talk about some of factors threatening our plants and animals like habitat loss (when we take away their homes), invasive species (bossy newcomers), pollution (including that sneaky light pollution at night), climate change (weather gone wild), and over-exploitation (taking too much from nature). We’d talk about how some animals, like bats or moths, need the dark to hunt or find their way, and how too much light from street lamps can make things tricky for them. We might even play a game where half the class are moths and the others are “streetlights” to see how confusing it can be!
