[Carmel Wright]

Hi Caitlin.

Thanks for your post. As a teacher in a senior class, I think that the videos are well-suited to your group and will help them begin to understand this topic. Lots of new vocabulary may warrant a poster/list to capture these terms, and a Kahoot quiz could help consolidate learning later on.

A KWL chart is a great idea for this topic, as there can be considerable confusion about this topic. Creating digital projects in small groups is a great way to get learners active on ICT and develop their presentation skills while growing in their understanding of this environmental challenge.

[Carmel Wright]

Hi Marie,

Thanks for your post and welcome to the course.

Liston’s paper is a great reminder of what makes for a meaningful and authentic STEM experience and provides great insights-like you mention, it’s a range of strategies.

I am delighted to see that you found The ESA Nose up High in the Sky resource useful for the coming. The weather station is a great way for learners to take ownership of a project and, through this learner-led activity, will develop a considerable skillset, along with a deeper understanding of weather. There is a wide scope for cross-curricular activities, and a KWL chart can come in handy to kickstart this lesson series.

[Carmel Wright]

Hi Adam,
Thanks for your post, and welcome to the course!

I can see you have reflected on Liston’s paper and her definition of STEM, shedding light on its true meaning and implications for delivering meaningful STEM activities in the classroom.

The weather station is a wonderful way to get learners engaged in and understand the concept of weather while developing a host of skills. It’s an activity that has considerable scope, and time constraints usually determine how many of the activities can be covered, including making the instruments versus buying, how long the weather station readings are monitored for, etc.

If time and the budget allow, it is great to make and buy equipment, compare results, and read instruments daily for a span of time that will generate data to create lots of opportunities for Maths-creating averages, percentages, bar charts, etc.

[Carmel Wright]

Hi Veronica,

Thanks for your post. You have put together a wonderful lesson plan. I really like your questions during the exploration phase, and some physical examples could be provided here, from simple to more complex.

It can also be worthwhile to reflect both for students and teachers on what went well during this activity and what could be improved upon next time, nurturing a continuous improvement mindset. Home/School links can also be nurtured through this by giving the learners homework to create a 3D map of their garden/part of their local park.

[Carmel Wright]

Hi Nessa,
Thanks for your post, and welcome to the course!
It sounds like you have a deep understanding of what works with your learners and how to deliver a meaningful STEM activity.

I think it’s great that you integrate so much into your lessons and that this works well with your learners. As they have a passion for science and history, this can be a vehicle for delivering other topics simultaneously while feeding their interests.

[Carmel Wright]

Hi Grace,

Thanks for your post. You have put together a great plan for delivering this activity. It’s wonderful to see that you plan on visiting the bridge and bringing this topic to life by exploring it firsthand because although we pass bridges regularly, it is only when we pay attention and observe that we see its many details. You certainly are spoilt for choice in Cork with bridges, and it could be interesting for learners to see if there is a common theme in terms of shapes, style, etc. How many they cross on the way to school, and so on.

It’s great to see that you are including an option for using natural materials to make bridges outdoors to span a small stream or channel. It brings this topic to life when there is an actual water source to cross, and is convenient with nature-providing materials.

Taking the next step by exploring wildlife bridges is a wonderful way to tie into biodiversity and the impact our progress has on their landscape. The State’s first “bat bridge” on the M17 could be an interesting one to learn more about here in Ireland. It allows bats and other mammals to traverse safely near Lady Gregory’s home of Coole Park to ensure the lesser horseshoe bat will use its important roosting site in Kiltartan cave and feeding grounds in Coole Garryland.

[Carmel Wright]

Hi Joe,

Thanks for your post. What a wonderful idea it is to bring this rich history to life in your locality. It sounds like your school is already very active in celebrating this and making connections with the local community. The book and CD created by your Principal will serve as a wonderful resource for this activity, and I think it’s a great idea to have special guests to bring to life the stark reality of life in the mines back then and the importance of this gruelling work in providing fuel for the nation.

I really like the diversity of creative expression in this, including drama, songs, poetry, and story writing, and the continued connections to the community and the rich history of your local area.

[Carmel Wright]

Hi Megan,

Thanks for your comprehensive post. You have put together a thorough plan to research Francis Beaufort and have some great ideas for exploring the Beaufort Wind Scale, along with other activities based on wind for classroom science investigations.

I like how you mention discussing the significance of this work. Beaufort was shipwrecked as a teen and went on to explore and survive in some incredibly challenging situations. To this day, the Beaufort Scale enhances maritime safety by providing a clear and universally understood system for describing wind conditions without any equipment requirement.

I really like your idea of comparing anemometer results to those of the Beaufort scale. Can the learners come up with their own anemometer result ranges to reflect points on the Beaufort scale? Lots of great activities that could work well as a small block of classes to deep dive into this topic.

[Carmel Wright]

Hi Aisling,
Thanks for your post! The sundial activity is great for subject integration, and I like your plan to show pictures of old sundials. Some of them differ considerably, and there are some great examples across Ireland that have stood the test of time; perhaps if there is one close enough to your school, it could be worth a visit and asking the learners what they think it is. Here’s a link to an interesting article on these:  Sundials: telling the time in medieval Ireland (irishheritagenews.ie)

It’s a wonderful idea for your learners to present the sundial to younger classes, explain its purpose and how to read it, developing their communication skills.

[Carmel Wright]

Hi Annette,

Thanks for your post. I am delighted to see that you enjoyed using the Stellarium app for the first time, and that you are looking forward to introducing it to your third class in September. It makes the night sky so much more accessible for us all when attempting to identify stars, constellations and planets.

You mention encouraging students to explore this more at home, and I think it’s a great idea to develop this interest further-perhaps by setting homework to find Venus, the brightest planet in our sky, using the app, factoring in when it will be most visible, etc.

The learners can also make use of apps like Book Creator to develop ICT skills by putting together their fun facts and creating a book together.

 

[Carmel Wright]

Hi Una,

Thanks for your post. You are fortunate to have seen the wonders of the Northern lights in Cork this year! What a great experience and relevant prompt for this activity, discussing and comparing experiences. We are losing the breathtaking beauty of the night sky to poorly managed and, in some instances, wholly unnecessary lighting. As someone who has seen firsthand this baseline shift in darkness levels your experiences are a great source of learning for your learners, along with their parents and more senior family members.

You have some wonderful activities listed for your class, and I like your proposal to explore the other end of the scale, where there is a lot of darkness and little light – investigating the use of light therapy in countries that have very little light, as well as the impact on peoples, sleep and overall wellbeing especially in the darker winter months. It would be great to explore how animals respond to these conditions, by hibernating, etc.

[Carmel Wright]

Hi Michelle,
Thanks for your post. You have created a robust plan for exploring biodiversity in your local area and the possible impacts of light pollution on local biodiversity.

As Una has highlighted in the course, there is a wide range of excellent resources to help in the identification of species, and I particularly like the simplicity of this one shared during this module, as it is highly accessible for young learners, asking simple questions to determine what type of bug you have found: Identify a Bug – Buglife

I really like your idea of a nighttime habitat in a shoebox, the acting out of nocturnal creatures being disturbed and negatively impacted; it will add a sense of fun and drama and create a memorable impression for young learners, fostering a sense of empathy for their plight.

[Carmel Wright]

Hi Eimear,

Thanks for your post and lovely ideas to develop a creative writing project based around your local woodlands, and Glenart Castle. I can see how you plan on making full use of this wonderful natural heritage location, by discussing the bridge and its uses while there too.

Your projects for the classes are well suited to their age and ability,  unleashing the imagination of those in second class as they create a narrative and drawing based on the castle and its occupants from long ago. I think it’s a lovely idea to bring these stories together to create a book that is then read to the younger class, sharing their creativity, developing communication skills and fostering an appreciation for the heritage sites on our doorstep

[Carmel Wright]

Hi Niamh,

Thanks for your post. It’s great to see that you plan to bring learners to a nearby forest. It is an ideal starting point for a conversation on biodiversity, and depending on the type of forest, it should be rich in native biodiversity. Holding an umbrella or white sheet under a tree branch and giving it a shake is an effective way of seeing what bugs have made a home there.

Your plan is well laid out, connecting the dots between biodiversity, artificial light, nocturnal creatures, SPHE, and well-being and culminating in presenting solutions to others to promote better lighting practices.

[Carmel Wright]

Hello Olivia,

Thanks for your post. I am delighted to see that this module has opened your eyes to the wealth of free, up-to-date information available about the artificial satellites in space. It’s terrific to have such an easy and accessible tool to help learners explore the constellations. You make a great point about this being a nice fit for developing home/school links by giving this as homework.

Creating the plough is a wonderful way to model this famous feature of our night sky and I have no doubt, will make a wonderful feature for your classroom ceiling too!

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