The SFI/ESERO Ireland funded  project “5*S: Space, Surveyors and Students: STEM and the Sustainable Development Goals” is developing a free Augmented Reality iOS and Android app that will introduce students to satellite data for Ireland in a fun and interactive way during their junior cycle science and geography CBAs. This App is designed to be a ‘one stop shop’ to help support a student through their CBA and is completely free of charge.

Through the SatelliteSkill5 app, students will learn: how information about Ireland is collected by satellite, why is it useful and how can it be used to solve challenges in Ireland today. Upon completing different challenges in the App, students will ‘unlock’ related free, real-world data sets for Ireland through an online account that they can then use to complete their CBA.  The app is a self-contained, self-paced educational tool that students can use at home or in a classroom setting. Because it is focussed on the sustainable development goals it is particularly relevant to students working on Science in Society (CBA2) and Geography in the News (CBA1), but has clear benefits to any student working on exploring a topic of interest, developing a hypotheses, collecting and analyising data and then presenting their results in an innovative ‘StoryMap’.

The 5*S team is looking for Junior Cycle Science and Geography teachers who would be interested in helping to give feedback on our content and the data that students and to partake in a pilot program where we can test the app with students. A number of workshops will be held in August 2021 to introduce teachers to the app and we will support you and your class to pilot this in Semester One, 2021.

There is no cost involved for anything to do with 5*S – so if you would like more info on the app or would like to sign up for the teacher workshop and help us develop this new product then please get in touch at: https://5sdiscover.maynoothuniversity.ie/contact/