Anokha Sunday Stories

5 Stories to Share With Your Class This Week

Five fascinating stories to spark curiosity, conversation and connection in your classroom. Explore the stories together, discuss the questions and see where the conversation takes you.

19–25 October 20265 storiesIrish primary classrooms

Classroom Slideshow

Show the seven slides to your class. Use the big arrows, swipe, or the left and right arrow keys. Choose Full screen for your interactive whiteboard.

Slide 1 of 7: Stories to Share With Your Class This Week, 19 to 25 October 2026, with the Hera spacecraft near an asteroid and a note that the slideshow is available at anokhalearning.com

Story image: Rare fan mussel found off Kerry. A large shell on the seabed, with a Talk About It question about why finding a rare animal is good news for scientists

Story image: Hera spots the asteroid system NASA hit. An illustration of the Hera spacecraft near an asteroid, with a Talk About It question about why scientists would crash a spacecraft into an asteroid

Story image: Teenagers invent a machine that listens to plants. A young plant beside a sound monitor, with a Talk About It question about what plants would say if they could talk

Story image: Clues to a 13,800-year-old home found in Alaska. Stone tools and a bone needle on the ground near mountains, with a Talk About It question about building a safe home long ago

Story image: Bleached coral can recover with a little help. Colourful coral beside white bleached coral, with a Talk About It question about protecting coral reefs

Slide 7 of 7: This Week in the Classroom, 19 to 25 October 2026: Irish Book Week, EU Code Week, the An Post Irish Book Awards shortlist and the last school day before mid-term

Slide 1 of 7

This week’s five stories

1 Ireland · Ocean

Rare Fan Mussel Found Off Kerry

Divers off Valentia Island in Co. Kerry have found a live fan mussel, an endangered sea creature and one of Europe’s largest shellfish. It had not been reported alive in Irish waters since 2007.

Scientists say the discovery could help protect this rare species.

Talk About ItWhy is finding a rare animal good news for scientists?

Source: Irish Examiner, 17 October 2026

2 Space · Planetary Defence

Hera Spots the Asteroid System NASA Hit

Europe’s Hera spacecraft has spotted the Didymos asteroid system for the first time, from about 236,500 km away. In 2022, NASA deliberately crashed a spacecraft into its smaller companion, Dimorphos.

Hera was sent to investigate what happened, and help scientists learn how to protect Earth from dangerous asteroids.

Talk About ItWhy would scientists deliberately crash a spacecraft into an asteroid?

Source: ESA, 7 October 2026

3 Young Inventors · Italy

Teenagers Invent a Machine That Listens to Plants

Three Italian teenagers won a top prize at the EU Contest for Young Scientists. Their PlantLeaf invention can detect tiny sounds made by plants under stress.

This could help farmers recognise when crops need water or care.

Talk About ItIf plants could tell us what they needed, what do you think they would say?

Source: Horizon Magazine, 1 October 2026

4 History · Alaska

Clues to a 13,800-Year-Old Home Found in Alaska

Archaeologists in Alaska have uncovered an Ice Age campsite dating back around 13,800 years. They found stone tools, bone needles, cooking areas and signs of a possible shelter.

These clues help scientists understand how people lived long before modern houses existed.

Talk About ItIf you lived 13,800 years ago, what would you need to build a safe home?

Source: Live Science, reporting a study in Science Advances, 14 October 2026

5 Ocean · Science

Bleached Coral Can Recover With a Little Help

Scientists at Stanford University discovered that bleached coral can recover when it touches healthy coral from the same colony. In a laboratory experiment, helpful algae moved between the corals, restoring colour to the damaged pieces within a few weeks.

The technique has not yet been tested across coral reefs.

Talk About ItHow could this discovery help scientists protect coral reefs?

Source: Euronews, reporting a study in Science Advances, 14 October 2026

This Week in the Classroom | 19–25 October 2026

17th–24th Oct

Irish Book Week

Share a favourite Irish book or set up a class reading challenge.

Source: Writing.ie
10th–25th Oct

EU Code Week

Try a screen-free coding activity using arrows and instructions.

Source: EU Code Week
22nd Oct

An Post Irish Book Awards

The 2026 shortlist is announced. Explore some of the shortlisted children’s books.

Source: Irish Book Awards
Fri 23rd Oct

Last School Day Before Mid-Term

Schools are closed 26th–30th October and reopen on Monday 2nd November.

This Week in the Classroom, 19 to 25 October 2026: Irish Book Week, EU Code Week, the An Post Irish Book Awards shortlist and the last school day before mid-term

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